Joe's Bar and Dining Hall

Who is Joe ? And where can I find him ? Located in the heart of St Kilda, Joe's Bar and Dining Hall celebrates the tastes and techniques of traditional Texas barbecue, and offers what I like to call 'dirty food' - the good kind of course. And who better to feast with, than with two of the hungriest boys I know. 

Joe’s Famous Fried Chicken (JFC)

A basket of Joe's Famous Fried Chicken was one of the first to arrive, piping hot from it's swim in the deep fryer. Juicy tenderloins soaked in buttermilk, deep fried to a crispy exterior and then tossed in addictive spices. Followed by a squeeze of lime and dunked in chipotle mayo, these were finger lickin' good. 

Texas BBQ Spare Ribs

Highly recommended, we also tried Joe's signature dish - the Texas BBQ Spare Ribs. With so many other dishes on the way, we decided to go with the half rack (which was still enormous).  Dry rubbed with creole, smoked over fragrant applewood and served with Texas mop sauce, these pork spare ribs looked amazing. We were excited to gnaw away on what seemed like delicious juicy ribs, however found it dry and quite underwhelming.

Buffalo Wings

We also ordered a basket of Buffalo Wings, half with buffalo hot sauce and half with Black Label BBQ sauce. Using our hands (of course), we dug straight into the tender chicken wings. Smoked over applewood and smothered in sauce, it was a messy and delicious affair. The buffalo hot sauce covered wings were the clear winner here.

Baja Fish Taco

Served on a soft six inch tortilla came a fillet of chilli beer battered fish, dressed with ranch fennel slaw and littered with crispy popped capers. A vibrant combination of zesty flavours that had me wanting the whole taco to myself.

Poutine

We also demolished a basket of Canadian's staple food - Poutine. Golden springs of curly fries, topped with cheese curd and doused in sausage milk gravy. Oh man, these were so good.

Bananas Foster

To finish off, we indulged in the Joe's decadent Bananas Foster. Drenched in dark rum, the bananas were flambéed to perfection and submerged in warm butterscotch sauce. This was accompanied by two scoops of vanilla bean ice-cream, and topped with walnut praline crumble. Amazing is an understatement here.

If you're in the area, do head on down to Joe's Bar and Dining Hall for a taste of the South. Among the hustle and bustle of St Kilda, it's a decent spot that will tame any junk food cravings. Do be prepared to use your hands !

confessions of a little piggy was invited to dine as a guest of 360 Immerse Agency and Joe's Bar and Dining Hall

Joe's Bar and Dining Hall

64-66 Acland Street 

St Kilda, VIC