On the menu The good thing about meat is it's delicious. Then add to that meat that's been marinated for 48 hours, then cold smoked, then fried. I mean c'mon.
One of the best things about Cleaver & Co is it's the perfect place for every eating situation. You can crack into a couple of starters, like Pulled Pork Hot Pockets with mustard BBQ sauce ($15) and Poutine - skin-on fries, cheese, chicken gravy.
Or you could have a seriously well thought out main meat delight, like Maple & Black Pepper Pork Belly ($33). All the mains come with house slaw and fries. You can also get a platter selection of all the main meal meats.
Failing all of that you can crack in to some of the most delicious, massive and fresh burgers you'll find in the Bay!
Get your mouth around these burgers at Cleaver and Co
It's a surprisingly big space inside, but it doesn't feel full of echo or overly industrial. The bar is full of pretty much any of the Panhead beer range and you can see directly into the kitchen.
There's kind of a Southern States of America vibe - slightly distressed wallpaper, wooden bar leaners in some parts, restaurant area with wooden tables and part-booths, a bit of brickwork around the place, the logs for the smoker stacked up along a hall next to the kitchen and a bit of sport on the TVs on the wall. The outdoor area is going to absolutely hum over summer.
There's even a playground out there, so you can watch the kids, but also kind of ignore them, if you get my drift!
Everything. There's a thing on the menu called the 'Pitmaster Platter' - St Louis Ribs, Grain Fed Angus Brisket, Smoked Chicken, house slaw, fries, BBQ sauce dinner rolls ($69). But by special order they'll do the Pitlord Platter.
You can try a bit of everything at Cleaver & Co
It's the Pitmaster but you get the Maple & Black Pepper Pork Belly, more fries, and Pit Beans, a delicious slightly spicy bean mix with the burnt ends of the brisket. It was next level delicious and worth the extra money!
The brisket falls to bits in your mouth and has that smokey aroma. The slaw cuts the meat perfectly and that pork belly is the perfect mix of meat and that strip of fat, generous portions of both in the cut and the chicken is perfectly smoked and cooked, like still juicy!
Oh and the ribs. They are actually ribs that are full of meat - hallelujah! The kids will love them - they are slathered in the house BBQ sauce and they're not spicy.
You'd think we'd stop there right? Wrong! We hit full glutton mode here!
Let me just list you what we had.
Dipping snacks to accompany the great range of beers
Smokey Eggplant & Hummus Dip - baby coriander and corn chips ($13). It's vegan and gluten-free. They put cooked to crunch chickpeas on the top too for an extra treat.
Smoked Chicken Wings - white BBQ sauce ($18). These have the best sauce I may have ever eaten. The wings are marinated for two days, then cold smoked, then fried. So moreish!
Classic Cleaver - Beef patty, streaky bacon, American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, burger sauce ($21). The bacon is perfectly crisp, the bun has a big bit of cheese melted to it, the pickle cuts the richness of the meat and the beautifully soft bun soaks up the juices left over! That patty is a great quality mince too. Order this if you love a classic American burger!
Hot Chicken Burger - Fried chicken, cayenne pepper, shredded lettuce, onion, tomato, comeback sauce ($21). This burger definitely has a little heat, but not like it's going to make you cry, just reach for the occasional sip of your cider! The chicken is juicy again, I love the crunch in the coating and the comeback sauce gives it a little more heat, but ties all the fresh ingredients together nicely.
For dessert
Just when we thought there would be no way we'd be able to fill this section of the review out, we figured that whatever happens we could doggy bag it, and old mate who's serving us says the magic words for my coeliac friend: "Gluten free Apple and Maple Cobbler with Vanilla Ice Cream" ($12). Meanwhile I get excited about a damn good banoffee pie (banana, milk caramel, vanilla cream, biscuit base, $12).
Delicious desserts at Cleaver & Co
The Cobbler is super fresh and not too tart. The vanilla ice cream cuts it perfectly and it's all served in a foil pie dish. The Banoffee is one of the best I can remember. Like actually worth going for alone! The cream was light, the banana rich and fresh.
To drink It was lunchtime and a Tuesday, so we kept a lid on it and had the Mac's Cloudy Apple Cider ($9.50). Though it would have been oh so easy to crack in to more crisp fresh drinks to wash down the food we were devouring!
The verdict I want to make a really special mention about Aaron the owner - he's moved here to make a go of something he believes in. That being a really delicious array of amazingly prepared meat dishes, served in an environment that is great for the whole family, all the way to a couple out on a date or people out for a bit of a celebration.
He's totally nailed it with his décor, his staff, and most importantly, his food! They do rib night on a Tuesday night, all you can eat, there's a crown for the champ at the end - the record is 30 ribs. Good luck!
They are more than happy to doggy bag anything. Finally they are super accommodating if you have dietary requirements. They prep all food that is gluten free with different dishes, utensils and even different fryers. They can change a meal to make it gluten free and will bend over backwards to just make you feel catered for and welcome there.
