When I set out on my quest to find Canberra’s best steaks, I never imagined that I would still be able to find a quality steak for under eight dollars. So when I went to the Civic Labour Club and walked away with a smear of gravy on my shirt and the smile of a contented meat-eater, I didn’t think I would see that kind of affordability again. Oh, how little did I know!

When the phone rang I was sitting outside with my Ray Bans on, sipping on a Pina Colada by my kiddy pool. The husky voice on the other end said, “Hendo, we need you to go to the ACT Rugby Union Club. It’s Members Night and you have got to try their $7.90 steak.” I nearly fainted. Surely there can’t be two sub-eight-dollar steaks in Canberra!

With the challenge laid, the next thing was to find myself an appropriate dinner date. Being Members Night (and not being a member), I needed a wingman who would blend in like one of the locals; someone who can be invisible when they choose; someone who you’d look straight at and wouldn’t even notice. That someone was Jone Tawake! (OK, while it may be difficult to fly a six-foot-two, 120-kilo Fijian under the radar, he sure is good company.)

For those who have never been to ‘the RUC’ (as it’s known to the locals), it’s transformed itself in recent times into one of Canberra’s best lunchtime feeds and after-work drinking holes. It recently added a front beer garden which is sure to see many a schooner swilled over the summer months.

Inside it’s also had a major revamp. Virtually everything is brand new. It’s established itself as a comfortable yet classy sports bar that attracts everyone from the office workers to local residents to the nearby students of the International Hotel School.

As we entered, nerves set in as Big Jone and I tried to put on our best ‘we belong here faces’ and sneak past the club’s front desk. We were nearly home and hosed when the lady at the front looked over at us. Before she could say anything, I lost my nerve, threw my hands in the air and shouted, “Oh God, we’re not members! Please don’t hurt me! Take Jone!”

With a bemused look she replied “It’s OK, you don’t have to be a member to enjoy the night, but we do encourage you to join”. With a look of disappointment from Wacky, I tried to hide my shame by signing up.

After being introduced to Jeremy, one of the club’s friendly owners, we ordered our meals and sat down to enjoy a glass of red with our host.

He handpicked a fine bottle of Durif 2005 from the local Kardinia Winery, and wow, what a drop. If you’re looking for a change from your run-of-the-mill Shiraz’s and Merlots, then this is it. With flavours of plums, chocolate and cinnamon all combined into a delightfully earthy back drop, it makes for great drinking.

In no time our meals arrived and Jeremy said his goodbyes. On Members Night you can choose from a range of dishes but we were only interested in the red meat: a mouth watering 250-gram, grain-fed rump with chips and salad topped off with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Talk about good, it was bloody fantastic. Cooked just the way I like it: medium rare, with fresh veggies and topped off perfectly with a fresh garden salad. This is a place that definitely works off the old adage ‘knock down the price, not the quality’ because this was a ripper of a steak at $7.90!!

If you haven’t been before and you work or live in the area, make sure you pop down to ‘the RUC’ on a Monday or Tuesday and enjoy the delights of Members Night. Or if you’re at home and stuck for dinner ideas or looking to feed the family for a reasonable price in a relaxed environment- this is definitely your place.

Stay tuned for next week’s review, where Brumbies star, Nic Henderson, will hunt down another one of Canberra’s best steaks!