WA Day was a soggy affair.
The rain was coming down in grey sheets and Fremantle was a mass of overflowing drains and giant puddles.
So I maintained my strong push for Father of the Year by taking my kids to the pub.
Well it was dry, they were showing the Sharks games, and they had pinball and pool tables. My pub of choice – Varsity in Freo.
Situated in the FOMO precinct, it’s more of an American sports venue with giant TVs at every turn and a menu that would make Chris Farley weep.
I had been in before to watch the FA Cup Final and it was a very enjoyable night (Varsity gets brownie points for being one of the few places south of the river to show it and remain open for the game finishing after midnight).
Big screens, lots of tables, and a good range of beers. What more could you want?
Varsity was pumping on WA Day with a mix of drenched couples, families and burly tattooed blokes.
We managed to secure one of the last remaining tables, beside the biggest screen.
It was very loud – my son had to tell me in sign language he needed the toilet – but there was a good atmosphere and the place felt lively and upbeat, despite the inclement weather.
The menu had a no-nonsense range of burgers, sides, loaded fries, pizza, chicken wings, salads and kids fare.
It was classic US sports bar grub – big, bold and brash – like some quarterback smashing a pigskin into your face.
I remember the chicken wings being particularly good, so I went for the boneless wings with ranch dip ($20).
It was a wise choice – a delicious mound of panko crumbed chicken coated in a tangy buffalo sauce.
The juicy chicken was tender and the sauce had the right balance of sweetness and heat.
While the ranch dressing was a creamy antidote and helped refresh the palate.
The dish is $20, but you basically get a bucket of wings and it’s a good share option.
I had to laugh at the three token stalks of celery in the dish, but they were actually quite nice – adding some texture.
If you like your wings a bit spicy, there was jars of Frank’s super hot sauce available.
The boneless wings were moreish and I just about finished them all off.
Across the table, my two young kids were eating the cheeseburger and chicken burger from the “Little League” menu (both $15 with fries).
The burgers were served in a cute cardboard truck driven by a mouse (imagine Jerry from Tom and Jerry worked for Uber Eats).
The portion could have easily feed an adult for lunch and included a little mound of chunky fries and a full-size burger.
No complaints from the little ones and they struggled to finish it.
I had a sneaky taste and the burgers were very enjoyable with good quality patties and a nice soft bun.
My wife “Special K” rounded things off with the BBQ chicken pizza ($27). It was a massive serve and could have easily feed two.
“There’s a nice smokiness from the charcoal chicken and the red onion adds a bit of sweetness,” my wife said.
“The sauce isn’t too sickly and the base is nice and crispy. Big and bold is how I would describe it.”
They have a nice range of beers on tap at Varsity with the Balter Hazy ($15) a potent fruity tipple.
Varsity does what it says on the tin very well and has no delusions of grandeur. It’s like a high school jock that learned to cook.
Fed, watered and dried-out, we headed back into the rain, where my son uttered the blood-curdling line.
“Dad, can we go to Timezone?”
Varsity
11 Newman Ct, Fremantle
varsity.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK