East of Everything

This place, and the one downstairs (Bar None) is my new favourite place.
There’s a great atmosphere. It’s has a nice view back over the city. There are a lot of beers available, and a few on tap. The food is nice for bar food. I will be back often.
Entrance is non descript. Outside has very little signage. Go upstairs.

For Cajun food in Australia, this is pretty impressive.
There’s a pretty good rotating beer list, and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about what’s on tap. The beer flights are also recommended if you’re indecisive!
As far as food went, I really liked the deep fried mac and cheese, and the shrimp po boy was quite tasty, but could do with a bit more remoulade. We also got the Dom and that was INSANE! I have no idea how one person is supposed to eat all of that. It was really tasty though, but I felt like I was going to explode from eating it.
There’s also a very impressive collection of hot sauces you can try with your meal, including one with a «try at your own risk» label on it!
It’s in a pretty convenient location, although being above Camberwell station does mean it can be a bit noisy.

We often joke that if you made a bar crawl t-​shirt for this part of town they’d only be three place names on the back of the shirt — two of them in the same building, then the pokie pub across the road.
Still, it’s fun to pretend we have some sort of bar culture here in the ‘burbs, so we often bring friends to do the Bar None –to– East of Everything ‘crawl’ (a whopping two flights of stairs).
The main reason to come here is the craft beers on tap, which I believe rotate quite often. I’m a sucker for a tasting paddle, so often set myself up with one of those before even ordering a full drink of anything. Always found the staff knowledgeable on this subject and eager to help too. Yet to eat there but hear it’s quite decent.
In contrast to downstairs at Bar None, which is drenched in a dark cool vibe, East is a white blank canvas a little in need of a soul and personality to really put it on the map.
Also things got weird one night when they rented it out as a private function but left no notes anywhere indicating this (or they were trying to have their cake and eat it to by having the function and also keeping it open to the public) so we kind of got co-​opted into cheering farewell to a nice gay couple that were moving to Queensland, and spent our entire time there unable to actually chat with one another as we had to listen to all the speeches. They seem like nice dudes though, and we promised to keep in touch. Will really miss those guys.

Too often we get distracted by the latest new restaurant across town or the bar that your friend has been raving about, that you can forget to spend some time hunting out the gems in your own suburb. This was most definitely the case with East of Everything in Camberwell, just a few minutes from where I live, so when offered an invite to come down and have a couple of beers and some food I jumped at the chance.
Tucked off Burke Road and nestled near the railway line, East of Everything is unassuming from the outside but after the short climb up the stairs, dotted with kegs of beer, the room opens up to wide views and one of the best spots to watch the sun set while sipping a cold drink. The line between bar and restaurant is becoming increasingly blurred in Melbourne, but East of Everything sits comfortably as being a bar foremost but that is not to say there is not great food to accompany those beverages.
The wine list is short and concise and the cocktail list covers the classical bases, but the real drawcard here is the craft beer. Behind the bar, lined with white tiles, sits a row of five taps of beer and one for cider. The taps change regularly when one runs dry (keep an eye on their Twitter and Facebook for keg changes) so there is always something new to try and often a beer is never repeated except for a few old favourites– basically it is the beer equivalent of Gelato Messina’s weekly specials.
There is always a beer to suit every taste, maybe a dark beer like a stout (we visited just before Christmas and got into the festive spirit with a treacly and spicy Christmas ale), or a lighter drop like a Kölsch. For me I find it hard to go past a good IPA (India Pale Ale) with bright hoppy flavours. Tap beers are available in 300mL, 500mL or a litre, all at better prices than you might think considering the quality of the brews. If you cannot decide what to go with, then start off with a tasting paddle of a few beers, a good way to work out what you like and want to keep ordering.
With a strong focus on beer it makes sense for the food to match well with a cold pint in one hand. Owners Gen and Michael Cotter have a love of «the South» (the Southern states of America), not a surprise considering Michael is a partner in the Gumbo Kitchen food truck and the recent Smith Street opening Po’ Boy Quarter. The lovely Gen heads up the food here with a distinct dash of Creole and Cajun New Orleans style to the dishes (if you’re wondering what the difference is between Creole and Cajun there is an interesting read here).
Cajun spiced corn fritters are light and subtly spiced, with a zingy guacamole piled on top– if you are looking for more heat, there are quirky named hot sauces at hand. The pulled pork is like being wrapped up in a blanket on a cold night, and paired with goat’s cheese to add a tangy kick to balance out the rich meat. Silence fell over the table as crispy ‘mac and cheese’ croquettes appeared, maybe a little indulgent for my taste, but I was definitely in the minority at the table. A rich chicken and sausage gumbo often takes centre stage, but on this occasion we were tempted with a fried chicken po’boy. Soft baguette, stuffed with juicy chicken and smothered in barbecue sauce, the kind of sandwich that is going to end up running down your fingers in the best way possible.
It might have taken me a while to discover East of Everything, but I am glad I did. The combination of quality beer on tap with spicy, tangy and delicious food to match is a hard one to beat. While there are Southern-​style eateries popping up all over town, this spot in the East is one worth visiting, even more so if you live just around the corner from this hidden gem. Grab a cold beer, a plate of nibbles and settle in to watch the world pass by from up above the trees.

For those of youse who’ve taken the time to read it (Thanks very much!), I wrote a review about Gumbo Kitchen setting up ‘another’ shop in Camberwell a while back. Well, this review supersedes my previous review simply because, well East of Everything offer Gumbo Kitchen menu.
Located on Auburn Pde (there’s no sign or any indication so look for the blue door if you head there), East of Everything is a cool bar where you’ll find a range of craft beer… Floorboards, really cool tunes, a mix of high tables/​chairs and comfy couches; it’s a really cool place to kick back over a few beers. I haven’t experienced it at night yet however, from the photos, it looks really nice — intimate, romantic with candles on the tables. I like that. I really like that.
Glen and Michael Cotter (owner of Bar None downstairs) opened it and, well the Cotter’s other line of ops is Gumbo Kitchen so that’s a wicked mix really. East of Everything serves Po’ Boys, the popular Beef Debris and Quesadillas for lunch on Fridays and Sundays. I had the boudin sausage po boy which was really good.
Camberwell’s not that far from the CBD you guys…

East of Everything… It’s a cool name, when you tell a friend to meet you at East of Everything it generally garners a positive response. We were quite hyped up to be there and were excited about trying some beers on a 40 degree day. We couldn’t falter the beers at all, the on tap choices were excellent and we tried every one. We also ordered chips with aioli (which came with an awesome selection of chilli sauces inc. Tobasco) & a Fried Shrimp Po Boy — both were delicious. My only issues was the fitout, I expected something really funky but was pretty unimpressed with my surroundings.
Mismatched furniture, windows covered by a stick of a city skyline and large bench tables in the smokers area. The place hasn’t been around for very long but I really hope they transform the inside and then I will definitely be back.

As any East suburban living local will know, there is a major shortage of decent bars out this way! Luckily the proprietors of the much loved cocktail bar, Bar None (downstairs from East of Everything!), have opened up the upstairs area and introduced East of Everything, a place for delicious craft beers!
With rotating taps and a nice looking bottle list there’s plenty to be beer-​happy about :) The space itself is low-​lit, great for group catch-​ups (where you can actually hold a conversation without being drowned out by over-​zealous background music), comfy bar tables, couches etc.
Food wise they’ve recently started serving items from Gumbo Kitchen on Friday and Sundays. For anyone who has chased this food truck around the city for a decent Gumbo feed, imagine that… but with a delicious beer accompaniment, yum!
If you’re in the area, both Bar None and East of Everything are worth a visit, or two… or three :)