Grunging out at Leonards House of Love
Just behind a picket fence in a side street off Chapel lies Leonard's House of Love. A grungy 70's inspired dive bar hosted by bearded hipsters serving an array of misfits, roustabouts and chillers.
Offering American comfort food staples including hot chicks, dirty dogs and greasy buns this is one heck of place in South Yarra with an Ozark meets Pulp Fiction vibe. If this place was actually in the states it would be a dicey proposition after dark. Remorsefully, it turns out the staff are super friendly and don’t actually wield shotguns.
As a picture-less TV flickers incessantly and with a heady mix of thrash metal raging away in the background, it takes a moment to refocus and take in the framed pictures of Guns N’ Roses, Poison and Kiss that adorn the walls. It's at this point that your transformation from South Yarra to Fitzroy 1985 is complete.
Leonard's is actually an old Federation House that’s been converted into a wood paneled, cavernous bar and lounge area that features a pool table, a pinball machine and plenty of beards, tats, and flannelette - it’s a harmonious blend of hipster-grunge kitsch that seems to attract a wider audience.
There's no real table service so it's just a case of ordering and sitting where you like or more to the point - where you can as it gets super busy. Open till 3am, seems any night is a good night to visit Leonard's.
Inside the log cabin there are various areas all throwing off a laid back retro vibe, while outside there’s an outdoor garden area which leads to the smoke shed kitchen. This is where their famous burgers and fried chicken tenders are pumped out to the hops wielding hungry hoards. Having been eating a lot of burgers we were keen to check this out!
The Cheese Burger is much loved and for good reason. It's beef brisket & short rib patty is moist and tasty and comes with the usual American cheese, pickles, lettuce, house made ketchup and mayo. The buttery brioche bun is soft and can accommodate either one or two patties depending on how hungry you are. Overall you're pretty much guaranteed classic cheeseburger flavors here made from quality ingredients, so it's filling but not heavy and definitely worth it at (33 AED).
Moving on to the Popcorn Chicken and it's fair to say that this little number served with chipotle mayo and some pickles is a mighty fine effort. The chicken is thigh so it's not dried out like a shriveled date in an Arabian summer, while the batter is reasonably light and fluffy. There's a hint of paprika on the coating and you can tune it up with some Tabasco if that's your thing. It's a decent serve at 40 AED.
The menu also offers New York style Hot Dogs, Nachos, Fancy Fries and a bunch of snacks, like Eggplant Tenders and Fried Mozzarella Sticks, all of which are good reason to make another visit to see Leonard when the next trip to Melbourne arises.
