Whatever your opinion of the social value of pokies, they have been the saviour of many suburban 'beer barns' which were designed for the six o'clock swill and to provide accommodation for the travelling salesmen who stopped travelling years ago.
The pokies have given the pubs funds to reinvent themselves as, well, pokie venues. However, a part of the transformation has been the provision of new dining areas, often serving remarkably good value meals. OK, these meals may primarily be there to keep the gamblers who subsidise them in the pub, but they are also an affordable treat for families or anyone who wants a good solid feed.
So, to the Mansfield Park Hotel's big, modern dining area - adjacent its gaming rooms.
Our table of four enjoyed the Tuesday half-price deal. It's hard to beat for value, and if it's not the fanciest cooking in town, it's certainly up there with the best home style cooking.
All the meals come with as much salad and vegetables as you want from the self-servery, and a freshly baked roll.
We had, variously, two meaty lambshanks on a mass of mashed spud, ditto a half serve with only one shank, a 300g rump steak, and a huge chicken schnitzel with excellent chips.
The salads and vegetables that came with the meals were fresh and tasty.
Full price for the full size meat dishes is around $20 - $29, so the half price deal makes for a cheap, filling feed in pleasant surroundings.
The service is attentive but unobtrusive. The kitchen and waiting staff do this for a living, and they're very good at it.
I'm a bit of a fan of suburban pub dining rooms and their unpretentious professionalism. Fancy pants foodies and cafe trendoids may look down on the somewhat plain (but extensive) menus, and the veggies do tend to stew away in their Bain Marie, but for a square meal, well cooked and promptly served at a fair price, the pubs are hard to beat.
We waddled away with a couple of doggie bags from the larger helpings. Be sure to say you have an actual dog at home when you ask for a doggy bag, though. While most waiting staff will oblige, occupational health and safety rules supposedly ban the taking away of food for human consumption.
Ask about special deals - and enjoy the home cooking! read more