Mary Mae's

Mary Mae's is a sprawling New Orleans-flavoured riverside bar restaurant on the ground floor of the Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm.

Occupying the prime waterfront space formerly home to Watt, Mary Mae's dishes up Louisiana-inspired cuisine with a fresh Queensland twist and Bloody Mary's 5 ways amongst its drink offerings.

Afternoons and evenings, this is a great spot to enjoy a casual bite to eat either before or after a show upstairs at the Brisbane Powerhouse or a light breakfast or lunch while on weekends Mary Mae's serves a signature brunch that is unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere in Brisbane.

Diners can take a seat on the breezy terrace or inside the industrial chic space and partake in a menu that for Starters includes King Salmon ceviche with Mary Mae's dressing, natural oysters or chilled gazpacho, vodka and natural oysters.

Next up, for ‘Providence’, there’s Celeriac remoulade, apple, king prawns and espelette pepper, prawns by the basket with cocktail sauce, rye and lemon or griddled crab cakes with succotash, black beans and tomato relish.

‘Comfort’ (larger) dishes include spiced chickpea burger, 300g Black Onyx rump steak with triple cooked potato and Diane sauce or sautéed gnocchi with provencal vegetables.

Platters to share (for 2 or more) range from a Cold Seafood Platter (prawns, oysters, salmon ceviche, clams, tuna and condiments) to Buttermilk fried chicken with toasted muffin, BBQ sweet sauce, aioli, chili caramel and slaw or Beef Brisket (tortilla, wasabi BBQ sauce, slaw and chipotle).

Otherwise, there’s a choice of ‘Rustic’ dishes such as oyster po’boy sliders, grilled Reuben sandwich, French dip pork belly sandwich or poutine, cheese curd and gravy.

Meanwhile, desserts include Beignet (a type of New Orleans choux pastry donut) with lemon curd and lemon sugar, Rum Baba, Crème Brulee and Chocolate Cateau Mary.

Whilst daily light brunch items on offer include croque monsieur, croque madame and salmon tartine with dill cream cheese, the weekend brunch menu expands to include a sweet nutty omelette or savoury omelette Parisienne, brioche French tart and guacamole tartine.

Bring an appetite and a sense of adventure for the special signature Saturday brunch which kicks of with a Sapphire gin, carrot and citrus based spicy cocktail called Hippin Hoppin Mary, followed by gin & beetroot cured salmon with crème fraiche and cucumber salsa, DIY breakfast taco, roast strawberry, peaches and Grand Marnier with vanilla and peanut butter, with the option to add boozy extras: Bottomless Bloody Mary's or Bottomless Bubbles.

Need to know - All drinks and food need to be ordered at the counter, with wait staff delivering them to the table once ready. Pre-bookings are essential for the signature Saturday brunch.

Nice to know - Dogs are more than welcome in all of the outdoor seating areas of Mary Mae's.

The menu may have changed since our visit.