FAT CHEF Mernda — Restaurant in Melbourne

I had no problems booking a table online and it was a last minute booking. You can also call to book if your not tech savy or try your luck just rocking up and try your luck.

The server was very welcoming and greated us with a friendly smile.

The food was cooked to perfection and we didn't have to wait long to order or receive our meals. The restaurant is clean, fresh and modern looking with open space and not crammed or squishy like other restaurants.

There is lots of parking outside and seating to choose from.

Lots of meals to choose even for the fussiest eaters. They range from seafood to burgers, pastas and steaks. We had the double southern chicken burger that was full of flavour and definitely not dry and steak that was cooked perfectly. Kids meals are also available. We were to full to order desserts but they do have that too. Non alcoholic and alcoholic beverages were on the menu including cocktails and cocktails and shakes.

This is a great place to go for any occasion whether it's for a celebration, a family gathering (because seriously who wants to cook and clean up at home and miss all the fun), a good feed before doing your groceries at woolies adjacent to Fat Chef (never go shopping on an empty stomach), even a first date for a meal or just a drink is perfect. There is a bar as you enter via the center with a cosy little semi private area to eat/drink which would be perfect for those friday night after work drinks to whind down.

Neat casual dress and laid back atmosphere. Nothing too fancy or over the top.

I did see some high chairs so it is kid friendly. Toilets are only a few steps out of the restaurant but in the center. Plenty of room for prams and wheelchairs with both booths and table and chair seating.

Sitting inside you would never have guessed you were out of the CBD but Mernda is growing and I'm positive Fat Chef will get alot busier as the area expands.

Definitely returning in the future and highly recommend you try it out...

Booked for 7.45pm, 4 people. First a management issue, no main front of house person greeting and seating, you could see they were busy and disorganised. We waited while they cleaned a table and were seated. No one came back for quite a while so we got their attention to ask for menus. We ordered drinks and food not long after. We asked for all food to come out together. Ordered pita and a trio of dips, sagankai and a platter for four. Our drinks came, we pointed out that one of the two Apple ciders we ordered was only 2/3 full. The gent said he would check and came back and said we must have got a bad batch from the supplier the others look like that and then he walked off. Then the dips and saganaki arrived, that was my dinner and the platter was for the other three members of the family. We waited a little as we had requested everything out together. After 15 mins I started eating. So by 9pm we asked where the platter was and they said oh the person taking the order didn’t write down it was all to come together, it will be another 15 mins. I finished my food and then after another 20 mins we asked where it was. It came out about another 5 mins after that so around 9.30pm the other members of the family ate. It wasn’t worth the wait or the money. Standard food, dry ends of some of the gyros meat. We ordered another drink, by this time there were not many people left at the restaurant, we waited 15 minutes then had to ask, they forgot. What started out as a fun night we were looking forward to went downhill from the moment we sat down. I would have been happier and more content with a meal from Hungry Jacks and had a lot more money left. I note, not one person asked us how our experience was or if we enjoyed our meal, I’m pretty sure they already knew what the answer was, but no one came to offer any apologies for the lateness or a drink to replace the “tide out” cider. Disappointed and do not recommend it at all. Cost $270,...

Trying to celebrate a family birthday quickly turned south. Finding multiple hairs entwined in the lamb gyros was extremely upsetting, but after alerting staff to the issue - was horrified to have the on shift manager / bar tender come to the table and argue that the hair was not infact from their staff or kitchen was disgusting.

When we challenged him that the multiple hairs were wrapped and cooked in the lamb he argued that there staff don't have long hair. He himself had long hair in a ponytail. No hair net or cap. Loosely tied up.no staff in kitchen had hair nets - a few had caps.

When we asked if he was going to apologize instead of trying to simply pass blame and say it wasn't their fault, he said 'yeah of course were sorry but it's not from our kitchen's'

You have to wonder how hair that isn't from their kitchen was so entwined in the cooked food that came from their kitchen.

He claimed to be the manager but when pressed for his contact details as we wanted to speak with manager or owner he said he was a bartender/supervisor.

I understand accidents happen however to have an overly aggressive staff member accusing you of planting the hair and accepting no responsibility or starting with an apology was despicable. He only said Sorry when we challenged him that he hadn't apologized only deflected blame.

Nearly empty restaurant on a Sunday night should have been the early warning. Do not recommend. Take your...