Intro: Please do not cut them open. Simply break them apart with your hands and smell the aroma
Details: 349 Mt Dandenong Tourist Rd Sassafras, VIC 3787 (03) 9755 2081
Surroundings: Brother Jons is both a wedding venue and a restaurant. Inside it’s fitted out perfectly for a wedding including a chapel. In the indoor/outdoor dining area, its much more casual with views of the jaw dropping plush green gardens where you can take walk after the feast you’ve just had.
Liquid consumption: House Wine (white)
Heavenly Scones. Now as soon as I saw these babies coming out from the oven, I was like a kid in a candy store, monkey to a banana, seagull to a chip…you get the point? hehe.
Getting back to the point, the sign said not to cut them open but rather break them open with your hands. That I did and the buttery freshly baked aroma was enough to knock me out! Served with double cream and homemade jam, these were off the plate into our mouths within the minute.
Minestrone Soup served with crusty bread was so fresh- the vegetables were crisp, colourful, tomatoes ripe and sweet and the shaved parmesan when blended in, left trails of melted delightfulness with each spoon fool of hearty goodness.
Geeze, I would drive all the way up to the mountains again just for this dish. It warms you up and calms the soul.
Bring a date here? Of course. The atmosphere is sublime. Perhaps a marriage proposal considering it’s next to a chapel?
Out with friends here? Sunday brunch is on agenda
Service: I had heard some mixed reviews so I thought I’d check this place out for myself. The waitress was friendly and personable, however, the waiter was not as accommodating. My experience here has been good not great in terms of the service.
$$$: Soup $10 Mains 14-25 Desserts $10
Food Rehab Verdict: Sent me to food rehab (book this place now! Wowzer) – Greenlight
Notes: Was supposed to eat at Miss Marples across the road, but was a one and a half hour waiting list! But lucky it was as apart from a few of the savoury items on their menu which are good, the scones are overrated. They’re more like cakes than your traditional scone and are dry in texture. I once had microwaved reheated scones there (even heard the bing) and I could tell as they were served way too hot and turned chewy and dry after a minute.
Times revisited: 2
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“Ditto” for Miss Marples, the scones were YUK. The girls are off to the “Hills”. We have a girls get-together for lunch at Brother Jon’s. And I do know 1st hand that the scones are yummeeee…
My family and I had a very different (and awful) experience at Brother Jon’s. The service was rude and the food was terrible. Our menus were slammed down on the table. We were told that we couldn’t use the toilet until after we order. The waiter refused to gve us an extra spoon. The food itself was bland and from the freezer section of Cole’s. They even served us burnt pastry! Stay away from this one unless you are Gordon Ramsey taping an episode of Kitchen Nightmares.
Hi Shannon,
So sorry to hear of your experience. I’ve been reading some comments out there (urbanspoon) latley regarding their service and am shocked at a few experiences. During my visits to Brother Jons, the waitress was friendly. I haven’t had much interaction with the waiter though, so I can’t comment on that.
I shall go back for a second review when I decide to head up the mountains again and update my post accordingly relevant to the experience had.
Thanks for letting me know.
My family and I were amazed at how this gorgeous venue was completely missmanaged by the rude old gentleman that served us.While browsing the chapel at the front we were greeted by an extremely rude “can I help you”. We explained we were there simply for some tea and scones and were ushered through the restaurant to a semi outdoor are at the back. Once seated we were told they only had 4 scones left to which we said ok we will share. Now the service was rude and unwelcoming but when told we would be charged $10 per head for 4 scones and a pot of tea we were flabergasted given that there was 5 of us. $50 for four scones and a pot of tea??? Are you really serious. They even wanted to charge my four year old daughter $10 when all she would have wanted was a lemonade. My partner and I were considering this venue for our wedding but I would never risk having our wedding guests treated so rudely. I do so hope that too many overseas tourists havent been treated this badly as Id hate for them to go home with that impression of Australia.Do yourself a favour and go somewhere else.