I WAS unsure what to expect on my visit to the Meating Room when the person at the front counter in taking my order and giving me a table number asked if chardonnay was a white or a red wine. A bit of training needed, perhaps?

It’s a big place that dishes up breakfast, lunch and dinner and proudly bills itself as a café, grill and bar. The space is divided into three main areas – dining, bar and a glass-enclosed kids’ play area. It has a family-friendly atmosphere and a funky fitout with exposed piping and a bright yellow and red, milk crate-lined bar.

It was lunchtime and beyond some specials of the day, which included six-hour braised beef short ribs with salad and chips ($32), the menu is compact.

The Meating Room is smart enough to offer some healthy options, such as Quinoa salad ($14.50) and a baby beetroot winter salad, with roast pumpkin, rocket, shallots, roast pine nuts and blue cheese ($14.50).

Not paying too much attention to our health, we zeroed in on pub grub items, with my friend ordering the chicken schnitzel, in her never-ending search for the perfect one. I gave the beef burger a go.

Then we waited. And waited. And waited.

We ordered at precisely 12.49 and the food arrived, after one enquiry as to its whereabouts, at 1.25. I’d hate to think what would have happened had the place been packed (it was far from it).

My burger was perfectly cooked, with a decent-sized beef pattie and I loved the blue cheese and caramelised onions ($16.50). The bun was massive – you need to be a Brumbies player to tackle it – and staff reported the size of it was a common complaint so the Meating Room is thinking of changing it to something more manageable. The chips were a no brainer. I’ve had much better.

As for the schnitzel ($16.50)? It wasn’t bad, but I didn’t think worthy of a gold star. The red wine jus was okay (you can also opt for pepper sauce, onion gravy or Diane sauce). And did the salad have dressing? We weren’t sure.

Other lunch options include a crispy crumbed fish burger ($16), a veggie burger with grilled haloumi, field mushrooms and other goodies (sounds nice, $16.50), bangers and mash ($16.50) and risotto ($15.40). A pasta of the day ($15.50) and laksa of the day ($15.50) are also available.

We refrained from ordering the deep-fried cheesecake or any other dessert (all $14). Having waited so long for our order, it was simply time to go.

The Meating Room, 45B Liardet Street, Weston. Call 6288 6328.