red gum bbq

what a huge disappointment. brisket was dry. 'pulled' pork was sloppy mush. chook was edible. cornbread was delicious. other sides were decent but its hard to get excited about slaw. we didn't try the sausages but they're $12 each. all the food was hugely overpriced for the meagre portion sizes. overstaffed with too many 'teenage waiters' standing around chatting to each other trying to avoid eye contact. this place is clearly badly run. was it the managers night off? as an avid home smoker and someone who has visited a lot of smokehouses this was the worst. i cannot fathom how they have such good ratings online but can only assume any positive ratings are from people who don't know anything about bbq or they're paid reviewers by some pr company. don't waste your money. someone should seriously set up a decent place down the road.

the smoked meat restaurant market is saturated in melbourne, but not on the mornington peninsula, so its a nice point of difference to the vast number of wineries you can dine at.  definitely tricky to find as you have to drive into the service station and out the back.  essentially its a giant shed, but doesnt feel cold or uninviting.  there are picnic style tables spread out, a cosy couch area and a nice section for younger kids. i had the beef brisket, fries, philli cheese steak sandwich (a special) and potato salad.  all of which were great.  the meat was tender, servings generous and i found the prices reasonable. i would compare them to similar places ive been to (le bon ton, fancy hanks, meatmaiden etc).  just about every table had families with babies or toddlers, yet it wasnt noisy and the kids had somewhere to play.  nice to see more places welcoming families with play areas, making you feel like you can take your kids out and eat a great meal at the same time.  i think they could probably squeeze some more tables in, as it is quite popular and they had to turn people away when i was there.  they are also super strict with their timings, you basically get 1.5hrs to order and eat and then they start hurrying you up, so just be aware of that in case you or you mates are latecomers.

beef brisket and beef rib was 🙌. love it. the pulled pork i probably wouldnt get again. it was dry and had that bad pork smell. just didnt match up to the beef.
everyrhing else including our sides were very good.
also like the beer/cider tasting

best bbq ever! that beef brisket is so soft, moist and delicious! there wasn't one thing i didn't enjoy! if you have never been here, get the the feed me option. it's a generous serve and can feed two people but you get to try a bit of everything and dessert as well! staff are happy and friendly. definitely worth the trip from melbourne for this bbq.

4.5/5 
where's the 4.5 when i need one? red gum bbq is definitely so much more better than just a 4, but unfortunately it does not meet the requirements for a perfect score. why you ask? the chips, that's why. it was not hot, nor was it crunchy and while the beef brisket and sour cream were fantastic with the chips, the limp chips just didn't impressed me much.

save and except for the issue with the chips, everything was excellent. the beef ribs and pork ribs just fell of the bone and into our mouth. full of flavour and wonderfully tender. you know what else was tender and moist? the cornbread. one of the best i ever had. just the right amount of grittiness from the cornmeal, with a crispy top and buttery texture.

the mushrooms were a surprise favourite - meaty, juicy and well-seasoned. it was a pleasant departure from all those meats in front of us.

the place was packed during the lunch service. we arrived just before 1pm and had to wait for an hour and a half for a table, and by the time we finished our meal, the place was still buzzing. reservation is a must!

🍖 what's on my plate?
literally every meat on the menu! 😅
- pulled pork
- jalapeno sausages
- smoked brisket
- beef rib
- beef brisket chilli cheese fries
- mac n cheese
- coleslaw
- cornbread
and some amazing raspberry cider to wash it all down 👌🏾
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this joint was absolutely phenomenal! set up in a massive warehouse, where on one side of the place all the cooking/smoking of the meats happens and literally on the other side is where the communal tables are where you eat it!
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the food itself was mind-blowingly delicious, like seriously, everything including the sides were just ridiculously delicious. let me put it to you this way, this was the best bbq i've ever eaten in my life and i've eaten real texas bbq, honest to god, it's better than that. oh and make sure to get the cornbread, it's what i imagine heaven tastes like 🤤.
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so do yourself and your tastebuds a favour and get on down to @redgumbbq, you won't regret it 👊🏾.

food was really good, well cooked and marinated, the size of the portions were just right although someone might say they were slightly smaller than standard. menu is straight forward but a bit too simple with only pork, beef and chicken to choose from and all the food is served in trays to share. found a bit weird that all items except for mains are priced in the menu, for prices for mains look at the board wall. also, dislike the order at the counter approach. good and quick service and small kids play area with toys is useful.

let me start by saying, this is not good bbq, it's average at best (brisket) and doesn't even muster a passing grade for most others.

there's several issues that plague this venue,

1- small portion sizing/ way overpriced $12 for a single sausage is outrageous, $60 for the meal is a joke, for $85 in brisbane you'll feed 4 and better quality to boot. (don't tell me meat is expensive, i do better low and slow at home)

2- over staffing, coupled with under trained staff, we had to chase up our drink order after 45 minutes despite four staff members being behind the bar and the place being more than half empty(the lovely girl at reception excluded)

3- sub par quality of the food.

for all the reviewers claiming this is good bbq, please for the live of god go to sydney or brisbane, a place like this wouldn't survive six months in either.

if i could give 0 stars i would, the owner is clearly out of touch and worries more about his escalade than the bbq he is selling.

bbq is a food of passion, clearly there's no passion for bbq here

red gum bbq was definitely one of my favourite bbq restaurants; they had a wide range of meat options as well as side dishes. we ordered their pulled pork, chicken wings, lamb, beef brisket, brisket chilli cheese fries, and a few other sides. all of the meat dishes were deliciously smoky, tender, and more-ish! service was friendly also. it was definitely a must visit while in mornington peninsula.

the staff here were really nice and friendly. plenty of indoor seating with outdoor seating also available. however, the only let down is that because of the open venue, you constantly have to wave away flies from landing on your food. the serve of the loaded fries was more than generous. the meat is pricey but the quality is amazing and it’s cooked to perfection - just melts in the mouth. the mac and cheese was also really nice but unfortunately the pasta was not evenly cooked.

fantastic american-style bbq restaurant in a strange barn-like room at the back of a petrol station. decor and location are nothing of note, but the food is terrific. the pitmasters here really know how to smoke meats. the brisket, pulled pork, and sausage are as good as any i've had, as were the fried chicken and fried green tomatoes. the food comes very quickly. they also have a great range of beers on tap and a serviceable wine list. a poor option for vegos, but if you like american bbq, try this place. just be warned, the "feed me" menu at $75 per person is more than most individuals could eat. share one or more of those and get some of the stuff that's not on the "feed me" such as the fried chicken, the beef ribs, and extra sides. i was disappointed they didn't offer pork ribs; i'm sure they would do a brilliant job with those. you can also buy their rubs and sauces at the checkout. highly recommended.

that was a special feed and what an awesome setup. have been wanting to come for ever but just never got round to it. food came out so quickly and service was great. chicken wings, brisket, pork shoulder ribs, mac and cheese, pulled pork... all unbelievable. i’ll be back

great setting, good service but it’s a lot more costly than other similar food places.

took the family there for lunch. easy parking, nice venue, plenty of space. we were put on a shared table when there were plenty of other tables completely empty, and were still empty when we left an hour later. portions were quite small for what you paid for. lamb ribs were small and fatty, hardly any meat on it. chicken wings were underwhelming. the pulled pork was good. coleslaw was good. nachos for the kids were kids were received well, but the chips however were not. staff were pleasant and friendly, and came over a couple of times to see if we needed more drinks. i know it's minor, but a pet hate is the credit card surcharge. i have reviewed a much better place than this in terms of taste, portion sizes and ambience. i won't be in a hurry to return.

attended with four adults and two child for a mid week rustic experience with bbq meats.

the place is tucked behind a servo and it had plenty of parking which was great.

we entered and were promptly seated to our reserved table. there was a quick explaintion of the food and drink menus but advised no ribs were available.

we ordered the pulled pork, beef brisket, half chicken with sides of a large chips, coleslaw, pasta salad and pickles.

meat:
the portion size was terribly small for the pulled pork and beef brisket. this being two slices of brisket and two spoon falls of pulled pork that was mediocre. the chicken was moist but lacked flavour.

the sides were also disappointing with the chips being burnt and discoloured, broccoli was thrown in a bowl with a sauce and the pasta salad was chewy and bland.

the group was honestly disappointed in the experience and saddened we felt the basics were not done properly. we all won't be returning.