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Had an excellent night out at Hats & Tatts with Mr B on Wednesday night. Walking into the old Southern Cross Hotel one is hit with a welcoming smoky smell in the air. The BBQ meat kind of smoky smell that instantly stirs one's appetite. The bar is full of various bottles, dangling cans and artefacts. A very friendly beardy man greeted us instantly and requested whether we were here for food, drinks or both. Upon an answer of both, we were given our food menus and a casual tour of the drinks available. Mr B and I thanked him and wandered around to stake out a comfy space.
We found a back room, adorned with framed classic rock posters, two giant empty booths and a pool table. I took my place in a booth while Mr B purchased us a round of pints. $21 for a Colonial Pale Ale and a guest Red Ale impressing us more than just a little.
Pint round 2 saw us moving to the back room with the fire place. A need for food ensued so a Smoked Beef Brisket Sandwich, a Nashville Style Hot Chicken burger and a serve of the Kimchi Tater Tots were ordered. The very friendly bar tender soon appeared to tell us that the fermentation on the kimchi had gone a little too far, so a new side dish order of Mac n Cheese Waffle required. The food that arrived at our table was amazing! The beef brisket was smoky, soft and delicious to say the least. My B was gushing over his fried chicken. And that waffle! It was actually a waffle pressed out of mac n cheese! The likes of which I have never seen or eaten!
We absolutely loved Hatts & Tatts! Its genuine feeling of welcome and lack of shininess was a beautiful thing to behold in South Melbourne...a side of town I rarely feel at home in. The music, food, service and price were all so good that we wish you were on our side of town.
To read the full version and more of about our food outings take a look at my blog:
Hatts and Tatts is the least pretentious, gloriously no fuss, ridiculously/unnecessarily well stocked dive bar in Melbourne! The casualty of everything is what makes it so enjoyable to hang out there. The food is always tasty. The staff are usually up for a laugh and really good specials. One of my favourite places to go on my days off and catch up with friends.
Cool night spot with a grungy feel and one hell of a menu. Slow cooked meats, juicy burgers and fried chicken, great beer and friendly staff. Not what you would expect from the outside.
Came in for a couple of beers and a feed on Friday night and left with a rather pleasurable experience.
The set-out is very much like American dive bar with countless bottles of burbons behind the bar. Then there is a room with an open fire place which was great for a cold Friday night.
For the food we ordered the chicken wings for an entree which were pretty stock standard chicken wings. Nice and spicy and enjoyable but no better or worse than most other places. Then I had the brisket burger which was on a whole new level. I have no idea how they managed to get that brisket so bloody tender but they did and I loved it!
Hats & Tatts! If you wanna mix it up and try something different this is the place!
Music is incredible, i've added their playlist to my spotify.
Food is absolute value for money.
Beer is always interesting, they only give you premium beers and they change frequently.
Amazing atmosphere! The Nashville hot burger paired with a pint of PBR, perfect for a hot afternoon! Try the Mac n cheese waffle if you want a trip back to your childhood.
I had no idea what to expect at this bar. It's a nice change to meet up with friends from your usual cafe/casual restaurant as its much more social. Burgers were standard but the atmosphere is what sets it apart.
As I walk through the entrance and into Hatts & Tatts I hear the sounds of Bon Jovi playing over the speakers while faced with a movie poster for Top Gun. To my left in this dimly lit room is a television playing a Bulls v Pistons game from the 1991 NBA finals series.
Hats and Tatts, where the frat boys ‘derelict my balls’, spirits and beer rules and there is some bloody good food on the go. We’re big fans and mis-spent a cold afternoon there playing darts and drinking near the fire. Wines are red or white – and drinkable, so that’s ok! The boys love the beers and I love the food so it’s a good place to be.
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I had to admit I was somewhat skeptical of this place at first. It seems you can't go anywhere these days in Melbourne without seeing some faux Americana dive bar/BBQ/burger joint serving up clichés of burgers or pulled pork in plastic baskets and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, usually either disappointingly overpriced or underwhelming in flavor. Hats and Tatts however turned out to be a real pleasant surprise. Wedged smack bang between the South Melbourne Markets and Kittens strip club, it has a American late 80s/hair metal/frat house/dive bar sort of décor and vibe (Tom Cruise's Cocktail poster and the "Derelicte My Balls" (quip from Zoolander) neon sign above the bar writ large ) with an eclectic soundtrack ranging from Johnny Cash to Motley Crue and Grandmaster Flash. It screams F-U-N. Just my kind of thing. The gregarious and friendly staff at the bar sure make a mean Margarita with quality tequila and lots of flair and pizzazz, chopping up the spiced ring salt on the counter with a card....ahem, ala Tony Montana in Scarface. The food is pretty good too. I ordered the wagyu cheeseburger and the meat had a real smoky flavor to it and was nice and juicy. I did however think the buns could have been a little fresher, though in fairness, it was late at night. Overall, I would say Hats and Tatts is more of a drinking and grazing place rather than a food destination but with its fun vibes and great staff, it's definitely one of the best American-themed joints in the city. Sure, it's a blatantly ironic mock-up of a dive bar in Austin, Texas but if you're going to do it, do it well like Hats and Tatts.
A staff member said the chicken burger would be the best chicken burger we had ever had...
AND IT WAS! The food was amazing!! And the staff were so incredibly friendly. Could not be happier that we stumbled upon this gem.
Fantastic spot to drop by and have a good time at. Great staff. We got there very late and still accommodated us. If I'm back in Melbourne my go to spot
Talk about understated venue, Hats is one of Melbourne's absolutely best hidden gems. Amazing atmosphere, incredible whisky collection, beers and whilst it might not look it, awesome cocktails. The bonus is the food, insanely good tater tots, burgers, brisket and fried chicken to blow your mind. Just to go next level crazy, Hats is now doing unbelievably good Japanese food on Wednesday nights.
This place is great for a few drinks. The bartender and staff were super friendly.
Great local pub. Food is always good. Staff friendly.
"Hats & Tatts" is an Amazing place, I had tried "mac n cheese waffle" which was so yummy. I also enjoyed the variety of drinks. The bartender was very friendly. the best place to enjoy the best times with your friends. The decor of the bar is remarkable ... Highly Recommended!!!
If you tip the chef, he puts special sauce on your burger. Seriously though. The food is ace.
The great back bar and spirit selection makes up for the lack of Carlton dry on tap.
Seriously the best pub in Melbourne.
Most fun you can have without been in rural Mexico with a donkey.
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