Brooklyn Depot

Shop 4/399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Brooklyn Depot is a casual restaurant and bar which was inspired by old Brooklyn. They serve a variety of hand-crafted burgers, hot dogs, salads and desserts, as well as boasting a fully stocked bar and great bar food.

 Brooklyn Depot

 Fun guyi $14.00

Coney island $13.00

I chose to try one of their hot dogs, as the last time I visited Brooklyn Depot, I had a horrible burger experience. The Coney Island dog was actually a pretty basic chilli dog when compared to other establishments. Although I did describe it as basic, this is not always a bad thing, as some dishes are better off being basic instead of unnecessarily flashy.

Apart from my somewhat mediocre experiences at Brooklyn depot, my friend had quite a few good things to say about his mushroom burger. Other than the food, the service was also friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed. Brooklyn Depot would definitely make a great place for a hangout and some drinks, but I may think twice about returning only for the food.

Food Rating 6/10

Overall Rating 6.5/10

The Moldy Fig

120-122 Lygon Street, Brunswick East

Located in the heart of Brunswick's Lygon Street in the vicinity of some big names in the dining scene such as Rumi, The Moldy Fig brings us a side of American cuisine which is somewhat under-represented in Melbourne. Although there are some restaurants in Melbourne that incorporate flavours and techniques from New Orleans style cooking, The Moldy Fig has gone one step further and not only based their entire menu off of New Orleans style cooking, but also incorporated a jazz theme into the entire restaurant, including a reference in their name.

 The Moldy Fig

Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy

Beef Brisket Po'boy

We started off the night sampling some of the Po'boys that they offer at The Moldy Fig. We chose to try the Southern Fried Shrimp Po'boy and the Beef Brisket Po'boy so that we could try two different flavours. The Po'boys themselves were great, with perfectly cooked shrimp on mine as well as a great balance of the slaw and remoulade. If I had to be picky though, eating the Po'boy was quite difficult, as it was completely packed with the fillings, which made eating it really messy.

 Homemade Cornbread

 

 Ribs of the day

 Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Deep fried Southern Bites

After we sampled the Po'boys we had the chance to try many of their main dishes, such as the Prawn and Chicken Jambalaya, Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo, Turkey Meatballs, Deep-fried Southern Bites and Ribs of the day. 

These dishes were a great showcase of the New Orleans style of food, many of which I had not tried before. Many of their dishes were great and full of flavour, such as the Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and the Ribs of the day. The ribs basically fell right off the bone from the slow cooking process, and their homemade BBQ glaze and dry rub gave them a slightly caramelized sweetness. While we did enjoy most of the dishes we tried, I did find some small faults with some of their food, especially the turkey meatballs which where dry and under-seasoned.

Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane

Surprisingly, while we did enjoy our meal, it was actually the drinks they had on offer that impressed me the most. Before visiting The Moldy Fig, I was expecting most of the emphasis to be on their unique offering of New Orleans cuisine. However, after trying their signature cocktail, the Passionfruit and Pomegranate Hurricane, as well as a unique twist on the classic whiskey sour I realised that their bar was also first class.

The Moldy Fig is like nothing that I have tried before. With their unique menu and amazing drinks as well as a snazzy jazz theme, live music and accommodating staff and venue, why wouldn't you want to visit them and give them a go?

Food Rating 8/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

TGI Fridays

Westfield Doncaster Shopping Centre, 619 Doncaster Road, Doncaster

TGI Fridays is one of the biggest American restaurant chains in Melbourne and as such has found much popularity. While they have always been quite popular, I have generally avoided visiting TGI Fridays due to the poor experience of some of my friends. Despite this, as TGI Fridays features in this years Entertainment Book, we decided to visit them for a family dinner anyway.

TGI Fridays

Coconut thick-shake

Although I am a big fan of coconut, the coconut thick-shake at TGI Fridays was a little lackluster. The thick-shake mainly tasted of cream and dairy rather than coconut and while there was a small amount of coconut taste in the shake, it was a little strange.

Dry aged rib-eye on the bone

Jack Daniel's rib, steak and prawns platter

TGI Fridays is quite well known for their meat dishes, ranging from wings to burgers, steaks, ribs and many other dishes. The meat dishes we ordered for our meal had a lot of ups and downs. The Jack Daniels sauce and the ribs were tasty and tender, the sauce in particular was packed with flavour which I enjoyed. On the other hand, the steaks on both of the dishes were overcooked and had become a little tough, with the rib-eye dish in particular being disappointing in both taste, execution and presentation.

We specifically visited on a weekday night where there would be fewer patrons in the restaurant, as we had seen the restaurant quite packed on other nights due to its popularity. Despite this, our food still took over 50 minutes to arrive, by which time we were absolutely starving. A redeeming factor was that the waiter who was serving us was very friendly and apologetic about the wait for the food.

Food Rating 6.5/10

Overall Rating 6/10

Trunk Diner

275 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

We ended up visiting Trunk Diner on a cold Winter night after watching a movie in the Melbourne CBD. The American diner style food that they served was exactly what we were looking for and the large dining area was perfect for our large group of people.

Trunk Diner

Animal style fries 

Buffalo wings

 Cuban sandwich

Wagyu burger

Although there were some elements of the food that were nice, such as how the salad was served separately from the burger to prevent a soggy bun, the quality of the food we were served was subpar. The buffalo wings were a little overcooked, as well as lacking in flavour, while the animal style fries were slightly soggy. 

Overall I felt that the quality of the food was best described as standard. Although each dish was decent in terms of execution, they also each had their own flaws and without many redeeming factors such as good service, I was left a little disappointed.

Food Rating 5.5/10

Overall Rating 5.5/10

Fancy Hank's

79 Bourke Street, Melbourne

Fancy Hank's is an American BBQ restaurant located in the heart of Melbourne's CBD. Before opening their restaurant on Bourke Street, Fancy Hank's was a pop-up serving slow cooked meat throughout Melbourne.

The smoker

Devilled egg

Corn bread

Beef brisket, pulled pork shoulder, half chicken and sausage links

We decided to try a range of their most popular smoked meats so that we could see what Fancy Hank's had to offer. Most of the smoked meats we tried were only average, each with their own faults and no huge redeeming qualities that made me crave more. I did however enjoy the flavour of the rub on the brisket, as well as their attentive service.

Food Rating 6/10

Overall Rating 6.5/10

Dexter

456 High Street, Preston

Dexter is a restaurant which is known as a "non-traditional American BBQ" restaurant. Although Dexter is located out of the way in Preston, it has somehow found itself known as one the best American BBQ restaurants in Melbourne. With the amazing reputation that it has amassed, we had to drop in for a snack while we were in the area.

Dexter

Hot meat donuts

The hot meat donuts are a well known favourite of many of the patrons from Dexter. The snack is especially popular during the times they are open for lunch, as the crispy and doughy outside, as well as the flavourful filling is an amazing combination.

Pulled pork bun

Although the pulled pork bun was very messy to eat, it was very delicious. The pulled pork was juicy and had a lovely flavour which was enhanced by the sauces and complemented by the pickles and slaw.

Dexter definitely lived up to my expectations of it and I would definitely recommend a visit here for any BBQ connoisseur. I will definitely be back to try more of their menu, especially their smoked meats. 

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10

Good Heavens

Level 2, 79 Bourke Street, Melbourne

As one of many rooftop bars scattered around Melbourne's inner city, Good Heavens boasts a beautiful view of the city skyline. Located directly above Fancy Hank's, we visited Good Heavens to share some drinks and snacks while we waited for our table at Fancy Hank's to be prepared.

View from the rooftop

Oysters with green tobasco

I absolutely adore oysters, they are one of my favourite things to eat and I love discovering what different flavours can be enjoyed with them. So while the oysters at Good Heavens did not have many negatives, they really had nothing to make them stand out from the crowd.

Nachos, brisket mole, queso

The nachos with the brisket mole and queso was possibly some of the best nachos that I have ever tried. The dish had all the positive points of a nacho dish without the negatives, such as the mixture of textures and flavours, as well as being an amazing dish to share with drinks. 

Fries with BBQ seasoning

The fries were also done quite well, with a lovely crunch and even distributiion of the BBQ seasoning. These were a treat to go with the rest of the dishes and set up our appetite for the main course.

Although we only came to Good Heavens to wait for our table at Fancy Hank's, the atmosphere and offerings were quite different. I will definitely be returning to Good Heavens, whether or not we intend to visit Fancy Hank's.

Food Rating 8.5/10

Overall Rating 8.5/10