Total Pageviews

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Train Wreck Bar & Grill (Burlington, Washington)

Train Wreck Bar & Grill, 427 East Fairhaven Avenue, Burlington, Washington U.S.A. Ph# 360-775-0582. It is just off Hwy 20 about ten minutes from Interstate 5 to the east. What a great find! This is way up there now for one of my favorites! As you can guess it has a train theme, but not over bearing. It is after all, right beside the Burlington Northern Sante Fe line. This old brick building is narrow on the front and opens up a bit like a wedge with a patio out back where they do BBQ over wood charcoal. The sit up bar seats 10 people and is made of old growth wood. This wood is beautiful and is 3 1/2 feet across and 3 inches thick with very thick lacquer coating. Along the east wall they have a 20 foot long bench that is made of a one piece of a split log for the seat and back. It too is finished in thick lacquer. To go with this bench there are 3 tables, two that seat 6 and one that seats 4. These tables are also made out of old growth wood same lacquer finish. The bases for the tables are laquered stumps. Wow its beautiful and worth checking out!!! They have a very extensive menu and I had the special which was a Chili Burger with deep fired cheese curds on top and side order of home cut fries. It was very good and worth having again! My wife had the Crab Tacos (with fresh crab meat) not that fake stuff, and she said it was very good. We were there for lunch on a Saturday and it was very busy. All ages and back grounds of people were here. I guess this cozy place sits about 70 people or so. There is live music in the evenings so they ask you enter via the side door. I guess with a small band near the front door you would have to walk through the band to get to your seat. Service was very good, but they never asked if we wanted another drink, odd! But they kept coming around and checking on us to make sure everything was good. I can hardly wait to come here again.

August 2011, I hit this place several times in and it is still one of my vavorite Bars.  The food is some of the best bar food I have had anywhere.  I saw some guy order this mombo sized breakfast burito.  It was the biggest I have ever seen.  You could feed a family of 4 and still have left overs.  When we were there the train roared by ( train is about 5 yards away).  If you are there when the train goes buy they sell shots for $1.00!!  Maybe check with Burglington Northern Santfe and Amtrak to see when their trains are going by and schedule your visit accordingly, LOL!!

August 2012, I keep coming back......and often.  Food is still the best!  My wife had the lunch special, which was a pulled pork quesidilla and it was very big and it was only $8.95.  I had the Carribean chicken sandwich on awesome bread with a mountain of home made fries!  They are just about completed their expansion which includes a bigger kitchen!!
Went here again for breakfast in a Saturday in February 2013, you just gotta try their " Ultimate Breakfast Bloody Mary".  What is it you ask, well here are the ingredients: Cellery, Carrot, Cucumber, Pickled Beans, Pickled Okra, Pickled Asparagus, Pickled peppers, Queen olives, Chunk of ham and Cheddar Cheese, Blue Cheese stuffed olives, Salami, then add, the extra:  3 breakfast sausage meat balls, 4 chunks of potato wrapped in bacon and two small breakfast biscuit sandwiches all a 32 oz mug of Bloody Mary!!  Wow!! Check out the picture!!
Feb 2015 back for lunch and had the Beer Battered Alaskan Cod and chips with home made coleslaw.  Two large pieces of fish, nice fresh and firm, not mushy. A mountain of home made fries, which I couldn't finish but were very good. The fish and chips were very good and I wold have them again for sure!! Service was very good and friendly!  They don't do the $1.00 shots any more, when the train goes by. 

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Shop Tavern (Oroville, Washington)

The Shop Tavern, 2002 Main Street, Oroville, Washington, U.S.A.. The name says it all. This used to be the site of NAPA Auto Parts and it is now a Tavern. They only sell beer and wine, due to licensing. That will hurt in the long run. The walls and the bar are made out of corrugated metal and give it that shop feel. There are several TV's on the wall and a large projection screen TV. This is a Sports Tavern........but they are going to have to step it up n the food department. I had the Nachos, which were chips with that liquid cheese. The kind you get at the Football or baseball games. The bar tender told us that we could go out in the parking lot and buy something and bring it back in to eat. In the parking lot there was a van selling Mexican food and a BBQ stand to go along with Subway! Maybe we should have brought our food in to eat. There is a lot of echo in this place so it makes it a little hard to hear the TV's. The Tavern and the washrooms were very clean. I understand it is new, and probably going through some growing pains. This place does not stand out!

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Irish Embassy Pub & Grill (Toronto, Ontario)

Irish Embassy Pub & and Grill, 49 Younge Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada www.embassypub.com. This great place is situated in an old bank building that was built in 1873. It is in the heart of the financial district and a couple of blocks away from the Hockey Hall of Fame (a must see)! There are two parts to this wonderful pub, the first being the Embassy main bar which is where you enter, the second half is the Dublin Lounge,m I sat up at the bar in the Dublin lounge. they had 18 different beer on tap. The food was fabulous. My lunch special started of with a fresh Cesar salad, followed bu the 3 cheese macaroni with double smoked bacon chunks (wow was it ever good!). A couple of glasses of wine to wash it down and for desert it was fresh strawberries and cream!! All the tables in the lounge had fresh bread on them. The service was very good and friendly. The main bar is a little bigger and obviously very popular as there were reserved signs at the sit up bar. Many people were in to watch the World Cup. My biggest mistake was leaving, because when I left it was pouring rain. I should have stayed and waited it out, hahaha! If you are ever in Toronto this is a very nice place to go to!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Gudrun Tasting Room (Steveston, British Columbia)

Gudrun Tasting Room, 150-3500 Moncton Street, Steveston B.C.
My Mother In Law put me on to this place and it is fantastic. I am not saying that to make my Mother In Law happy but it is great. It is right in the heart of Steveston, and a little hard to find as it is down a small pedestrian alley about 100 feet or so. When you get there the outside sitting area is in front with a large table that you share with everyone else. There is a large tree through the middle of the table. They have a very funk bar and cool wine rack behind the bar with a great selection of wine. Patrick the owner is great at helping you make a good choice of wine. He grew up in the area and it is nice to see a local guy doing well. We were there for Sunday brunch so they have a Sunday brunch only menu. You can't order off the regular menu which is written on the east wall. I had the Eggs Benny (comes meat or vegetarian) I had the meat, which was thinly sliced Italian salami, Organic free range eggs on a sliced croissant with great sauce, with a side spinach salad with a balsamic dressing. Possibly one of the best egg benny's I have ever had. My wife and her Mom had what is basically a ploughmans lunch with various cheeses, fruit and bread. They both really enjoyed it immensely! The service was very good and very friendly. All of the tables and chairs were made by Patrick from what I am told. It is a small place but very cosy and friendly. I am looking forward to trying it one evening. This is truly a great find!! For sure, two thumbs up!!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Isaac's at 9 Drayton (Savannah, Georgia)

Isaac's at 9 Drayton, 9 Drayton Street, Savannah Georgia, United States. I guess it is mostly a restaurant but every one in there was sitting at their lovely bar, so a bar it is. There is a slight sports theme to it with the TV'S having sports games on. Apparently 100 years ago a prominent person shot and killed a guy in this place. Recently they found the remains of the victim buried in the basement. The shooter was able to get off the murder charge. Lots of these neat little places in Savannah. Sooo much to see and so little time to see it all.

Mad River Bar and Grille (Charleston, South Carolina)

Mad River Bar and Grille, 32 North Market Street, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
www.madrivercharleston.com
A Church turned in to a bar!!! Built in 1915 and in 1916 was named the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. It served as a church until 1964 when it was deconsecrated as it was no longer needed. The religious symbols were removed n 1967. On 2nd of September1989 it was damaged by hurricane Hugo and shortly there after it was restored. The bar is located in the main body of the church. They have 13 flat screen tv's and a 72 inch projection screen to make this place a sports bar. The sit up bar is at least 40 feet long and can seat 20 people. The surface of the bar is finished in copper. What a cool concept to turn a church in to a bar. They also have 5 booths and numerous tables and chairs. They recently put in an out side patio area out back. Apparently it turns into a high energy bar after 10 pm! But in the afternoon it was pretty laid back, and a nice was to take a break from sight seeing!!

Molly MacPherson's Scottish Pub and Grill (Savannah, Georgia)

Molly MacPherson's Scottish Pub and Grill, 311 West Congress Street,
Savannah, Georgia, United States

www.macphersonsppub.com. Cool, Cool place! It is named after the owner's great grand mother, which in its self is a great idea! The staff all wear kilts (even though they are Utility Kilts from Seattle Washington). They have a huge selection of Scotch It is a very comfortable small little bar with loads of character. The sit up bar is beautiful and the single scotch is all in dispensers ready to go behind the bar in full view.I could have easily stayed here a bit longer but since I was on the Haunted Pub Tour we had to move on, but not with out purchasing a glass of wine and T-shirt! Every one was friendly and made you feel at home! A must try if you are ever in Savannah!!