I had a hard time not comparing Costello's to Garmans... just because it used to be Garmans. And we had the same bartender... Jaimee. She rocks. She is extremely friendly, and hilarious.
We went for Superbowl... and got there around 2, in case there was going to be a crowd. We sat down at the bar, found a seat easily... and noticed it was really hard to have a conversation, even though it wasnt very crowded. It was LOUD. The TV volume was not at a level where you could hear it, so it wasnt even that. The bar is now open, where there used to be a wall just past the bar separating the tables. While it looks a lot nicer now, I think it made the acoustics way worse inside. Once a few more people showed up, and the game started and the TV volume was also raised, it was unbearable.
They have 805 beer on tap, which made me a happy camper. My friend wanted a pina colada on the rocks, and Jaimee made one, and it was perfect. Turns out they didnt have a blender, anyway - so on the rocks ended up working out.
A second bartender arrived not long after we did, and she was exhausting. With a constant need for attention, it was distracting. She was yelling across the entire bar, interrupting conversations... it was truly just too much. I was thankful Jaimee was helping us. No offense to the other bartender, but perhaps tone it way down.
Two pros of Costello's are that the food was really good, and the owner of the bar was not mistreating his staff and passing out at the end of the bar. Again, hard not to compare, with a lot of the same similarities in place.
I ordered the sampler platter, and it was really good. The chips were actually really soft, instead of crispy but I ate them anyway - because the guacamole was AMAZING. The buffalo wings were hot, and didnt have hardly any sauce which I am not used to, but they were still good. The potato skins were good, as were the fried zucchini. The only thing I wasnt a huge fan of were the mozzarella sticks. I dont think they were done enough. I also ordered a side salad because I was craving something refreshing before the fried food plate. The salad was SO fresh and had a lot of flavor and the ranch was delicious. It was almost garlicky. I went with the craving for bar food, and thats exactly what I got, and the sampler platter scratched my itch.
We didnt even make it through the first quarter of the game, due to the volume and not being able to have any type of conversation... but it was a decent experience. I am curious how a band would sound in here, as I just feel like it would be too much and too loud, but if the Reflexx plays there again, I may go check it out and see. Another reason we left, the bar smelled like cigarette - and Im not sure if it was because the door to the patio was open and it was windy, or if it was because people were smoking by the front door, but it smelled like they were smoking right next to us.
I do feel I am being a little generous with 4 stars, but I am going to leave it. read more