Flame Bar and Grill Queenstown: Menu, Reviews, Location & Hours

There are few things more satisfying than finding a restaurant that doesn’t just serve ribs and steak but owns them with a secret sauce you can’t get anywhere else. Flame Bar and Grill on Queenstown’s Beach Street has built a loyal following around exactly that – a South African BBQ recipe that keeps people coming back. With a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 out of 5 from hundreds of reviews, this guide pulls together the menu, operating details, and what real customers actually think, so you can decide if it’s worth your next night out.

Location: 88 Beach Street, Queenstown, New Zealand ·
Cuisine type: South African BBQ ribs and steak ·
TripAdvisor rating: 4.5 / 5 ·
Price range (main): NZD 20 – 40 ·
Opening hours: Monday–Sunday, 12:00 PM – late ·
Phone: 027 349 4469

Six facts about Flame Bar and Grill, one pattern: the restaurant has built its reputation on a narrow but excellent focus — South African-style BBQ cooked in a charcoal Josper oven.

What is on the menu at Flame Bar and Grill?

Signature ribs and steak

• The restaurant calls ribs and steak its “heroes” (Flame Grill & Bar official site).
• All food is cooked in a charcoal Josper oven, giving a distinctive chargrilled flavour (Flame Grill & Bar official site).
• A Trip.com summary describes the pork ribs as sweet and sour, a little salty, and crispy (Trip.com travel booking site).

A Dish Cult reviewer said the meats were cooked perfectly to a medium-rare request, and both sauces — including a mushroom sauce — were packed with flavour (Dish Cult review platform).

Burgers, salads, and sides

• Dish Cult notes that the venue is geared toward meat eaters and may not appeal to vegetarians, while also noting several salads on the menu (Dish Cult review platform).
• Find Me Gluten Free reports the restaurant is very good about gluten-free needs, and almost everything could be made gluten-free except for a few items and fries (Find Me Gluten Free celiac support community).

Price range and portion sizes

• Main dishes fall between NZD 20 and 40, which is moderate for Queenstown.
• A TripAdvisor review mentions a kids’ pork ribs dish was ordered — confirming family-friendly portions (TripAdvisor user review aggregator).

The pattern: Flame’s menu is compact and meat-focused, but it accommodates dietary needs with enough flexibility that gluten-free and lighter eaters won’t go hungry. The trade-off is that vegetarians may find the choice limited.

Where is Flame Bar and Grill located and what are its hours?

Address and directions

• The restaurant is at 88 Beach Street, at the lake end of Queenstown (Dish Cult review platform).
• It’s within walking distance of the main shopping and hotel strip.

Opening hours and peak times

• Flame Grill & Bar’s homepage says it is open 7 days from 12 noon (Flame Grill & Bar official site).
• The same site also indicates the venue is open all day from 9am, so there may be a breakfast service – call to confirm (Flame Grill & Bar official site).
• Peak dinner hours are typically 6–8 PM; reservations recommended on weekends.

Contact and booking information

• Phone: 027 349 4469
• The website advertises a live takeaway service (Flame Grill & Bar official site).
• Reservations can be made by phone or walk-in; online booking is not mentioned on the site.

The implication: the convenience of the Beach Street location means you can walk from most Queenstown accommodations, but inconsistent posted hours could trip up early birds.

What do customers say about Flame Bar and Grill?

TripAdvisor reviews and ratings

• The restaurant holds a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice 2022 badge (Flame Grill & Bar official site) and a 4.5 / 5 rating based on hundreds of reviews (TripAdvisor user review aggregator).
• The homepage claims an award-winner status since 2018 (Flame Grill & Bar official site).

Common praise points

• Reviewers consistently praise the ribs as falling off the bone, with the secret sauce being a standout (TripAdvisor user review aggregator).
• A Dish Cult review praised the perfectly cooked medium-rare steak and the flavour-packed mushroom sauce (Dish Cult review platform).
• The atmosphere and friendly staff also get frequent mentions.

Constructive feedback

• A TripAdvisor reviewer said the food quality was very good but the menu takes a while to make sense of (TripAdvisor user review aggregator).
• Dish Cult notes the venue is meat-oriented, which limits appeal for vegetarians (Dish Cult review platform).

The implication: customer sentiment is overwhelmingly positive, with the food quality driving repeat visits. The main friction point is menu clarity and limited vegetarian choice.

Clarity check: what we know vs. what’s unclear

What customers say in their own words

The ribs are the best I’ve ever had – fall off the bone and the sauce is incredible.

— TripAdvisor reviewer (anonymous), via TripAdvisor user review aggregator

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The steak was cooked perfectly.

— TripAdvisor reviewer (anonymous), via TripAdvisor user review aggregator

The thread linking both reviews: first-time visitors who went in with reasonable expectations left feeling the food exceeded them. That’s the kind of word-of-mouth that built a decade-long reputation in a competitive tourist town.

The implication for a traveller in Queenstown weighing where to spend NZD 30 on dinner: the choice is clear. Head to Beach Street, order the ribs with the secret sauce, and ask the server for help navigating the menu. The alternative — a generic steakhouse with no story — just won’t stick the same way.

For those planning a visit, flights from Sydney to Queenstown make it easy to reach this popular lakeside destination.

Frequently asked questions