Wayside Inn
The Wayside Inn cooks premium steaks over red gum woodfire grills and runs a rotisserie that changes daily, Boer goat on Monday, suckling pig on Friday, a short hop from the MCEC in South Melbourne.
Why go
Broadsheet credits head chef Matt Merrick with a kitchen that "focuses on good produce," built around "a section dedicated to beef but a lot of choice outside that realm." The rotisserie is the signal it takes the grill seriously, a different roast for most days of the week. Urban List points past the food to "a few interesting small-batch wines, even aged whiskies and rare spirits," which is more than a counter pub usually bothers with.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the rotisserie of the day, then a steak off the red gum grill. Urban List flags the top end, a 300g
Rost biff Kobe Wagyu graded at AA9
thatwill set you back a cool $50.
- Avoid: reaching straight for that $50 Wagyu. The daily rotisserie is the smarter order and the reason to come.
What locals & experts say
- Broadsheet: the room is
a clean, minimal space with a few soft touches in the room and on the menu,
andthe rotisserie of the day changes for each day of the week.
1 - Urban List:
The food is spot-on, the décor is gorgeous,
withpremium steaks, cooked over Red Gum woodfire grills
anda beer garden out back.
2
Good to know
- Timing: counter lunches and dinner; check the venue page for current hours.
- Booking: recommended, especially for a group wanting the dining room over the front bar.
- Near MCEC: a short tram or walk from South Wharf, on City Road in South Melbourne.
Verdict
could-visit — A proper woodfire-grill pub a short hop from the MCEC, with a rotating rotisserie, graded steaks over red gum, and a wine and whisky list above the pub norm. It does the grill well and reads as reliable rather than a destination, so it earns a stop if you are near the market.