When I walked in I was surprised at how great the place looked. What a wonderful overhaul to the old Tweed’s space. Nice bar space, great high tops off the bar, nice warm colors, great table sizes…And the hostess was very, very nice. The menu design looked updated and hip as well. I had high hopes for this new Oak Barrel Tavern. Especially since our waitress was on top of it. I had a drink in my hand within 5 mins of being there. NICE.
I looked over the menu. There were no surprises there. It was a very typical pub style menu with all the basics. So, I decided to go comfort food – it was a rainy night and I could use some warming up. Mac and Cheese sounded perfect. For 14.00 bucks I could order up a plate of Cavatappi pasta mixed with their own cheese blend and truffle oil. Topped with panko bread crumbs and baked golden brown. I could even add on some Buffalo Chicken or some shrimp or some veggies…Sounds yummy to me! But I stuck with tradition.
Let’s face it folks, I am a spoiled brat of a foodie. I have had some amazing mac and cheeses over the years. Including several mac and cheese’s made by some of the folks in this very foodies group that were down right stunningly delicious. So when my hot gooey plate of mac and cheese arrived I had high expectations. And they were quickly dashed. This was just nothing special. I plate of pasta from a bag tossed with some average tasting cheese, and lightly dusted with those panko crumbs. The portion was big- I’ll give them that, but if there was any truffle oil in there to add some flavor it was certainly hidden by a too small dose. After adding salt and some parmesan cheese from a shaker, I got enough flavor to have a decent meal.
Our server was great! She was always available to order more drinks and quick at getting our food out. The service here was excellent and sometimes that is enough to make me want to try a place again.
So, if you want a place to play trivia on a Tuesday night with some pals and grab a drink or two, this is a nice place to do that. If you’re looking for some typical pub foods, check out the Oak Barrel Tavern. The service is great.