The Precinct at Alberton (Formerly The Port Club)

[Macca19]

Food was alright. Beef Rib was very good. Kids deals were decent value. Would return

 

[dirty2]

Hopefully make it down that way soon.

 

[Enviable Tradition]

What nights are they open?

I wanted to take my Dad for his birthday and it seems i cant book Monday or Tuesday.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

What nights are they open?

I wanted to take my Dad for his birthday and it seems i cant book Monday or Tuesday.

someone put up a link to the menu and the times were on that.

 

[Crocodile Dumbdee]

That selection of pizzas is for an acquired taste really, not my type. I've eaten there twice already. Had the Chicken schnitzel and Flathead Fillets. I thought the servings were on the small side but they were cooked fine. I eat around other places and think that there's better value elsewhere. The $28 Beef schnitzel was removed from the menu before they started but in comparison to the portion size of the Chicken it was probably not worth it.

Its a football club.

 

[Crocodile Dumbdee]

Mate of mine from work , Crows supporter, took his Mum and Sister for lunch, Port supporters.
He was very impressed by the whole experience.

 

[Crocodile Dumbdee]

Plenty of places down that way you can get a good meal. Only 1 of them you can go through a port museum and have a drink overlooking the oval.
Meals just need to be average to be honest

This.

 

[Crocodile Dumbdee]

To be honest home cooked meals are 98% better than any pub meal, and i'm not into expensive fine dining so I cant comment.
So people complaining need to get a grip, just because youre eating out, dont expect Heston Blumenthal to have cooked it. Jesus.
Just be grateful we have an amazing clubroom you can have a feed and beer and soak in our history.

 

[Loony Juice]

Plenty of places down that way you can get a good meal. Only 1 of them you can go through a port museum and have a drink overlooking the oval.
Meals just need to be average to be honest

I disagree that average meals will suffice. They will not at pretty much any venue, anywhere. In fact it would be a negative situation. Why go for an 'average' meal that is more expensive and potentially lower quality or smaller portion size than similar meals in the vicinity. In my opinion good feeds are essential to increasing the reason for people to stay longer, thus spending more. After such a major renovation, I would expect the kitchen/meal preparation/food storage areas have also undergone renovations/improvements. Like the pub rule about meals, in that you don't make big dollars from a bistro/restaurant, but quality and reasonably priced tucker will make people stay and drink/shop/gamble longer, and create good publicity/reviews/recommendations to others, thus increasing turnover, which is the name of the game. Especially after a large investment

I also believe that having greater menu range and options to cater for various tastes and budgets is essential.
From basic pub feeds like schnitzels, burgers, fish and chips/seafood baskets etc.
To Gourmet pizzas, seafood and the like.
Some fancy stuff available eg. Lobster Thermidor, quality steaks, Beluga Caviar* etc.
And showcase some of the amazing local SA GREAT produce
I know the menu covers most of these options, but I have to stress shit meals will turn people away/deter first timers and give the place an unwanted reputation.

*Beluga Caviar inserted for humour purposes.

 

[Loony Juice]

Mate of mine from work , Crows supporter, took his Mum and Sister for lunch, Port supporters.
He was very impressed by the whole experience.

To me this is exactly why good quality meals are essential.

Plus it does give me enjoyment thinking that your franchise loving colleague, will have to answer a shitload of loaded, anti-Port questions to other franchise lovers and he will have no choice but to praise the place.

On a side note, maybe I'm old fashioned, or just a little one-eyed, but if it was up to me no franchise lovers would be allowed near the joint at all. Ever.

But I guess their money is as good as any others.*

*That last line was hard to get out

 

[powermacs]

I disagree that average meals will suffice. They will not at pretty much any venue, anywhere. In fact it would be a negative situation. Why go for an 'average' meal that is more expensive and potentially lower quality or smaller portion size than similar meals in the vicinity. In my opinion good feeds are essential to increasing the reason for people to stay longer, thus spending more. After such a major renovation, I would expect the kitchen/meal preparation/food storage areas have also undergone renovations/improvements. Like the pub rule about meals, in that you don't make big dollars from a bistro/restaurant, but quality and reasonably priced tucker will make people stay and drink/shop/gamble longer, and create good publicity/reviews/recommendations to others, thus increasing turnover, which is the name of the game. Especially after a large investment

I also believe that having greater menu range and options to cater for various tastes and budgets is essential.
From basic pub feeds like schnitzels, burgers, fish and chips/seafood baskets etc.
To Gourmet pizzas, seafood and the like.
Some fancy stuff available eg. Lobster Thermidor, quality steaks, Beluga Caviar* etc.
And showcase some of the amazing local SA GREAT produce
I know the menu covers most of these options, but I have to stress s**t meals will turn people away/deter first timers and give the place an unwanted reputation.

*Beluga Caviar inserted for humour purposes.

1, it’s not shit food.
2, na

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

1, it’s not s**t food.
2, na

It needs to be better than average because otherwise there is no or little draw for non-Port supporters (it would be more convenient to go to their local) and the museum alone won't draw repeat business.

How often do you attend the SA museum? And that has changing exhibitions.

Despite his rabid posting, LJ is correct that there is no point upgrading the bistro if they are only going to pull in the regular crowd pre-renovations.

 

[PAFC66]

The foods atleast better than the team

 

[powermacs]

It needs to be better than average because otherwise there is no or little draw for non-Port supporters (it would be more convenient to go to their local) and the museum alone won't draw repeat business.

How often do you attend the SA museum? And that has changing exhibitions.

Despite his rabid posting, LJ is correct that there is no point upgrading the bistro if they are only going to pull in the regular crowd pre-renovations.

Non port people aren’t going there, regardless of the food. The renovation was never about making the restaurant a booming business. I literally heard it from the leaders of the club who designed the new space. They can not and never will be able to complete with pubs on port road. It’s designed to be a place for Port Adelaide people to go and enjoy.

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

Non port people aren’t going there, regardless of the food. The renovation was never about making the restaurant a booming business. I literally heard it from the leaders of the club who designed the new space. They can not and never will be able to complete with pubs on port road. It’s designed to be a place for Port Adelaide people to go and enjoy.

Short of bucking form and actually winning flags, what changes will there be the museum to keep drawing people back? As you said, there is plenty of other competition in the area.

That the leaders of the club are saying they are fine with feeding slop to Port people because they have no ambition to make it actually succeed is telling. Pretty consistent with the way our football department is run.

 

[dirty2]

Non port people aren’t going there, regardless of the food. The renovation was never about making the restaurant a booming business. I literally heard it from the leaders of the club who designed the new space. They can not and never will be able to complete with pubs on port road. It’s designed to be a place for Port Adelaide people to go and enjoy.

I live over an hour away... But if it is good I will drive the hour on a day out and get a meal...

 

[Rexie J]

Short of bucking form and actually winning flags, what changes will there be the museum to keep drawing people back? As you said, there is plenty of other competition in the area.

That the leaders of the club are saying they are fine with feeding slop to Port people because they have no ambition to make it actually succeed is telling. Pretty consistent with the way our football department is run.

I agree with your sentiments but disagree with the word 'slop'.

Nobody is suggesting The Precinct will be flooded with non Port supporters but if management cannot see the enormous commercial potential in exploiting the rapidly expanding Port Adelaide area with more residents, professional and public services offices opening, then they are setting a very low bar.

Then again, that seems to be the malaise that has infected the PAFC in recent times.

Yes, the hospitality sector is highly competitive but the opportunity for the PAFC to significantly broaden its base is there for the taking. It only needs the right people in the right places to make the right decisions.

As an aside, I spent nine years suppling to the hospitality sector so I'm under no illusions as to how brutal the industry can be.

 

[Macca19]

Its true though, they probably can't compete with cheap meals from pubs on Port Rd. Not sure how how some have taken that to mean they will serve slop to Port fans.

All they need to do is make it the best it can be and promote it heavily to Port people to go there and it will be fine. As I said, I went there Thursday night. Every table was booked. The food was alright. The space is impressive. The view, more so.

 

[Launchpad McQuack]

I agree with your sentiments but disagree with the word 'slop'.

Nobody is suggesting The Precinct will be flooded with non Port supporters but if management cannot see the enormous commercial potential in exploiting the rapidly expanding Port Adelaide area with more residents, professional and public services offices opening, then they are setting a very low bar.

Then again, that seems to be the malaise that has infected the PAFC in recent times.

Yes, the hospitality sector is highly competitive but the opportunity for the PAFC to significantly broaden its base is there for the taking. It only needs the right people in the right places to make the right decisions.

As an aside, I spent nine years suppling to the hospitality sector so I'm under no illusions as to how brutal the industry can be.

Part hyperbole, part to draw a parallel to on-field Port.

 

[Rexie J]

Part hyperbole, part to draw a parallel to on-field Port.

All good.

 

[Loony Juice]

Non port people aren’t going there, regardless of the food. The renovation was never about making the restaurant a booming business. I literally heard it from the leaders of the club who designed the new space. They can not and never will be able to complete with pubs on port road. It’s designed to be a place for Port Adelaide people to go and enjoy.

Good food is a requirement, even more so then if you are deliberately limiting your potential clientele

I also believe you are reacting to the previous comments about the quality of food as somehow you are connected/involved/financially contributing to the upgrades, unless your the chef, which you aren't

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Some of you don't seem to get it.

The Precinct is set up deliberately to be different from the local pubs. The club wants it to be different, but still attract plenty of local people, ie the majority of customers don't have to drive much more than 5-7kms. That means it has to be quality food and quality ambience.

The locals are the "bread and butter" to make it profitable and cream comes from people who want to come from further away to support the club, check out the museum and Port Store, go somewhere different to their usual pubs / clubs / restaurants, and from game day attendance for the Maggies and the women's games.

How good a function venue it can also be will also determine how much more profitable it will be. But given its now a $10mil+ asset for the club, it has to do things differently to what it did in the past.

 

[Rexie J]

Some of you don't seem to get it.

The Precinct is set up deliberately to be different from the local pubs. The club wants it to be different, but still attract plenty of local people, ie the majority of customers don't have to drive much more than 5-7kms. That means it has to be quality food and quality ambience.

The locals are the "bread and butter" to make it profitable and cream comes from people who want to come from further away to support the club, check out the museum and Port Store, go somewhere different to their usual pubs / clubs / restaurants, and from game day attendance for the Maggies and the women's games.

How good a function venue it can also be will also determine how much more profitable it will be. But given its now a $10mil+ asset for the club, it has to do things differently to what it did in the past.

Absolutely.

 

[chiwigi]

It needs to be better than average because otherwise there is no or little draw for non-Port supporters (it would be more convenient to go to their local) and the museum alone won't draw repeat business.

How often do you attend the SA museum? And that has changing exhibitions.

Despite his rabid posting, LJ is correct that there is no point upgrading the bistro if they are only going to pull in the regular crowd pre-renovations.

Yup, it's a shitty drive for me these days, but if the food is good I will make a regular visit.

If the food is crap I'll go once in a blue moon out of obligation.

 

[Rexie J]

Yup, it's a shitty drive for me these days, but if the food is good I will make a regular visit.

If the food is crap I'll go once in a blue moon out of obligation.

Yep, good points. We used to visit the Club a couple of times a month when the food was seriously top quality. The Salt and Pepper Squid (and chips) was of the highest quality.

A round trip of 300kms plus but it was worth it. Local friends also visited regularly making the journey but haven't been back for years (Covid aside)

We will most certainly visit to check out the museum and broader upgrades but the Club needs to be aware they are playing in the big peoples' sand pit - its a tough gig.

We may also find if my late Father in Law's jumper and other gear have surfaced having been donated many years ago.