Oysters, caviar, lobsters and champagne—it sounds like the kind of extravagant feast you’d only find at the parties of the rich and famous, but it’s actually just a standard Saturday night dinner at Eagle Street Pier’s new Fat Cow Steak & Lobster (though a little on the pricey side—so start saving now).
Taking over the space formerly home to Cha Cha Char, Fat Cow comes to us from the crew behind George’s Paragon, Rico Bar And Dining And Massimo, just a few of the precinct’s other stellar restaurants. Not straying too far from the legacy left behind by Cha Cha Char, the new venue is—as the name suggests—all about tender cuts of high-end beef and woodfired lobster, along with plenty more besides.
Before you sit down and tuck that white napkin into your collar, you should definitely kick things off with a drink in the adjoining whiskey bar, where the list of top shelf spirits numbers into the hundreds. Scottish, Irish, American, Australian, Japanese—the gang’s all here, and you can mull over your chosen sip in a comfy armchair or perched up at the bar with some snacks off the menu of bar bites. Not a whiskey drinker? There’s also a handful of classic and signature cocktails on the list as well as other craft spirits and plenty of wines.
You’ll definitely want to peruse the wine list for a drop (or three) to pair with your dinner—what’s a steak without a good glass of red? Before we get to that though, there’s entrees to choose. You can go as fancy or as wallet-friendly as you like—the real MVP is the Oscietra caviar served up with buckwheat blinis, but with a $200 price tag we understand if you’re a little reluctant to go all out. It’s ok, there’s plenty more to tickle your fancy, from the champagne oysters and beef carpaccio to crispy squid and brioche lobster rolls. Got a crew with you? Opt for one of the shellfish platters, loaded up with freshly shucked oysters, king prawns, bugs, scallops and mussels.
The next course is where the hard decisions really start. Should you go with one of the many steak cuts, or a rock lobster baked in butter and garlic, chilli, tomato and shallots, or olive oil, lemon and herbs? If you really can’t choose, there’s always the steak and lobster combo—a 200g eye fillet steak AND half a woodfired lobster. For those not enamoured with steak or lobster, other large plates include a slow-cooked lamb shank, crispy skin pork belly and pappardelle wagyu ragu, all of which will sate your appetite just as well.
Don’t forget to add on a couple of sides, whether it’s the baked mac and cheese, battered onion rings or roast pumpkin with blue cheese, and also save a little room for dessert—there’s a bombe Alaska with your name on it. You can find out everything else you need to know about Fat Cow Steak & Lobster here.
Just want a good steak? Scope out Brisbane’s best here.
Image credit: Larissa Drazic