Deadwood Dromana — Restaurant in Melbourne

Overall, we had a fantastic time— the atmosphere was lively, the food was delicious, the drinks were great ( although not cold just poured over ice) and the service was excellent initially. However, there was one issue during our experience that I feel is worth addressing, as it did impact our overall enjoyment.

I arrived at 5:00 pm to meet five others who wouldn't be arriving until closer to 6:00 and the last group at 6:30. I was warmly greeted and seated at a booth, which I appreciated. However, within the first 30 minutes,after ordering my first cocktail I was approached multiple times by three different staff members, which felt a bit excessive. As my group arrived in stages, we continued to enjoy our time, ordering cocktails and snacks, and everything seemed fine.

The issue arose when one of my party members arrived around 5:30. We were then approached by another staff member who informed us, rather abruptly, that unless the rest of our group arrived within 30 minutes, we would be moved to a smaller table. I explained that more people were on the way, but his tone was dismissive. We continued to enjoy our time, ordering more drinks and snacks, but as we waited longer than expected for the food to arrive, another staff member came to check on us. At this point, I expressed my frustration, mentioning that we wouldn't be ordering any more drinks until the food arrived, which had taken longer than anticipated.

It turned out that the staff member who had been so curt with us had forgotten to place our food order. Once the order was re-placed, the food arrived promptly within 10 minutes. By this time, the rest of our group had arrived, and we were approached at least six more times by different staff members asking if we wanted anything else or if we needed more drinks. While we appreciated the attention, it became a bit excessive, interrupting our conversations and making it harder to enjoy the experience.

We spent $360 as a group, so it's not as if we weren’t contributing. While we understand the importance of attentive service, the excessive interruptions and the initial poor handling of our food order really dampened what would have otherwise been a...

Deadwood is an epic place. It’s easily the most interesting and exciting place in Dromana and probably the peninsula. They get everything right here. Everything. The place itself is so cosy and inviting. And it’s so cleverly set out and decorated. You just can’t help looking around and smiling at all the interesting US themed things on the walls. The atmosphere they get here has to be experienced to be believed. The place really buzzes and rocks at peak times probably because it’s a place that offers such a great experience. The drinks selection is extensive. From American liquors through to wines and beers and everything else you’d expect. The share plates are incredible too. We started with fish tacos which were absolutely delicious. Then, we decided to give the buffalo wings a try. These are incredible. Whoever came up with the sauce is a bloody genius. It’s initially very warm when you try it but then the heat subsides and you are left with a really lovely aftertaste of flavour and warmth. I can’t really describe it more fully but we both commented joyously on it later. It’s just a great dish that really delivers. We can’t actually wait to try it again!

This is a very well run business and the owners and staff really genuinely go out of their way to show you a good time. We had interactions with five people working here and the level of efficiency, help, humour and pleasantness they offered was exceptional and has to be commended. They should all be very proud of what they’ve created here as for us who have tried everything here, Deadwood is the heart of the township

Second visit

We loved it here so much we went straight back the next week. We tried the happy hour cocktails which were delicious. We also had two share plates. The chicken bites with a maple syrup dip. Seriously tasty plus the quality of the chicken here is quite exceptional. Very tender plus this dish was so well cooked. The Mac and cheese balls were also very good.

We’re making this place our local. Brilliant food, drink, surroundings and servers. It’s all here. You just...

The fact that we were a few drinks deep and craving something to eat wasn't enough to mitigate the disappointment that was Deadwood. We were off to a rough start almost as soon as we sat down. We ordered three Sierra Nevada pale ales. They only had one left. Not the end of the world but not ideal either, especially when one of the house "rules" at Deadwood is that "the bartender is always right". Thankfully, there were plenty of other beers on offer that tickled our fancy. Next, the buffalo chicken wings were so small that you'd think they'd caught and butchered a few pigeons and the blue cheese sauce was distinctly lacking in blue cheese flavour. All good though, perhaps the tacos will save the day? Wrong. While the beef tacos were decent, the fish tacos were awful. The presentation said Mexicali, but the crunch and taste said off-brand fish fingers. It took more than a couple of swigs of my drink to wash the taste away. Unfortunately, our woes did not end there. The Texan beef chilli was watery and flavourless. The vegan sliders weren't much larger than golf balls and looked as boring as I imagine they tasted (despite costing $17). And while the staff were admittedly friendly and attentive, they got our food order wrong even though we only ordered what I've described above. All of this being said, I'm hoping that Deadwood can come good if and when I visit again. I like the venue itself and they have enough glowing reviews that they must be doing something right. It just wasn't the case for us. Not by...