Review Morepork Bbq - Auckland Central

Good food, good experience. With two people the sampler is a great option with four meats. They have a different take on chicken and waffles but still very tasty.

We just had amazing ribs here. As an expat American, I feel like I know ribs and these get a A+++! The pulled pork sandwich was also great and don't miss the mac and cheese for the full Americano experience.

Great ambience in restaurant.. matched by amazing tasty food along with awesome staff and Superstar chef Jodie.. Best BBQ hands down in town💯💯

Delicious American BBQ. Small and cosy place. Loved the nachos. Finger licking slow cooked ribs that easily come off the bones and indulgent pies for desert. Highly recommend.

Exceptionally smoked meat hindered by no sauce options and forgettable sides. Truly the meat was spot on, the pork ribs and were thick, juicy, and smokey. The brisket was also tasty but not the best I've had. As for the sides, the corn bread was delicious and was accompanied by a sweet butter that complimented it well. However the baked beans and roll were forgettable. The former clearly from a can. However the biggest let down was the lack of sauce options.

Ok... I love America Smoke BBQ and craft beer. This place has some of the best BBQ I've ever had. And I've been to a couple of the top 25 in the US. So this place is Brilliant... hidden gem... a must go if you like meat... and try the lamb ribs... Omg the best :)

I honesty have to say, this is the best smokehouse in Auckland. The meat was amazing. Juicy, tender. We also had the hush puppies, moorish. The mac and cheese, was way better than my mums.

Awesomeeee BBQ RIBS!!!🔥🔥🔥 The real American, great taste and very confy place! Staff very kind and helpful the portion is quite generous and the guys are FAST! Less than 10minutes and BANG!🤣 Amazing! Strongly recommend!👍🚀

Rang and spoke to Clint to check what dishes would suit my food intolerance. Wait staff very attentive and helpful, great food! Recommend the brisket!

Loved the food. Great flavors. Ambience was really cool and not over the top. We ordered the mix platter and everything on the platter was perfect.

Amazing food, great service. Well worth the price for a high quality product

Top class BBQ - Brisket was absolutely on point, by far the best I've had in NZ and up there with the best in the US.

Warm and friendly eatery. Food was great with a range of selections (including non-pork) for a good price. Staff were lovely. Children selection avaliable as well.

Love this place and the selection of food. Was really suprised it wasn't busier! Staff are always friendly

Travelled alot of the south of the USA and the food here at morepork rivals most of it. Great service and platters are reasonably priced. Always get the brisket.

Oh so good food a must if you are in Auckland and love great American style BBQ

The most incredible BBQ ever!! The sampler platter has everything you need for an amazing feed 🤤🤤

Great food! We had a platter ($75) which feeds 2 to 3 people. Good selection of beer. Although it's casual dining, I wasn't impressed by the paper plates. Made it feel cheap.

The food is delicious. I've been here three times in the last six weeks or so. Never been disappointed. At lunch they serve sandwiches/burgers. The fried chicken sandwich is so flavoursome! The mix of maple syrup and spicy mayo is very enjoyable. For dinner they serve meat platters and sides. The brisket is amazing, the pork belly is juicy, infact all the meats delicious. The chicken is the only average meat. I've had their pecan pie, it is a really satisfying way to end the meal. There is one hour free parking around the back. Really nice spot.

Came in for a late lunch. Left feeling so full (barely got through the Farmhouse sandwich with knife - all meats - brisket, pulled pork, fried chicken) with coleslaw, pickles and BBQ sauce. <br/><br/>Friendly staff and has a nice ambience to the place. <br/><br/>Definitely be back the dinner menu!<br/><br/>Thanks Team MorePork Ponsonby!

We ordered the brisket, half ribs, mac n cheese and tater tots to share between the two of us. Both brisket and ribs were very tender and delicious, especially with the hot sauce; tater tots were crunchy on the outside and soft&chewy on the inside; mac n cheese was good but nothing spectacular. The meat was very nice though and we are looking forward to visiting their kumeu branch :)

We been there for a dinner for two. We got quite late but they were super nice and we had a great and yummy one!<br/>Had brisket and pork belly with potato salad and tots. They had a nice beer range too.<br/>The prices are really good <br/>Will come back soon!

The decor is a typical slice of americana, right down to the butcher's paper on the tables. The meats we ordered were excellent; the brisket was tender and juicy, the sausage was succulent and the casing still had a little bite, the lamb ribs were excellent also. An excellent example of american BBQ in Auckland

I was craving for some ribs and went here because it was on the way home for us.  It did not hit the spot, it was tasty but I was after ribs that were juicy and this one was a bit dry it fell off the bone but didn't have the saucy juiciness of ribs.  The salad was underwhelming, I expected more from what I ordered, we got the wedged salad and it was literally wedges of lettuce and tomatoes topped with blue cheese sauce and bacon bits.  Couldn't fault the service, great service! that always goes a long way!

Felt lucky to meet them in the home show. I had the moreporker. The pork belly is so yummy, with tender and juicy texture. The pulled pork is good for burger. The ribs are full of smoky flavour. 🤤 It’s a big serve good for 2 people.

I am really not sure where all the good reviews and hype about this place come from.<br/><br/>Went there once and was not really impressed with a whole range of things.<br/><br/>First of all, the table we were sitting at had occasional ants crawling on the table cloth... and that was inside the restaurant. Perhaps it would be good to pay a bit more attention to tidiness and ensure things like this don't happen as it's not really a good first impression.<br/><br/>Secondly, staff seemed to be rather bored and there was hardly any passion in them when it came to serving customers. "Here's your menu, let me know when you're ready." No willingness to explain any food choices while we had questions. In general, it seems like they wished they had been somewhere else instead of being at work.<br/><br/>Finally, the food. While the overall culinary experience may not be terrible (some of the starters are decent, e.g. devilled eggs), the meats they serve for mains are an absolute joke and lack any substance. Lamb ribs we ordered looked like a big chunk of bone with some minimal amount of meat attached to it. When we questioned if this was the ribs indeed, the staff just confirmed and wandered off back to the bar to continue gazing emotionlessly into the ceiling. Hardly enough food for two people (and that's moderate eaters).<br/><br/>There are SO MANY MORE places that specialize in BBQ-style meats and actually do a great job of it (see Miss Moonshine's just down the road). If you're craving for juicy, well-cooked BBQ dishes with lots of actual meat rather than just skin and bones, please do yourself a favour, skip this place and look elsewhere.<br/><br/>Never again.

New favourite smoked bbq joint. Small and cozy on Ponsonby Road, we find out about this place from Entertainment Book. We like to order their platter for 2 as you get to try abit of everything from meats and sides. Full to the brim and definitely value of money for $69. We like their collard greens, devilled eggs, baked beans and potato salad. Their sausage and brisket are the highlight for us.

Good prompt service and delicious food. The sampler platter is fantastic, and the sandwiches for lunch are also great. The dessert looks good, but I've always been too full to eat it.

Looked at the menu online, went in this afternoon.Not impressed.The sandwich was a burger, the brisket was meltingly tender but barely flavoured and the BBQ sauce was either missing or flavourless.The potato salad had good texture but, again, almost no flavour.Poor value for money.

Was recommended by a friend to try this place and I was not disappointed! They have a large selection of food and it's great being able to just mix and match whatever you want to eat. At first it doesn't look like a lot of meat but it is so filling! The taste is also great! Staff were also friendly and checked up on us to make sure everything was alright. Can't wait to come back!

Our group had a nice cosy dining experience this week. The choices of ribs, pulled pork and sausage with coleslaw , bean salad and pasta went down well. <br/>Meat is well flavoured and tender. Sausage is mildly spicy. Orders were taken and delivered in good time by friendly staff. <br/>Portions sizes weren’t over the top which was fine by us. Look for the “eat all you like” ribs special.<br/>Easy parking behind building .

After trying Morepork at Meatstock we knew we had to have more. The food was ridiculously good. The staff were super friendly. Loved the atmosphere. Will definitely be back 😊

Glad I've found a joint of an authentic bbq like back in America. The meat cooked to perfection, also the apple pie crumble to finish. Worth the money. Can't wait to visit again..<br/><br/>*UPDATE*<br/><br/>I went back to Morepork for dinner, and again was not a let down. Went for more brisket & pork ribs! Also had the pecan pie that was on offer for dessert. Amazing!!

May 2018. Last Tuesday evening our group of 8 tucked into the meat meat and meat that is Morepork. Yum is an absolute understatement for the Brisket. Lots of variety in sides. If you can manage dessert afterwards (we did, just) then you weren't dissappointed with the apple and berry crumble. Generous servings and good value in the shared platters. Kahu drives the bar like a pro offering favourites as well as a good range of some lesser known brands that didn't dissappoint. To top it off, like any true Aucklander, I was really impressed that there was free street parking just outside.

Went there for dinner on Anzac Day - no surcharge which was great. The Meats are delicious and service is great. Owner or manager is very knowledgeable and great to chat to. Highly recommended.

I saw Morepork on instagram recently and been wanting to try them out since. Went there on Sunday afternoon with friends and the food was just fantastic. The brisket is just amazing. Can’t wait to go again and try everything on the menu!

As usual pretty consistent food. The meats are smoked well, probably not quite American deep and slow smoke but pretty good for Aoteroa. The burnt ends are pretty good. The collards are so good. Good Stuff guys and gals. Keep up the good work!

Meat, glorious meat! Tender, mouthwatering and satisfying. And the sides are amazing, I would go again just for the rich meaty baked beans, sweet moist cornbread and creamy potato salad. Can’t wait to go back and try the mac n cheese and the salads. Oh AND the pecan pie. Prices are pretty good too. The New Yorker was a little perplexed by their version of Tater Tots, but they were still devoured by our carnivorous friends, who also thoroughly enjoyed the chicken, the beer, and the quick glimpse into the vast metal smoker as the crew were closing up. The brisket was my favourite, I bet it’s divine in a sandwich...

I am editing this review as I visited for the second time last weekend. Only this time I had an awesome experience in terms of food and service. I can't fault the service, the workers are outgoing and friendly keep it up! the food especially the brisket was mouthwatering as well as the tator tots light crunch on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Although the waiter missed one of our orders he went out of his way to ensure we were satisfied by giving a complimentary side. Will definitely be sacrificing travel expenses to come to this awesome restaurant!

Really enjoyed this place. It was an early dinner so service was quick and very helpful explaining how it all worked. The shared platter looks small but it was very filling. Easily serves 3. Great way to taste the variety on offer. Highly recommended the pulled pork and brisket.

Were looking forward to tried this place when they were going to open. Went there for lunch, we had the share plate for two. Expensive and portion were tiny. Meat arrived cold and very blend... a meat place that serve cold meat... dissapointed. Expensive and not tasty at all...

Ordered the sampler platter with 2x ribs, pulled pork and brisket. The ribs were delicious, the pulled pork and brisket were tasty but a bit dry but the sauce helped that immensely. We also got the mac n cheese (best macncheese i've tasted so far) and coleslaw (decent but nothing special). The hush puppies were absolutely amazing and the spicy remoulade complimented them perfectly. Overall a really nice place, good prices especially if sharing.

Great food, good service. We had chicken sandwiches, the pork, beef and the roast chicken and salads. Every dish was great. Nothing was over smoked, very tender

Been wanting to go to Morepork BBQ for some time now, finally that day was today for lunch. The staff are super friendly and food was to die for. We had the Sampler platter which we choose the Brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs and pork belly, side of mac n cheese, slaw and Cornbread with their Honey Butter. Probably the best smoky BBQ food I've had thus far, couldn't fault anything, but if I had to choose..... The Brisket was the best following their pork belly. Their Inhouse sauces were quite nice as well. Their service is excellent, glad to speak to one of them for tips for my own home smoking days. In total it cost $89 which also included 3 beers. Only 2 us went but there was enough food for 3 or even 4 people (we were super hungry). Thanks for the delicious food and excellent service, will definitely return soon.

This is our local stop once a month at least. We love the amazing meat on offer here and the staff are wicked too!! The brisket Here has to be the best brisket ever! It's super tasty and just falls apart in your mouth. I highly recommend this place to anybody. And the potato tots are amazing too!!!

Came here for a birthday dinner with 6 adults and 3 kids. The adults had share platters so we could taste a bit of everything. I love American style bbq so it's not easy to blow me away. The food here was all ok without any of it being spectacular. The brisket was nicely juicy but a bit lacking in flavour on the bark. Each of the ribs were ok but as above, not the best around. <br/><br/>The restaurant is small and I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere. Not suitable for groups much bigger than ours though. <br/><br/>Staff were friendly and helpful, no complaints there. <br/><br/>I will probably go back at some stage but it won't be top of the priority list.

If you're a meaty person and you love a good BBQ then this place is for you. <br/><br/>Went here for dinner first time and I'll be visiting again. Food is great, place is very clean, lovely set up and friendly staff. <br/><br/>Ordered lamb ribs, brisket, coleslaw, mac and cheese and unsweetened ice tea. Love love everything. 100% would recommend this place

For once, traffic and parking in Auckland were a breeze and meant that my friend and I got to Morepork ridiculously early for dinner. We surprised the chef because the serving staff hadn't started their shift yet, so she seated and served us. She was absolutely lovely which was a pleasant surprise because in the restaurants I've worked at, you wouldn't trust the chefs to to even talk to the customers, let alone serve them (apologies to all the non-surly, non-deathly-shy chefs out there)!<br/><br/>I was worried that an American barbecue place in Ponsonby might be a bit too hipster for me, but the discount in the Entertainment Book overcame my fear. Parking was easy, even at 4.45pm on a weekday. We found a spot on St Mary's Bay Rd, just around the corner from the restaurant. The restaurant is just at the entrance to an arcade, and you can spot it by the massive barbecue/smoker outside. My hipster fears were banished when we walked in. It immediately felt homely and welcoming and unpretentious. <br/><br/>The special of the day was pork belly and the sausage of the day was jalapeno and cheese. You've got to love a place that has a 'sausage of the day'. We ordered the platter of the day that comes with two sides and a fixin'. It's AMAZING value at $65. We were debating about the pulled pork because I don't like a sweet barbecue sauce, I prefer a vinegar-based sauce. Our mind was made up when the chef told us that they didn't sauce any of their meats - perfect. We chose the pulled pork, lamb ribs, brisket, and the sausage of the day as our meats, and the potato salad, tater tots and collard greens as the sides/fixins. Every bit of meat was perfectly cooked and delicious. I think my favourite was the brisket. Or maybe the lamb ribs. I love barbecue because you end up with a different range of textures in one piece of meat; the smokey, crusty bark on the outside and the soft, meaty bit on the inside. You could taste the distinct flavour of each different meat, and the sausage was moisty moist and slightly spicy. The tater tots were homemade (a nicely unexpected surprise), and the potato salad was complex with hardboiled eggs adding to the goodness. The slightly mustardy collard greens were perfect for cutting through the abundant richness of the pile of protein and carbohydrates, and I wanted to drink the cooking liquor straight out of the bowl when we finished, but I didn't because I was so full that I would have exploded.<br/><br/>My friend, despite being ridiculously stuffed full of food, wanted dessert, so I had one as well to keep her company because I'm polite like that. She had the apple crumble and I had the pecan pie (the only two things on offer for dessert). The huge wedge of pecan pie had a thin, thin, thin-as crust which allowed for a very generous amount of extremely good filling. My friend liked her apple crumble very much but would have liked for it to be heated. I think it was actually an apple crumble PIE (sorry, I was too absorbed in my pecans to pay close attention), which was probably why they didn't serve it heated.<br/><br/>This was comfort food done with a lot of care. I appreciated the skill and talent that went into the barbecuing of the meats, but was extremely impressed that the quality of the side dishes were of the same high calibre. <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

Nothing like a bit of smoky BBQ<br/><br/>Food<br/>I've been following Morepork on Twitter for awhile hoping for a visit. At best, American style BBQ is an amazing melt-in-your-mouth experience, at worst you end up with underseasoned and over-sauced pieces of not so nice meat. Luckily Morepork was more of the former than the latter. I had brisket & ribs with pickled vegetables. I have to say that even though I would've wished a bit more punch in the seasoning, it really melted in my mouth, just like a proper brisket should. If the fat is chewy, then the brisket has been cooked too quickly or with too high temperature. This was like butter in room temperature. The ribs were probably the best I've had in NZ, falling of the bone like their should. However, I was hoping a bit more flavours. I've been spoilt by an excellent Kansas City style BBQ joint, Bodean's in London, UK. Will visit again. I'd like to see this place succeed, so that the chefs can hone their skills and make it amazing. <br/><br/>Decor<br/>More of a diner style place with no frills decor, which I prefer. Overly themed restaurants tend to be a bit cheesy, so I rather see a sparse but thought out decor than crazy cliches hanging on the walls. This place also has a big bar / takeout counter, so you can pick up your meat and head home, if you don't wish to dine in.

Good. But a bit overpriced. Don't forget to add salad or green. The ok and far from the meats will make you a little sick afterwards. But during feels like heaven.

Brisket is so good. As is pulled pork. As is everything.<br/>Friendly staff who are happy to have a chat.<br/>Go there eat meat and have beer. I'll be back

100% would recommend! Lovely place, staff, drinks and food! Is a great price for what you get and so filling too. Best BBQ pork in Auckland!

My wife and I ended up at Morepork after the Augusta over the road said they were fully booked when (a) nobody was in the restaurant and (b) their website stated that part of their restaurant was dedicated to walk ins! Anyway we are glad that we ended up at Morepork as it was fantastic and their staff, unlike the Augusta's were friendly and approachable. We had the four meat platter (brisket, pork belly, pulled pork and ribs) with two sides (coleslaw and a green vegetable cooked in hock stock) and corn bread to share. We had a couple of glasses of rose and three beers and two pecan pie slices (divine - but get ice cream on the side to cut the richness). Total cost $120. We will be back with kids in tow. <br/><br/>If you want to eat French food go to Paris Butter!

A truly unique restaurant in New Zealand. It embodies the taste and culture of southern American BBQ. The meat is consistently amazing; tender and flavourful. Family favourites are the ribs and the brisket which falls apart with a fork. <br/><br/>The sides of collard greens, BBQ beans are true Americana and not to be missed. Hush puppies and tater tots. <br/><br/>They have iced tea - that they can make as unsweet, sweet or half and half - with free refills. <br/><br/>Desserts are worth the trip alone. The pies are amazing, like they have an American grandma locked up in there.

Came her for Valentine's Day dinner after my partner had heard good things about it (and him having a new obsession with American BBQ diners) <br/>First of I would like to say we highly enjoyed our experience here.<br/>Staff were lovely & friendly <br/>Atmosphere was nice and appealing<br/>Service was spot on & quick<br/><br/>We ordered the share platter between the 2 of us and it was more than enough. For the meat option<br/>We got the beef brisket, pork belly, pulled pork & the sausage! The brisket was amazing and melt in your mouth. The sausage had a really nice flavour, pork belly was delicious a little bit salty but really good. My only fault would have to be the pulled pork. I was expecting it to come smothered in BBQ sauce but it wasn't. It was also a little dry. Other than that we really enjoyed the meats<br/><br/>For our 2 sides we chose mac n cheese and the collard greens.. wow they were both so amazing. The greens were full of flavour! 👌🏼<br/>Our 1 fixing we chose tater tots. These were so good and were the perfect amount of crispy. Over all the sharing plate was a winner 😍<br/><br/>We had a lovely experience here and really enjoyed the food! Will be recommending this place to our friends & family. I cannot wait to be back to try some other things..

It was a good meal and I liked it. I got the brisket sandwich, Ribs with a side of mac'n'cheese.The food was good but isn't as good for it's price as it was very pricey with them amount of items I got. Would have been 5/5 if they price was slightly reduced.

We ordered a mixed platter to share and some pulled pork on the side so that we would be able to try all the meats. My favourite of the lot was the brisket, which was tender and juicy. I thought that the pulled pork was missing sauce since it was a bit bland and dry. The baked beans were also quite good. A friend really liked the honey butter that went with the corn bread.<br/><br/>The combos make decent meals for under $20.<br/>Service was good and the staff were friendly..

Me and 2 friends came here on Saturday night, casual setting with good BBQ. We tried everything, brisket/pulled pork/lamb and pork ribs and sausage, all really good but the brisket is a highlight! The sides are amazing too, especially the mac n cheese and tater tots. Bread rolls are pretty dull if I had to be picky :) <br/><br/>We stumbled upon this place after 45mins of contemplation on where to eat and we were glad we did! Will defiantly be back.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>

Two of us went on a Friday about 6.30 and it was very quiet. We took our time ordering and ended up on the platter. We had 4 meats, 2 side, 1 fixit and karma cola.<br/>Omg- the meat was amazing. Brisket, pork ribs, chicken leg, lamb rib (this was the special). So so good. Will be back soon!

Awesome best BBQ experience so far in NZ . Juicy falling off the bone ribs, flavoursome collared greens, juicy brisket, will be back for sure .

Probably the best American BBQ experience I've had in New Zealand. We got two four-meat sample platters for four people, with a range of sides (slaw, collard greens, mac n cheese and potato salad) and fixin's (tater tots and hush puppies). The sides were uniformly excellent, and the meat - especially the brisket - was lovely. Having enjoyed our main so much we took a punt on dessert, and shared pecan pie, apple pie and banana pudding. As with the mains, everything was great. Would definitely come here again.

Came here in the spur of the moment for a late birthday dinner. Didn't have a table big enough for two groups so had to sit amongst two tables. Was understandable due to the small-medium sized restaurant. They were also out of ribs which was a bummer. Ordered the Sampler Platter which came with Brisket, Pulled Pork and Chicken. With a side of Coleslaw, Potato Salad n a fixin' of Tator Tots. Definitely a platter for two ✌ meat was so moist n falling off the bone. A yum meal to end th week off with! Not a big fan of the fermented vegetables that came with the platter - didn't exactly get much veges though. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow though! <br/><br/>Talking about customer service here though, things were a bit awkward eating here. There's so many staff at the front you don't know who to talk to and they all stare at you when you go in. With all these staff members you still have to get your own cutlery after squeezing out of the table settings. Order at the desk too. May be an American kind of service, I don't know?