Mighty Mighty Cue & Brew

Fourth time here and I’m done. It’s a nice atmosphere but just doesn’t cut it.
Consistently poor service — friendly enough, but every time without fail, someone has to actually get up from the table and go to ask them to come take our drinks orders, even when the place was quiet — the staff were too busy chatting to each other.
Food has been hit and miss. Some of the meals have been really good. Today’s was a pork belly — tear too thin pieces, on toasted white bread from the supermarket. Not a great effort.
Too many other great places around here to bother giving them another chance.

Being a bit of a self-​confessed barbecue addict, I found myself meeting people that I’d never met before to talk about American style low and slow barbecue when I was in Brisbane for a short vacation. It was suggested that we’d all try the Mighty Mighty after some good reports, so I switched on Google Maps and picked up someone that I’d only ever met before via posts on a BBQ forum on Facebook on the way to meet up with another BBQ enthusiast at our destination.
It was a midweek meet, so there was only us and another two business parties and it seems like a pretty good spot for a business lunch or drinks on a Friday evening. The service was respectable but the waiter forgot one of our groups drink but not to fuss, aside from that it was good.
When it came to the food, I really enjoyed it and what Mighty Mighty were trying to do but having been to my fair share of BBQ joints, I’d say it was average compared to what I’d call authentic or real barbecue. The flavours and textures were nice but the smoke flavour wasn’t quite right and I suspect that’s due to the style of smoker and/​or techniques employed to achieve their results.
What’s difficult about authentic American style low and slow barbecue is the long periods of time to prepare, cook and rest the meat with the added difficulty of managing a live fire to provide a gentle radiant heat with a subtle smoke flavour over a long period of time with cuts of meat that require this attention to produce a moist, almost melt in your mouth texture or else it usually ends up tough and/​or dry.
Mighty Mighty definitely succeeded in getting great textures. I’d say that the brisket being at the pull apart stage in the manner it was served isn’t traditional but still very pleasing to the everyday punter or those who’ve never had authentic barbecue and I can appreciate what the chef is trying to do and was great at doing it.
The pulled pork that came in a chunk you pulled yourself was good too and after cooking it appears that it was cooked again, so as to give it a crusty bark that was also nice. The same sort of attention was given to the brisket and it was appealing despite not being authentic. The rib was everyone’s favourite from the 3 dishes tried and we really enjoyed the fries too but thought the potatoes could have been crispier and would have rather having more fries to nibble on.
I really think that with a bit of tweaking Mighty Mighty could go from good to great. I think it will appeal to anyone that enjoys slow cooked meats and a cold beer to wash down a good feed and will appeal to BBQ enthusiasts if they take to it with an open mind and just enjoy the food for what it is with a little bit of a twist on the American style. After all that’s what Aussies do best when it comes to food culture in fusing the best from another culture and adding our own inspiration to make something even better than before.

I really wanted to like Mighty Mighty, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
We visited for lunch on a Saturday. We were one of two groups dining, so service was quick but the vibe/​atmosphere was lacking.
I ordered the pulled brisket roll. It was massive and very yummy. The brisket was only slightly warm though, and after a few bites it was completely cold which kind of ruined it. My partner ordered the ribs; the menu said these were served with fries, but instead came out with baked potatoes. He said they were good, but was confused nonetheless.
$ 65 for lunch for two with a drink each. To me, while it was a nice lunch it wasn’t worth $ 65, and I wouldn’t rush to go back. Overall it was a lack lustre experience that didn’t live up to the hype I’ve heard from friends.

Mighty Mighty are about two things. Barbeque (Cue) and quality craft beers (Brew). Yes, it’s another venue doing ‘American Food’, but it’s not what you think. There’s no wham, bam, thankyou ma’am monster burgers and fries here. It’s slowww cooked meats and modern takes on classics. They also offer to cater for vegetarians which is pretty fantastic when you know that Mighty Mighty’s chief focus is meat. Just as well, as we had a pesky vegetarian in our midst.
Mighty Mighty came up trumps with a selection of entrees and platters for $ 30 a head. There was something for everyone including Red Jack Corn Bread and Buffalo Wings. Both the corn bread and Tarragon scones were hugely popular, particularly with the smoked butter. Even better, the vegetarian had her own non smoked butter given that beef fat is used in the smoking process. Hard to believe I know but at least some in our group had never been on Pinterest and therefore had no idea what a Jalapeño Popper was (jalapeño stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in smoked bacon). How could they live with themselves? As they popped those jalapeños into their mouth, they declared them delicious and I declared that it was just as well everyone had visited Brisbane to improve their food education. For the vegetarian, a stunning main of Smoked Cauliflower Tortellini with Crumbed Mushrooms and Pea Purée. It almost made me want to become a vegetarian. Nah — just kidding.
The piece de resistance though was the All American Anti Pasti plate that I had tried previously at the menu launch. There were items to tempt such as the duck breast prosciutto with the requisite fatty layer and chewy smoky meat that everyone at the table thought was pork and items to delight, such as a very clever mustard caviar that tricked people into thinking it was the real deal until tasted. A slow cooked 63deg egg and generous serve of head cheese with rye crackers made for a wonderful showcase of Mighty Mighty’s claim of ‘modern take’. It was a very upscale dish, worthy of any hatted or starred restaurant.
The piece de resistance though was the All American Anti Pasti plate that I had tried previously at the menu launch. There were items to tempt such as the duck breast prosciutto with the requisite fatty layer and chewy smoky meat that everyone at the table thought was pork and items to delight, such as a very clever mustard caviar that tricked people into thinking it was the real deal until tasted. A slow cooked 63deg egg and generous serve of head cheese with rye crackers made for a wonderful showcase of Mighty Mighty’s claim of ‘modern take’. It was a very upscale dish, worthy of any hatted or starred restaurant.

New menu launch tonight. Fantastic selections. Spicy wings. Great beers. Excited about the future offerings from Mighty Mighty!

A new menu, with some old favorites :)
What a week. as the seasons change, so do their menus and after reading about some of the items that Mighty Mighty had up their sleeve, I had to give it another go :)
I tried my best to get here when they first opened on the Sunday afternoon. Myself, I love getting to a place when they first open and when they are not packed :). Well. lets just say the bus trip didn’t go according to plan and I got into the music I was enjoying. and missed the stop lol. However I justified it since I’d probably need the walk to help out with my food ;)
So I arrived about 12:10pm on Sunday. First thing I will always complement Mighty Mighty on. Their service, always amazing. Walked in and immediately welcomed with a smile and a how are you. Tick :) .
Handed a menu (which I was already prepared for my courses: P), ordered my meal and within a few minutes appears my first dish. The Popcorn Shrimp Po’boy :)
First off, let me start with something I usually ignore since they tend to be the least exciting bit and just added to any dish. the fries. Ok, these golden goodies are perfect. and the seasoning on them. ok, blew me away. It reminded me of the ‘shaker fries’ that McDonalds had (that I loved and personally grabbed extra saches just for flavoring: P). They were so flavorful that I started putting them in my Po’boy and yep. love it, and that Southwest sauce that they put on the plate. its perfect for dipping or adding to your Po’boy :)
Ok ok. the star of the Dish, the Popcorn Ship Po’boy. Yeah. it was just awesome :). That crusty bread, with they tasty popcorn shrimp, and the sauce. will just explode with food goodness in your mouth :). And adding fries, and the southwest sauce to it. yeah, it was just mind blowing.
Next up, a blast from my past. My aunt used to make this up in the summer time when we visited and served with ice cream, it was always a highlight of seeing my family. This dish is the Peach Cobbler, and it comes with a twist :)
This peach cobbler consists of grilled vanilla peaches, and is served with a nutmeg custard (think egg nog :)), and a frozen yogurt sorbet on top of cookie crumbs. And if you manage them all in one mouthful. my god. It took me back to sitting at the table when I was a kid and devoring a plate of my aunts cobbler. so so delicious. And at the end I had left over custard. and you do not waste left over custard: P. so I poured spoonful at a time and finished it off :)
So, how was my experience. pretty perfect :)
Service was top-​notch, always polite and helpful. They even talked about there new menu with me and what they liked, loved the communication.
Food, was nothing short of home cooking from back home. all that was missing was my aunt: P
Price, surprising it is very well priced. I’m used to alot of American-​esque places charging an arm and a leg for what they sell since the word ‘American’ is added to the menu :).
Do I recommend it? Yes, yes I do. Heck take me with you lol. I really can’t wait to try out more of their new menu and another dessert… im looking at you «strawberry & rhubarb „not so“ crumble» :)
Have yourselves a wonderful day :)

Having amped myself up to visit because I’d heard great things, I was seriously underwhelmed by everything. The chicken was dry, the pigtails were way fattier than usual and didn’t have the right sauce to ‘bite’ through it. We also bought a trio of sides to be mostly impressed with the garnish over anything else. The two stars go to the staff member who served us.

My impression was the same as Melissa B. The place is just soulless, which is kinda ironic when youre selling soul food.
Bad service, alright food, terrible prices.

Mighty Mighty first landed on my radar when I overheard a patron getting booted out of another venue exclaim ‘let’s just go to Mighty Mighty where they won’t be assholes!’ And I dig that kind of sentiment so bookmarked it I did and go I went.
I’m most happy to report that they are not assholes so thank you kind sir for introducing me to them during your fit of rage. I’m rather happy I gave them a go. It’s american food that actually took me back to eating in the states. The atmosphere and style all tie in nicely with the décor and the food/​drinks menu like a perfectly wrapped present. The food was the real highlight as it should be.
The brisket tacos are fantastic. Simple, no fuss, soft tacos. What more can you ask for in an entrée? I also had brisket for my main and you get a significant chunk with a delightful potato salad and a whole pickle. A whole pickle! Let me just make sure you got that. A WHOLE PICKLE! That’s the dream right there. Mac and Cheese was a failure so give that a miss if you’re thinking about ordering sides. Bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers were a triumph. Hot Wings were pure insanity in a bowl. You have the option for what they call ‘politically correct’ or all out hot. Now I am a spice lover. I can stand hot, hot food but these made me feel like a nuclear bomb was detonated in my face. I thought I was going to find Mordor at the bottom of that bowl. And I only dipped a finger in. The guy who actually ordered them had to lift each wing to his mouth with shaking hands and try not to pour his own sweat all over it before it reached his mouth. Mighty Mighty are not messing around.
The good news is if you are dumb enough not to heed my warning or your have a tongue made of steel and you make it through the wings you can ease the burn with one of the many beers, cocktails and spirits on the extensive drinks menu here. They make quite a good cocktail but with this many varieties of beer and wine you might not even make it that far. Or skip the after dinner beer and grab a dessert. We tried the Key Lime Pie (my all time favourite dessert), peanut butter pie and the spiced pumpkin cheesecake and all were heavenly.
And after all of that, Mighty Mighty isn’t too tough on the old wallet either. Don’t expect food court diner pricing but for the portion sizes and the quality I wasn’t left feeling ripped off.

Went here for date night with high expectations. Unfortunately it was all a bit hit & miss, and cost way more than it should’ve.
Jalapeño poppers were okay. Not at all spicy if that’s your kind of thing (my boyfriend loved them for this reason). Also the dipping sauce was a bit weird? Couldn’t quite put my finger on the flavour, but not my cup of tea.
Brisket is beyond good. Not Texan BBQ standard but pretty bloody close. Sweet potato fries are legit the best I’ve ever had. Crisp and well seasoned. Boyfriend loved the unpulled pork but it needed a bit more sauce. Slaw was also a solid B+.
Pumpkin pie cheesecake was quickly devoured by old mate. Good selection of beers but I find it hard to justify paying the James st inflation for everything.
$ 160 for dinner would be okay if it was worth it, but unfortunately it just wasn’t. Maybe next time, after tax time?

Lunch menu isn’t very extensive and also quite pricy. $ 17 for a sandwich with a few fries. The brisket sandwich is ok flavor-​wise but nothing to write home about. The Reuben is by no means a Reuben. It’s more along the lines of a Cuban sandwich with cole slaw… too many pickles. Reuben = toasted rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island.

Mighty Mighty served up some of the best American-​style food I’ve ever tasted and set the taste bar high for Brisbane’s other new American style eateries on my list of ‘must dos’.
The scrumptiousness for my party of four started with cheesy jalapeño poppers and golden cornbread. Cornbread is a seriously underrated food stuff in my books and Mighty Mighty reinforced this view with its amazing version of the bread.
After entrées, we set about demolishing four mains between us: The pulled pork was pulled perfection (can you really mess up pulled pork?), the beef brisket a hunk of tender, melt in your mouth meat, the duck jambalaya a surprising favourite and the fried chicken, well, do I even have to say it? Crispy, juicy and delicious. I was talked out of dessert by everyone else who looked askance at me and asked how I could possibly want to eat any more but their pies just sounded so tempting!
The only let downs were perhaps the side dishes to each meal, which seemed not to have as much thought or preparation gone into them and the setting. The restaurant décor was a little bit too food court not enough American bistro for my liking. That and the fact that the meal cost us an arm and a leg even without dessert!

Brisket. Brisket. Brisket. Brisket «rubbed, smoked & mopped» in molasses barbecue sauce. I came to Mighty Mighty with one thing on my mind. Any guesses?
We dined at Mighty Mighty, in the new M&A complex on McLachlan Street, in a group of six on what turned out to be a very busy Thursday night for the restaurant. By the time we left it was at capacity. Arriving at 6:30pm, however, we were one of the first tables to begin dinner. Dining in a group meant we were able to sample a lot of the menu. Be warned: when the waitress says that the main meals are quite largely portioned, she isn’t toying with you. You’ll easily share the mains between two people as my partner and I did for the brisket with a few sides.
Between the six of us we ordered the jalapeño poppers (not at all spicy), hot wings and a serving of hush puppies. My American friend dining with us on this night also tells me they’re not proper hush puppies but these guys are doing their own thing, and that’s cool.
Everything is served promptly and the brisket, let me tell you, lived up to every expectation I’d heavily placed upon it. It was moist, melt in your mouth fantastic. Paired with a side of collard greens and I was one happy diner.
There’s breakfast now being served on weekends and come winter as my Brisket craving increases I know I’ll be back.

4 stars because the meat was out of this world tasty and because it was really good value. Doesn’t rate the full 5 stars because of 1) claiming to have hush puppies that were not really hush puppies and 2) seating a smaller group table amongst 3 larger groups.
We were SO VERY IN when our awesome CM Lani put this location up as her choice for a CMYE last week. Being an expat from the mid-​west of America, I’ve been tickled to see regional American cuisine making its way into Australian food scene. I’ve been particularly excited about it because I suspect that the general approach to food culture in this country will equal a better execution of regional flavours.
WE arrived for an early-​ish seating at 630pm and there were a smattering of tables in the venue. However, within the hour, our table of six was surrounded by 3 larger groups all varying in degrees of rowdiness beyond that of ourselves. Fortunately, we had already ordered & mains were mere moments away, so there was no interruption to our service.
I found the service to be quite helpful. Especially in being upfront about the portion sizes. I couldn’t go past the brisket and hubs & a friend decide to split the meat mountain dish called The Carnivore. Our beloved CM also had the brisket and another friend in attendance had the chicken. Together we ordered a smattering of entrees and sides thanks to a «mix and match» special on the night. Plenty of food, trust me. The gents seemed especially pleased with their consumption of craft beers.
I can only speak for the brisket I ate. But I will say this — it was worth the trip. And it is deserving of another visit. In fact, we concluded, given the preparation of the meat, you probably couldn’t do the same at home for any less than they were charging. The chefs slow cook it for 18 hours, so that should tell you how tender and delicious it was. They also make their BBQ sauce in house and it is noteworthy for its fine flavour and slight spice.
Now, about the hush puppies. Any American with ties to the south will tell you what a hush puppy is: basically a ball of fried corn bread. What it is NOT is made with potato or a variation of a croquette. The so-​called hush puppy served here is a damn tasty croquette, but it is not a hush puppy. I can’t fault the flavours of the side as a croquette, but I was indeed left wanting for a hush puppy. And I may have spent many vehement ((albeit unsuccessful)) moments whilst paying the bill trying to convince the manager to get the chefs to make actual hush puppies.
As for the pricing vs location vs ambiance mentioned by other — if you’ve been into New Farm & gone to Smoke, then what you’ll find here is very similar pricing and a slightly more upmarket «vibe».
Great CMYE, Lani. If you’re going to keep picking a cracker of a location like this for further events, consider us in NOW.

I am sighing with discontent as I write this review. Not that my overall experience at the mighty mighty was bad, it’s just unfortunate that the meal ended the way that it did. I think I’d be more forgiving if it started with a bad entrée, but alas the meal ended with possibly the worse dessert of all time. But let me come back to that later.
The meal started well, as a table of 5 ravenous young women we shared a number of starters, mains, and sides. The sweet potato fries = amazing. Jalapeño poppers = fantastic. Brisket? Melt in your mouth deliciousness. We shared some buffalo wings and went with the medium level of heat (holy roller I think?) and it was blow your head off hot. I love spicy food so this was ok with me but they were too got for a couple of the girls and they basically gave me the hiccups which means I know they were way spicy.
Slight let downs were the onion rings which were unfortunately fried within an inch of their lives, and the pinto bean side dish (can’t remember the exact name) where the beans were just a bit undercooked and not v pleasant.
Then came dessert. I had a really hard time deciding what to order because it seemed there were a lot of great options to choose between. I convinced my sister to order the banana ganache tart and I ordered the key lime pie and we’d go halvsies. I started I the key lime and it was meh. The pastry was kind of weird tasting and the filling was light and fluffy but not very flavoursome. It had little piles of «candied lime foam» which were very flavouriffic but the flavour was kind of like dish washing liquid. There was a little slice of what I thought was candied lime (like a cross section) which I made the mistake of biting half off… not candied, actually dehydrated. Intense bitter lime flavour, not good at all. Extremely unpleasant actually. Chefs, please don’t put things on plates that people shouldn’t eat!!!
Then I traded for the banana ganache tart. I noticed not much of it had been eaten. My sissy had a look of «bleugh» on her face. She can be a bit fussy though and I’m a major banana lover (haw haw) so I wasn’t deterred. Then I tried it. Whoa. Wtf is this? Where is the ganache? Ganache is meant to be a mixture of cream and chocolate but all I got was a mouthful of overripe mashed banana. Very unpleasant. Probably the worst dessert I’ve ever eaten. It was truly revolting. I regret putting it in my mouth. A complete waste of calories and 14 clams.
So my recommendations for the mighty mighty — eat all the savoury things. Avoid the desserts. If you’ve still got stomach room at the end of the meal go get some gelati or something somewhere else. Don’t get the banana ganache thing. Trust me. 3 stars, mostly because dem sweet potato friiiiies.

We had a hankering for some spicy chicken wings and our usual hang had run out of theirs. Friends in the group recommended Mighty Mighty. I arrived earlier than the rest and when I mentioned our group size the staff were happy to set a large table for our group of 14.
First impressions are great. It’s a cool restaurant with a great modern and a fitting American vibe. The staff are pleasant and attentive providing recommendations and visiting us regularly, allowing us to order more drinks without leaving our table.
We asked one of the (senior?) staff how spicy the Holly Roller wings were and how many were in a serve. His response was he felt the spices were noticeable but weren’t very strong and the serve is six wings. Six wings for $ 14! more than twice the price of the delicious ones at our usual only a short walk away.
We ordered a variety of the wings, jalapeño poppers, the jalapeño corn bread, string fries (they’d run out of the sweet potato fries — the ones I’d wanted), onion rings, and some collard greens.
When the food started to arrive we were very excited as it all looked great! I had the corn bread first, delicious! Then, those of us who had ordered the Holy Roller wings were smashed in the face by the great spiciness of them! Now I love spicy but these were «death» wings spicy! A couple of people couldn’t eat more than two.
We were very disappointed by this as we had specifically enquired about how spicy they were and on the advice received, ordered what we thought were going to be somewhere between medium and hot. I believe (from comments) there will quite a few of us who won’t rush back as a result of the poor advice and high price of the wings.
Overall our experience was, well, OK. So I can end on a positive note, I’ll say we all loved the corn bread and poppers.

Trying a new place is always a gamble. I have a fetish for new. I guess it’s that adrenaline rush of being «first» and that thrill of not knowing what to expect but hoping for the best. Sometimes I come unstuck with «new» places because they have teething problems or just «don’t get it».
I’m mighty mighty pleased to say that Mighty Mighty Cue was a booming new experience success.
The fit out — with it’s open kitchen and funky murals really shows that the owners know you need to go all-​out to grab your attention and make their mark.
The staff were efficient without being clingy.
The food was ooooooh so very tasty and delish.
The menu is one that leaves you whining that you «just wanna order everything!»
This is a great place to spend time with friends — sharing food, enjoying some great beers and just feeling the vibe of passionate owners.
At the end of our meal the owner came over and asked us about our experience. It wasn’t just a courteous question. He really wanted to know and you could tell that the information he received would be used to better his restaurant.
Please try this new joint in this squeaky new precinct close to James St. The paint is still drying but the future looks bright for Mighty Mighty Cue.

3 star food with 1 star service (3−1=2).
The game at hand is let’s play «catch the waitresses attention», the winner gets to eat. I’m not singling anyone in particular, we don’t play favourites here, I was equally invisible to all.
I would describe the food as intermittently tasty with patches of bland. Let’s face it, how can you hate slow cooked meat of any description? The brisket and pulled pork were good and tender.
As a self diagnosed foodie, I always like to try new things and the sides offered a veritable cornucopia of opportunity, or so I thought. As an example my curiosity was peaked by pickled watermelon rind. How could they possible make that tasty I asked myself, they couldn’t was the answer. The potato salad with pieces of pickled apple sounded great also, but it simply wasn’t. It tasted like someone had discovered a way to extract the flavour and it was beyond bland.
In summation, this is a midweek lunch. It cost $ 130 and took almost 2 hours and left me feeling like the flight controller on the deck of the USS Nimitiz, not good enough!
If its American flavours accompanied by great beer that you’re after, drive an extra 2 minutes to Tipplers Tap where everything is cheaper, better and free of pretence.

Had a great lazy Sunday lunch here. The slow cooked in cola ribs were great and a great choice of beers to wash it down with.

Short review first…
The good: the food tasted good, the service was attentive, the American whiskey and craft beer lists are solid.
The bad: James St prices without the fine dining or atmosphere to justify.
Look, here’s the thing… If you play a little game in your imagination and relocate the James Street restaurants to the old Ortiga space four blocks away on Brunswick Street, what would happen to their pricing? I’d argue that Gerard’s, Bucci and Cru (among a few others, probably) could keep their menu the same while places like Chow House might have to cut prices or deliver more value per dollar. Pricey mains are fine if you can back it up with a combination of interesting deliciousness and style.
Mighty Mighty, for me, is in the Chow House group. The food tasted good — let’s not lose sight of that — but $ 3.50 for a cornbread muffin smaller than an iPhone (which probably cost $.34 to make) and $ 30 for an admittedly decent sized lump of pulled pork with some grits felt a little over-​the-​top in a place that’s trying to connect to a funky, hipstery casual vibe.
The pork was delicious. Juicy and tasty. I’d absolutely eat that again for $ 20, but I’m going to have a hell of a time talking myself into another plate of that for $ 30.
I hope these guys do well, and I hope the American style of barbecue (not BBQ) really takes hold in Australia, but I just wish they had tucked into a lesser neighbourhood where they didn’t feel they had to price the menu the way they did to keep up with the James Street competition.