Was really disappointed about our experience at the Meatball Company - we had heard a lot of good things and they had been getting some good noise made about them around Brisbane. Having dined in a similar restaurant in Melbourne, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, instead we got bland, undercooked and overpriced food and mediocre service.

For starters I have to say I think the pricing in here is a little ovedone - you get three meatballs for 15, all sides are 8. Meatballs are pretty small. I'd say judging by the meatballs we ordered (I got the lamb, and my friends got the seafood and pork respectively) that they are pre-prepared and reheated, which I know from working in hospitality can be fine, but the meatballs were underheated and tough, not to mention bland. Reheated I can handle - what I suspect is prebought, I can't, not for these prices.

I thought the sides weren't outlined clearly enough on the menu - I ordered the quinoa, barley and wild rice, which was yum but it was served cold and full of sultanas. I think those kind of things need to be mentioned because it can be a dealbreaker for people. Similarly, my friend tried to clarify whether the side of pasta came with its own sauce - our waitress indicated that it did, but it arrived served with nothing more than some olive oil and a couple of chives.

Which brings me to my final complaint - the service. Our waitress, while friendly, was either very inexperienced or facing some language barriers. As mentioned above, she was pretty misleading about our meals, had trouble taking our drinks orders (the bar men had to come over to our table to clarify which beers we wanted) and just generally seemed uncomfortable and unsure of what she was doing.

I hate to be the person who complains so liberally about a place, but it's hard when it's had such good reviews and is so disappointing and overpriced. Maybe we should have taken a hint though - at 7.30 on a Saturday night, the place was 3/4 empty.

We went next door to have a drink afterwards and the menu there looked much more enticing - maybe if you're in the area try there instead.

Approximate cost: $15