rev:text
| - 5 Stars, best in Monroe and I dare someone to dispute this. I've lived in Monroe for a while now and downtown Monroe is just normally a no-no for anything after 4:00pm and that includes eating.
This place opened back in August apparently and I'm currently kicking myself for not finding it sooner, but again, it's a small town and word of mouth is sometimes slow.
The decor inside is insanely misleading. No frills and looks leftover from a mix of other places reminiscent of chinese joints. I literally walked in and immediately thought they served chinese food. But if you take a moment to walk to the back (where the hostess stand actually is) you will see the fantastic patio. Cool thing about the patio is that it's squeezed in between two old buildings and you literally feel like you are no longer in Monroe. It's crazy. A nice water fountain can be found near a few tables and once the sun goes down the ligthing is very romantic. I hate to say this but if I couldn't sit outside it would probably factor into whether or not I come here.
The food, my goodness, the food. All the dishes are unique and a blend of food not normally served up. Cauliflower buds dipped in chipotle sauce, chili sauce grilled shrimp and jalepeno spinach dip are just a few appetizer (they call them 'Happytizers') combinations you can have here. The main entrees are also fantastic. I had the pretzel crusted chicken over mashed potatoes and vegetable of the day was squash. So good!!! So good in fact, my girlfriend and I came back the next night again! I had the Pasta Melanie the next night and it was equally delish! Sun dried tomatoes, pasta and perfect cooked chicken. There's at least one more menu item that caught my eye. It's called the Chainsaw Burger. Get this, two grilled cheese sandwiches act as the bun, 14 oz burger and all the typical topings (bacon, etc). OMG, I love a good challenge!
Last but not least the beer selection is perfect to me. Monroe is apparently sponsered by mostly domestic and crappy beer. This place has local craft beer and Bells Two Hearted! You had me at Bells!
|