American Steak Out - Hog's Breath Cafe

Hog's Breath Cafe - Indooroopilly Junction
104 Coonan St, Indooroopilly



Big servings. Hearty food. Cheese, Chocolate and Curly fries.

When we get cravings and feel like throwing any notion of 'diet' out the window, we think steak and we think fries.

My boyfriend Charlie had never been to a Hog's Breath Cafe before and since he had been daydreaming about steaks and barbeques for a week, I thought Hog's Breath would hit the nail on the head.

I, on the other hand, have had SEVERAL experiences at a number of different Hog's Breaths and each time has been a consistently belt-tightening meal.


 
I love the consistency; that you get what you want and what you expect. It's refreshing to look at a menu and see diner-style offerings like potato skins and chilli con carne. Servings are... well 'generous' to say the least.

Their signature steaks are divine. If it's your first time at Hog's Breath, pick one of their 18hr slow-cooked prime rib steaks. On one occasion, I ordered a prime rib and was informed by a waiter that they had 'run out' but could make up that meal with a different cut of steak. He said it would taste the same. HOW WRONG HE WAS!

Everything good and special about a Hog's Breath steak is demonstrated in their prime ribs. I don't think you really 'get' that uniqueness from their other offerings.

 
True to my recommendation, Charlie ordered the new Byron Bay Chilli Prime Rib in a lite cut (I suggested getting a lite cut since, in my opinion, they are anything but 'lite').

I wanted to try something new so I ordered the Barra Burger for myself.

We also shared an entree of Hoggies Loaded Potato Skins and I was allowed 1 cocktail :).

My cocktail arrived first and was received very welcomingly. I chose the bartender flavor of the day at a bargain of $6.50. It was 'Melonberry' and had melon and berry liqueur with a dash of sprite and some juice. Looked wonderful and summery and once mixed up, tasted delish. Not very alcohol-ladden but sweet and fruity all the same.

 
The potato skins came not long after. We chose the 'South of the Border' filling which is described as 'Chilli con carne topped with Buffalo BBQ sauce and melted cheddar cheese, served with sour cream'. This description sounded unbelievably promising to me and when the dish arrived, I wasn't let down. Maybe I was super hungry at the start of the night but those potato skins were actually my highlight of the meal!

 
As expected of a professional western establishment, our mains arrived together not too short/long after the entree. Charlie chose to have his steak with salad (as opposed to steamed veggies) and curly fries (as opposed to mashed potatoes or a baked potato). I was prepared to steal some of his chips but then found out I didn't have to. Although I didn't see it mentioned on the menu, my barramundi burger also came with a side salad and curly fries.

Barra Burger, $13.95

The burger was tasty but not really WOW/STANDOUT/EXCEPTIONAL. I didn't have that much room left in my tummy and opted to munch on fries rather than finish off my burger. Besides the crispy fish fillet, the burger also contained the standard burgerish inclusions, namely lettuce, beetroot, onion, tomato, cheese and tartare sauce.

Charlie had no complaints about his steak although I wasn't a huge fan of the chilli sauce. Since I was the one who told him to chose the Byron Bay chilli steak, I kept my mouth shut about it. The 'lite' serving was definitely enough for 1 normal appetite, especially if you consider the sides and plan on eating entree and/or dessert.

Byron Bay chilli steak (lite cut), $22.95

As for service, the waiters were courteous, professional and the timing of the food was just right.

I doubt I'd be able to stomach a meal of this kind of magnitude more than a once or twice a month but for those days when you want to spoil your stomach, Hog's Breath Cafe is something to consider.

And it's safe to say Charlie's steak craving has been curbed for the time being.