God bless the weekly specials board at the pub. There for you no matter what, you can choose your own adventure depending on whether you’re a parma devotee this week or a burger aficionado the next. But steak night is where the real value lies, especially right now when the price of, well, everything is going up. Not if you play it smart, though.

WEST

Mona Castle Hotel, Seddon
Wednesday, $23

Seddon wouldn’t be the same without this 1874-built watering hole, which was reborn in 2022. There’s plenty for locals to love: the dimmies, the kids’ frog in the pond, the Bulldogs pride. And the hump-day steak special. The team is grilling porterhouses, serving them with chips, salad and silky bearnaise – and charging just $23 a plate.

45-53 Austin Street, Seddon, monacastlehotel.com

Victoria Hotel, Footscray
Monday, $25

While the Vic recently changed hands – now helmed by restaurateur Denis Lucey (Luxsmith, Bottega, Yardbird) – the heart of the longstanding pub has stayed more or less the same. There’s just a little more polish in the service and the atmosphere. Monday is still steak night and here it involves a 250-gram porterhouse with chips, salad and an accompanying pot of red-wine gravy. From 5.30pm.

43 Victoria Street, Footscray, victoriahotelfootscray.com

Plough Hotel, Footscray
Tuesday, $25

A favourite among everyone from families to housemates, The Plough takes its grub seriously. On steak night, the cut of choice is porterhouse; it comes with chips, salad, and herb butter. There are plenty of beer-friendly snacks such as cheesy croquettes with aioli – and spicy buffalo wings – to keep pre-dinner hunger pangs at bay.

333 Barkly Street, Footscray, ploughhotel.com.au

Junction Hotel, Newport
Wednesday, $25

Each Wednesday – from lunch through dinner – punters are in for a different cut of Great Southern grass-fed beef, with porterhouse a popular steak of choice. It comes with chips, a leafy salad, plus pepper or red-wine sauce, and there are $6 glasses of house wine or pots of Newport Draught available.

15 Hall Street, Newport, junctionnewport.com.au

Ascot Vale Hotel, Ascot Vale
Tuesday, $23

Fancy a cheap Tuesday? Step off the tram and into this north-west gem (that the area has really gotten around) for the $23 steak special. It’s a sirloin with fries, salad, and your choice of sauce. For three bucks more, the steak sanger is just as crowd-pleasing, souped up with caramelised onion. And to sweeten the wallet-friendly deal even further, pots are $4.50 from 4pm to 6pm.

447 Mount Alexander Road, Ascot Vale, ascotvalehotel.com.au

SOUTH

Mount Erica Hotel, Prahran
Tuesday, $24

The crowds speak for themselves at this sprawling corner pub on the south side. On Tuesdays, you can get among it – and save some cash – with a nearly half-price special on its sirloin steak, served with bearnaise sauce and chips. There’s a solid line-up of tinnies, including gluten-free brews by Two Bays, plus every weeknight between 4pm and 6pm, half a dozen oysters and a glass of sparkling are yours for $22.

420 High Street, Prahran, mountericahotel.com.au

Railway Hotel, South Melbourne
Wednesday, $25

Pool tables, a fireplace, a beer garden and Sunday roasts: the Railway is a proper pub. And on Wednesdays, it’s crammed with those in the know, who are ordering 250-gram porterhouse. It’s served with chips, salad, and your choice of sauce, but we reckon you can save room for the cheesy garlic cob loaf.

280 Ferrars Street, South Melbourne, railwaypub.com.au

Local Taphouse, St Kilda East
Wednesday, $24

Closer to a charming tavern than a pub, this mahogany-toned room has pulling power on any night of the week. But on Wednesdays, when the kitchen is grilling $24 steaks, The Local is magnetic. The cut changes weekly, but the high-quality beef sourced by Gamekeepers stays the same. A recent example includes Queensland flank with roast spuds, and garlic-and-herb butter. Throw in $8 Stomping Ground pints and $8 house wines between 4pm and 6pm – and a roaring fireplace – and call it paradise.

184 Carlisle Street, St Kilda East, thelocal.com.au

Flying Duck Hotel, Prahran
Monday, $25

Start your week right by venturing into the backstreets of Prahran to find the Flying Duck. The lure? A high-quality grass-fed cut of beef sourced in Victoria, cooked over the wood fire and served with a heap of chips and salad. If you’ve got kids, Duck Daycare means they eat for free from 4pm to 6pm on weekdays.

67 Bendigo Street, Prahran, flyingduckhotel.com.au

Half Moon, Brighton
Wednesday, $25

From midday every Wednesday, your steak is effectively 50 per cent off at this big Brighton boozer that’s right on the train line. For $25, you get a 250-gram cut of Cape Grim porterhouse alongside a watercress-and-shallot salad and a handful of hot chips. Walk-ins are welcome in the bar area, or you can book a table in the main dining room.

120 Church Street, Brighton, halfmoon.com.au

EAST

Union House, Richmond
Wednesday, $24

Heading to Swan Street for dinner isn’t always a budget-friendly affair. But if you stick to a midweek visit to this slick-looking pub, you can easily get out of there with change from a $50. Steak night involves 250 grams of porterhouse, plus chips, salad and pepper sauce, while in your glass might be vino from Unico Zelo or Pool Wines, or a Bodriggy beer.

270 Swan Street, Richmond, unionhouse.com.au

Auburn Hotel, Hawthorn East
Thursday, $25

This recently refurbished pub can now better serve even more Hawthorn locals, having seriously expanded its footprint on Auburn Road. And Thursdays are for the carnivores. Not only is it steak night – where $25 will get you a 250-gram rump with red-wine jus, skin-on fries and house salad – there’s also a meat raffle, with tickets from $5 and all proceeds going to the Koala Kids Foundation.

85 Auburn Road, Hawthorn East, theauburnhotel.com.au

The Skinny Dog, Kew
Tuesday, $23-$29

This must be one of the few steak nights around town where you’re in control. Downstairs at the Dog, three different steaks are offered at a discount, from the $23 porterhouse or $25 rump to the $29 chef’s cut, which changes weekly. All three come with a choice of salad or vegetables, chips or roast potatoes. Reliable, humble and all about its locals, is The Skinny Dog the platonic ideal of a pub?

155 High Street, Kew, skinnydoghotel.com.au

Orrong Hotel, Armadale
Thursday, $25

This 150-year-old boozer was reborn thanks to Matt Vero and Scott Connolly, who between them own pubs including the Marquis of Lorne. They understand the importance of a great steak night and anchor The Orrong’s around a 250-gram rump cap. The weekly meat raffle is held on the same night.

709 High Street, Armadale, orronghotel.com

NORTH

Naughtons Hotel, Parkville
Wednesday, $25

Many things make Naughtons a worthy reprieve from the franticness of Royal Parade: the fancy potato cakes, the appreciation for local producers, the smart upstairs accommodation. But steak night is one of the biggest drawcards. Each Wednesday, find special cuts of Bass Strait beef (usually a $25 rump and something a little more premium) alongside magnums of fancy vino, reasonably priced by the glass.

43 Royal Parade, Parkville, naughtonshotel.com.au

Bonny, Fitzroy
Wednesday & Sunday, $30

At Brunswick Street bar Bonny – helmed by ex-Cumulus Inc head chef James Cornwall – you’ll find some of the best-value wagyu in Melbourne, two nights a week. On Wednesdays and Sundays, $30 gets you topnotch Sher topside wagyu slow-roasted over charcoal, with hand-cut fries and Ramarro Farm leaves. The only catch? You have to buy a drink (non-alc are included) to claim the offer. But a bargain’s a bargain.

177 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, bonnybar.com.au

Town Hall Hotel, Fitzroy
Wednesday, $25

You can have your steak and eat it too at this well-known food destination. Even on steak night, the beef is cooked over red gum for that beautiful char-grilled finish. Served in the classic steak frites style, with small copper pots of bearnaise or pepper sauce, and a crunchy slaw, this is one classy bargain.

166 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, fitzroytownhallhotel.com.au

The Woodlands Hotel, Coburg
Thursday, $25

Run by the same group as The Rainbow in Fitzroy, on Thursday nights this enormous old pub offers more than just quirky decor. For $25 you can sit down to a 250-gram porterhouse with either chips and salad or mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli. Several sauces are on offer, from gravy to salsa verde, so choose your own adventure.

84-88 Sydney Road, Coburg, thewoodlands.com.au

Northcote Social Club, Northcote
Thursday, $23

This High Street staple – from the crew behind Richmond’s Corner Hotel – has more than just an excellent live-music program going for it. Namely: delicious weekly specials. A 250-gram porterhouse comes cooked to your liking alongside chips, coleslaw, and one of three sauces (Cafe de Paris butter, rich mushroom or creamy pepper) every Thursday.

301 High Street, Northcote, northcotesocialclub.com

Terminus, Fitzroy North
Tuesday, $22

Bargains can still be had even in this postcode: the Termy’s porterhouse, chips and salad for $22 is proof. Of course, if you want something a little fancier, you can also sneak out the back to Cinder, the high-flying steakhouse attached to the pub, where a Josper grill and dry-ageing cabinet will add a few digits to your bill, and a smile to your dial.

492 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, terminus.com.au