I had tickets the other night to Andiamo to see Peter Noone and Herman’s Hermits. It was a great show – even got to get an autograph and a picture with him! A wee bit tipsy, we invited him to my friend Michelle’s house for Nachos the night night , but he was heading for Ohio in the morning. Otherwise, I am sure he would have joined!
We wanted something a bit easier and more economical than Andiamo’s for dinner, so we decided to try Malone’s Tavern, a local Irish pub, on Van Dyke and 14 Mile. I made reservations, that we waiting for us when we arrived. The service was friendly and she took good care of us, even though she seemed to be one of the only waitresses.
Omar and I ordered a Super Trooper Coffee and Donut Brown Ale by Petoskey Brewing Company. 7.3% abv. The beer was smooth, not too heavy. The beer is a brown ale that has chocolate malt, Colombian coffee and donuts in it, sourced from local companies.
From the website: The coffee grounds are from Higher Grounds in nearby Traverse City and the donuts are from Johan’s Pastry Shop in Petoskey. The brew smells more like a coffee than a beer.
Their menu is fairly large, with your standard bar fair, intertwined with Irish specialties. Some of their more unusual offerings are pepper jack cheese balls, reuben sliders made with Wigley’s corned beef, home made potato chips, shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash.
I was not super hungry, and just felt like potato skins, which I ordered with a side salad. The potato skins were a bit disappointing. They were under cooked, with a small amount of toppings. The salad was inconsequential. A simple bagged salad with a few soggy croutons and ranch dressing. Edible, not memorable.
Omar got a Louisiana Burger, which is a Cajun spiced burger, topped with jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, sriracha mayo and onion straws. Served on a grilled brioche bun. He ordered onion straws on the side as he doesn’t like onion straws/rings on a burger. He said the burger was good, but didn’t order any sides so was not super filling.
Our other guests ordered such items as reuban sandwiches, atlantic salmon, burgers and shepherds pie. Everyone said their food was ok. Nothing special, but nothing terrible either,
Overall, I give the atmosphere and friendliness factor a 7 out of 10 and food, a mere 5 out of 10. It is what it is, bar food, nothing less, nothing more. I would go back again for the convenience, but don’t think I will be singling it out for its amazing food.