The Gem Bar and Dining

Crazy amount of salt on the chips and steak. The chips were nicely cooked but the salt totally overwhelmed them. The steak was the same - overwhelmed by too much salt. The burger was tasty. This place has a great reputation and we expected much better. Great place to hang out and have a beer, listen to some music but steer clear of the food for now. (Chotto motto across the road is very tasty if you're hungry).

Terrible good. I paid $3.5 for a burned fried egg. And mushrooms sauce, I couldn’t taste any mushroom flavor expert oil !! Nothing can describe better than photos. Have look !!

There aren't many foods that I would say have too much flavour, but the chicken burger came close. It was extremely rich. That said, it was also a bargain at 15 bucks! It was also huge. So you really get a good deal, especially since you can't really score a full dinner at this price anywhere else. The venue is nice too, with a great range of beers and great tunes. If I'm ever this way again I'll be sure to drop in.

Perfect venue. 'Juvi' the sound engineer was soo good, lovely person, astute operator. Reese the bartender is a stellar human being, one in a million. Treated us so well, as opening act for the main show. Highest praise forThe Gem! Jay

Great pub serving American style bbq complete with rock and roll songs. The place might look small from the outside but actually there's multiple rooms inside. The brisket and the chips are really good! The pork belly is soft but the sauce is a little too sweet for me. Food - 9 Service - 8 Vibe - 8 Price - $$$

The new menu is really great! Love deciding whether it's an oysters and prosecco kind of day or a burger and beer. The only problem with the mushroom truffle croquettes is that I want about 4 plates worth to myself.

The food was uneatable. The fried chicken was overcooked and bitter, and the cauliflower bites were cooked for so long they became extremely bitter as well.

On the recommendations of many before me, we came here to try out the American BBQ style pub meals. Those with a good appetite will find it hard to resist the Pitmasters' Plate, choosing from 4 meats and 3 sides. There's a good selection of individual meats, seafood and vegetarians are really well catered for here too. I started having eyes too big for stomach disease when my pork belly dish came out but was soon holding my own belly. Succulent, tasty pieces of fat belly paired with absolutely delicious green chile grits. My friends loved their Pitmasters' Plate, Mac 'n Cheese and grilled snapper. Downstairs doesn't look much different from the old school pubs but upstairs caters for the diners. We were lucky to have a room for our group of 10 and were so well looked after all evening by the friendly, helpful staff. Now I'll be adding to the many voices that recommend this place - it's definitely worth trying out.

Well, with something live 35 reviews this place certainly seems to be a really popular place, but then again I worked that that the few times I've been here - it's absolutely packed, at least in the bar (it seems that there were some seats in the dining area), and the seating out the front is always full. Mind you, that probably has a lot to do with the really friendly staff, the decent beers on tap, and the fact that it is basically pretty cool. Mind you, it is hidden away on the back streets, which basically means that only the people in the know really know about this place, so you are less likely to get random people simply walking in off the streets. Still, it's a pretty cool pub, though I do prefer my pubs to have places where I can sit down.

The Gem lives up to its name! We came for my friends birthday dinner where we ordered the all you can eat BBQ Banquet. This is not the kind of all you can eat where you still need to do a Maccas run on the way home to fill you up. Everyone left with a well established food baby. They served brisket beans, creamy potato salad and spicy chipotle coleslaw.... And then the meat platter to end all meat platters, lamb, chorizo, brisket, ribs, chicken and pulled pork not to mention the house baked brioche buns! In a word HEAVEN! If you are not a meat eater that is fine too, the Gem caters for both vegans and vegetarians. They had quite a wide range of menu options and also adapted some meat options to cater to vegetarian needs. It was a fantastic night! Great service and I left with a very full tummy and urge to return soon!

American eats have become so ubiquitous around Melbourne these days, it's easy to forget there's places that do it as well as The Gem does. Beef brisket was *outstanding*, as was the pulled-pork burger. From all reports from mates who have frequented this place lately, it's hard to go wrong with anything you order. (Having said that, I'd pass on the cornbread next time. Didn't stack up to the real thing for me, but it's a small thing!) Beers are a buck or two on the pricey side of things, but even if you are just here for a few drinks that's a price worth paying as the front bar just has a great feel to it.

I always loved the Gem for a drink in a comfortable neighbourhood feel bar when it was a mere 10 minute walk from my house, but with the addition of their new week day happy hour, it was worth the trip from my new digs across town. $3 pots, $6 pints, but more importantly, the food is on happy hour too! Half price tacos and wings, and $6 Texas (loaded) fries. We went on a Thursday and had the option of cauliflower and ranch, burnt end (beef) and salsa verde, or grilled fish and chipotle mayo tacos. Being one to never say no to a fish taco, I ordered one of those, along with a beef, and shared the fries with a friend - meaning dinner came to the delightful total of $10 each! The food was great - they didn't skimp on the portions because they were at half price. A great ratio of meat to other filling, my only complaint being not enough Chipotle Mayo on the fish offering - keeping in mind that I love the stuff so even too much is not enough! Get yourself down to the Gem from 4pm to 7pm, Tuesday to Friday, and beware that it will be hard to leave, especially with such a full belly!

The Gem is a good little pub, the wooden floorboards, staircase and artwork on the walls give it a rustic feel. It's very popular both among locals and those from other burbs as well. I mentioned it to some guys at work before we went and they all said that it's a cool place and they like it. They have live music and Djs on weekends to ditch out some cool tunes and keep diners entertained throughout the night, a good selection of beers and the staff are quite cool as well. We went on Sunday night to have a crack at their Texas BBQ for dinner. We chose the corn succotash, corn bread, slaw and mac n' cheese w/ bacon for the sides - everything was nice except for the mac n/ cheese which was quite blend and and lacking flavour. The meat was served on a board.. I love when my dish is delivered to me on a chopping board and I also love a good barbie so you combine the two together and now we're talking!.... Liked the pulled pork, goat, sausage, brisket and loved the ribs. If you're not from this neck of the woods, drop by on a Sunday and have a go.. It's not that pricey for the amount of food you get....

The old Curry Family Hotel (awesomer name me thinks), the Gem is a little ripper on Wellington Street - I know, I used to live 65 paces from the front door of this joint. It's an inner-city cowboy pub, so if that kind of shit gets up your nose then give it a wide berth. They have the best pub food in town, though you do pay for it, and have a great little snack menu too. The problems with the Gem stem from staff attitude and inclusiveness. If you don't wear you hair a certain way or wrangle in spurs, they have a bit of a tendency to give you the dead eye. There are great little themed rooms upstairs for dining purposes. These are perfect for escaping the cliques below and make for fabulous birthday/general celebratory spaces. Downstairs, they present some form of live music most nights, and though the set up can be a little in your face for Friday after-work drinks, the calibre of acts they deliver is pretty high for such a small venue.

My local. Or at least one of them. It has all you ask of a local: familiar faces, easy tasty food and well priced booze. I love their wine list and it has a great selection of my favourite SA reds (eg gem tree Shiraz). I would like to see a couple more craft beers on tap but little creatures represent so can't really complain! The food specials are always quite interesting and there is somewhat a Mexican theme through out the menu (and decor) mixed with normal pub fare and whatever the chef feels like. Haven't been disappointed yet! And haven't ordered off the main menu yet. Try the taco special it always rocks. There are tables and chairs outside but these get taken up pretty early on so be quick. If you have to sit inside they are always playing awesome music (think arcade fire, Neil young, Johnny cash etc). Very pub, very relaxed, great place to take friends for a good old catch up. Oh and have a pickle back.

The Gem is a small pub packed full of punch. In my view it is one of the best places to go have a relaxed evening pint midweek or to go nurse a quiet wine on a lazy Sunday. They often have live music (of the country singer song writer style typically) on Sundays and they have a good selection of beer and wines as well as a fantastic food menu. In fact I think the roast duck with potato mash and red cabbage salad is one of the nicest pub meals I have ever had. They also do take away booze if you have missed the off license on any given evening.

Last night at The Gem there was a discussion about 'your local' and the standards you'll accept of a pub close by vs one you would cross town for. I don't live all that close to The Gem but it's definitely a pub that I have and will cross town to get to. I've been here on a couple of occasions - one for their Sunday BBQ plate and again for a CMYE where The Gem hosted a fun group of yelpers for beer and sliders. There were a lot of happy campers when we tucked into those pulled pork sliders, nodding our (somewhat mayo-covered) heads in agreement. One of the first comments of the night was the music and how laid back it was. You won't get pop or hip hop, just chill to the blues at big wooden tables in this rustic pub. It's got charm and appears to be very popular with locals and the rockabilly crowd. The laid vibe was perfect for our after work unwind, with most of us sticking around for dinner - the lure of the BBQ smell too hard to resist. The beers on tap change (I wasn't all that impressed with the options the first time but happier the second!) with a mix of traditional and craft beers. You can also get your PBR if you're that way inclined. On Sunday the BBQ meat plate has to be seen to be believed. A huge selection of smoky BBQ meats with up to 4 sides to choose from (think cornbread, mac n cheese, grilled corn, slaw - all the good stuff!). The brisket was the winner for me. Whether you're in the area or not, The Gem is worth checking out.

Quaint bar tucked in Callingwood it is said to be the first southern cuisine pub in Melbourne! With that being said they apparently on weekends have a Texas BBQ that looks yum! The bar itself has a very casual feel to it and is well priced! I had the mussel soup with corn bread for 10 bucks! It had so much flavor and was really filling! They do also have a rib night during the week, this will most likely be my next visit!

ALL the BBQ. Hands down the best smoked wings I've had in ages! Their pork belly burnt ends and brisket are also top notch. Just disappointed in paying $15 for a side of dukkah cauliflower which was essentially more spinach leaves and chickpeas than anything else. That was a bit of a rip off, but other than that their meats are fantastic. (Pro tip: pop in during happy hour for $1 wings.)

Popped in for happy hour on Thursday evening. Nice venue, fairly small but we got a table fairly easily. Great happy hour prices on good variety of beers, not just your local carlton draught etc. Also some tasty happy hour tacos, wings and loaded fries. Good flavour in the tacos, although i didnt love the tortilla but for $3.50, not complaing! Would definitely go back again.

I really like this place. Simple, quaint, elegant and charming. Homely and inviting. I feel like I should be writing a grand novel of some kind within these walls. There's something about the wooden paneling and floors that has me captured. I also like the fact that it's not smelly and dingy and dark. I haven't got to the stage of being recognised, but on way out, I had nice encounter with a patron wearing a reggae flavoured addidas top. The food is pretty darn good, I tried a few things, and what i didn't i saw, and those looked ace too. I want to come back on the Sunday for this "platter tray bbq" thing that is being held in very high regard. Good beers on tap, including Goat, and White rabbit. As has been discovered too, There is the mountain of fries for $7. Finally, someone has got the serving right. Dang, didn't do the pickleback, or see the non beers drinking selection, but with great food and a charming interior, I'm sure I'll be back to this alpine lodge-saloon-pub one day soon. Want to come here for a music night as well. They've also got a little min hall of fame with music posters of well known artists about the walls. And then Mexican skulls.

The menu is always awesome and I really like the grumpy ambivalent staff. But just a heads up, this place is always PACKED! It's so hard to get a table on a Friday or Saturday, but if you are lucky it's a great place to meet up with friends. Definitely an eat, drink and chat bar, not a night out bar.

With great food and a true "local" feel, The Gem Bar even added the words "...and Dining" to its official title to remind punters that it prides itself on its food. This is totally warranted with a great little menu that covers all bases. From favourites like Chicken Parma's and Fish & Chips, to the "extra effort" items like the Haloumi Burger or 14 Hour slow roasted Pork sandwich, The Gem has really succeeded as a place to go and either have a nice meal out in the dining room, or to take it easy and just eat near the bar. The Gem hosts live music on weekends, usually of the rock/rockabilly/alt-country persuasion. All gigs are free and all you need to do is look at the walls and you'll understand what gets the Gem going when it comes to music. Every wall is posted with pictures of Elvis, Hank, Gram and Cash. This is a cowboy pub that loves its music and wears its influences on its sleeve. Check out the website for special events at the pub too. With Dave Larkin (Of Dallas Crane & Gun Street Girls) putting these together, this year has seen some of Melbourne finest muso's come together for the "Tom Waits Time" tribute night, and more recently the "Johnny Cash Karaoke" Nights, in which Dave himself teams up with some shit-hot musos to form a backing band to a string of great singers. With yours truly having being selected to sing at both of these nights, I can say first hand that they are quite popular and always end up in a full pub singing along and having a hell of a time. The bar serves good beers on tap, like the staple Cooper Pale Ale, to White Rabbit Dark Ale and Cider. With a great choice of wines and an overall good feel to the place, check The Gem out as a potential for your new local.

The Gem has officially stepped it up a notch! I have been coming to the Gem on and off for years for causal drinks with friends and good home cooked meals. However I came here tonight for a friends birthday and wow did they blow us away. If you're having a birthday soon in Melbourne and enjoy yourself some American bbq look no further! Upstairs at the Gem you can book out a room or table and they offer all you can eat American bbq banquet. And they mean all you can eat. Imagine medieval sized amounts of delicious bbq meats like brisket, lamb ribs, roast chicken, spicy sausage and pulled pork. And don't forget the sides- Mac and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, brisket and beans and delicious brioche dinner rolls- are you still hungry? All for a very respectable $40.

An excellent little pub. Great food, but can get a little busy, and packed at the par. But that comes with been a great place and not that big. Have been back many times, and will again.

Now this is my sort of place: A rustic, country pub appeal thanks to worn wooden floor boards and rough hewn tables? Yes, yes, please. Elvis tatt decorating the walls and plenty of random tchotchkes on most available surfaces? Why yes! Good country and vintage rock n roll playing loudly? Most Certainly. A crowd that sits mostly on the right side of 25 (no children allowed!)? Mais oui! Most importantly, the Gem has NY style pickles for one dollar. Everyone knows that nothing goes better with a cold beer than a salty, sour, crunchy dill pickle. Even better than one dollar pickles is the PICKLE BACK! For non-Americans, this is a shot of pickle juice taken directly after a shot of bourbon. It is amazing. The Gem has them. Therefore, the Gem is amazing. Sadly, I wasn't thrilled with the beer selection, which was heavy on the lagers. Where are my ESBs? My IPA's? My bitters and/or stouts? In any case, this is a great local and I will be back.

The Gem is a place that I once considered a local. Those years of city living with no real fixed address can be amazing like a dream, quite possible and at the same time the dreamlike quality of you know you can't do this forever. It was around this time when rockabilly was my thing. That's not to say that it no longer is, but to a much lesser extent. If you still find yourself in this way The Gem is your place to be. Sundays have the most amazing BlueGrass afternoons with local acts playing away for many hours while the pub fills with the last of the sunshine, and many come to chill and drink a brew. The ones you find on tap include the locals as well as the more populars and ciders, but if you're here for an afternoon you should stay for a feed. The menu selection is your basic pub standards but the quality of the wares is truly magical. Burgers that actually taste like the meat of the animal. Parmas that are made with the right cheese/tomato combination. Steak sandwiches with an understanding of how a steak is to be coked. And for those pushing the envelope there's the most incredible Brazilian Fish Stew well worth the temptation. Good music is always playing, with lots of live bands all week long, and your similar Tex Perkins types filling stools and dancing posts.

Can anyone say Rockabilly? This pub was literally on the corner of my block, and yet it took me about a month to get the courage up to venture in. Theres nothing particularity frightening or intimidating about the place, however pretty much ever patron and bar staff here have shirts with roses or silhouettes of girls on their shoulders, perfectly slicked back hair and large, impeccably tailored sideburns.....even the women. I felt a little out of place. I expected to be asked which Johnny Cash album was better Bitter Tears or Everybody Loves a Nut, before i was allowed to be served a drink. But all this a side, the pub is very cook, dark and moody. Everyone seemed friendly, the beer was cold and the pool table was cheap, and in the end thats all you need.

If you're eating at the Gem i'd strongly recommend getting the kale salad and a parma with the lot (includes jalapeños and prosciutto) - delicious!

After living in the US for the last five years, I was sceptical of the surge of American-themed restaurants and bars in Australia. My fears have mostly been justified. The Gem, however, is an exception - the weekend BBQ is awesome. The only thing holding me back from five stars is the beer list - pretty anaemic tap list and nothing exciting in bottles. But the food makes up for it!

I know that The Gem Bar is a really groovy, hip-hop happening inner city pub, with great food and a cool atmosphere, but I was really disappointed with my experience there at a party (upstairs). Two parties (ours and another in the small room), so about 35 people, and we had one (mostly helpful) waitress (who looked a lot like the girl in the pearl earring painting... you know the one?). But very little effort to make this nearly $1000 contribution feel special. Unlike they advertise, the birthday girl's food wasn't complimentary, no offer of a drink or bubbles, left alone by the waitress for large swathes of the evening; it just didn't feel like we were welcome. Maybe we weren't hipster enough... We did have a low beard count? Food was fine.

Don't be expecting to get the friendliest of welcomes walking into this place. A couple of good barmen there but generally they are pretty rude. Nice spot to sit outside and the food is quite nice. Happy hour during the week is good too

Fine for drinks but don't go here thinking you'll get anything resembling American bbq. They'll serve you Aussie style supermarket bbq sauce, smoked supermarket style snags and Gravox gravy with your meat. Sides were ok but seriously so far below what genuine contenders are making. Made me die a little on the inside.