Wait, where did Pugg Mahones go?! Obviously I haven't been paying attention on my recent trips around Lygon St, as seems the oddly named The Shaw Davey Slum has been open for business for over three months now. (A rant for a different time; but are there any Irish pubs left in melbs?)
We showed great trepidation about venturing into the Slum. The outside looked unappealing, garishly bright paint covered with posters advertising the different nights and specials looking like a tacky Gold Coast nightclub. Completing that picture: they had a few bouncers outside too...at 6pm on a Thurs. (Having been out of the nightclubing age bracket for some time I can't remember the last time I've even seen a door-bouncer!). The guy even clicked his counter when we entered even though we were about the only ones in there (guess it gets busy later?).
Inside the decor is all over the shop. Can't figure out what they're going for. Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe inspired wallpaper, ergonomically-challenging bar-stools, a few nice light fixtures, and then more bright pink & orange posters smothered over the bar. Some cool touches here, some tacky ones there. (Weirdly their best design feature is the rustic-themed toilets, with - sorry to be uncouth - urinals made from what I think were discarded kegs.)
You see the prices though and suddenly it makes sense: it's a uni-bar. Prices are wild. In fact I probably should have started my review there. Let me put this next point in all-caps:
FOR SEPTEMBER 2014, ALL-DAY EVERY-DAY YOU CAN GET A JUG OF JAMES SQUIRE FOR $10
That's $10 for a jug of any of their tap beers actually - James Squire Lashes is just my fave. After Sept they are still only $15 I believe and since I reckon I paid $13 for a *Pint* of the same at the Portland Hotel a few days ago, that's pretty decent!...There's also cheap cocktail jugs (can't vouch for those) and $5 bottles of some beer, so if you want to save some $ and don't mind a uni crowd, definitely worth popping in to 'pre-load' up before heading somewhere ...nicer. (Note: drink responsibly)
And heading somewhere nicer was what we were going to do after a drink but the cheap jugs did their trick and kept coming and kept us there until we were too starving to go anywhere else!
Their food menu is similarly cheap, with a nice selection of $10 meals (and most others around $15, with two steak options $20-$25 or so).
I was torn between a few of the cheap feeds, so we got a taster plate on top of our meals (also $10). This let us try a few dishes to see they were worth coming back for. It had hits (arancini balls / vegemite calamari - yes you read that right) and misses (chicken wings / pork belly....but I've never understood the allure of pure pig fat myself) but the best part was that each sample came with a paired sauce, which came in very handy for the chips that came with out other meals.
The beer burger the ladies ordered was ok - wouldn't stand up to any cool new Burger place around but for $10 did the job - and my mate's steak sanga was from all reports decent but a man doesn't ask another man to sample his steak so I have to take his word on that. Have to say my parma was the real disappointment - when it came out it looked huge but was an optical illusion as it was actually as thin as a pancake, which meant it tasted more like the crumbs than the chicken. Next time I'll get a full serve of the calamari.
I don't really understand the place, but then again it's not really for me. Staff were lovely though, and if I'm anywhere in the vicinity in the next few weeks will be back for the cheap beer for sure. read more