Wayside Inn - Melbourne

Ok, so I don't need a bar man to shower us girls with attention for a Monday night book club dinner, but to be asked if we wanted a second drink, or look at the desert menu would have been a start!We struggle to find somewhere open on a Monday so this recently refurbished place with half priced dinners seemed a great idea. Initially we thought we had struck gold... the food was tasty and plentiful (steaks looked great) but the lone barman kept turning up the music throughout the evening until it was near impossible to have a conversation.. we were the only table there admittedly! But by 9:15 we felt obliged to leave !!, like we were taking up too much of his valuable time by being there! I hope this is not a normal occurrence! It surely is not normal for our group of girls to be home by ten ....in need of desert and sober anyway!

Once a neighbourhood gem, a change of hands seems to have affected both food

We are long term admirers and attendees of both the Station Hotel (Footscray) and the Wayside Inn (Port Melbourne). However, our latest visits to both the Station Hotel and the Wayside Inn have been less than impressive. On Thursday night we attended the Wayside Inn and were happy to go to the dining room to move away from the crowd and the karaoke style singer. As the first diners in the dining room we had to go looking for someone to serve us. Not a good start.Our order consisted of the Cauliflower croquettes (shared between us, these were OK) special Rotisserie Chicken served with a Morrocan inspired coleslaw and harissa ($42) and a Chicken Parmigiana ($24 - my husbands favourite when he wants something hearty and filling). To say that the food was disappointing is an understatement. The Rotisserie chicken was bland and uninspiring and if it were not for the Harissa paste served as a dollop on the plate I think I may have died of boredom. The side salad of Morrocan 'inspired' coleslaw was nothing but shredded red cabbage and coriander, with no dressing and no care. In fact the cabbage was bitter and this was totally not what I was hoping for or expecting. When I think of a Moroccan coleslaw I imagine cabbage, carrot, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, rosewater, raisins, grated orange rind, cumin etc. but none of this was vaguely present. For a $42 pub meal, this dish should have been fantastic, but failed on all counts. I would suggest the chefs may need to do some research on Morocco and the typical foods that make up the flavours of this country so that they are more in tune with customer expectations. Bland chopped red cabbage and coriander just doesn't cut it.As for the parmigiana, this passed at a reasonable level but the rocket served on the side was old and wilting and the salad yet again was undressed, bland and uninspiring. Of both dishes the chips were probably the best things on the plate. Hubby reports the parmigiana was OK too.Despite these dishes being of a large size, the rest of the experience is let down by offering up a large plate of food that is not enjoyable. In fact sizes are so large, they are inedible unless you want to eat a whole days food equivalent in one sitting.Final remarks on service..... Main plates were brought out without the entrees being cleared. Poor considering we were the only ones in the dining room.Good points.... the hotel has a nice interior and a good vibe/ambience. May be better for snacks and after work drinks but we won't be going back and paying heightened prices for below average food when there is so much on offer in Melbourne.

The bar staff at the Wayside are great guys and happy hour was good, but the food was seriously ordinary. Do yourself the favour and don't get the fish and chips. The fish was tasteless and batter awefull. The salad was an absolute joke. I won't be back to eat again.

It was a gorgeous Melbourne summer evening( hasn't been too many) so we chose to have a drink outside. The outdoor space including the tables was in need of a good clean. We had to ask to have the table wiped down. We ate inside. There were four of us, the restaurant was very empty for a Thursday night. We had a pok cutlet, steak, Parma and grilled whole flathead. The meals were nicely presented with salads to match each dinner. The service in the retaurant was attentive. I would rate this just a place which is rather disappointing as we like to support local eateries.