TL;DR: At the moment, with only so long after it has opened, The Cribb Street Social is a bit on the green side with many of the technical aspects, which is a darn shame as it has many makings offered right to it that could help it be great, along with an aesthetic vibe that really requires a bit of effort to match. This definitely could be the place to be, especially for the residents living in the nearby streets and suburbs, and with saying all of that, it is not too bad - just fine tuning is where it is at and it should be good to go.
This was another hyped one that was newly opening, and my house mate/dining buddy had been reading up about a few places and this was one of them. While a glut of new places opening around town is not anything too unusual, what really helps is that they are open for breakfast and that the menu has something interesting about it. As of now, there are a few places lined up for the next few weekends, and here in Milton - at the Cribb Street Social - is essentially another cab off the rank.
So in saying that, it was Sunday morning again with the usual relative sleeping in - cue the airhorn app for me to wake up, and for us to get on the road, and across town it was to dine here. It follows suit again for how Milton is one of the nuggets of Brisbane with an array of dining, which is modest but diverse, and this finds itself tucked in between two major roadways yet being so accessible. To use an analogy, it is like that charming small town just off the highway between two moderately big cities - instead of going straight from the central area to the west, turning off for a bit would uncover some great finds. How Cribb Street Social stacks up, while it definitely has many makings of a high quality place, it is not yet there with several technical aspects that definitely need a bit of fine-tuning if they are to turn into the place to be.
If the way that I was reviewing and ranking places was set up like a report card, then design may well have gotten an A-. It is spaced out pretty nicely, has an aesthetic to it that is part old-style, somewhat modern in structure, and wholly doing the simplicity. This is not a place that will look too tacky in a few years, but will age well by going for a sleek form. On the pavement, there are several tables spaced out nicely complete with umbrellas for good shading, and there will certainly be props given to using the support pillars for smaller tables akin to a bar seat is set up. Those touches do maketh the place, and gives it character. Two touches that I particularly liked was the communal table that was coming from the ceiling, and the design of the woodwork, particularly how they used the simple shapes and differences in brown hues to have the Mountain Goat logo on the wall. It was pretty effective looking, and makes for a good backdrop.
Where it definitely falls down a bit is with the service. This is not a place where it is bad right out of the gate, as they do approach you more or less do address you and get the table ready. They also do take the drinks requests right away, and give a bit of time before coming back to get the food orders. Where it is iffy is in the perfunctory manner they have customer service, not really going for some of the finer aspects and slight touches which do elevate a place when put together - aspects including asking about how the food is, or refilling water glasses (they do get the waters initially, but I did find myself going and collecting the jug to refill the glasses - so that is confusing about whether it is self-service or not). They weren't really traveling around the tables, in which not many of them were taken so it is not like they were strapped for time. I have had worse, and seen less interested young 'uns before, though there is definitely aspects they are doing right and aspects which need improvement.
It depends on the time of day that you arrive with the menu, but regardless there is quite an amount to appease most patrons. There is a breakfast menu, and a brunch one that is similar for the weekends, where a range of the old favourites are there, as well as some basic and substantial meals sufficing for between times. For lunch time, the way to describe the food would be like a gastopub. You get burgers, salads, seafood among some other staples at a pub, along with a decent selection of sweets. Though what would definitely set it apart is the charcuterie boards aplenty both meats and cheese. Dinner time comes around, and then it is all sorts of tapas, and big plates of meat.
For drinks, there is a big lot here as well for both the drinker and non-drinkers alike. You can choose from teas and coffees to begin with, followed up by smoothies, and all sorts of juices and sodas. Then there is a big lot of beer, all sorts of cocktails, and spirits to round it all off. In essence, this is fairly causal as an eatery, and one to come to when matching up beverages to bits of food.
Starting off with the drinks, the usual go was getting the coffees. The normal route for me this time, which meant another doppio. I can't quite recall what the brand of coffee they use was, though from memory it was not too bad. This was less of sweet bean, and more of that wine-like aroma with the beans, and the extraction and everything was pretty much done well. It was a serviceable cup that did have a bit of a hit - not too strong, though not lacking - and it did well enough.
If one of us wasn't having it, it was apparent that the other would be ordering it - that is the fully loaded Cobb loaf that they have. This was a big lot of bread hollowed out, and filled with a combination of three different sorts of cheeses, bacon and eggs, green tomato ketchup and spinach. It was nice, that is about the level to describe it. It had definitely come fresh out of the oven, always a good sign, and the cheese was good and gooey, plus the egg made a good texture, and the spinach and bacon were excellent additions. Possibly a bit more spectacle with how it sounds than how it comes across, but kudos and credit is certainly able to be offered here.
After a bit of indecision, what I ultimately was drawn to was the Cuban sandwich. This is an irresistible combination of pulled pork, glazed ham, pickles, and Swiss cheese plus a coleslaw made of apple, celery and cabbage. On the side was a small salad of mixed leaves with a mustard grain dressing. On the side came an order of fries. This meal was pretty much a serviceable experience, where it was filling and there were elements of quality here and there. The bread was pretty solid, and the meat was certainly tender and plentiful within the sandwich, plus all the makings of a Cuban were present from some bitey pickles, to cheese that was just nicely melting, to a slightly fruity coleslaw to compliment it all. Maybe a little on the bland side with the meat - some basting or seasoning always works - but overall, it was pretty good as a wholesome and straightforward snack.
It was not without some noticeable flaws though, and aside from the service what really came to mind was the order of fries. If there was a weak spot in the meal, even in the situation of there not needing to be a weak spot, these would be it. At the very least, they would have benefited from a tad more cooking to crisp them up, along with going a little more heavy on some kind of seasoning. The size of them was akin to steak fries, and the potato was getting a bit soft, and there honestly was potential in it. Just a bit more preparation beforehand, and also optional sauces on the side and it would sell like hotcakes.
With the 4.0 rating going here, it is indicative of some definite strengths and characteristic aspects that could well help the Cribb Street Social stand out and become a hub for business, but also to indicate that it is somewhat flawed with a few of the technical aspects. Comparing the latter to the former, for it to really live up to its potential the service will need some tweaking and training in order to match the inviting aesthetic with a welcoming demeanour. The food is also fine as it is, though one or two flaws was here or there and they could easily be fixed in order to make it really good, which is from the breakfast menu. Giving it the benefit of the doubt, I am sure that the other fare offered might well be good; the review is of the experience I had and it was one that definitely had potential to be really good.
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