Overview: Although this bar and grill has changed names and management about two or three times in the past three years, their core specialty has remained the same: great pub food and cheap booze in a simple setting. Flat screen TVs fill three of the four walls, and although the place is small, there’s ample tall-booth or low-table seating, seats at the bar, and even a shaded outdoor patio that will be great if once we drop below 100-degrees. Whoever was in charge of the music mix the day I was in was spot on with some great jams, making the place feel alive even though it was only filled with a few regulars who each said bye to everyone in the place before heading back to the office. This place feels like an Irving version of Cheers, but with all-day happy hours, $3 shots, all drinks for $3 on Wednesdays, and, ah yea, karaoke every Tuesday night.
Jump.
Menu: This place used to be known for just their wings (they’re still pretty above-average good … and that’s coming from a former wing waitress), but their other menu items are really stepping up to the plate lately. They have a honey BBQ burger ($7.49) made with a medium-well cooked 100 percent USDA Choice Chuck (never frozen) patty, cheddar cheese, smoked bacon bits and BBQ sauce. If you’re looking for cheap, they have nachos for $6.99, 10 wings for $6.99, turkey and cheese sandwich for $5.99, and a grilled cheese sandwich for $2.99. Their side orders are pretty generous portions as well, and include fried jalapenos ($2.50), mini corn dogs ($4.99), onion rings ($1.99), fried squash ($4.99), zucchini fries ($4.99), and other fried goodies.
What we ate: My frugal-food-friend ordered the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with regular French fries ($7.99), which came out hot with a basket full of beautifully seasoned fries. Let’s just say if you’re looking for a manly, greasy, messy Philly, this isn’t your sandwich. In my opinion, it’s a nice feminine version of the sandwich, which I would have been very pleased with if I had ordered it. My lunch mate on the other hand was hoping for a suck-the-grease-from-your-fingers cheese steak and he was slightly disappointed with this pretty Philly. He ran to the bar immediately and put in an order for fried pickles ($2.50) to offset his disappointment. The French fries were pretty out of this world, seasoned with nothing more than plain salt and pepper. I ordered the original buffalo chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries ($6.99). The chicken didn’t even come close to fitting on the bun, but this is a sandwich I would drive from Dallas to sink my teeth into. I love me some spicy food, and this sandwich gave me a delightful, mini nose run, always a good thing in my book. What I couldn’t finish, my unsatisfied friend quickly gobbled up, adding fried pickles to the buffalo chicken in every bite he took. Gross or awesome?
Extras: If I were, say, coming here for karaoke on a Tuesday, I would be far less concerned with the food (except I’m open to trying their queso with taco meat for $4.99), and far more concerned with their drink specials. Draft beer is $2 for a pint and $8 for a pitcher, and house margaritas are only $3. But who am I kidding, I’d probably give in around my second rendition of “Shoop” and order a rocky road brownie ($3.99) … or two.
8150 N Macarthur Blvd, Irving, TX
