Friday night at the Club...or was it a Chinese restaurant from the 80s??

Bardon Bowls Club
69 Bowman Parade
Bardon , Brisbane,  4065
T:  3366 2981

Rating out of 5:  3 child friendly forks


Clean highchairs available? Yes
Pram access? Yes.
Kids' menu? Yes.
Play area? Yes - indoor toy area including Wii, and outdoor running around area.  The outdoor area is not secure and borders a road, so important to have someone watching them.
Activities at the table? No
Room for kids to move around? Yes.
Child friendly atmosphere? Yes
Prices? Very reasonable. Steak starts from $12.  Kids meals are huge at $7.50

I would love to give this place a higher rating as they were so friendly and it really is easy to take kids there.  But the only thing letting it down was the time taken for the food to come out and the fact that all our meals were staggered.  Mine came out an hour before Mike's, and the kids meals came out in between that.

The decor is definitely like an RSL and the meals remind me of the local Chinese restaurant from when I was a kid - standard sweet and sour pork and honey prawns, which in the 80s we thought was so exotic!  They also serve steak which was a big meal served with salad and chips - and cheap as chips from $12, or $13 for reef and beef!!  Of course it is not the standard you would get at a specialty steakhouse, but good value all the same.  I ordered the san choy bao, which was beautiful and fresh and very filling at $11.  The kids meals are limited but good value.  Fish or nuggets served with chips or salad.  There were 10 nuggets to a serve and a mountain of chips - I could have just ordered one meal to feed all four of my kids.

The staff are so friendly, with "Big John" coming around handing out lucky door prizes, which included a kids birthday barefoot bowls party and gorgeous cupcakes from Luscious Cupcakes valued at $800.  Then they were selling tickets for the meat tray, like the old style "Friday night at the club" with banter going on as to who was going to win it.  Then another bloke came around handing out free Freddo Frogs to all the kids - a special after dinner offer on Friday nights.  It was a very old style friendly "club" atmosphere.

Our littlies ran around outside kicking a soccer balls for ages.  I would recommend you keep an eye on them through the window or be out there with them, as it does border the carpark and the road, and there is no fencing.  But a massive area, so it is not like they are close to the cars, unless they actually run over there.  Inside also has a toy corner, the Wii and space for them to move around.  As far as being relaxed and inviting of children it was excellent.

However, we ordered our meals at 6.30pm.  Mine came out at 7.15, the kids meals at about 7.300 and then Mike's just after 8.15pm.  This was the only thing letting it down.  They were extremely busy and obviously were not coping with the rush.  So I think if we were to go there again we would get there at 5.30pm and order immediately.  I think that would then enable the kids to eat earlier, have a play and then head home at a reasonable hour.

Definitely child friendly and definitely reasonably priced for a family.  We will go back there, but earlier with a game plan for ordering.