Red Gum BBQ

The Verdict

Mt Eliza couple Melissa and Martin Goffin have had a while to polish their BBQ skills. They’ve been running Red Gum BBQ at pop-ups and markets all over the Mornington Peninsula for 12 years, dishing up brisket and mac n’ cheese by the truckload.

But now they’ve opened something pretty darn exciting: literally the biggest BBQ and beer hall in Australia. Allegedly, anyway—we haven’t got the tape measure out to check). Trust us, it’s pretty f**king big.

If you’re a fan of Fancy Hanks and Burn City and anything slow-cooked for over 12 hours, you’re gonna love this place. It’s a huge industrial hanger in Red Hill, on the old Arthurs Seat road, and you can smell the smoke from at least 200m away. The seating is Southern Style, which means long, communal benches, and there’s even a play area for the kids.

Melissa and Martin specialize in genuine, Southern BBQ. The authentic stuff. And there’s a bit of conjecture around what that actually means. Traditionally Southern BBQ involves smoking your meat using local timber, and the couple use only Aussie red gum in their smokers—no charcoal and no wood chips. The meat is sourced locally too, from high-quality free-range pigs and grass-fed cattle.

As for the menu, the best thing to do is see what’s fresh. Because of the long cooking times, the meat can sell out by the end of the day, and Melissa and Martin rotate the specials pretty regularly. It might be pull-apart slow-cooked beef ribs, Bannockburn free range chook, or an epic smoked brisket (whatever you do—try the brisket chilli cheese fries). Red Gum even brews its own range of BBQ sauces, which you can slather all over your plate.

Veggos, we’re guessing this isn’t gonna be your scene. But the venue does provide gluten-free and vegetarian options (just be aware that the butter, mayo and cheese are not vegan-friendly).

Throw in an ever-growing range of local craft beers and Mornington wines and you’ve got a killer weekend feast. Grab the crew, hit the road, and head down for a BBQ roadtrip.

Image credit: Red Gum BBQ