This restaurant was amazing. The wait staff made the experience until the food arrived. Their…read moreservice was put into second place purely because of how amazing the food was. If I get a chance, I'd fly to the US to find this food again

I recently visited my brother in the Melbourne area. Since he had been taking me to try different…read moreAussie cuisine, he decided we should try some "back home" food for lunch since he not had any for over a year. We decided to give Mason Dixon a try. We ordered the Reuben Supreme, the MD Reuben, french fries, Dr. Pepper and A&W Root Beer. The sandwiches are individually crafted and made with great care. When our order was ready, we were quite pleased. The sandwiches were HUGE and outstanding! The New York style pickle was very tasty. The only small correction that needed to be made was that there was a little too much cajun seasoning on the fries. It sure was nice to get some Dr. Pepper and root beer to go along with our food. We spent quite some time talking with the owner, who is a terrific guy. He has created a wonderful menu with lots of great choices. If only we had come a little earlier, we might have tried the Seattle Bagel! If you are looking for an American-style sandwich for lunch, give Mason Dixon a try. You won't regret it!

Food is okay! Coffee was good! Service was decent. I would definitely try again since, 2nd chance…read moreis worth it

The first day in Australia, I was craving a big, hearty sandwich, a rarity in Japan. A quick Google…read moresearch led me to Bowery to Williamsburg. The name suggests a connection to the street or bridge in NYC. Am I correct? Located in the alley between Flinders and Collins, parallel to Russell, it was a bit unexpected to find this eatery here. With plenty of tables on the patio and inside, the atmosphere was inviting. Being alone, I didn't want to occupy a larger table, so I decided to grab my order to go. After glancing over the menu, my eyes locked on the 'Reuben,' thinking 'this can't go wrong.' The staff were kind and friendly. Despite not dining in, they allowed me to sit and wait at a table. After a few minutes, I received my order and rushed back to the hotel because I couldn't wait! Excitement led me to open the box like a treasure chest, revealing a huge sandwich - the portion I had been searching for. In Japan, where I live, the general trend is to reduce portions to maintain prices rather than increase prices to keep portions consistent in the face of inflation. Now you understand how crucial this is. Another crucial aspect - the taste was on point. With a generous portion of meat, it dominated the experience along with the sourness from the pickled cabbage. It was a bit too sour for my taste, but I assume that's how a Reuben usually tastes. Overall, I was really pleased with this place and would love to come back again.

Decent burger by Australian standards. Not the best I've had, but overall it is consistent and the…read morefries are good. Have been here several times and I would eat there again if I am craving a burger and happen to find myself in the neighborhood.

Alright, don't get me wrong I love food when it comes to burgers but these burgers were just way…read moreway too unseasoned and basic. And of course it had to take 2 hours for one burger...

What at amazingly remarkable find in the basement!!!…read more This restaurant was recommended by a local of Melbourne! We always try to support local establishments, especially while traveling! I have to say, THIS is by far.... THE BEST recommendation we've ever received! The restaurant was a tad bit difficult to find, having not been to Australia and not being familiar with basement restaurants, lol. It had quite a unique secluded vibe from the moment the door swung open. The atmosphere was almost hypnotic! There weren't too many patrons eating when we arrived .. but we did arrive shortly after opening. By the time we were finished the tables were 75% occupied, I think in part to only being open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. The food, as well as the service were both TOP NOTCH! I don't typical care for red meat... but I ordered steak and it was extremely well-prepared! So delicious!!! I asked for it to be well done! It DID come out charcoaled so I made a comment to my husband that was over-heard by the chef, himself! Moments later, he personally delivered a new dinner plate to me with a replacement! Now THAT'S what I call top-notch service! I REALLY wish Meatmaiden would expand to the US! That would be the icing on the cake!!!

We have fallen in love with another Melbourne restaurant. We are even thinking about changing our…read morehotel for next year so we can be closer...we actually have! We can't brag enough about our new find. COVID stopped our travels to Melbourne for three years but hopefully no longer. We selected some winners. They were: 1) Grilled Bread with Beef Fat Butter; 2) 350g Westholme Wagu NY Strip; 3) GEM Lettuce salad; and 4) Hand cut chips. - The Grilled Bread was actually a fried bread that was then brushed with honey and lightly grilled on the bbq. The Beef Fat Butter was awesome. My spouse didn't care for it but I adored it. - Grilled Wagu NY Strip was 330+ day grain fed which only intensified the marble and added so much taste. Not a bite left and it was almost 13 ounces of pure meat. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare (-) temperature. It came with a choice of a sauce and we paid for an additional one. The Three Pepper Sauce and the Beef Fat Bernaise. Both were awesome. I need the recipes! - GEM Lettuce Salad with radishes and dressed with a Burnt Grapefruit Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette made the salad. - Hand Cut Chips w/ a Garlic Aioli - another perfect taste. The chips had a great crispy outside with a very smooth inside. And the Aioli was addictive. Do no pass this great place by. We did not have reservations but should have. We got there early and they were slammed. We saw two empty tables and they offered us one by the front entrance. We eyed the other table and they said "if you can be finished in 1 1/2 hours...we laughed and said there would be no problem and probably be out of here in an hour! MeatMaiden was so upbeat. We just kept looking around in awe. Two old ladies eating in a basement. The atmosphere is awesome. Somewhat darkly lit but light enough to see your food. Very high energy crowd. Service was spectacular. Toward the end of our meal the hostess came over and said we could stay a bit longer. We said thanks but not needed. Highly recommend and also recommend making an advanced booking. Enjoy.

This is your guilty pleasure comfort food, so greasy and amazing!…read moreSome of the best burgers I experienced in Melbourne. Really cool retro decor and upstairs/rooftop patio & they're open late! I overindulged by ordering "The David Chang" which included premium Australian beef, streaky bacon, fried egg, sliced beetroot & tomato, American cheddar cheese, butter lettuce and their special mustard seed burger sauce! I swapped it out on a lettuce bun but you can also get it on the regular brioche bun! Accompanied by their delicious oozing cheesy fries, and a salted caramel, maple bacon and bourbon milkshake!

Visited multiple times, best burgers I've experienced in Melbourne…read moreDiverse range of burgers Good service Cool/rustic venue The dessert menu is reason enough to go ORDERED MAINS The Ivan Drago 3.5. $18 Premium Aussie beef patty, American cheddar cheese, streaky bacon, black Russian tomato, sliced beetroot & McDowell sauce on a toasted brioche bun CB1 2.9. $10 Premium Aussie beef patty, American cheddar cheese, diced shallots & pickles, American mustard & tomato sauce on a toasted brioche bun (Small burger) Atomic 3.5. $18.50 Premium Aussie beef patty, American cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, chilli cheese kransky, streaky bacon, BBQ sauce & truffle, cayenne mayonnaise on a toasted brioche bun DESSERT Waffle Sandwich 3.5 $13 Fresh house made waffle stack, freshly whipped cream, fresh strawberries & drizzled with Nutella sauce. Choices of parfait are: OREO PARFAIT: Garnished with crushed Oreo's and edible flowers Churro Icecream Cup 3.0. $12 Hot churro cup with assorted ice cream, garnished with crushed hazelnuts Oreo Beigent. 2.7. $8.50 Mini doughnuts filled with Oreo, powdered icing sugar, drizzled with Salted Caramel sauce and topped with crushed Oreo's

Once again we travel on our hunt around the area for Melbourne's best American BBQ. The last time…read morewe did this was to the Melbourne BBQ Festival at the Victoria Markets where we were immensely disappointed. We were determined on this Valentines Day evening for a Melbourne BBQ redemption, and Ike's did not let us down. We were seated straight away, and our waitress (I think her name was Katie) was an absolute hoot. She had my wife in stitches with laughter. The jokes were just bouncing back and forth until we eventually ordered. I ordered a half pound of pork ribs, whereas the other half went the lamb ribs. Between us, we shared home made cornbread & a salsa dish. I honestly did not have enough time to grab my phone to check in on social media sites, and BANG!!! The food was served. There is no way to describe what sort of party my taste buds were having in my mouth, however this party could have made some serious money on cover charges to this party. The cornbread was nothing like I have tasted before, and after visiting diners in 34 American States which I have visited, this cornbread leaves the rest for dead. The salsa with its secret little ingredients was hard to put down, and then the meat. It just melted in your mouth. When we initially started talking to the waitress she asked if we had been to Le Bon Ton in Richmond as a comparison, where she explained that Ike's is better. Big shoes to fill but they did not disappoint.

The service here is great and I really love it but the food this time round was a slight let down…read morefor me. They had no daily specials so the Brussels sprouts, watermelon salad and corn salad not to mention the bean kimchi accompaniments were all gone. In their place was a potato waffle and chicken gravy which were good but not great and roasted red peppers which I thought was the best thing we ate. Our half pound of pork ribs looked pretty lonely served on some baking paper on a metal lunch tray with some cabbage and I kind of felt a little like I was in jail or a canteen. Whilst it was a bit more practical space wise it really lost it's appeal for me. All in all I had difficulty deciding what to eat from the menu because I don't love the smokiness of ribs and mainly ate the sides which were good just not great. I'd drop it to a 3.5 stars and not too sure I'd be back but my partner gives it a 4 stars.

I went to the bar to order some drinks during my visit. I have a condition similar to MS and very…read moreshaky and unsteady on my feet. The lady serving me (I'm so sorry I didn't get her name and should have) was sensational - she bought the drinks over to our table for me - I didn't even need to ask her! As soon as I explained I wasn't confident carrying the drinks and why - she immediately offered to bring them to the table - thank you! I came to Riverland with a colleague visiting from Sydney and he loved Riverland especially our table which overlooked the Yarra!

A winner!!! I've…read morespent most of my time in the US, so I wasn't expecting much from this place when I ordered a burger. But, WOW!!! It was a refreshing, tasty surprise! You could taste the flavor in everything from the quality beef to the vegetables. These days, most vegetables are flavorless so it is a welcomed surprise when a restaurant uses quality ingredients. In addition to the food, the location is great! It's right on the river and in a quiet location so it is a great spot to enjoy some time outdoors. I'll definitely go back to try the other items on their menu.

We were stuffed from our burgers earlier but there's always room for milkshakes since it's a liquid…read moreand can easily fill in the gaps around the food in my belly, right? I always go for the regular chocolate, one friend had the strawberry and the other had vanilla. We all got to try a bit of each since they gave us our extra from the blend. The shakes weren't bad, we all enjoyed it all, it made us all feel like kids for a moment.

I was looking to take my boyfriend and family out to dinner for his birthday. I wanted a place…read morethat would stand out a little, so I picked soda rock what finding it on yelp. I made a reservation (which was not necessary - I chose a quieter time) and off we went. My father and I are both American so have spent plenty of time in the real thing and we were pleasantly surprised. Atmosphere is VERY cool, it has all the great 50's and onwards hits so you and everyone you go with end up singing to every song. There's little juke boxes on every table (revving that nostalgia) that really work to make the jukebox in the corner play whatever songs you'd like from their "diner" play list. Lovely! I am Vegan and my boyfriend vegetarian, as this is a burger place it's usually very hard to find a meal. However, the buns are Vegan and their Veggie burger is great (mine no Mayo) along with a side of shoe string fries and a cherry coke, I didn't feel I missed out on the experience at all which is very important. The wait staff do a song and dance which is cool (I thought) ride on roller skates and at the end of our meal made a big to do celebrating my boyfriend's birthday, and have him an ice-cream sundae with a candle in it. Was awesome and very memorable! The one gripe is the music is slightly loud and when the pinball machines start, it can be hard to hear. However, this only really annoyed those in my group who were 70+. Great memorable night, made by the atmosphere alone!

The manager, a female whose name I don't know, was kind enough to hold our table even though we…read morewere running late due to a tardy tram. This was my daughter's 18th birthday celebration dinner, and the kind manager approached our table, wished my daughter a happy birthday, and asked if she could get my daughter anything special. My daughter asked for apple cider--the first time she has ever tasted alcohol--which the manager gave her on the house. I told the manager that, unlike her friends, my daughter never drank before turning 18, and tonight at Belles, was her first drink. The manager congratulated her, and gave my daughter a fist-bump, which meant so much to my daughter. Thank you for making it such a special night for my daughter.

This was my second time at Belle's as I needed to try the "really f**kin hot" and shared a medium…read moreheat tenders with my boyfriend last time. Came in a group of 8 and the staff were accommodating and got us 2 tables. The tap beer is decent value for money as it's slightly larger than a schooner. Now for the chicken. The wings are actual wings and seems like all the chicken comes in 4 pieces and solid portion of sides. The "really f**kin hot" has a good kick. For me it wasn't melt my mouth hot but still gave a decent chilli sweats. It is heavily coated in the spice seasoning which is rather powdery and sticks to your fingers. The medium is still rather spicy though for those without the desire to die by chilli. The winter is a good side and a slightly spicy seasoning on the fries. The blue cheese sauce was pretty eh. Diffuses the chilli but was more like ranch sauce. I would say it's worth the hype, plus you get to take home any leftovers. Also avoid touching your eyes or sensitive skin after as even hours later my eyes still felt line they were on fire when I took my contacts out

No boozey trip into the city is complete without a trip to Swanston St Maccas. It is essential to…read morestop in on the way home to grab some burgers, fries and maybe a sneaky nugget or two to fill the void and try and stop the hangover from hell! If you won't go for the food, then the people watching at the early hours of the morning is just as enticing. People from all walks of life walk in and out and you can feast your eyes on the curiosities that Melbourne has to offer. The staff are always friendly considering it would be a nightmare of a job. Don't expect clean tables but the food always does the trick!

Everytime I travel overseas, I am determined to taste test the McDonald's. I also found out the…read moreMcDonald's app does not work outside the United States. The Aussies have their own version and I can't bankroll points feom today's purchase. The food is legitimate, Big Mac was well made, and the service was super quick. This McDonald's had 3 eating levels, but the management was behind with cleanliness of tables and chairs. Overall, it was a good stop.