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| - First time at Kelly's tonight-drawn in by their retro neon COCKTAILS sign like a moth to the vodka.
Yuenglings were $2 for happy hour and our Pittsburgh Bites (boneless chicken wings) were only $3.50 and came super spicy, which I dug, but looked like little bricks of...ahem...something you might scoop up while following your dog on a walk.
The tilapia in my tacos was breaded and fried sans spices or herbs, so the main part of my taco had absolutely zero flavor, and was topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, which added a little crunch but not much else. The boring theme was completed by everything being wrapped in a flour tortilla. I don't know about you guys, but for me, flour tortillas with tacos are a huge no-no. Just, why? Why would you do that to a perfectly good taco? I could go on about tacos for days, so anyways, they were salvageable with the loads of guacamole, fresh salsa and sour cream that came on the side.
BUT, on a scale of 1 to 10 the mac and cheese was an 8 and had a crazy crust like you've never seen; charred just shy of being totally burnt, it was sort of sealed into the bowl (since it was baked in the dish). And if you're going to a lounge to have a beer this is definitely the best mac and cheese you're going to get your hands on in the city.
East Liberty is a slumbering restaurant meca until 7 when the trendy folks that are employed around there get off work and head out for dinner and drinks. At 5 when we walked in there were two other tables taken, by 8 when we left every seat was full. The loud chatter over beers echoing off the red walls (Kelly's is going for a 50's diner feel with checkered floors and wide white booths) rounded out the "lounge" aspect of it perfectly.
The server was tatted, dreadlocked and pierced, but instead of seeming too "alternative" she gave the place a grungy-but-hospitable feel that worked well.
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