Allen's fills a niche: a pub atmosphere with a white linen bent. It's the kind of place you can bring a date for a pint but also a nice dinner. Don't look for pub grub on Allen's menu. It's fine eating without the Financial District price tag. Heck, they even hide the fact they serve burgers. It takes a sharp eye to see they have burgers quasi-off menu.
They did have a fish and chips pub staple on the menu. I was pretty disappointed. It was a small bit of flesh covered in a huge whack of batter. The batter was over rich. You know when something is so deep fried that it starts to tickle your throat on the way down and almost invokes a gag reflex? The fries are tops, however. But as a chaser to a hunk of uggy rich batter, it was all too much. Even for me.
The beer selection is quite interesting. There are about 50+ bottles on the menu and a good selection on tap. Unfortunately, the beers are on a chalk board menu and aging eyes make it difficult to read the beer list from most tables. One has to sort of belly up to a patron table to read the list. No one wants people hovering over your table while you're trying to enjoy a dinner and an intimate conversation.
Service is highly professional and knowledgeable. They've got a smart crew working there. A backyard patio and an outdoor BBQ offers expanded menu choices when the weather turns nice.
Like the Queen & Beaver, this is a great high place where you can kill two birds with one stone. As a neighborhood pub where you can hoist a couple with friends, Allen's isn't very conducive to that.