Sunshine Social - BBQ — Restaurant in Melbourne

Came here on Sunday, generally they do lots of kids parties there were 2 on I believe at the same time, however for context seems like food had already been served to the birthday guests. Our food however, we ordered whole chicken chips, pita bread, peppers and croquettes, took ages to arrive and was underwhelming. Got our drinks and after an hour had no food. The waitress came to check what we had ordered and then said there was a delay. Another waiter came over after 10 mins said food coming soon. We finally got the food and the chicken was cold. The chips and gravy were hot but seemed like chicken was just chilling. The waiter then asked us what else we ordered so it was clear now to us that they forgot our order and just heated up some gravy and chips real quick and grabbed whatever chicken was ready in the bowl to serve us. Gross. We ate the chicken as we had nothing else to eat and we’re starving and decided to cancel the other stuff but they had already made it by then. Peppers not bad. Croquettes mid, could do without and we never got the bread, thank god as we really didn’t want to pay for it.

The wait staff were nice, just poorly managed and the food was really disappointing. Gonna be a savage and say if u want delicious charcoal chicken, go to Mimi’s charcoal chicken near watergardens. That place had HOT chicken with the crispiest fries in the yummiest peri peri salt and u won’t have wait 1 hour for it. 100/10 recommend that place over this one.

Also we weren’t the only dissatisfied customers at sunshine social, there was a woman who may have been part of one of the birthdays also getting into an argument as well Over the service today, not sure what’s happened since we were last here, but this...

I always enjoy myself at this place, I would compare it to a fancy suburban hotel of yesteryear. The owner and the waiters are unpretentious, relatable and likeable. Sitting adjacent to Glengala Rd shops in Sunshine West, Sunshine Social is often not as busy as it deserves to be. Lockdowns kicked a lotta places in the guts. Huge outdoor area (with or without roof- the choice is yours) where kids can move around or perhaps do a lil bit of scootering. Toddlers can ride small trikes, some provided. You could also bring a well behaved dog if thats your situation. Outside toilets too, which I prefer. The menu is impressive and your bill could grow if you opt for the more upmarket items. There's something for everyone though, and every budget. It is possible to keep your costs down by ordering sensibly. For example, order a whole chicken (delicious) and share that amongst your friends. Burgers and gourmet rolls are great too. If you like to drink, there is a variety of fresh craft beers and ciders on tap and the cost for a pint is very reasonable, cheaper than drinking in the city. I would recommend trying all their craft beers if you have the time. If you don't do craft beer there is also a bottled beer and wine list. If the weather is overcast I recommend you sit indoors near the kitchen and you will be treated to a great selection of music. I recommend introducing yourself at the counter when you arrive, tell them how many guests you'll be bringing. Otherwise you could just plonk your bum at a table, that would work too. Oh, and there's two separate safe carparks attached. Thank you Sunshine Social...

ORDERED: 🐓  Half charcoal chicken with chicken & sage stuffing ($15.00) 🥔  Roasted chicken fat potatoes with garlic, rosemary & thyme ($9.50) 🥣  Gravy ($3.00) 🥗 Greek salad: tomato, olives, cucumber, feta & balsamic ($11.00)

We spent $19.25pp here!

REVIEW: There's a bit of parking on site for Sunshine Social which was really cool! Really lends itself to a really strong inviting and social environment to come hang out with friends. 🚛 🚖 🚜

The food was okay, but its greatest 'pro' is that it's incredibly affordable. Chicken was moist, but I would've appreciated a crispier skin. I also prefer the traditional chicken & sage stuffing - when it's in the crevices of the chicken. By having it out, I found that it lost that critical moisture. But still flavourful. ✨ The roasted potatoes were soft, but could've been toooooo flavourful for the chicken. I would suggest toning it down with regular chips, in order to really appreciate the flavour of the chicken. Greek salad was my favourite. Tastes great and refreshing, perfect for a hot balmy summer. ☀️

Didn't like how our food took almost an hour to come through. The server noticed apologised which was much appreciated. Luckily, the delay in timing was barely noticed thanks to great conversation from my dinner partner. Sunshine social also kept the ice water coming which was great. The utensils are all the retro-hard plastic, with vibrant colours. It has an old school feeling...