I’ve written about quite a few defunct restaurants and in this case, Squires Loft is still an operational franchise, just no longer in Werribee, so anyone who misses it, can still check out the nearby restaurants in Geelong, Williamstown or one of the other ones further away.
What was Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee?
From what I can tell, it opened in 2016 with the newly developed cinema and entertainment area, Squires Loft represented the first high-end steak restaurant in the area. Yes, we’ve had pubs and steak available at many places, but this seems like the only dedicated restaurant we’ve had since we lost Lone Star Steak House & Saloon years ago.
What happened to Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee?
I can’t find much information about it online, but perhaps someone can let me know more details in the comments, but I believe the COVID-19 closures were quite catastrophic to this business. Higher-end dining experiences like this do not lend themselves to delivery programs such as Door Dash or Uber Eats the way takeaway restaurants do.
Steaks are not something most people would order for home delivery, I assume. So I recall this location being closed for quite some time. I can picture the rent for the space potentially sucking the owner dry. They did attempt to reopen, with announcements on their Facebook page announcing they would be reopening in December 2021 and their final Facebook post on December 3rd 2021 reading as below:
My guess is that whilst a lot of loyal fans were glad to see it reopen, the general public probably wasn’t ready to start dining in again just yet due to COVID.
Poor Customer Service?
This restaurant had an average of 3.6/5 on its Google Business profile reviews. Most of the negative reviewers cited poor customer service, with this appearing to span several years. There are also many reviews citing a decline in the quality of food.
Most horrible customer service I experienced in ALL my life. We were brought our jug of soft drink and waited 15 minutes with no glasses to drink it out of. Finally got the attention of a male server that claims to be the manager in charge. We stated the problem and although there was hardly more than 5 tables between 3 servers, he wanted to give the excuse of them being busy. My husband called him out in his lame excuse and while in mid sentence this so called “manager” just decided to walk off. Rude, unprofessional, unfriendly, unhelpful full of bs!!
Don’t even bother!!– Andrew Lorenzo
Lots of reviews are like this citing slow service or condescending staff.
1st visit was good. My medium scotch fillet melted in my mouth.
2nd visit my medium scotch fillet was tough as an old boot and I had to send it back.
3rd visit 11th March, I’m in the restaurant waiting for my medium scotch fillet to be re-cooked because it was cooked rare to medium-rare. The person I was with also had a medium scotch fillet not cooked properly and it also had several chewy pieces he had to leave half eaten on the plate.
I don’t mind paying $50 for a steak, but it better be $50 of value.
TL;DR This steak place is way too expensive for the mediocre quality of steak they serve.
Edit: I almost forgot, our damn table is uneven,so everytime I go to cut my steak the whole table wobbles.
– Michael James
What Has Replaced It?
The location has remained empty since the restaurant closed down, but in 2023, it is becoming a temporary home to the Hoppers Crossing Library whilst it undergoes renovations.
Photos of Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee
Below are some photos of Squires Loft at Pacific Werribee from their Facebook page and Google Business profiles so that we can look back on it.
Other Squires Loft Locations
Squires Loft Albert Park
Address: 1 Queens Rd, South Melbourne VIC 3004
Squires Loft South Yarra
Address: 3/166 Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141
Squires Loft Docklands
Address: 818 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008
Squires Loft Williamstown
Address: 818 Bourke St, Docklands VIC 3008
Squires Loft Camberwell
Address: shop 6/436 Burke Rd, Camberwell VIC 3124
Squires Loft ESSENDON
Address: 131 Buckley St, Essendon VIC 3040
Squires Loft Cheltenham
Address: 1228A Nepean Hwy, Cheltenham VIC 3192
Squires Loft Nunawading
Address: 54/288 Whitehorse Rd, Nunawading VIC 3131
Squires Loft Werribee Menu
Below is the pricing of the menu at the time it closed down.
Entrees
| Baked Mushrooms & Feta | $15 |
| Prawn Kebab | $16 |
| Chicken Breast Fillet Kebab | $15 |
| Beef Eye Fillet Kebab | $16 |
| Grilled Beef Sausage (Boerewors) | $15 |
| Lamb Loin Chops (2) | $16 |
| Pork Spare Ribs (2 Rack) | $36 |
| Beef Ribs (1 Rack) | $38 |
| Entrée Platter (serves 4) | $70 |
Mains
| Rump 200g / 400g | $25/$38 |
| Porterhouse 300g | $35 |
| Eye Fillet 200g / 300g | $38/$50 |
| Scotch 300g | $40 |
| Rib Eye on the bone 400g | $45 |
| Black Angus Rib-eye 700g | $70 |
| T-Bone 500 g | $48 |
| Black Angus Porterhouse 350 g | $48 |
| Black Angus Eye Fillet 250 g | $58 |
| Pork Spare Ribs (2/3/4 Racks) | $40/$55/$70 |
| Beef Ribs (1 Rack / 2 Racks) | $40/$75 |
| Lamb Loin Chops 2 (chops / 4 chops) | $25/$35 |
| Chicken Breast Fillet (1 breast / 2 breasts) | $25/$35 |
| Beef and Reef (200g/300g) | $46/$58 |
| Prawns | $35 |
| Char-grilled Salmon | $30 |
| Veg Platter | $25 |
| Wagyu Burger | $26 |
| Chicken Burger | $24 |
Sauces
| Mushroom, Black Pepper, Green Pepper, Barbeque, Squires Baste, Creamy Garlic, Mustard | $4 |
| Blue Cheese | $5 |
Salads
| Char grilled corn | $5 |
| Garden Salad (s/l) | $6/$11 |
| Greek Salad (s/l) | $8/$13 |
| Caesar Salad with bacon | $15 |
| Prawn Caesar Salad with bacon | $26 |
| Warm Chicken/beef Salad | $25 |
| Baked Asparagus | $8 |
| Coleslaw | $9 |
| Broccolini | $9 |
Side Orders
| Chips / baked potato | $7 |
| add 1 pork rack to any steak | $15 |
| Fried Onions | $9 |
| Baked Mushrooms & Feta (garlic or herb) | $15 |
| Char-Grilled Vegetables (mushroom, capsicum & zucchini with a pumpkin slice) | $9 |
Desserts
| Double Chocolate Hot Fudge Cake | $14 |
| Warm Sticky Date Pudding | $14 |
| Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce | $11 |
| Liqueur Affogato | $12 |
| Kids Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce | $4.5 |
| Cheese Platter | $28 |
