Embassy Craft Beer Bar

Very funky bar in Brisbane. I had read great reviews on Unilocal and decided to give it a crack with a group of friends. Drinks were well priced and they had a solid collection of wines.
They had a huge TV screen showing the rugby in the back lounge which was a big hit with the group.
The atmosphere of the place was cool and eclectic with its exposed Brick and wooden floors. I loved it
The show stopper however was the food. We thought we would just order a few starters and then order mains later. Well, let me tell you… We did not need mains!!! The starters were huge and so tasty. The sweet potato fries were delicious. The nachos and smokey delight and the buffalo wings the piece de resistance.

What a find! Friendly and quick service, good beer and cider selection, great cocktails (tried a mocha martini — mmmm!!) and absolutely delicious food! We tried three different sliders — each of which were incredible. They were presented beautifully with a side of fries and a smoked garlic aioli — utterly delicious. The atmosphere was casual and rustic, with exposed brick and eclectic seating areas. The place may scream a little ‘hipster’, but we loved it. I recommend trying the Embassy Bar — you’ll thank me later!

The Embassy has come a long way since it’s days as The Embassy Hotel from my uni days in which it was a dark, dingy spot offering standard pub meals and cheap beer and techno dance music on Saturday evenings. It reinvented itself as a craft beer bar and the ambience has definitely improved! It was one of the first places in the Brisbane CBD to offer decent beer and still has one of the best ranges available. I think the beers on tap change regularly and are written up on a chalkboard behind the bar. To be honest, I didn’t take a lot of notice of them but I saw White Rabbit, Stone & Wood and Moon Boy featured, as well as a nice sounding oatmeal stout.
The food menu has also improved dramatically and while still pub food, it’s definitely on the more interesting end in the currently popular American style. Sliders (2 for $ 15.50 with a side of hand-​cut shoestring fries) are a popular choice and options include the standard cheeseburger and pulled pork. As by definition of slider (mini burger), it’s not a huge meal but you can amp it up with an additional for $ 4.50. For the gluten-​intolerant, you can have them with GF bread for an additional $ 1. Then there are the other main meals such as the Beef Brisket Nachos ($ 15), Embassy Taco ($ 15), BBQ Smoked Pork Ribs ($ 22) and Philly Style Wagyu Roll ($ 16) or you can still get your steak sandwich, rump steak, fish and chips or pizza if you want a more standard option. For something a bit fresher, there are some tasty sounding salads such as a Lamb Kofta Salad ($ 16). And if that’s not enough, there are a range of share plates such as Spicy Buffalo Wings ($ 12.50) and Sweet Potato Fries ($ 9). They also have several specials available and today’s included slow-​cooked lamb rump, pork fillet, lamb sausages and a lamb pie, although by 1pm everything but the pork had sold out.
I chose the Embassy Taco with Smoked Beef Brisket. For $ 15 I was concerned it would be tiny but the staff member serving me assured me it was more burrito-​like in size and was filling. Even with that I was surprised how large it was when it arrived — a slightly puffed up tortilla absolutely stuffed with pulled beef atop a creamy avocado, tomato and onion salsa. Coriander leaves and melted cheese topped it off and a cheek of lime was served next to it on the wooden board. It was so full I had to eat about half the meat before feeling confident about picking it up but there was still plenty of beef left. The beef was smoky and saucy and absolutely delicious and the salsa (creamier than I expected) added some lightness along with the lime juice. A really great option for only $ 15! Several of the people I was with had the Philly Style Wagyu Roll with fries which they enjoyed but didn’t think was great. Someone else tried the taco with Spiced Battered Fish but tried my beef and thought it was better.
We went there for a team lunch for 10 people and it was a good option for that. It’s also possible to make reservations and I advise you do if you have a larger group. I’ve also been for drinks on a Friday afternoon and it’s a great option although when they have live music, it can get very loud.

Wowsers. Last time I was here it was just the Embassy Hotel. Just a typical Brisbane bar.
They have undergone a renaissance, and the place looks a bit fancier, with a decidedly hipster clientele.
I came along for a friend’s going away shindig, and she had an area reserved up the back. It was nice enough, and never got busy. To be honest, booking a spot was probably not necessary for the group (20 or so people), as the place was pretty dead for a Saturday night in the CBD.
Plenty of drink options. The craft beers mentioned in the name, but plenty of cocktails served in the obligatory jam jars. Don’t go too fancy, one member of the group had to whip out the phone to show the bar tender what was in a long island iced tea.
There was a small band playing some sort of reggae-​pop fusion, and while they were loud, conversation was still possible. A few drunks were ‘dancing’ around their table, but beyond that it seemed everyone there was more interested in chatting with their drinking buddies.
Over all, it’s not a bad place for a quiet drink if you want to avoid the crush of bodies you’ll find elsewhere. I’d probably have a drink here again.

A few friends and I were having drinks out and decided to finish the evening at the Embassy Hotel. The bar staff gave a recommendation and it was superb. I’m not the biggest beer fan and I liked the Blanche de Namur. It was my first time here and I liked the space. We closed down the place so I would like to come back and take more friends to enjoy a few drinks in the early evening.

The Embassy recently rejuvenated themselves into a craft beer bar serving up some delicious dishes. Naturally this has become a favorite spot for us to frequent in the CBD.
The Sweet Potato Fries with ranch mayo is A-​M-​A-​Z-​E-​balls. Perfectly seasoned and crispy on outside, moist inside. The ranch mayo dip was not what I expected, has a zesty and refreshing bite to it. The husband and I even talked about it days later. That’s how good it is.

The Embo has been a great favourite of my friends and I for a long time. Unfortunately, when they sold their dancefloor space to Hugo Boss next door the feel for the once party-​driven and bustling club changed to a nice and cosy hangout to start a night.
The Embassy is great for people who are really into cheap drinks, with a small group of friends and into dancing to those Top 40 hits that have just come out and everyone knows and loves.
The Fruit Tingle jugs are the highlight of the Embo and Thursday nights might just be one of those great times to visit if you can’t be bothered waiting in line to get into The Vic around the corner with their just-​as-​equally-​cheap drinks ;)

I don’t see any real appeal to Embassy, and the only time I’ve wandered through its doors was to find friends, use the bathroom, or take advantage of the $ 10 cocktail jugs. Ok, so maybe there is some appeal.
You can find solace in the cheap drinks and ridiculously cheap meals and even ignore the sometimes bogan atmosphere. I would put up with a lot for $ 10 cocktail jugs and I may not be wholly proud of it, but I’m addicted to their fruit tingle jugs. Simply amazing.
I just don’t really like Embassy for some reason. Call me picky, but where other places can pull off the dark, loud, boisterous atmosphere, I just don’t know if it works for Embassy.
Still, for those jugs, it’s worth a visit.

The Embassy has quite often been my first point of call for a bar hopping night in the city. The lack of a door charge, $ 10 jugs and chart music playing on the dancefloor may have something to do with it. I can never stay long though and am usually nagging my friends to get the heck out of there after an hour or two. While the bartenders are usually obliging with cheap drinks to a pretty girl, unfortunately so are the middle-​aged men with beer guts hovering around the bar and the edges of the dance floor, comparing notes with their mates as they surreptitiously creep up behind an unsuspecting female as an unwanted dance partner. Definitely not a classy bar, just a first stop on the way to a messy night.

It’s early Friday evening, precisely the time where people are clocking off and getting their shop on. I’m meeting up with some friends at the Embassy Hotel.
When I find them, they’re waiting outside a narrow bottle shop bearing the name of our destination. A little puzzled, we walk through and enter the actual bar (later I find out the proper entry is on Elizabeth street).
Inside, there’s commotion and excitement. It’s actually quite full for how early on in the night (6.30pm). To be honest, I’m surprised how many young hip professionals there are in here. They seem a bit mismatched with the Embassy’s décor. The walls are covered in 2D graphics while overhead there is a haphazard industrial-​ish theme happening through exposed wiring.
The PA Speakers are on blast and conversation has to be made by shouting at each other. Non-​the-​less everyone is having a great time. Even the people eating dinner at a table near by don’t seem to be bothered with the volume in the room.
When I get to the bar, its six people deep. It’s a short wait. I notice that the majority of people are wearing wristbands and are rewarded with free drinks. Behind the barmaid is a wall of alcohol to make cocktails but many of the bottles look untouched.
After ten broken glasses, two young girls making out and one guy walking into the ladies toilet its 8.30pm and the free drinks have run out and the Embassy is a ghost town.
The Embassy is a bar to start the night off and place where cocktails are offered but never drunk because there is somewhere better to be.