The Brook Point Cook

Where: 215 Sneydes Rd, Point Cook

Phone: 9394 6444

Internet: www.thebrookpointcook.com.au

SCORE: 12.7/20

JULY 4

VENUE: First time visit to the Brook in Point Cook, through the main centre in the surrounds of the Featherbrook Community Centre.

Outer suburbs for sure (around 40kms from CBD), but the look of this pub is a reflection of the community itself, just on a grander scale.

Long hours, seven days per week, the greeting at the front door offers two alternatives; sports bar with a couple of pool tables (looked good too) and to the right, the dining room, spacious and tidy. The pub has other functions rooms for individual gatherings.

While not as expansive as a pub like the Burvale or Manhattan, much is packed into a smaller space so all community tastes are catered for.

TAB: Yes
Pokies: Yes

The Brook does not go short on activities with drink specials, morning melodies, trivia, food deals (loved the hot roast roll/chips/crownie) for $18 in July.

The menu is typical of an outer suburban pub, without varying a great deal from the road more travelled.

Entrees include lemon pepper calamari w/aioli or sweet potato croquettes 4/16 w/chipotle mayo and while some generously sized duck spring rolls were tried (4/$15), something was lacking (meat/plum sauce?), and missed the mark.

Mains went far and wide from pan seared prawns, white wine, creamy chilli and garlic sauce, served on top of rice and seasonal vegetables ($33.9) or slow cooked beef brisket w/homemade BBQ sauce, coleslaw and onion rings ($36) with a further range of mains covering all tastes.

Most mains start low $30s and the 300g porterhouse will cost $44, fully plated.

The ‘naked’ chicken schnitty, chips/salad/gravy came in at $28.90. Good size, no problems, about the median price in pubs.

Full array of Carlton products, the pot @ $6.90 was well presented. Familiar drops of wine dominated, Leo Buring Riesling at $9.50 was a bargain. As bankable as any wine at a reasonable price in any pub.

HIGHLIGHT/S:

Pork dumplings 6/$10; 12/$18 with chilli soy. Fair price for these meaty fried gyoza, hint of chive running through. Easy to enjoy with a beer.

Something Different to Eat: Texan parma, $32. Crumbed chicken breast, napoli, bacon, ham, caramelised onion, smokey bbq sauce and three cheese mix.

While always on the lookout for a parma doing different, the above was about as boundary shaking as I found. Reads well.

Surcharges: 15 per cent on public holidays.

Summary: The growth over the past 20 years in Point Cook is breathtaking, and there is still a newness to the look and feel of this suburb.

So to The Brook, its pub of similar vintage displaying all the trademarks of this … ‘2up/2down’ brick/slate hi-density suburb.

But the Brook could really belong to anywhere in the ‘burbs’ of Melbourne. This offer is repeated times over, with only the address/suburb changing. You have seen this before.

Fundamentally nothing wrong with the offer, but in measure, nothing really that demands repeat return.