When you start a food tour, showcasing the best that Melbourne has to offer, you take them to the best American Smoked Styled cooking – Fancy Hank’s. Having moved from outside the Queen Victoria Market recently, I couldn’t wait to try out their offering. And my oh my, it did not disappoint.
Located right next door to Grand Trailer Park Taverna, you would wonder why? Why do people get so spoilt for choice. Like really? They already have the Grand Trailer Park right next door…..breathe Nige Breathe!
Fancy Hank’s is an American styled smoked BBQ cooking and one that is worthy of the mantle of best restaurant in Melbourne. In this setting you get to choose from a fixed lunch menu option or go for your choice of meats (chicken/beef/Pork) and truth be told, you would be a fool to choose chicken from here. Yes it’s amazing. Yes, you can enjoy it but why would you go to a heavenly places like this to eat chicken. I don’t judge you. I’m just very disappointed.
Kicking of The Domestic Traveller food tours for my good bud Louis – we chose the platters of Pork Shoulder, Beef Brisket, Iceberg Lettuce wedges in Blue Cheese sauce and BBQ flavoured chips.
How do I put this? Hallelujah!!
The meat was tender and melted in your mouth. The Pork Shoulder was phenomenal that has it’s flavour infused all through itself. The marble on the beef brisket was beyond expectation and just too damn good. I could go into details but that would be doing the meal an injustice. Oh and the onions that came with it? 
Good gawd I don’t know how they managed to pull that off. Succulent and fried yet soft. And the sliced pickles were so fresh that you come to realise that there is a party in your mouth and you were invited.
Good gawd I don’t know how they managed to pull that off. Succulent and fried yet soft. And the sliced pickles were so fresh that you come to realise that there is a party in your mouth and you were invited.
Now I for one don’t make friends with salad. I eat it because I need to but you won’t find me going out of my way to do this. When it came time to consume the lettuce, the blue cheese sauce saved the day. Plus they cut the lettuce in wedges. Literal wedges. I dunno. It just made sense.
And the BBQ flavoured chips? I knew that I would have to workout. I was ok with that.
To top this off? Their service is so close to perfection that I think some of the other more ‘prestigious’ restaurants need to pick up and emulate. Our hostess gave good advice and was genuinely interested in what we had to say and also gave us some good photography advice!
The icing on the cake ? The owner, Darra, saw us post on Instagram and spoke to us. Since when does a restaurant owner in the big city, come around to say thanks? Well, Darra. Thank you. For opening an amazing restaurant in Melbourne. And for doing what you do best!
You have a raving fan here and now one across the sea.
TDT: 4.5/5.0
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