Mr Big Stuff

So we stumbled across this place after a few beers and first impressions were great. DJ playing decent tunes, cool interior and the menu made our mouths water!
We were recommended to order a few dishes and share them between us like a tapas style restaurant. Big mistake, the portions were too small for one let alone sharing and quite expensive.
Some of the dishes were really tasty (mac & cheese) but others we’re run of the mill.

Man this place sure as hell make me feel ancient!!! My first impression was that Mr Big Stuff was that it’s painfully cool, it has a live DJ and the music was really really really loud.
Looking around at the patrons though I felt like we are all try hard hipsters rather than the real stuff (I suppose they will all be in fitzroy brunswick!)
Thankfully waitresses in cool kicks were warm and friendly, and the matrie’d was forever helpful and accommodating when we are running horribly late.
Hubby wasn’t starving so we didn’t follow their recommendation with regards to ordering a few small dishes, a few medium dishes and one large plate. Though the dishes were quite small they are actually realllllyy filling.
First up, we both seriously needed a drink. I got the PYT (that’s Pretty Young Thing for all you non hipsters) and hubby got the Kiwi. I found my watermelon based PYT too artificial for my liking.
We had potato salad as an entrée, you can’t really do much wrong with potato salad and we are generally happy with this creamy serve.
Pulled pork biscuits was next… I felt the biscuits were more like flaky pie pastry more than what I would consider a biscuit and it was really oily. The pulled pork itself was nice though.
We shared the chicken waffles and the whole salty sweet thing really got it going for me and was certainly the best dish of the night. If I had to come back to have one thing, this would be it.
Hubby weren’t too turned on by their dessert but I was keen to try something and upon recommendation from the waitress we got the chocolate pecan pie. It was wayyyyy too sweet and rich for me. I think I only had one bite and pushed it away.
Would I go back again? Perhaps, but only for the waffles.

I’m not sure what other reviews saw that I didn’t, but I was a little disappointed with Mr Big Stuff
The Great:
The concept, décor etc (especially the drink coasters). All very cool looking (more hipster than American Soul restaurant though)
The look of the menu (think chicken & waffles, sliders, BBQ ribs, Mac n Cheese)
The flavours of the Ox Tail slider
The Good:
Mac n Cheese
The look of the way the chicken (& waffles) fell apart when it was cut
Friendly, speedy service
The Bad:
$ 9.50 for ONE slider. Yep, only 1. And I don’t care how good it tastes, if I’m paying that much I want caviar or lobster or something in it, not just Ox tail or pork.
Forgetting 2 serves of Sweetbread nuggets.
Said nuggets coming out after they realised they’d forgotten them, oily, tasted like they’d turned the heat on the oil up to rush them through, and the sweetness. They were cooked in breadcrumbs, honey & thyme. I can handle sweet but this was waaaaaay too much. I struggled to get through 3.
Fun Fact: They’ve got multiple logos with pop culture references. Think MTV, Pringles, Raiders

This is a gastronomic event of a lifetime! Everything on the menu is phenomenal. The is Soul Food with a twist and elevated to an impeccable standard. It will change your life.

Much afro. So music. Wow.
If you love Mr Big Stuff (and many will), I have to congratulate you for being younger and wealthier than I am.
If you wanted somewhere loud and vibey and came here in a big raucous group to taste your way through an on-​trend menu and yell at each other across the table, this is the spot for you. I would not recommend this as a place for a date/​couple.
The menu is interesting and the food is decent. Don’t get me wrong, I am more than willing to pay the right price for good food. But the portions here are ridiculous. Our waitress recommended 3 snacks, 3 small bites and 1 main dish between two people. Thankfully we were already feeling awkward enough to decide to test the menu before committing to that much food.
We ordered a kale with candied yam and pecan salad ($ 12 for a single side salad portion) and an Ox Tail slider each ($ 9.5 for 2 mouthfuls). Both were tasty, but nothing that would bring me back or encourage me to keep going on the menu. Neither of us were drinking so we ordered from their tasty iced tea menu. I loved the Vanilla Ice Ice Baby tea — perfectly sweet and tart. I did like that you could order any drink on the menu with or without booze. This snack + 2 non-​alcoholic beverages set us back $ 50.
So there you have it. Personally, this place feels obnoxious to me but I’m happy to accept that loud R&B music and «soul food» would more than tickle the fancy of others. So if that’s your thing, grab a group, book a table (yes, you can do that here, so old school!) and ignore this review!

If I awarded one star for every time I exclaimed «Oh My God» then Mr Big Stuff would get more than fifty.
12 months ago we were in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and fell in love with the Soul Food restaurant next door. How I’ve missed Pies n Thighs since then! Last night I was excited to have finally found my Melbourne soul food Mecca.
We shared three slider options — oxtail, pork and shrimp, fries, and the traditional chicken and waffles. All incredibly tasty, the kind of close-​your-​eyes-​after-​every-​bite experience. And it’s not surprising since the menu is created by a powerhouse duo — ex Grossi Florentino chef Louis and home soul food cook Diana from the USA. There’s your traditional specialties like Mac n Cheese and Chicken & waffles alongside fine dining influences like sweetbreads and other offal. The homemade hot sauce is delicious but not that hot so don’t be afraid. We didn’t even move beyond the mid size dishes, so I can’t wait to try the mains and smalls.
The staff were out of this world in terms of warmth and enthusiasm. We sat at the bar and had the pleasure of chatting with most of the staff who recommended awesome drinks (you must have the egg crème!) and gave us background on the restaurant, uniforms and menu. Owner Andrew had a lovely chat with us too and then sent over free dessert!
Check out the wallpaper in the loo. It fits beautifully with the 80’s/90’s hip hop tunes spun by the DJ in the corner.
I seriously had a moment at this place.