This week’s spotlight falls on Avenue Pub in Temerson Square downtown, and yeah, it’s that good. Freedom-soaked Americana bar food like this needs no introduction, so without further ado, here are three reasons you should become a regular at Avenue Pub:
1. Thai Chicken Nachos – a menu favorite, sadly once removed, but back due to the triumphant cries of the hungry masses. These nachos are a fresh and spicy take on the bar staple. Tender chicken bites are melted onto a bed of house-made pita chips with mozzarella cheese. All of that gets drenched in Thai peanut sauce and Sriracha hot chili sauce. Scoop it, spoon it, scrape it, lick it off the plate if you’re so inclined. Be assured, you’ll be glad you ordered them.
2. Happy Hour Burger – while the kitchen may offer a truly delicious full-sized bacon burger and mouthwatering house specials that vary day to day, the true burger masterpiece on the menu is the happy hour burger. From the glorious hours of 3-6 p.m., you have the capability, no, the privilege, to think about being productive, laugh and go eat this creation instead. For $5 you get a smaller, but still generously-sized burger adorned with lettuce, mayo, red onion, cheese and bacon. Hold on to your pants though, because all of that deliciousness is perched elegantly upon a Sister Schubert’s yeast roll.
If you don’t know what a Sister Schubert’s yeast roll is, just form a mental image of Wilford Brimley, of the famous “Diabeetus” commercial, and then imagine all your health concerns getting blown to heck by a five-finger death punch of buttery, fluffy awesomeness. Oh yeah, it comes with fries, and those are awesome too.
3. Beer. It’s a pub. They serve really good beer, and providing you’ve reached the legal age, it would be a sacrilege to drink anything else with your burger.
If the phrase “pound some Natties” appeals to you in any way, order a Kolsh or a Hefeweizen. They’re similar to Natties, but a whole lot better. If you usually choke down Budweiser, try an ale or a lager for a fuller flavor. If you generally like to spend the extra dime for Blue Moon or Shock Top, then Saisons are for you.
Disclaimer: Be responsible. It’s worth noting that drinking beer doesn’t have to be about getting wasted and fist-pumping to dubstep. Enjoy what you drink. It should taste good; it should be mostly chemical-free and it should be brewed locally.
Avenue Pub is the kind of place where Ron Swanson would take a lady he fancied to dinner. He would sit at the rich mahogany bar and smile in delight at the board of draft beers. He would pull his date’s chair out for her and wipe Sriracha sauce daintily from his mustache. He would order the burger. And so should you.
