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| - Nirvana is that pub that you go to on Friday nights after work with colleagues, not because it's great, but because it's close, the food is fine, and the beer is reasonable. No one will be impressed, and no one will be too disappointed...it's a firmly average establishment with some hits and some misses.
The Drinks: This place has an OK selection of beers, what I like to call the Mass-microbrews, places like Mill Street, Steamwhistle, Creemore, etc. They don't have any of what I would call Craft Beer on tap though. Beer pitchers are pretty reasonable though. They also have very cheap shots (small ones, but cheap), that delight at least one of my coworkers who gets a little wild sometimes. Wine is low-end, and I have to confess to never trying the cocktails.
The Food: Well, they do adequate food. They're quite consistent with it, consistently average, but that's better than unpredictable. The burger is a bit below average (consistently). It reminds me of what might be served in an elementary school cafeteria and is well-acquainted with a deep freeze. The fries are better, and I've had some decent experiences with some other menu items. I like that they have a pretty good vegetarian selection, which is a plus for bringing a groups.
The Atmosphere: It's dark, it's a bit loud, but it has some character. The furniture only sort of matches, and it's all a bit quirky. I think in the end I kind of like it. Restrooms are in the basement and somehow get pretty gross even early in the night.
The Service: Ok, they're not consistent here. I had one server who could barely hide her disdain at having to actually serve people in her job as a server. She was nowhere to be found, and rude when she was found. I've gone to the bar to retrieve drinks. Then, I've also had some great service here. My last meal in particular, the server couldn't have been better. Either they have high turnover or need better management--I suspect both. [I kind of wanted to answer "sometimes" to the question below on whether Nirvana had waiter service]
Overall, well, Nirvana is close to work and the beer is cheap. I'll be back, but I think I'll avoid the burger from now on.
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