Review Meatmother - Richmond

This place carries it's name so well. My husband and I got The Mother Load to share and we were so loaded. Nothing we ordered was bad! Definitely worth getting the mother load if you're not sure what to get, cause you get lots of everything from the menu! Loved the experience and sensations I got from the Watermelon, I want more. And I wished I could buy bags of the jalapeño popcorn for movies! Truffle mac croquettes were like cuddles from the inside. Fire corn is extra amazing because I love corn anyway. Pineapple salsa, to heaven and back with pulled pork!! Brisket, well there's no real need for a knife over this meal. Fried chicken, not one bit dry. If you haven't been here and are still reading reviews you're wasting your time, just go there now!!

While the food was good... The service was horrible. Grossly understaffed for lunch. The woman working did her best but was taking care of probably 10 tables and the till. We did the set lunch and the variety of food vas great. The jalapeño popcorn was a nice starter, the fried Mac and cheese croquettes were perfect. The fried chicken was great and boneless and the grilled corn with jalapeño butter was awesome. However, the mains... The pulled pork was average (coming from an American from the south) and the brisket was tender but didn't really have the bark I expect of a good brisket. The fries were well seasoned with a lightly spicy salt. Major gripe was the serve time. Pulled pork and brisket are both prepared a day in advance... And fried chicken takes 10 minutes tops. It took them the better part of an hour to bring them out which doesn't make any sense to me. They don't provide enough bbq sauce for the pulled pork or brisket... And in general it is over priced. Hoping I can find a better brisket place in Melbourne because they still have alot of work to do here.

Be prepared for a feast if ur ordering the $45 platter. The coleslaw and pulled pork are of worthy note but should not occupy too much space in your stomach. Save space for the beef brisket!! It's unbelievably fantastic!

Some of the food are hit and miss. The pickled watermelon wasnt that good, I am not sure what they're trying to do with it. Ribs was standard. The fried chicken and hot wings are excellent though! Moist and juicy! Food - 6 Service - 9 Vibe - 7 Price - $$

Delicious meats! Definitely recommend, brisket was good, the chicken is amazing and delicious! Friendly service

Amazing brisket, fried chicken and pulled pork. They also do really good truffle mac & cheese croquettes and jalapeno pop corn. Would recommend doing the 'Mother Load' if you're there with a group. I visited here with a group of 4. Would recommend booking if planning to eat before 8pm, as tables fill up fast. After 8pm, it gets quiet, so you can stay longer. Service was great, staff were always checking on the table, but not too often to interrupt everyone. Would definitely come again.

Brisket was awesome as always. Pork was dry and sent it back. Burnt ends chips were not burnt ends but pulled pork. The staff were great about it but we should never had been charged for pork that was inedible. Maybe keep this for nights and not lunches.

Brisket was very good and highly recommended and would give 4+ stars. However on the other hand also had the stick pork ribs and these were TERRIBLE. Expectations were some delicious smoky ribs with sticky sauce done on the BBQ. However we got was lukewarm ribs which tasted like they had been boiled and with bland tomato sauce poured on afterwards (these are probably the worst ribs I've had!). Waitress tells me that they were slow cooked in the oven - isn't this a smoky BBQ joint??? Meatmother should be embarrassed by these ribs. Please cook these on the BBQ or take them off the menu.

Wasn't particularly busy , waited at the bar about 10 mins before any members off staff came down and acknowledged me. I just wanted chips takeaway and was told it would be 20/25 min wait ...... no thanks went to hunky dory instead and waited about 4 mins

Meatmother has been Richmond’s home of American-style BBQ, bringing smoked meats, buns, sides and cocktails to Swan Street. Burnt Ends are great as a starter, or something to sure.

Food was tasty, but left hungry.. Mum wouldn't do that.<br/>Had the motherload, which is misleading.. was expecting bigger for the price.<br/>Ambiance was well suited for the dining and the dessert was nice.<br/>For a meat joint it failed to meet my expectations...... hungry!!

Really delicious feed! We ordered the chicken bun, the pulled pork bun plus the mac n cheese croquettes and the burnt ends as starters. The burnt ends were a massive surprise, they had an amazing flavour and texture and defs worth an order. I also really enjoyed the pulled pork burger, the flavour combinations of everything in there just worked so well! I wasn't a massive fan of the chicken burger but that's purely personal preference, it was just a bit tangy for me...probably from the hot sauce and the spiced watermelon. Service was very friendly and relatively attentive.

Yum yum yum yum yum yum. Enough said. I've ordered this place oodles of times and even just then tonight and I'm writing this while I wait. <br/><br/>The burned ends are delicious. Meat that melts in your mouth. Great sauce. <br/><br/>The fried chicken bun is so fresh and tasty. Fire corn really hot and spicy. <br/><br/>Jalapeño popcorn is ridiculously good as are the chips. <br/><br/>Only thing that was weird was the pickled watermelon. I love it on its own not with the sour cream so each to their own. <br/><br/>Delivered hot and fresh every time.

The wings were yummy, as was the pulled pork burger. It was empty but that was fine with me as I had three little ones in tow. The ribs were more fat than meat which was really the only let down. The staff were really accommodating. The list of sours made my mouth water.. amazing selection!

Perfect place for a more casual, but sit down meal that still has some ambience and a nice feel about. The service was great throughout, and we were very happy with our food choices. The hot wings stood out, they were absolutely delicious. The lamb shoulder was beautifully cooked and falling apart. Perhaps my only gripe would be that there could be a few more wine options, and the wine price by the glass seemed rather expensive when considered in relation to their great value menu. I would have expected at least one wine option in each category to be under $10. Small gripe though, I'd be back for the food in a heartbeat.

Booked a birthday dinner here and had high expectations because of other reviews but was mostly disappointed. Arrived and was told to sit anywhere but then asked to move as the table was reserved (despite having made a reservation ourselves) - the table we moved from was not occupied even after we left and we were one of only two tables of guests. Food was a under average - chicken wings were decent but meats arrived cold and dry.

Dined here last night as a group of 4. We shared the truffle mac croquettes, burnt ends, stubby onion rings, 12 hour smoked brisket, pulled pork with pineapple salsa and sticky pork ribs. The food was all delicious. All the meats were well cooked and melted in your mouth. Service was prompt and friendly also. I had the rum sour drink which was nice also. Overall was a good dinner but an expensive outing.

Amazing BBQ food. Recommend Croquettes, Burnt ends, pulled pork and slow cooked beef brisket. Have a good collection of beers as well t go with all the food

Meatmother recently got a renovation and a menu overhaul. They have a great lunch special with choice of meat side and drink for $15. Ambience good. Food fairly good. Value good as well.

I have dined at the mothers daughter "Meat Maiden" and the association stops there. Thursday night, it was quiet, we ordered big for two pax - Fried Chicken (?), Croquettes (freezer to fryer), Ribs (good), Brisket (dry), Lamb (good), green salad (whatever that is) cheesy chips and gravy (good) - we dropped $170 between the two of us including 3 glasses of wine. I'd not do it again - I suggest go to the daughter in the city she's quicker, modern, friendlier and the foods better.

Service pretty good. Food average. The beef brisket was really heavily salted, slightly dry and too smoky. The lamb with fresh mint was good. <br/>

The $45 dollar meal is a little bit more than I usually spend on eats but I thought I would give it a try with some friends. It was amazing, lots of variety and the meat was all quality.

I was so excited about this place - heard lots of good stuff early on, but hadn't made it there.<br/><br/>Booked online for an early spot as we had plans later - it's worth noting there's two sittings so if you're planning on hanging around, best to book a later table, especially if it's busy!<br/><br/>First things first - the place looks great! Cool artwork, good music.<br/><br/>But then - the service - awful from the beginning with a super-surly waitress who couldn't find the booking (found eventually by another, delightful and non-surly staff member), gestured vaguely upstairs for us to ?seat ourselves?, then decided to put us at the end of a table of 6 (fine with us, but there were loads of tables for 2 that stayed empty the whole time we were there).<br/><br/>We ordered straight up (had a bad feeling about the service, can't imagine why!) even though the place was only 1/3 full.<br/><br/>Drinks took an hour, with one being cancelled at the 60 minute mark as they'd run out of a particular spirit. Food took 45 minutes - the brisket was tough, lukewarm and flavourless, the "burnt ends" were ok, the broccoli side was yummy.<br/><br/>Not *all* the staff were bad, the two staff on the floor upstairs were working their butts off, but seriously hampered by incredibly slow drinks service and lack of support from their colleague.<br/><br/>I really want to emphasise that the restaurant was nowhere near full, so they shouldn't have been under the pump... perhaps there were people away or some kind of drama? Either way, it was a massive disappointment, and so slow and drawn out we had to run to see our gig (which was amazing!).<br/><br/>Such a shame.<br/><br/>Visited July 2016

Great for good food on a budget. Picture shows the pulled pork burgers with pineapple salsa. Desert that followed was a peanut brittle and choc fudge sundae.

First it took us about ten minutes to get seated even though there were free tables everywhere as the wait staff were arguing about bookings and forgot about us standing there. Once we were seated the waitress took our order and was baffled when we ordered a bacon sour (it's on the menu). It then took about 25 mins for the starters to come out. The croquet was delicious but the pork was dry and the corn on the cob (sounds easy right) was lukewarm at best.<br/>We then waited another half an hour and the waitress came to clean off our table and we reminded her that we hadn't had mains yet. She sortve just laughed and walked off looking confused.<br/>We then waited about another ten minutes when the head waitress came out and asked us if everything is alright. We then reminded her that we still haven't had mains.<br/>Another 20 minute wait ensued.<br/>Mains got here and the meats were delicious but the chips (again sounds easy right) were cold and the salad was gritty.<br/>It's a real shame as a year ago this place was excellent.<br/>This stellar experience cost us $120, would not recommend.

Understaffed but waitress did well despite this. My wife's chicken was totally overcooked and salty. Ineatible basically. My brisket was pretty good but on the small size. Not going back.

They advertise that they're open till late but they close at 9. Don't bother.

Be prepared for a feast if ur ordering the $45 platter. The coleslaw and pulled pork are of worthy note but should not occupy too much space in your stomach. Save space for the beef brisket!! It's unbelievably fantastic!

Awesome food. It came quickly and was mouthwatering from the first bite.

Details: Awesome... Simply awesome! My partner and I did the $45 set meal and left with a great big smile on our faces.<br/><br/>Starters: Watermelon with spring onion.... whack but weirdly delicious and unique. The fried chicken wings was heavenly especially with the bbq sauce. Pickled cucumbers were nice too (cute addition on the side). The gourmet sausage was definitely my favourite thing. It didn't taste fatty or grubby, was simply juicy (organic?)<br/><br/>Main: The chicken drum stick was marinated so nicely. I was hanging out for the pulled pork the whole day; perhaps needed to be a bit more juicy but dipped into the sauces was delicious! Pork was sooooo tasty! The lamb was nice (we ate it all) but pretty fatty tbh.<br/><br/>Sides: coleslaw was surprisingly devine. Very unique texture.<br/><br/>Service: cannot complain at all, they were very friendly. Really took care of us and food came out very quickly.<br/><br/>Deco: Cute american joint!<br/><br/>Would recommend 😊

A surprisingly GF friendly menu with a nice cross section selection of meats on offer; everything from chicken ribs to sausage to brisket to pulled pork and a handful of other options.

The Dear Luncher visited Meatmother a while back, with 10 colleagues. We were seated upstairs and treated like Lords. We made it easy for ourselves and partook in the "The Taste" banquet. We were treated to a dazzling array of meats and sides. As I recall this cost $45 a head which was reasonable. A superb whiskey and cocktail list it has to be said. We will be back. The Dear Luncher is a regular visitor of Meatmaiden and both are truly excellent.

Not bad. We had the burnt ends which is brisket off cuts combined with BBQ sauce. Small serving but delicious. <br/><br/>Also had the pork and beef short ribs. Beef short ribs we fork tender and juicy. I felt they needed more flavour in terms of salt and pepper but the meat itself was good. Pork ribs weren't much chop in my opinion. Bit dry. <br/><br/>The brisket was also a little dry which tends to happen if it's cut too early before serving. Don't know why they don't include some of the juice from cooking/wrapping to add flavour and moisture. <br/><br/>I'll probably go back.

Let me start with saying that Meatmother did acknowledged that they provided a bad experience and we did not have to pay for the food, but I still cannot recommend it to anyone. I went here to celebrate my birthday, we had a reservation and still had to wait 20 mins for our table. While we waited for our table at the bar, the staff completely ignored us until we flagged them down to order our drinks. <br/><br/>When we were finally seated at our table, we ordered the sampler menu to share between 4 people ($45pp). The first course came out relatively timely, but we had to wait 1.5 hours for the second course! While we waited, we watched all the other diners around us get their food, eat and finish while ours never arrived. What made it worse was that the waiters just ignored us the whole night - we kept having to wave them down to get drink refills and when we asked where our food was, none of them seemed to care. <br/><br/>Finally, one waiter noticed that we had not had our food, so he came over to apologise and said that we do not have to pay for the food (only pay for the drinks). When the main course did arrive, we were not impressed at all. The cuts of meat were terrible and they did not have any flavour - none of it tasted marinated and slow cooked, and our beef was full of the fat. I wonder if they ran out of food and just threw something together very quickly when they realised that we had been there for 2 hours and only had our entrees? <br/><br/>Terrible service and below average food was my experience.

Awesome option for all meat lovers! Very casual restaurant with a great Texan BBQ inspired menu. We ordered the burnt ends to share for entree. One of the best things Ive ever eaten. Seriously, if you only order one thing make sure it's this! Then for main we went with the pulled pork with a side of the house slaw and the grilled corn with chipotle butter. The pork was juicy and the slaw balanced out the richness of the meat perfectly. The grilled corn was a little underwhelming however.

Came here for dinner, ordered the mac n' cheese, chicken and pulled pork. Meat was packed with smokey goodness and you can never go wrong with the mac n' cheese from these guys.

had the pleasure of trying this little spot over the weekend! and i bloody enjoyed it! thanks guys for such great service! and food! the chicken and the corn was amazing!

What happened? Meatmother used to be amazing... Quite the opposite now. The pulled pork tasted terrible and the portions were small & over priced in comparison to the once great value plates. Considering the amount of amazing restaurants nearby I don't think I'll be returning

The pulled pork sandwich here was great, according to my friend so I ordered it for lunch. Turned out it wasnt as great as my expectation. It wasnt bad but i felt like its the same as many other pulled pork sandwich in an average restaurant or deli. The chips were great thou and the dip that came with it was marvelous. For me, that's quite an irony when i looked at the restaurant name, Meatmother.

If you're going to call yourself "meatmother" then you'd expect the protein to be the star of the show. Unfortunately my experience here yesterday was very disappointing, after hearing such great things about this place. Ordered the chicken ribs which tasted like they were cooked from frozen. The pork ribs were dry and didn't even provide a hint of falling off the bone. The wagyu brisket was also dry and probably from yesterdays smoking. There was no smoke ring around the beef just a taste of bitterness.

I love this place. Great cocktails - smoked old fashioned made me come back. And the burnt tips were delicious! Really awesome staff quick service

Meat Heaven! Loved everything from the dark visceral decor that called out to my inner carnivore, the friendly relaxed service, to the very generous portions! Got the “Mother`s Mood” for two and was not disappointed! Even got a doggy-bag for the next day! Will definitely be back for more.

Ordered the beef brisket.. the best thing i have put in my mouth!.. the portion size is generous and it tastes amazing.. mac and cheese was just as good.. defo be coming here again..

We made a booking. But my friend and I still had to wait to get our table on a Thursday night. Once we got upstairs to be seated at our table, I was surprised to see that half of the restaurant was empty. So why did we have to wait 10-15 min at the bar...? The service was friendly but slow, especially when you know that the place is really not full. The food itself was good. But if you take into consideration the size of the plate, the flavour of the dish and the price of it, it is definitely not a good value for money. I know at least a couple of other places which serve mainly American BBQ meat as well and they are much better than Meatmother for the same price.

Came for a couples dinner and was quite disappointed. The food was very average unfortunately! For a place naming itself 'Meatmother' I would expect some really tasty hearty ribs/ sadly they were small with a watery sauce. The service wasn't great either, simple waiting services such as clearing your entree plates, checking on drinks went unfinished. Sorry was hoping to enjoy it but very average- and for that price in competitive Richmond I expect better than average.<br/>P.s. The $12 salad is a joke -1/4 of a iceberg lettuce and a few slithers of radish... Thanks for coming!!

A sister restaurant of the up and rising Meatmaiden, Meatmother is specialised in American BBQ meat dishes, located conveniently at Swan Street. Ordered their Vodka cured salmon, burnt end, and roast chicken (breast was little dry, should have asked for thigh) and cheesecake berry dessert. My fav was the cured salmon. Generous portion and friendly service. Loved their housemade fizzy rhubarb drink too. Unfortunately they do not serve tea or coffee, would be great to have it after a meaty meal.

Had such a good night here! Food was amazing, staff were so friendly and attentive. Awesome cocktail list too. Will definitely be back! Best BBQ in Melbourne for sure.

I could fault it! We tried almost everything on the menu and it was delicious! Defiantly recommend this place! Even the cocktails were good. I'll be back 100%<br/>

Haven't been to Meatmother itself, but ate some of their delicious food from a stall at an exhibition - so this review only takes that aspect into account. I ate a burnt ends bun, which is pieces of delicious smoked brisket with slaw. It was really good, the meat tender and juicy just as it should be and the BBQ sauce was yum! Chips were not the best I've ever had. Would definitely go to the restaurant to try more!

Good food as well as great service! Like their american style offer. Mac and cheese was fun and yummy...Good selection of beers! Solid option

Visited this afternoon, friendly staff who knew what they were talking about when it came to beer selection. The food was fantastic, scorched cucumbers (I don't like cucumbers, ordered by my wife, but they had a nice kick to them), lamb skewers which were nice and tender, charred broccoli with almonds and lime (this was amazing, highly recommended!) and pork spare ribs with peanuts (they were fantastic, soft, tender, ended up covered in the sauce and very happy). Really worth a visit.

On our waiter’s recommendation, we started off with the Burnt Ends ($15), aka the off-cuts of what I’m guessing is the wagyu brisket. Smothered in a sweet BBQ sauce, these bite-sized pieces of brisket were campfire-smoky and absolutely delicious. Being, well, burnt ends and all meant that the meat was quite inconsistent, running the gamut from 100% fat to dry and chewy. But as long as you know that going in, you’re going to have a whale of a time with these.

Good quality food. Cocktails are delicious ! When booking if you don't want a communal table best to specify that. Staff quite helpful. Music was a fraction to loud couldn't hear each other talk but staff happily fixed it when asked to turn down a fraction.

You know, I'd had such a great night. Atmosphere was on point. But that was mainly due to the good company I was in for one of my closest friends birthdays. Unfortunately the night ended bitterly thanks to one uneducated, poorly presented and power hungry woman who resembled nothing of a manager or head waitress, had the social skills of a stubborn on the spectrum 11 year old boy, and forced the birthday girl into paying an extra $90 on top of the $60 she'd already paid for her 'chef's set group menu' because it's apparently a thing to pay for people who can no longer make it to their precious and pretentious 'restaurant' of regret and disappointment. Longest sentence I've ever written. I could go on, but I believe people that cruel and heartless are usually just victims to their own internal insecurities and hate for themselves, so that's punishment enough. Here's my advice food lovers, take your hard earned $$$ you've saved for a Meatmother set menu and shout every homeless man on Swan St a burger from grill'd. Oh and have a good life your majesty of all the meats in the world... May Vegetarians and Vegans continue to climb the social ladder and convince every steak loving specimen that lentils are in fact the next superfood and if planted - grow into money trees, so that they then can replace you on your undeserving throne and run your shithole of a restaurant into the ground. Bye.

All the guys in my family love eating meat, so when my cousin came back to Melbourne for a short trip we had to get out grub on. Where better than to a restaurant that specialise in meats?<br/><br/>I started off with the rhubarb fizz which tasted like a nice pink lemonade. I was told the rhubarb syrup was made in house which makes it quite unique. Quite refreshing, I enjoyed my drink.<br/><br/>So we ordered a selection of starters and mains and sides. We started off with an entree of burnt ends and the lamb skewers. The burnt ends were full of flavour with a crispy texture, charcoal bits are the best. The lamb skewers were well marinated, soft and succulent and so tasty. <br/><br/>For mains we had the beef brisket, the pork ribs and spicy pulled pork. <br/><br/>The beef brisket arrived and it was a thin cut, served with some salsa. The brisket itself was tasteless through the middle of the cut, tasty on the sides. I needed to add quite a bit of salsa to give it taste and due to the thin cut it went cold very quickly. The salsa was very tasty though.<br/><br/>The pork ribs came next, it arrived looking a little wet sitting in a little pool of sauce. The ribs themselves tasted very bland, there was no distinct taste and not salty enough for any flavours. Tasting the sauce I think they forgot to thicken and glaze the ribs, which is a huge shame, the ribs were so very disappointing.<br/><br/>Next we had the spicy pulled pork. It was delicious, served almond and yogurt it was packed full of flavour and just the right amount of chilli. The meat was soft and well shredded. <br/><br/>Our sides also came, the burnt broccoli, Mac and cheese, fries with chipotle dip and potato salad. The broccoli was just that, slightly burnt broccoli which was fine. The Mac and cheese was tasty and fries with dip were crispy and fresh. The potato salad was amazing, well seasoned and potatoes perfectly cooked, not so soft it becomes mush but firm enough to maintain its shape. <br/><br/>Overall we were very disappointed in our mains, two failures in three. Maybe they were understaffed in the kitchen but the restaurant wasn't packed in a Tuesday night. Our waiter also got two items on our menu wrong, ordering the wrong entree and missing one of our side dishes. There were quite a few things done right here, the waiter was friendly, a relaxed atmosphere, entrees and mains were quite good but unfortunately the most important thing is are the mains and they were a let down.

Good drinks, good service, bad mains. Both brisket and ribs were served to us cold. When we told them about it they just microwaved both mains. Ribs tasted as a reheated meal. Cardinal sin in my book.

Its tasty and pricy. I did enjoy my meat and prawns, Prawns skewers tasted very fresh, chicken wings are delicious and lamb skewers were so so. Sausage came with  relish and sour cabbage what is pretty yummy. <br/>Only thing i did not like about this place was service. We are already paying more than 100 bucks for dinner with my partner .. we have had left some chips .. sausage came with sauce and delish toppingss, we finished sausage but toppings were still left, so we could dip chips in the sauce. Waitress came  DID NOT ASK IF WE ARE FINISHED and took that plate where was sausage with sauces and toppings and took it away.. We didnt wanna say anything ... BUT its not really cool to take dishes away what are not finished yet. <br/><br/>Bacon cocktail is YUMMMMM !!!! <br/><br/>i hope if manager reads reviews then please train your stuff !!!! :)

We went a s family and had a tasty meal that satisfied all our desires... Some great meat dishes done well with that smokey BBQ twist that requires a lot of time to do at home... We will be back i am sure

The name of this restaurant rocks. It built some anticipation, but when we arrived we realised it was more of a smallish bar than a meat lovers restaurant. The menu has several gluten-free options. We ordered the milk-fed lamb skewers, with saltbush and yoghurt, the spit-roast special (it was pork on the day) and charred broccoli, almonds & lime as a side. The lot came with crunchy salty complimentary chips that were perfect to round the meal off.

What has happened to my Meatmother?! The original and the best American BBQ restaurant is no longer. The new menu sees Asian inspired meat dishes replace the original American flavours. Why would you change a winning formula? Over ambitious management and chefs perhaps? Famous for pulled pork but remove it from the menu entirely?<br/>Meatmother is having a massive identity crisis and although the brisket and ribs were still cooked well, the new menu lacks flavour and the sides were extremely tasteless. The food and the ambience no longer suits the name.<br/>The memories of my brisket and pulled pork buns with Carolina sauce will forever live on! Hopefully will return one day!<br/>Christine S

Meatmother is back. Whilst most would be familiar with this bastion of American style low and slow protein, things have changed over in Richmond. The favourites are all still there, but tweaked with modern sensibilities, bringing the cuisine from a decadent once a year indulgence to fantastic Friday night fare.

BBQ ribs were terrible. Slippery meat doused in sweet sauce with no hint of smoke. I suspect these were wrapped in foil and oven cooked. Texas crutch as primary cooking technique is Shameful. Fries undercooked and bland. Meatmutha indeed.

Tasty but Pricey<br/>The food here is really nice. Some of the best sausage I have ever had (and I have sampled a lot of those). Ambiance is nice too.<br/>However, the menu is pricey overall and you can easily end up spending upwards of $50 on a regular meal.<br/>Was disappointed by the lamb seekh kebabs, were chewy and under cooked.

Came here for dinner a few nights ago and expected 'big things', but I have to say I left a little disappointed. I was pretty hungry so I ordered an entree (the chicken skewers) and a main which was the beef brisket. All the meat that was served up was delicious, the chicken was incredibly tasty with some great flavours and the brisket was cooked to perfection. But there just wasn't enough meat. The skewers were minuscule and there just wasn't enough meat on the brisket plate. With the name 'Meatmother' I thought spending almost $40 on meat would be more than filling. I was wrong.

A venue synonymous with the thriving American bbq culture in Melbourne, Meatmother are showing why they are always one step ahead of the trends by reinventing their menu to include daily pit specials, a revived cocktail list and lighter menu options.

Arrived at 7.30pm. Only to be told that they were out of pork ribs AND lamb ribs. Are you serious? Isn't this the main reason people come here for? We decided to stay on anyway but pretty much every single thing that we ordered were not just bad and bland, the portions were ridiculously tiny for the price that we had to pay. We ended up going to Maccas after, not even joking. Never ever coming back again.

Meatmother now stokes the fire with a different kind of heat! The World Loves Melbourne was invited along to experience the new Meatmother. Re-launching, Meatmother, the Richmond restaurant synonymous with the American BBQ culture in Melbourne promises to again show the city why they are at the forefront of the hospitality trends, reinventing their cult Swan Street restaurant and bar. The cooking method is charcoal, with coals in the pit. The menu offers more choice, a step up from the previous limited menu.

I used to love meat mother, such a shame to see it change their menu so drastically. I went there the other night and unfortunately there was no pork ribs. Sides are now average (salad, vegetables and greek fries). Having a brisket and pork ribs (when available) on the menu isn't enough to call yourself an american bbq restaurant.

Meat heaven! Try Mother's Mood which is a set menu. I'm not sure why the whole table needs to get involved...anyway it was pretty awesome. Cocktails are surprisingly good as well.

Wouldn't recommend. Went with a group of four and ordered the set menu put together by the chef at $55 a head. After bringing out some kranskies, meatballs and salads we were asked if we were ready for dessert? We were all still hungry and so asked if that was it? After 10 min of waiting for the manager and calculating that we had eaten $35 each if we had ordered from the menu the manager came to apologise and tell us they had miscalculated. Instead of offering more food the dessert was on the house and drinks. <br/><br/>Staff was very friendly and was apologetic but we left to go and get burgers from grill'd. This place has missed the concept of a set menu altogether, you guarantee them a bill that is higher than each person ordering individual dishes in exchange for as much if not more food than you would've otherwise gotten. <br/><br/>Do not recommend.

Has been a favourite for american style BBQ, but that has all changed when the whole menu changed this year. Everything that was good is practically gone and for what? Being more fancy? Price increased too. Fries/chips are nothing compared to the old menu ones. The menu and the food was great before....so why change? Didn't even know what to order as the menu was completely different. The brisket tasted the same so that was still as before, the lamb ribs were OK but boring needed more zing to cut down the fat. Another table that came in after us left without ordering food as the menu was a not what they wanted or expected. Meatmother 2.0 needs to be rebooted or reprogrammed! Don't think we'll be back unfortunately.

You have got to be kidding me!! $45 pp and you get a quarter chicken and small meatball on a toothpick. Are these people for real? What's funny is that the place is called meatmother. Wait staff had no clue to top it all off. Only positive is that the place looked funky. Ohh and by the way they charged us for a cheesecake we didn't even order.

Love the pulled beef buns!  Chips and Meatmother Sauce are delicious! I wish they didn't close over Christmas and New Year because we were craving some sweet, sweet MEAT!

Cool art on the walls and the dim lighting makes for an awesome atmosphere. Love the burnt ends here, and the mac and cheese is incredible. Worth checking out the sister retaurant Meatmaiden for a slightly classier experience, but the food is equally great at both.

3.5 might be a bit low for these guys, but our visit unfortunately wasn't worth a 4. 75 minute wait for a large table which we were expecting so it wasn't an issue. Ended up having a drink across the road whilst we waited. Once we received the call we were seated promptly. Seemed to be a bit understaffed - took around 20 minutes to get offered drinks and given menus.<br/>Once the night got rolling the meals were simple but delicious. They managed to get our 8+ meals out all at once and made sure we were looked after for the rest of the night. Hoping to go back when they are better staffed and hopefully this should rise to a 4 -4.5<br/>

Edit: since they redid the menu after Christmas, it isn't as good. The food is more expensive and servings are smaller, with more niche offerings than before. I will stick to other American BBQ places now! <br/><br/>I have reignited my love for this place. The burnt ends are amazing, as are the beef short rib and pork rib. The mac n cheese is great, and I love the home made soft drinks.

FANTASTIC! That's all I have to say about this place. The place is great, food was amazing and so were the cocktails. If it wasn't for my veg wife, would be here every week. 😃

I had heard great things, and whilst it was some pretty good BBQ, it didn't blow my mind. Perhaps my tour through the States has ruined me. The food was good, device pretty average. Not bad, but perhaps a bit over priced. If hankering for some BBQ, go for it as you'll get your fix.

Just visited meatmother for the second time in a fortnight. Decided to hold off on a review until the second visit to see if they could keep consistent the quality and perfection they managed to obtain with the Short Rib - they did. <br/><br/>On a note of sides, the surprising winner was the Sprouts! Be sure to try them :)

Great food, lovely staff. <br/>Came in with a group of 6 and it was quite busy but we luckily got a table. Prompt service with a smile! Only downside was one of our meals had been totally forgotten and it took ages for us to get their attention to get his food sorted. Once it came out it was removed from the bill. Drinks were great and so was the atmosphere. Would go back for more double/triple dates on the weekend but not for anything intimate.

I went to Meatmother the other day for lunch with a friend and took a seat at the bar and absorbed the delicious smells coming from the smokers out back. I had the crispy brisket ends in Texas toast instead of a bun, pork scratchings and chicken ribs. All were incredibly flavoursome, delicious and well presented, although I think they all reduced my life expectancy because this stuff is probably the furthest you could ever get from health food. The only thing that lets this place down is the dullness of it. For the type of food that is served it should be relaxed and fun, but there is no vibe at all. The music is unmemorable, your conversation is continually interrupted by the banging of the heavy glass entry door and it's not that the staff are bad, but dull and unenthusiastic.

Smoke houses are all the rage back in Perth, which leads me to believe Melbourne have been doing it for years. Meat Mother caught our eye as we were walking down Swan Street. How could we not be interested? We walked in for an early dinner 17:30 (unheard of in Melbourne) before hitting the town. The place was empty but the friendly staff greeted us and sat us upstairs. For a small place, it has a great fit out. Trendy art and furniture. The menu is a simple card, so we dived straight in and ordered some Jalapeño Croquettes and Chicken Ribs. Both were a hit! Loved the texture and sauce on the croquettes and the buttermilk ribs knocked us over. The meat trays arrived next and both hit the bullseye. Simple food done very well. Meats were smoked to perfection! I had the rib which was meltingly tender. The coleslaw had been pimped up with chilli and was a great accompaniment. My mate had the brisket and chips. The meat was amazing and the chips perfectly crispy. We liberally poured the house made hot sauce on to the meats as well, and that had a wicked punch. We finished with a couple of smoked old fashions, it was a cracking little cocktail. How can you not love this place!! Try it Now!

We're lucky enough to find a table in this busy restaurant as they don't take bookings. Good here was so delicious, really quality meats and cooked and seasoned so well. Can't wait to come back!

Delicious. It is hard to get a seat and they don't take bookings, but the wait is worthwhile. I had the tasting plate and it was not exactly cheap but it was very tasty.

This Melbourne venue has been on our to-do list for quite some time, and while it was pretty darn good, it wasn't as amazing as I had hoped. Meatmother is all about American BBQ, so vegetarians need not apply. The menu is simple; choose your meat, choose the delivery (toast or bun) and choose your side.

Went a few weeks ago, shared a cider with a friend and had burgers. I had the wrangler which is chicken and $12. Really really yum. Spent a few months in Canada and it really did compare to some of the burgers over there. Nice and buttery and tasty although a little on th e expensive side!

Got the brisket burger which was really really good. Highly recommend the burnt ends burger as well. Super keen to try their ribs, will just have to come back another time!

A few weeks ago I visited Meatmother on Swan Street. The american inspired menu looked amazing and literally was a meat lovers dream. I chose the Pulled Pork Bun Tray and my side was Mac & Cheese. The meat itself was incredibly flavoursome and tender and I loved the contrast with the chipotle slaw.

Absolutely loved it, the meat is to die for. Recommend the burnt ends and brisket. The cocktails are also fantastic. Great atmosphere, very busy however.

Love their meaty cocktails - I had the most amazing Bloody Mary and it came with a huge strip of beef jerky on it - so good! The food was equally as good. We ordered four types of meat (brisket, belly rib, pulled pork and new york strip) and shared them with some sides. The sides were fine but the star was the meat - everything had loads of flavour and was cooked as requested.

Great Smokey BBQ taste! Love the food here! Absolutely amazing! Would come back every night for dinner, so filling and good for what you pay for!

Went there with a group of friends. Average service. Rating down for the fact that they couldn't be bothered to make an attempt to deliver good service. Food was alright.

What a dinner! I surprised my husband on the weekend with 18 of his nearest and dearest and a whole lotta meat. Everyone raved about it...then rolled out the door. Fantastic staff, freakin epic meat and delicious sides....could definitely have had more of the mac n cheese though! Love your work in bringing ze meat to ze masses.

Cruising through Richmond with a bit of spare time before the Good Riddance punk show at the Corner hotel. Walked down the street and what is this? A little trendo cafe serving what quite possibly could be some of the best smokehouse barbecue in Melbourne. Great selection of beer as well. That brisket bun was absolutely ridiculous. Chips were chips but that sandwich blew away all other comers I've had, so far. The beef Rib as well was freaking awesome, sprouts ok, Chipotle slaw pretty good. I'm going back to pretty much try the rest of the menu. Especially want to get at them burnt ends. I salute you sir. There is definitely someone doing something special here.

We went to meat mother and tried some entrees as we were heading off to the footy<br/><br/>The entrees were ok nothing special but looking forward going back to try mains<br/><br/>Staff and service spot on

Very average food.. Don't mind the decor to much.. Might be a little too simple, music is great. Pork ribs I had a little bit too dry.. Love the pasta bake, even you could make this home fairly easy, but tasty enough. Good ideas to sever everything on the steel trays, very casual and relaxing..

Got the banquet at meat mother, and must say the ribs and brisket were delish.. This was my first time eating Texas bbq sort of food and must say that I loved it. Can't wait to go back.

Not the best BBQ joint I have been to. While the food was okay, the customer service left a bad taste in my mouth. The staff showed no initiative and gave us the impression they had better things to do then be at work. <br/>If you want great food and the customer service to match, ditch this place for Fancy Hanks or Le Bon Ton.

If you are a big eater . Meat Mother would never ever disappoint you . They are super generous with their portion. And you can take away whatever you couldn't finish .which it happens to us every single time when we come here . We always go for their $40 banquet that includes crispy chicken ribs , wagyu brisket , pulled pork , sausage chips and pickle , coleslaw etcc . We enjoyed every single dishes except the sausage one . It was bit dry for our liking . But otherwise all of them tastes 👌🏾And I would highly recommend you to get mac and cheese on the side as extra . Overall Classy American BBQ flavor . Reasonable price big portion yummy food great venue . Serious what else can you ask for ? Only down side with this place is they don't take booking under 8. So be sure get in there early like before 6pm or something.

Omg this restaurant is GREAT... amazing and tasty food.. i loved everything i tried, even the sides were outstanding! We got a big jar of alcool/tea and the bill wasn t even expensive at all! Unfortunately we had to run to the stadium for a soccer match but we will defenetly go back next time when we will have more time! Great job guys!

Pretty good. Pretty tasty. The meat trays were a novel way to serve the food. Mash and gravy was great. Not a bad date spot for something different. Not going to be blown away by the place.. Bigger servings might have got me.

I have only been to this place once, but the fact that I would confidently say 'I love Meatmother' proves how good they are! Great vibe on a friday night, such delicious food and great service, all make a too notch experience! Thanks meatmother, cant wait for next time!!

Really tasty meat! We shared the short rib (which was fantastic) and the brisket. The brisket tasted beautiful but was very rich, a serve was generous with 5 slices, I had one and half and could not get through the rest! Sides were very good!

Ate here a few weeks back post Rugby. Attentive, accommodating staff. Nice bbq, partner went the brisket, I went the burger. Portion sizes not quite up there with some of their rivals but satisfying nonetheless.

Had heard so much about Meat Mother, ventured down one saturday night with a group of 6. Meat mothers doesn't take reservations for groups under 8 but were very accommodating and had something organised for us within an hour. Which was quiet reasonable. The decor is very striking, super cocktails and staff. But for the food the meat was a little dry and no choice on how it's cooked which was a little disappointing as Meat is their prize. Overall we had a great night.

The brisket was tender and delicious, slow cooked to perfection. The problem with Meatmother is picking which meats to have, its pretty safe to say you won't be disappointed with any of them! One of each please!

Amazing !!!! Faultless ... <br/>Desserts was outstanding get the peanut butter cheesecake <br/>Burnt ends were fantastic, great work guys keep it up will be back

Lunch. Stopped in for a quick lunch here. Food is excellent and service polite. Highly recommended for a burger fix.