The Gem
289 Wellington Street, Collingwood
03 9419 5170
American, BBQ, Pub Food
$$
Food
- Beef Brisket
- Pulled Pork
- Mac and Cheese with crispy bacon crumbs
- Texas Fries
- Cornbread
- Brioche Rolls
The Good
The beef brisket stole the show. Extremely tender, succulent and melts in the mouth full of flavour. Decent portion size too.
Texas fries were also amazing. All fries were nice and crispy with good crunch. Went very well with the soft melted cheese and bacon bits. This was a huge ‘starter’ though.
The brioche rolls were nice. Seems really fresh. Could do with just a tad more butter though.
The Mediocre
Ok maybe this isn’t that mediocre. It was a decent effort, but the only downside was that it was a tad dry. The pulled pork was still full of flavour and quite tender. Not quite as juicy as the beef though. This was however helped by the gravy.
Cornbread was also on the dry side. Had good corn flavour throughout and was generally soft inside with a nice crunchy crust. Again, a bit dry.
The Bad
Mac and Cheese was a big disappointment. It was extremely watered-down. Yes the crunchy bacon bits were fun initially, but that didn’t make up for the lack of flavour and general blandness of it given how flavoursome all other dishes were. Sorry, but I think microwaved instant Mac and cheese would’ve been better.
The Verdict
Overall a very enjoyable meal. Food was nice overall and the only real let down was Mac and Cheese.
The boss seems perky and highly engaged however the same can’t be said for the bartender. Food came out all at once without too much of a wait.
Would Penguin Eat Again?
Definitely.