Meat In The Middle

86 Kingsway
Glen Waverley, 3150 VIC

I took my sister out for dinner last night at the brand new burger and souvlaki bar in Glen Waverley – Meat in the Middle. In this case, the name more or less does say it all.

Despite being a restaurant, the fit-out is leaning towards spartan, as almost half the space is dedicated to smoking and sizzling meats. You order at the counter, but they do bring the food over to your table; the overall feel is very much gourmet take-away. Though small and busy, turnover is quick, and it didn’t take us all that long to nab a section of the bench for ourselves.

Forsaking the option of salad and bacon for an extra $3, the I Did It My Way ($12) made for a pretty banging cheeseburger. The beef patty was thick and moist, with cheese melting into its crevices. It was slathered with sauce, before being slapped between brioche buns.

The bun could use a bit more structural integrity, as the overall eating experience was a rather drippy-sloppy one. Some people might feel that this is a rather unbalanced burger with too much tanginess from the sauce and pickles, but I personally love my cheeseburgers this way.

The souvlakis on offer were a little more adventurous, and of course featured an Asian rendition named ‘The Kingsway’. I felt no need to mess with perfection however, so I ordered the traditional souvlaki, aka The Spartan (wrap $11.5; open platter $13.5), with lamb (as opposed to chicken or pork) and tzatziki.

Though this lacked the oomph of a really, really good souvlaki platter, I really couldn’t fault the freshness or flavour. The chunks of herbed lamb were juicy and tender, the tzatziki cool and creamy, and the side salad was bright and crisp. When you wrap it all up in the soft pita bread, it is a simple yet satisfying meal that offers great bang for your buck.

My sister fell in love with the Crispy Onion Rings ($5). The sweet brown onions were coated in a light and moreish tempura batter, whilst the Bourbon BBQ Sauce ($1.5) was heady with booze. I hope she isn’t becoming an alcoholic.

Once again, no conclusion today. I’m feeling a tad lazy and need to go to the gym after that meal.

Rating: 13.5/20 – malcolm.
This rating reflects my personal experience at the time of visit.