This review is based on two recent visits to Shade Bar & Grill, located inside of the Radisson Hotel in Nashua.
This is the hotel restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. The atmosphere inside is modern with table seating, booths, and seating at the full service bar. There are several TVs and also a buffet station which is used for such activities as Sunday brunch and the express lunch salad & soup bar (weekdays). The menu offers pub fare including appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, dinner entrees, pasta, flatbread pizzas, and more. The prices are moderate, most items $10 and up. The bar offers a full drink menu and several beers on tap. They offer Happy Hour (Mon-Fri 4:30pm-6:30pm) with special free buffets in the bar with drink purchase: Potato Skin Bar (Mon), Chef Carved Steamship Round (Tue), Pasta Bar (Wed), Mexican Madness (Thu), and TGIF (Wing, Ribs, Corn Bread & Chili (Fri)).
VISIT A: I stopped here on a Saturday afternoon for an early dinner. The place was pretty busy because there was a convention at the hotel. I was seated near the bar. I ordered The Full Monty ($10.49 with Sweet Potato Fries & Pickle and an ice water. The food arrived in about 20 minutes after ordering. The presentation was sloppy, the food thrown together and fries all over the plate. The sandwich was okay, which was a classic monte cristo with shaved ham, turkey and Swiss cheese on very soft egg batter dipped texas toast. The sweet potato fries were very good, hot, crispy outside, soft inside. The service was very hectic and delayed since the waitress had several tables. I did not receive a refill on the ice water (glass too small). This visit would be 2 STARS.
VISIT B: I stopped here on a Wednesday afternoon for the Pasta Bar Happy Hour. I ordered a pint of Bud Light ($2.50 HH special on draft). There was a Pasta Bar set up next to the bar, attended by a chef who prepared made to order pasta dishes on small appetizer plates. The choices of ingredients included steak, chicken, seafood (shrimp & scallops), green peppers, red peppers, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, fresh garlic, pesto, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, fettuccine, casserole elbows, and buttered garlic bread. I enjoyed three plates of made to order pasta goodness, prepared hot, fresh, and tasty by the chef. Also for dinner, I ordered a Turkey Burger ($9.99) with Sweet Potato Fries & Pickle. The food arrived to my seat at the bar in about 10 minutes. The entree this time was presented neatly, burger served open faced. This turkey burger was very standard, but good, with a firm grilled ground turkey patty on a butter grilled ciabatta roll, topped with romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion and canola mayonnaise. The sweet potato fries were very good again! I was very full after eating plenty of food with my cold Bud Light. The service on this visit was prompt and courteous, much better than the previous Saturday afternoon visit. The bar was not very busy either. The bill came out to $13.39 with tax and before tips (for bartender & pasta station chef). This visit would be 4 STARS.
For now, this place gets 3 STARS between the two separate visits to Shade Bar & Grill. I will try out the other special Happy Hour food offerings soon. read more