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PRICE RANGE
$3.00 – $40.00
CUISINES
Brew Pub, Pub, Gastropub, Beer restaurants
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
features
Details
About
Cheeky Goose Cafe Bar & Restaurant open 12 to Late Lunch and Dinner, Live music and Victoria's Best Buttermilk Southern Fried Chicken
PRICE RANGE
$3.00 – $40.00
CUISINES
Brew Pub, Pub, Gastropub, Beer restaurants
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours, Drinks
FEATURES
Street Parking, Wine and Beer, Live Music
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4.5
489 reviews
Excellent
310
Very good
105
Average
39
Poor
16
Terrible
19
Jenny679
Glasgow37 contributions
July 2020 • none
We booked in here on a break from Melbourne just before the just the second lockdown came into effect. Due to the timing there were still a lot of social distancing restrictions in place, but this didn't stop the staff giving us a great meal and service. They've gone to great lengths to make sure visitors can enjoy their meals in safety with recycled disposable plates and cups.
My partner and I shared the brisket burger and fried chicken - honestly the best fried chicken we've had while living in Australia. We'll definitely be back here on our next visit to Phillip Island.
Written 20 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrew
Kew East10 contributions
July 2020 • family
We loved the Cheeky Goose. Our waiter Matt was outstanding, the food is simple but delicious and perfect for a beach holiday setting, and an excellent wine list is supported by some wonderful ales. The atmosphere is warm and friendly and decor oozes that of an Irish or English pub. The Cheeky Goose is must go to venue in Cowes.
Written 8 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lynjbthames
Melbourne27 contributions
June 2020 • none
Went to restaurant in COVID 19 and the staff were helpful and tried very hard to keep the restaurant running COVID safe.
Food was tasty well priced and definitely made with love not easy in these difficult times.
Quirky menu pasta delicious, burger great, and kids meals excellent.
Written 27 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crackers Critique
37 contributions
Jan 2020 • family
Interesting that this establishment rates so highly, particularly when many locals seemingly give it a wide berth. The ambience is ‘interesting’ being tucked away behind other retail shops and backing on to a car park, and to be honest it could probably benefit from a decent clean. The reviews are right in that service struggles under pressure - many on the island do with the annual influx of holiday makers. That aside, the food was average, and the menu is geared towards those that are essentially looking for a ‘fry up’. I didn’t have a coffee as my wife couldn’t get lactose free milk - a growing faux pas if you are going to label yourself a ‘cafe’, and both the menu and staff would benefit from more information around food allergies. I’d be concerned if this was the best rated place to eat on the island but then again, the region is not particularly renowned for fine dining. Maybe I need to give it another go, but there are definitely better options in my opinion.
Written 2 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick B
2 contributions
May 2021 • family
After reading some reviews we decided to dine at the cheeky goose, should rename it the dead goose all or meals were terrible, nachos were just Doritos with cheese, the beef burger was inedible your famous chicken was not there that night as for the lamb shank, cold with a 500g packet of peas from coles.
As for the service, I know we are coming out of a pandemic and I understand the check in and looking at menu’s online but we had slow table service we were seated in a very dark area of the restaurant maybe because they didn’t want us to see the crap they were serving up.
Either we went on a bad night or the other reviewers had rose coloured glasses on the decor was out dated and the furniture left a lot to be desired, this will be my first and last time to the renamed ( by me ) dead goose
Good luck to the other diners.....
Written 15 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy B
1 contribution
Dec 2020 • friends
We had read the reviews and booked a table looking forward to a fun night with friends. Sadly the night was frustrating and disappointing. The people working there were helpful and charming but they are too understaffed. We waited 90min for a meal and it took 45 minutes to get water after asking 3 times. When the meals came the food ranged from ok to terrible. The ribs at $37 were a mess of meat and fat and it was hard to separate one from the other. It came with a sad little salad which was covered in a dressing which had too much vinegar. We ordered a bowl of chips and were given fish and chips by mistake. They realised the mistake and took them away but we realised later that we were charged $28 for the fish and chips! Sadly we will not be back and can not recommend this place to others. It is very hard to find staff but if you are understaffed then take fewer bookings.
Written 5 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bronwynraeck
Cowes45 contributions
Apr 2021 • none
Didn't go here (or anywhere much) for all of 2020, but a group of us revisited last month. Completely contactless. Had to do everything on our phones, check in/read menu and wine list/order. Some prices missing and were advised to read the menu in the walkway leading to the restaurant and to check the wine fridge for available wines. I understand this is a sign of the times, but we'll always be a fan of customer service and it was sadly lacking. Food was still good but service was ho hum and to top off all this contactless protocol, they allowed bills to be paid with CASH for heaven's sake. Not the happy experience it once was worse luck.
Written 4 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra b
Melbourne5 contributions
May 2021 • none
We ate at this cafe after seeing all the great reviews. The Cafe itself had a lovely atmosphere but the service was terrible and food ordinary. We waited 40 minutes for our meals and the adults meals came out first. After 10mins I asked the staff where my kids meal was and they said it was coming. In the meantime other tables were being served their food and my daughter ate half of my meal. When her food finally came out the adults had finished eating and she was then too full to eat all her meal. I mentioned when I was paying that this was the first restaurant we had eaten at where the kids meals were not served first. I was told that kids meals always come out first (not in this case) and they said it wouldn't happen again. No mention of a discount on our bill or free kids meal. We were very disappointed, it was expensive for a family to eat at and the food was not as good as the reviews.
Written 17 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JP1
Melbourne209 contributions
Jan 2021 • none
I chose this restaurant based on other Trip Advisors reviews but unfortunately the experience was terrible. The decor for a start is very dated (chair I sat on was wobbly and almost broken). The service was so slow - waited 10min to be seated and then meals took 90 mininues to come out and were 10min apart amongst 4 of us eating. Some of the food was good - namely the ribs and the korean chicken but the rest was not even basic pub quality. Salad looked like it had been out for the day and was inedible. Anything deep fried (fish, onion rings) was dripping in oil. Overall one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had and not even worthy of a suburban pub. I really hope they can improve but at the moment needs to be avoided I am afraid.
Written 25 January 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fay M
Melbourne28 contributions
June 2020 • none
.Had booked , first the waiter couldn't find the booking , then a huge spiel about Covid safety ( okay) then we're informed the toilets are closed - you'll have to use the public ones down the street . Your food will be served in a cardboard box with bamboo cutlery , because apparently even the best commercial dishwasher won't kill the germs ! Beer , spirits etc served in plastic cups , luckily the wine was still in a glass. Had to wait about 30 minutes before our order was taken . There was only one waiter , a table wiper and barman working . The food was nice , not anything special , unfortunately our cardboard boxes tended to stick to the table top . Maybe in normal times it is a nice place to eat , but I wouldn't recommend it at the moment .
Written 30 June 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anthony C
Box Hill181 contributions
May 2021 • friends
As the number 1 rated restaurant in Cowes, we had high hopes. These hopes however, were dashed the moment we walked into what can only be described as a haphazardly decorated charity shop. Is this a restaurant, a bar or shop selling knick knacks? I guess all would be correct.
We were seated near the door by the young waitress who clearly thought she was running a boot camp & demanded we show proof of our checkin with the QR code. This, along with our initial observations should have seen us politely leave, however in the spirit of wanting to support a small business during a pandemic, we decided to stay.
And stay we did….we were finally able to order some 15minutes later & then we waited. A mere 45minutes after ordering & some 60mins after arriving we received our meals. The menu on the website looked delicious & pricing was worthy of a number 1 rated restaurant, though what we received was something akin to going to mums house, just with less flavour or seasoning.
The risotto was bland & requires far more seasoning & a lot more parmesan. A risotto is usually creamy, sadly this one was not. The parmigiana was crisp veering on overcooked & the ‘salad’ was dressed with a terrible earthy sauce - cumin requires a soft touch!
The staff while polite, seemed unorganized & no one really appeared to be in charge. I get that it was Sunday, but organisation means a restaurant will run smoothly & tasks completed quickly, including removing used glasses from a table - no one wants to see used glasses on a table for an hour.
I guess lesson learned; walk around first before making a decision on where to eat. There are other & much nicer looking places close by that I’m sure would be more deserving of a number 1 rating!
Written 26 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheeky G
I can not believe I have to say this. The contact tracing is a mandatory requirement and all guest are required to check in and show proof of check in. Especially as Victoria has just come out of a lockdown. Are you serious! We take our covid requirements very serious. Not to mention many parts of the nation going into lockdowns and the situation arising on Sunday national. I am appalled that you felt you should leave as we asked for proof of your check in. As we do with every customer we have pass through our doors. Couple that with call us a charity store where we sell merchandise and tourist items like gloves, hats, signs, beanies umbrellas, foodie books. We have many customers buying last minute items to keep them warm before heading off to the penguin parade. You are free to call and discuss this further to the restaurant on 59076900 We will more then happily discuss you experience. Also the risotto has a lot black truffle and truffle Oil in it plus wild mushroom in the dish you can smell and see the flavor bursting off the dish. It is a dish where the aromatics fills the room with the earthy mushroom aromas.
Written 29 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lauren P
Melbourne5 contributions
Jan 2022 • family
To be fair the restaurant was short staffed due to COVID in the busy summer period - we sat outside and hardly saw a waiter/ess, the menu was only available on their Facebook page which was frustrating and they forgot parts of our meals - it seemed to take ages to get any service at all. The kids chips and nuggets were really poor quality and seem only just cooked enough. The burrito bowl was lacklustre and I’m annoyed I paid for basic ingredients served in mini bowls for me to assemble, there was nothing made on site, all just out of packets and bottles. Apparently the 14hr slow cooked meat was good, but we could only order one drink each through the whole meal due to staff being MIA. Hopefully once the Covid business settles things might return to the standard the other reviews seem to have got - in the meantime I think something like they should consider limiting the patrons and meals available to order to do a better job of a few things rather than a crap job of many things.
Written 5 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Candy_Fisher
Melbourne21 contributions
Feb 2021 • couples
After being excited to try the best fried chicken on the island from the reviews. We felt let down by the end experience at Cheeky Goose. I ordered the chicken burger which was nice. My partner however ordered the pulled pork burger. Warning don’t order this unless you like really spicy food. It was so spicy my partner couldn’t even eat it.
Some advice to the guys at Cheeky Goose, perhaps retitle the burger to Spicy Pulled Pork Burger so that it is really obvious that it is not for the faint hearted. The staff were to flat out to get feedback but the service was friendly.
Also for anyone who orders the chicken burger this has spicy Mayo on it which isn’t on the burger description.
Service was nice but I agree with other reviews the whole place needs a declutter.
Written 5 February 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rita B
1 contribution
Dec 2020 • couples
The Cheeky Goose cooked me a cheeky calamari which was the best I’ve ever eaten in my life - and that they individualized for me due to my needs (thank you so much!!)
My partner ordered rump and prawns and it was the best rare cooked ramp that he has had cooked correctly for many many years.
We were both extremely impressed with the service and the food. Well done and thank you Cheeky Goose.
Written 18 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fiona L
Evatt4 contributions
Dec 2020 • none
Cheeky Goose have an amazing team of staff and great food.
Matt was so helpful and accommodating to our large family group. He explained everything so well from Covid restrictions and rules to the way food was cooked and the flavors of the sauces. Matt made sure all the guests from the littlest to the oldest were taken care of.
Our food was delivered in a very short amount of time, even through the cafe was fairly busy.
The food was exceptional. Their claim that it’s the best fried chicken in Victoria could very well be the truth. Everyone in our group was satisfied and happy.
A very good night out. 10/10 would recommend.
Written 21 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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