Good Times Milk Bar

Overview

UPDATE: APRIL 1, 2020 — GTMB has a new Tropica Taqueria takeaway menu, available for pick up and delivery, every day. As well as ready-made tacos and quesadillas, the takeaway option also include taco packs with eight soft tortillas, fillings, garnish, toppings and sauces. It also has bagels, coffee and grocery boxes — filled with milk, eggs, veggies and sourdough loaves — available for delivery. Full menu here.

On the corner of Tucker and Patterson Roads in Bentleigh there used to be a rundown convenience store. But, in March, it was gutted and transformed into a pink and breezy cafe dubbed Good Times Milk Bar.

While the old-school exterior has been left intact, the interior has been refreshed — it has a contemporary and cosy feel with pastel hues of pink and blue, graphic art designed by local creative studio Hours After and lots of leafy plants. Inside, there's plenty of seating with park benches and booths, and out the back there's a dog-friendly courtyard.

At this cafe, both you and your tummy are guaranteed to leave happy. Breakfast is served all day until 4pm, and lunch from 11am, and there are daily rotating sandwiches, bite-sized sweets and diner-style shakes. To sweeten the deal, the milk bar turns into a burger joint from 4pm Thursday to Sunday.

In the morning, we suggest starting with the cafe's take on eggs benny, the Meatsmith Pastrami Benedict ($18), which is served with potato waffle and and dill pickle or try the Moroccan eggplant ($19) served with harissa spiced lamb. Alternatively, you can bask in nostalgia with crumpets or boiled eggs and soldiers (with bacon crumb, no less). If you're feeling sweet, however, look to the ricotta hotcakes and and pair them with one of the cafe's signature shakes — Golden Gaytime, Lamington or Peanut Butter & Chocolate ($8).

On the evening menu, you'll find the Classic (with a beef patty, American cheese and a pickle), the Seaside (with battered fish, wasabi peas and Kewpie mayo), a vegetarian option and seven different sides — including potato gems, onion rings, slaw and jumbo pickles. You'll also be able to get the aforementioned shakes at night, too.

And no cafe worth its weight functions without a solid coffee program. Here, the beans are from North Melbourne roaster Small Batch and the coffee comes milky or as one of three different filters (including bottomless batch for $5).

There's talk of the eatery extending its hours into the night and offering up burgers, but, with no word yet on when this will be happening, keep a keen eye on the website.

Images: Simon Shiff