I was in here recently for the first time,to eat, meeting a friend…read more,id heard great thjngs from people whos opinion I rate( Joe from Ardbeg shop,Irene Mclaughlin, Micheal M,my good pal John et al),about the food,the bar,the owners,the vibe,its simply,as Joe said,a good place to be!
First the setting is simply idyllic,Ardbeg is a village between Rothesay and Port Bannatyne,the shore road is largely free of traffic apart from local residents,the bus route diverts thro the village,on main rd,
Its set in a good position,with space outside to walk/ park ( but no outdoor seating, key to neighbourhood acceptance I reckon,,integrates into and enhances the community,whereas I struggle with hearing the Alvin Stardusr covers blaring from the inn 2 blocks from my window,t,and the beer garden revellers make some racket on a busy night
Brody the owner seems very passionate about community spirit, there are notices politely reminding snokers not ti gather in numbers and annoy neighbours, respect is key here,ive never heard a bad word said about the plqce
How cool and considerate,typical in my exoerience of people from the US, especially smaller towns like Brody and Rima, they welcome everyone,drag queens,bikers,vintage trucks/ tractiors,families
The food is excellent,served by lovely young staff, made fresh to order,fast food but not innstant,the menu encompases a large varuety of dishes,burgers/ chicken/ waffles and much morw,breakfast too,I had the southern friend chicken breast,with cajun fries,my friend a burger which looked fab too- see pics
Too much for me,they happily pack it up for you,im not a great fan of taking fried food hone,I enjoy it fresh, next time id ask for less,smaller portions are available too
Very quiet the night we were in,but a rekaxed sort of at home feel instantly struck me,as if I was in every week lol
Then,the bar,next door to the diner,I dont drink alcohol, id never choose to go to a pub, id go here in a flash,in fact thought about it earlier,maybe tommorow, a camaradarie between the bar tender,a few regulars, a few non regulars,the famous US customer service,I was addressed by Brody as Nice lady, perfectly charming without being over the top, and genuine too,il take Nice lady, its.. Nice
So,id actually leave my house,with its plentiful supply of ice cold cans if coke,music of my choosing,comfy cushions etc,to stand,or sit qt a local bar,joining in the easy chat,striking up a wee convo outside with Simon who it turns out lives next door, whatever
Now,this is easy to solve ( for me), i hate ice in soft drinks, i like fizz,hence cans at home, no fizz lost. In the US famously drinks came with ice( generally its hotter there,massive fridges would be needed.
Il call them next time,ask for a few cans to be put in t be extra chilled,they were not Very cold that night
But this is not a deficit,its an Ameriican bar/ diner, serving the US way,So full marks for all round niceness of exoerience
Scots also have sensitive teeth, All those sweeiies!
I have never gone to have a drink in any other bar on the island
, ive eaten in one,see my reviews
So,result i think
If people( tourists) knew what was going on there,what was being served, itd be mobbed,yet agqin,in keeping with my persinak system of values/ morals, they stay true to themselves,no over the top advertising
As Joe ( i sound like a stalker here lol,im so not lol,only recently git chatting to him and David, the other business owners in Ardbeg), explaining their ethos/ vision put it,you cqn lije well,cheaply on Bute
Ardbeg could actually be the place that has it all, lovely homes and beautuful gardens too,people all say hello at l very least
Alqo,shop opens at 7.30,when it closes ( before it doea actually) the bar/ diner is open
In wunter i i was pretty ill for long spellls earier in year after moving from town to the Port
I felt very alone / isolated,,had i known the honky tonk was there,a real caring set of folk, in it, running it,id have been down,in a cab,i know d have been looked after,simple,result Brody,Rima,nailed it
T
