Finally Tried the American BBQ from Competitive Eaters’ Videos! 😛

Countless hungry nights were spent watching that burly competitive eater’s videos—how he’d film Third Wave’s BBQ, ribs piled high, pulled pork glistening with sauce, him chomping down with juice dripping down his chin. The comments were always full of “Help! I’m starving.” This week, I finally dragged a friend to the Moorabbin location. The second we walked in, smoky meat aroma mixed with warm woody scents hit us—and suddenly, waiting for this bite felt worth it. 🍖 2-Person Platter Review: Stuffed to the Brim, with Surprises in the Details We went straight for the 2-person platter, and were shocked when it arrived: a cast-iron tray heaped with pulled pork, beef brisket, beef ribs, flanked by bacon, onion rings, chicken wings, plus two sauces and pickles. The portion was so huge it felt made for competitive eaters—we stared at the meat juice pooling at the bottom, thinking, “Should’ve gotten the 1-person.” First, the highly anticipated pulled pork: fork-tender, shredding into strands, coated in rich BBQ sauce—sweet with a smoky kick. The meat fibers were soaked in juice, never dry, even eaten plain. Stuffed into the little side bread, carbs + meaty goodness made me instantly get why the eater scarfs it down every time. Beef brisket was even better: thick slices with slightly charred edges, pink, tender (texture) in the middle. First bite brought smoky wood notes, then juices spread in my mouth, with a hint of black pepper heat. Dipped in garlic sauce? So good I wanted to lick my fingers. My friend chewed and said, “This texture’s better than it looks in videos!” 😐 Minor Letdowns: These Missed the Mark But the beef ribs were a letdown. While indeed “fall-off-the-bone tender,” the meat lacked the expected juiciness—dry towards the end, even drowned in sauce. Nothing like the “juice-exploding” scenes in the videos. The biggest miss was the bacon: hard as jerky, tough to chew, edges charred bitter. Tried pairing with bread, but ended up with a sore jaw, leaving most uneaten. Chicken wings were just okay—skin not crispy enough, meat under-seasoned, no better than homemade. 🧅 Unexpected Highlight: Onion Rings Steal the Show! The humble onion rings were a dark horse: thin batter, golden and crispy, “crunch” when bitten, inside sweet and tender, never greasy. We fought over the last one, even considered ordering more. The waiter laughed, “Lots of people come just to take these home as snacks!” 🏠 Vibe Matches the Food: Rustic with Heart The restaurant has retro American vibes—wooden tables with worn scratches, Texas BBQ posters on walls, open kitchen where you can watch chefs flip meat on the grill. Smoke mixes with country music, diners either chowing down on ribs or clinking glasses, no one caring about table manners. That “unfancy but satisfying” atmosphere fits BBQ’s soul perfectly. Leaving with stuffed bellies, my friend said, “7/10 is fair—great bits are so good, but the misses are obvious.” But we’ll probably be back—after all, that pulled pork and brisket aroma’s already etched into my late-night hunger memories. 📍Moorabin: 20 Station St, Moorabbin VIC 3189 (Albert Park & Hawthorn locations on Google Maps) AmericanBBQ #CompetitiveEaterFinds #ThirdWaveBBQ #MelbourneFood