Where? - 27 Weston St. Brunswick
Price? - $12. Only available Thursdays
Website? - http://charlesweston.com.au/
Reviewers – Daniel, Kim, Lee, Nikki, Pat
I'm gonna admit something from the jump this week - I love the Charles Weston. Even though it isn't quite on Sydney Rd. I'd still consider it the best pub on Sydney Rd. It has a great backstreets local charm coupled with multiple open fireplaces, friendly staff, live music, board games and a solid craft beer list, I'm not ashamed to say that I've spent many a Satuday and Sunday arvo wasting away the hours playing Jenga by the fireplace.
There was only one problem with the Weston. They didn't do a parma. Every time I arrived I'd check the menu in the hopes that they decided to add some cheese and napoli to their schnitzel and coleslaw but my heart was broken time and time again, until this week when I checked the Charles Weston Instagram and noticed an addition to their weekly "What's on" post...
Holy crap they're doing a parma night. They're doing a parma night on our review night. There was no debate, this week we were loading up the parma bus and heading to the Charles Weston.
I pretty much described everything I like about this pub in the opening paragraph, but here's some more. Along with the fireplaces, board games and beers the Weston also boasts a surprisingly spacious beer garden out the side, a full sized ping pong table indoors and a very cosy, dimly lit dining room out the back, which is where we set up shop for the evening.
Now one thing I want to make perfectly clear - As it stands there still isn't a parma on the standard menu at the Charles Weston. The parma we partook in last night is currently a Thursday night thing only, so be sure to mark your calendars as such.
Approaching the bar to order I was surprised to see a few novelty options thrown into the mix...
Although that Mexican parma looked mighty tempting I'm a parma purist at heart and opted for the original. Orders were places and we returned to the dining room to await the arrival of our dinner.
It makes my job of listing the beers on tap so much easier when a pub just has a board with a list of everything they serve...
I stuck to the Steam Ale all night but there's definitely enough options there to keep everyone happy.
About 15 minutes after ordering our parmas arrived.
When the plates fell to the table I thought the parma looked a tad small, however on cutting in it was revealed to be quite a plump, hearty bit of chicken. The crumbs were a tad thick, but the thickness of the chicken led to a perfectly fine chicken to crumb ratio. It was pure chicken breast, served piping hot and well cooked.
For $12 I had a horrible fear we were going to get a processed, heart shaped, supermarket deli window schnitzel - I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case.
The toppings were plentiful. The cheese could have used a bit more time under the grill to be perfect but it was otherwise quite tasty.
The napoli was present, but a little lost under the massive slice of smoked ham that had a succulent smokey flavour that permeated the entire dish. If you like your parmas with a smokey flavour then this is definitely one for you. If that isn't your bag the Mexican parma might be more up your alley, which from what I saw looked quite good.
Unfortunately this marks the second consecutive week of Maccas chips. I know some people may like them but to me they have no business being served with anything other that a large quarter pounder meal. As far as shoestring fries go they were okay. Well seasoned and they kept their temperature a lot better than last week. Other than my irrational hatred for that kind of chip I've got nothing major to complain about.
The side of coleslaw got mixed reviews from around the table. I enjoyed it, it was nice to have a coleslaw that wasn't absolutely drowning in mayonnaise. I always thought coleslaw was a universally loved side to a parma but I was surprised to learn that some of our reviewers would prefer a more traditional salad. Weirdos.
“Surprisingly great quality for a parma special. Can’t ask for much more for the price”
“Chicken was good, coleslaw was alright (considering coleslaw is the worst of all sides). Meal was small-ish but definitely worth it for twelve clams”
“Great breast, great value. Chips and salad were a let down but definitely a good bargain”
“Parma was tasty, chicken was thick! The smokey ham was a bit overpowering for me. I’m a fan of maccas chips, however in this case in the parma had been served with some beer battered chips and a decent salad it would definitely score a bit higher”
For only $12 this is a parma you should be checking out. If you live in the Brunswick area you've got absolutely nothing to lose. It bums me out that parma night at the Weston is only on Thursdays as it means I won't be able to take advantage of this fantastic deal again.
The parma at the Charles Weston isn't perfect, but for the price you can forgive a lot of its sins. If you're after a no nonsense, honest feed in a fantastic atmosphere at bargain basement prices then Thursday night parma night at the Weston is definitely one to check out.
Pros
- Fantastic for the price
- Thick chicken breast
- 3 varieties available
Cons
- Maccas chips
- Slightly heavy on the crumbs