Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Y! MyWebBar Review
Beef O'Brady's
The pub sports a family friendly atmosphere that's sure to be a hit with kids of all ages.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
CENTERVILLE — For countless Miami Valley residents, Saturdays in the fall can mean only one thing: football.
While the Lounge Lizards aren't avid sports fans (please don't boo, respect the honesty), we are continuously searching neighborhoods in the Miami Valley with the goal of scoring a watering hole touchdown. Our most recent pastime pursuit saw team Lounge Lizard advancing to Centerville's self-proclaimed family pub, Beef O'Brady's.
Extras
Beef O'Brady's
As we entered the pub, we passed several football fans lounging under the covered patio cheering on their favorite teams from one of several outdoor monitors. For the fan who is looking to experience game-day weather without the hassles of the crowds, enjoy a sandwich, beverage and have the option of getting indoors quickly should the climate conditions change unfavorably, the outdoor patio, complete with heaters, seems like the perfect play.
Passing through the doors we briefly huddled to determine our team strategy and decided on a lateral rush toward the bar. The Lounge Lizard playbook clearly states that the best experiences typically occur closest to the bartender. On our way, we passed strong side seating areas geared to accommodate both small and large group lineups. While the Chicago room toward the back of the restaurant could contain overflow on busy nights, it could also act as a free agent, accommodating a large group after the game or hosting a postseason party.
The pub itself is comfortably decorated with a sports theme — hundreds of posters, jerseys and other memorabilia ranging from familiar local teams to celebrated national ones.
Settling into our seats, we were instantly conscious of the numerous well-placed TV monitors — there's one in each bathroom, if that gives you any idea of the kind of visual blitz we're talking about. Each screen featured a sporting event from drag racing to one of the many must-see college or national football games on at the time.
The beer list is extensive, and to celebrate game day, we scored a couple of brewskis. Alexis opted for a Blue Moon Belgian White and Craig a Great Lakes Oktoberfest, both on tap, both served up cold and fresh ($5 each). Requiring munchies to match our beers, the Lounge Lizards challenged the bartender, who doubled as our server, to bring us the best appetizer on the menu. He went with a familiar dish on many bar menus — Queso dip and chips ($4.99).
Needing a little more fuel to keep up our game day strength, we chose to add a Reuben ($7.79) and a roast beef garlic melt ($7.49) to our lunchtime play.
The Reuben featured a pile of perfect corned beef served on zesty rye bread topped with Swiss cheese, thousand island dressing and a splash of mustard, served with chips in a bag. The melt, served much like a panini on garlic bread, featured roast beef topped with provolone cheese and onions. We ordered the roast beef with fries and a side of coleslaw. Both sandwiches were clearly made of quality ingredients boasting great flavor, but fell on the dry side and could have benefited from more sauce. The pineapple coleslaw, while much delayed (they ran out and had to make a fresh batch), was worth the wait in terms of flavor, but small in the portion department.
It's a good thing our beers were 23 ounces as we saw our bartender only a few times during our visit.
Beef O'Brady's sports a family friendly atmosphere that's sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. The food, beer and its many, many TV screens scored a touchdown with the Lounge Lizards. A moment on the sidelines to coach the serving staff may inspire the Beef O'Brady's team to be ready with their game faces on at the next kickoff.
