Blasta Brewing in Burswood.
Walking time to stadium: 25 minutes or one stop - 5/20
Much like DTC, this is probably the furthest you can be from the stadium to still be considered a pre-game pub. But, it’s right next to Burswood station, and we just jumped on for the one-stop ride to the stadium. Even though it’s roughly the same distance as DTC, it loses some extra points because the walk is through the Crown carpark and complex, rather than along the river.
Ease to get there: 8/10
It’s in a bit of a weird spot in Burswood, but there’s parking outside the venue. It’s on the train line, so public transport should be simple enough.
Availability of seating: 5/10
I’d heard from others it got busy, so I booked a table. We got there about 3.30 (ahead of the 6.15 bounce) and it was pretty full already. I don’t think you’d get a table on game day of you just rocked up so I’d go ahead and book (which you can do by email). We booked a table of 10, and ended up getting about 15 people, which meant a half-dozen people milling around standing up beside the table, which felt a little awkward.
Beer selection: 7/10
They have a range of beers brewed on site. I’m fond of an IPA so I had a crack at the My Way and Chainbreaker – two of four ‘core beers’ - both of which were pretty tidy. There wasn’t a huge selection if you’re fond of any particular beer (and I didn’t see any Guinness B1R1).
Beer price: 6/10
The Blasta IPA pints I had were $12, which isn’t cheap but not too offensive either. I don’t mind spending that on a locally produced beer.
Quality / value of food: 9/10
There’s a pretty good range of pre-footy fare, including staples like burgers, pizza and fish and chips. Most was well received. Prices were tending towards the high side - $25 for a steak sandwich and about $20 for a pizza – but the food was pretty good so I could live with it.
Wait time for beer and food: 8/10
The venue was pretty busy, and at times the line at the bar got about 15 people deep; however, they also had table service, so if you could catch the eye of one of the staff you didn’t need to go to the bar. The food came out surprisingly quick for such a busy venue.
Good for kids: 9/10
There’s a play area with a sand pit out the back for the little tackers. If you do have little ones and it’s shaping to be a nice day, I’d suggest reserving a table outside near the sandpit so you can have a beer and watch the kids at the same time, like a multitasking parent of the year type. There was a kids menu with some pretty standard fare on it.
General Vibe: 8/10
The music was decent and not too loud. Being an old warehouse, when it’s busy there’s a fair din you need to speak over. It’s got that typical warehouse aesthetic – think Little Creatures of Gordon Street Garage – so if that’s not your thing it’s probably not the place for you. There were a couple of screens inside showing the Eagles game, so that was ok until the Eagles started winning. The outside deck is quite nice, and I reckon I’d try to book there on a nice day.
Overall: 65/100
Our crew was pretty happy with this place as a pre-game venue and I reckon we’ll be back at some point, particularly if it shapes to be a nice day and we can sit outside. Like DTC, the only real downside is the distance to the ground, which hurts the score here, but jumping on the train worked well, and until the footbridge is completed it’s a good option and well worth a look even on a non-game day.
