Brother Hen — Restaurant in Melbourne

Rang to make a booking because someone had posted that the toilets were accessible (thankyou for your thoughtfulness! Yes it's very important.) The same cannot be said for the staff. Asking repeatedly about accessibility - in response to their enquiries about where we wanted to sit in the restaurant -inside or outside... The woman I spoke with would answer 'oh there's just a small step'. I told her well that's a no then because a person in an electric wheelchair is not going to be able to use a step. She went on to say that they have had no problems in the past. Responding to my subsequent question she couldn't remember if the patrons concerned were using manual or electric wheelchairs. I concluded that this discussion was a bit pointless then, if she couldn't remember, and that they should out of consideration for future patrons have a clearer appreciation of this issue and put it on their website. She said but we have had no problems in the past and that they couldn't get rid of the 'step'. I assured her I was not asking them to get rid of the the step. I should have said oh but it's just a small one right! Could she not remember because there was no issue? Or because a manual wheelchair has a little more flexibility where uneven surfaces are concerned, Or did the person as in so many cases simply not use the toilets to avoid any issues. I couldn't make the booking based on this staff members 'memory'. More importantly I could not get her to understand that she and they have a responsibility to acknowledge the needs of ALL patrons. If you don't know- find out. It's called ablism- the convenient amnesia surrounding the needs of people with disabilities. People need to change their thinking - people with disabilities exist. They are not the other species the inhabit 'our' world. The 'step' was a lot smaller hinderence than this...

So my partner and I came here today, because I googled breakfast places and this was near where we were and it had a high rating.

Let me begin by saying the breakfast board was very aesthetic and laid out beautifully. All of the staff were polite and attentive- can’t fault the service! Bathroom was clean and disability accessible not something that personally concerns me but I think is important to mention!

We ordered the smashed avo and the breakfast board. I wanted to like the food more than we did.

The breakfast board had cut up potatoes instead of the listed hashbrowns- maybe this is because of the potato issue? The bacon was a generous portion, but it tasted overcooked burnt whilst somehow not being crispy in the slightest. Similar to when you go to a buffet and the bacon is dried out under the lights. The orange juice was delicious, fresh and ultra pulpy (just like the doctor ordered).

The main downfall for me as I ordered the smashed avo, was the avocado. I’m not saying it necessarily is the stuff that comes out of a tube, but that’s what it tastes like. The dish was very generous with it, but I found the avocado to be very bad tasting. The combo of the avocado and the cheese was like mush and texturally it was terrible.

And how could I forget there are literally chickens in the courtyard in a coop, which was a super fun surprise.

Service: Great Aesthetic/decor: Great Food Breakfast board: Average Smashed avo: Below average

• Worth mentioning the lunch items that we saw other diners ordered looked fantastic, so maybe the lunch food is...

We were recommended this place by a friend, and after seeing a wave of positive online reviews, we decided to try it out. Unfortunately, our experience fell well short of expectations.

I ordered the breakfast board (pictured), which was frankly inedible. The plate was drenched in bacon fat, the scrambled eggs were overcooked and flavorless, the toast was soggy, and the Bircher bowl had the texture and taste of something prepared days ago — mushy oats lined the bottom of the bowl. The only bits I could finish were a small portion of avocado and 2 small slices of halloumi, which were average at best.

I spoke to a staff member, as I couldn’t justify spending $29 on a meal I barely touched. To their credit, they were very understanding and removed the item from the bill. They were polite and professional, which I genuinely appreciated.

My friend ordered the pork belly Benedict special. While it was visually appealing and just okay in terms of taste, it unfortunately led to severe nausea shortly after — we had to stop on the way home due to vomiting, which was followed by more illness afterward.

To top things off, we noticed signage at each table offering a free coffee in exchange for a 5-star review (or just a positive reviews, can’t remember exactly) which casts serious doubt on the authenticity of the glowing online feedback we saw beforehand. This felt misleading and disappointing.

Overall, this was a very poor dining experience. The staff were kind, but the food quality and the manipulative review tactic left a bad impression. We won’t...