| rev:text
| - As a fan of the Northeast Milwaukee location, I was very happy to see this restaurant come to Madison. They've done a great job with the location, layout, and look of it, everything about the appearance seems inviting, especially on these colder winter days. The inside is also a treat, with an open feel and variety of booths, tables, and large bar to sit at.
My wife and I sat at the bar for our visit on a Sunday evening, and while it took awhile to get attended to once the bartender came around he was regularly checking up on us. He was social and our dinners came out in a timely fashion, nothing bad about the service.
Speaking of food, I tried the Rustic House Jambalaya and my wife had the classic mussels with frites. Both of us were very pleased when they arrived, the presentation of the dishes was great. Her mussels were in a gigantic steam pot with a sliced loaf of bread on the side and a cone of fries with Sriracha Ranch. I tried a little of each and was impressed. The Jambalaya was equally tasty, the flavor was unique compared to almost every other Jambalaya I've had but I felt that they still captured the Cajun essence well. It had Duck confit, Andouille sausage, shrimp, jasmine rice, okra, peppers, and their special sauce, all of which breathed well in the dish.
I was eyeing up the roasted vegetable & hummus wrap, but passed on it this time around. Their burgers were always good at the Milwaukee location, and overall I was glad to see that the menu has a healthy variety to it. I think this is a place that warrants several visits to get a true feel for what is best. There's plenty to look at too, with a slew of decorations, TVs for sports games, and actually decent looking merchandise (t-shirts, hats, etc).
Prices were the one area I'd like to see improvement. Most items clocked in the $13-20 range, and this seems like a much more hipster/casual environment than the prices allowed for. It's a place I'd like to make a regular spot, but with the high bar of entry I doubt it will become a frequent staple. We had two main dishes + 1 small side, a beer and a soda, and our total was over $50 after tip.
Looking forward to the next visit, and this is one worth checking out to warm you up in the colder months. Their 2nd level outdoor patio also looks fantastic once the ice thaws. . .
|