Morepork BBQ Kumeu — Restaurant in Rodney

After wanting to go to Morepork for a long long time. A day at Tree Adventures made it the perfect accompaniment to a really nice day. Although the food was no doubt the Highlight of the visit, i would probably after having The Hunter Platter and some ribs, (go us) maybe next time choose specific favorites as to get a little more quantity wise of your favs. But not a big deal as everything was Yummo. Plus.we had heaps of leftovers which we gladly took home. A Special Mention is a Must, to The 2 staff members we had the pleasure of meeting. Alexandra and Isabella (oops Sorry Issie lol) were friendly, and up for a yak about the food etc and you could tell they loved their jobs. Alexandra even helped me choose a Morepork Baseball hat to buy. At the time i didn't realise there were different styles of hats. But Alexandra without hesitation came and let me know the differences. Something you don't always see a lot of, in staff now days but a pleasure to see, and an asset for any company. Staff with Common Sense, Logic, friendliness and a love of a their job. Staff is a big part of any Hospitality/Customer Service Business So Big Up's there Morepork. The only negative if any, and through no fault of Morepork was a Loud American Sitting directly behind us who didn't stop talking. . It didn't stop us though from enjoying the: Smell of the BBQ, the BBQ itself and Smile because of the BBQ, to the 100% it deserved. A Big Mention also to Head Chef (Hope i got that right???) Jodi. Thank You, Thank You Thank You . Always Acknowledge the Chef, Cook, Genius if you experience Fantastic Food, and lastly I look forward to wearing your hat Morepork BBQ Kumeu a lot as i am a hat kind of girl and it is a comfy hat. Hopefully anyone who takes the time will notice it and come to Morepork and lastly Great location Morepork. Although a little out of town for most, that shouldn't matter if you love Meat, BBQ and a smile on your face. Ps - A Blue Cheese or Truffle Dip would be a welcome addition if you wanted to make any other choices to go with the fries Yummo :0)

So Thank You Morepork .... We will be back with a smile.already on our...

Quick review. We were a table of 3 BBQ lads. I've got both extensive BBQ experience and a long hospo career so I'll provide constructive feedback.

Location is excellent as is the parking availability. Comfortable seating, good lighting.

The Sharing Platters are ideal and prices reasonable. The Smoked Sausages were the hero of the night. Beautiful choice of sausage and great execution. The Pulled Pork was moist, tasty, and retained its natural flavour. The Brisket was overcooked and bland. It broke into bits with minimal effort, so it would have failed the finger test. And the flavours were dull so either too little seasoning or the bark was weak. The Ribs were also overcooked. They fell apart to the touch. I suspect the former two items were affected by the reheating process. The Chicken equally bland, and I thought a tad underdone in my opinion. Chips were stunning, Smoked Beans also, Coleslaw however needs work. Tastes too similarly to your average deli job from the supermarket. So overall although the platters are priced well, I didn't feel we got value for money there as with 2 beers each we ended at $76 each. You also could use another sauce than just 1x aioli on the platter. It's a little slim for the wide variety of items you serve. Wouldn't take much work to iron all that out.

Sauces/condiments on the table also need work. That hot sauce is as runny as water and see-through. You need something with more consistence.

Great and attentive service, good attention to glasses and upselling for top ups. Venue was busy so business must be doing ok. Interior was ok, I think it needs work for the overall BBQ ambiance.

I wouldn't return on that visit but that is my choice based on my experience. I can totally appreciate that many would enjoy...

For my birthday, my partner took me to this amazing spot, and let me tell you—it did not disappoint. We decided to order The Hunter sharing platter, though our hearts were set on The Moreporker because of the half rack of ribs. But we weren’t in the mood for a half chicken, so we added a full rack of ribs to The Hunter—best decision ever!

Now, I was a bit bummed that the molasses & brown sugar baked beans weren’t available as a side. But I’ve gotta respect that they hold their quality high—if they can’t get the right beans, they won’t serve it. We ended up getting the potato salad and chili & cheese cornbread, and honestly, both were solid choices. I’m not usually a fan of potato salad, but somehow, I ended up eating half of it. No regrets 🤤.

The entire meal was incredible. The pork belly? Oh. My. Goodness. It literally melted in my mouth, no effort required. And the ribs? Perfection. Fall-off-the-bone tender, bursting with that deep, smoky flavor I grew up loving back in the States.

Although the pulled lamb was unavailable, they swapped it for lamb ribs, and what a replacement! Those lamb ribs were juicy, tender, and packed with flavor. I didn’t feel like I missed out at all.

Now for the highlight: the wagyu jalapeño sausages. These were next level! The heat from the jalapeños sneaks up on you, but it’s the kind of spice that makes you want more. Honestly, I could’ve eaten them all day 😅.

The beef brisket was as tender as butter and paired perfectly with their house BBQ sauce. Each bite was a flavor explosion.

Bottom line—I’d go back in...