Overview
Steak is one of those meals that, no matter what state you might be in, will leave you feeling just a little bit better. Responsible for sating hunger, dealing with low iron issues and just generally making meat-eaters feel like they're in their happy place, a good steak can be just the fix for a cold winter's night (or any other night — or day).
Not just the fare of fancy, upmarket places with lush wagyu offerings, steak is more accessible than you think. Many pubs around town do decent steak specials, with trimmings and sides thrown in, too. Luckily for us, our pub food cravings are easily dealt with in Melbourne, with myriad venues cooking up fresh, tasty and non-pretentious pub grub from north to south.
If you've a hankering for pub food in the way of hot hunks of meat, we feel you. Along with our mates over at American Express, we've put together a bit of a nightly guide to realise your carnivorous dreams throughout the week. And what's more, you can tap that American Express® Card and reap those points benefits later on, post-beef coma.
Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
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Tried and tested too many times to count, most of us have been to either a gig, a meal or a kick-on session at The Corner at some point. An iconic venue on Swan Street in Richmond, it’s not just a live music venue — there’s a heated (and fully accessible) rooftop and trivia on Wednesdays, it’s in stupidly good proximity to public transport and it’s just a quintessentially Melbourne time in store for you.
What’s in store for you in terms of food is good news, too. While new-ish chef Shannon Rice has created a menu of premium pub food with a focus on share plates, sometimes it’s more fun not to share. On Mondays, they do $15 steak with free pool and board games thrown in. Plus, Mondays in winter at The Corner mean mulled wine.
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Prahran’s Mount Erica Hotel was, in 1853, the first licenced venue in the area. Many (many) years later, it’s seen a couple of different incarnations, and the latest is run by the team behind Fitzroy’s Marquis of Lorne. Think wood panels, warm fireplaces and a general cosy vibe — also think about what they’ve got to offer in terms of meaty food. Tuesdays bring with them an $18 porterhouse, served with chips and bearnaise. Come for all your meat needs, stay for the fact that it’s a good pub steeped in history.
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One of Richmond’s many drinking institutions, the Bridge Hotel brings the outside in with a unique design and a great atmosphere. Split in two by a 50-metre-long cobblestone path, it’s a traditional Victorian pub combined with individual spaces; there are five themed areas, plus an additional loft space that becomes a bustling dance floor on busy nights of the week.
The space in your stomach, however, is what we’re here to talk about. Very relevant to any meaty interests is the fact that on both Tuesdays and Wednesdays, The Bridge does $18 steak — either for lunch or dinner, or why not do both for under $40?
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Standing tall on the corner of Grattan and Bouverie streets in Carlton since the 20s, The Prince Alfred has been a stock-standard of the area for locals and non-locals (and most definitely uni students) for years. In its latest form now, taken over by the folks responsible for Belles’s Hot Chicken and Welcome to Thornbury, it’s still a pub very much worthy of your time and steak money.
Its two levels each have a bar: a beer garden and a shipping container turned into another kitchen that houses food pop-ups which rotate. But the go-to over here is the main kitchen, which churns out a decent steak special on Thursdays. $15 all day and night, the steak is served with chips and salad, and there’s free trivia thrown in from 7pm as an extra side for you, too.
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Port Melbourne’s Exchange Hotel will have you realising your cosy bayside dreams this winter with its inviting façade, warm interior and fireplace feels. On Bay Street, the pub is just a hop, skip and a jump away from the beach and makes up part of what is now a bustling hospitality-heavy strip of the suburb.
The Exchange runs a steak night on Tuesdays — 300-gram of porterhouse served with potato gratin, salad and your choice of sauce — and it’s just $18 a pop. Also, if lunchtime is when you want to get your meat fix, the $18 lunch special runs from Monday to Friday between 12–3pm — and steak is often to be found on the changing menu.
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The spot where the popular Little Creatures Dining Hall used to sit on Brunswick Street was taken over in 2016 by Fitzroy Social — but it’s still a crowd favourite and an A+ option for a feed if you’ve got a large group with you. The Social is a jazzed up, more photogenic version of a beer garden indoors. Think hanging green canopies, big murals and a huge neon-hued hall, leaving a lot of space for a decent-sized party.
Party on in your stomach with the news that on Wednesdays The Social does $12 meals. You can select from fish and chips, a cheeseburger, a parma, a couscous salad but really, we know you’re holding out for the 200-gram rump steak. Could well be the best value in town.
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Sitting right on the edge of the Yarra, Ludlow Bar and Dining Room is on Riverside Quay and, as such, bustling and buzzy. There are a few different aspects to check out over here — the public bar and terrace, the cocktail lounge, the dining room and the pop-up coffee bar running out the side of the venue.
There’s a fair bit to cop in terms of food, too. Mondays are steak night at The Ludlow, with chef’s choice of steak coming with bearnaise and fries for $20 — plus, that price includes a pot, house wine or spirit, or a soft drink. Then Sundays offer up a roast option: $25 for the roast of the day, all trimmings included, as well as the same drink option included.