This place is such a gem! We came to have a drink and some eats before walking to Bluesfest. I…read morethink it's meant to be more of a tapas/small plates/shareable food menu. There's a larger patio in the back/side (separated by a wooden fence) with games, but we sat on the front patio and it was a lot more chill.
We were a party of four and sat next to the fence. The table and chairs were a bit rickety and it was a pretty tight, so were thankful our server cleared our table often.
My husband ordered a tall can of local City Goose California IPA and I ordered the grapefruit Old Fashioned. I thought the Old Fashioned was a nice refreshing change from a regular Old Fashioned, and not too strong. It had Bulleit Bourbon, Dolin vermouth, orange bitters, grapefruit juice, and smoked orange rind. Just what I was looking for on a hot summer day on the patio for someone like me, who isn't into super sugary drinks.
Our friends had been a few times before and ordered the house fries. They're not just regular fries - they have honey chili, scallions, and sesame seeds. They were delicious and definitely meant for sharing. Our friends said the last order of fries they had were crispier, but my husband and I thought they were still quite crispy and more sticky than saucy, if that makes sense. They also ordered an off-menu garlic aioli with it, which I would absolutely recommend. What are fries without dip?
On our friends' recommendation, my husband ordered the pulled pork croquettes. Even the server said it was one of their most popular menu items and that he wished they made a ton of them to eat like Timbits haha. They had beer-braised pulled pork, chimichurri, topped with house beer BBQ demi glace and scallions. I had a taste (of course), and they really were tasty. Nice and crispy on the outside and much meatier than I expected, with minimal breading, and not too salty.
I ordered the salmon ceviche. I was worried that it would be cooked salmon (I've mistakenly made the assumption in the past that it was raw), but our server confirmed that it was true ceviche, with raw salmon that was "cooked" in the acidity of the citrus. It was 7oz of salmon, charred cobbed corn, plantain chips, and charred jalapeno. It also came with thinly sliced red onions and cilantro on top of the salmon, and, to my surprise, a side of mixed salad greens, as well as a citrusy green dressing. The jalapenos weren't spicy at all (no seeds other than one stray), and the corn was tasty, but I cut off the kernels so that it was easier to eat all together. It was the perfect light and refreshing meal for that day, yet still filling and extremely satisfying.
Our server was very friendly, helpful, and attentive as well. The door to the indoor part of the restaurant was open, not sure if there's no air conditioning or they just chose not to turn it on. The washroom was clean but a very tight space, even for little ol' me.
I would absolutely come back here!