Skinny Legs Pub and Grill

                A relative newcomer to the local pub grub scene, Skinny Legs Pub and Grill is just a couple blocks south of the river in Bellevue, KY at 519 Fairfield Ave. Skinny Legs is just a couple of years old and is housed in a renovated corner building and consists of a very high ceilinged bar, a dining room and an upstairs loft where live music is played on the weekends.

                The menu offers a number of selections ranging from burgers to pizza, from appetizers to wraps and sandwiches, from soups to salads.

                You get the feeling that this is a nice little neighborhood gathering place where people walk to enjoy food and drink and the company of their neighbors. The atmosphere just gives off that local vibe. Add to that the various flat screen TVs showing sporting events and Skinny Legs Pub and Grill would be a nice place to be a regular.

                One down side was how loud the televisions were blaring when we went in on an early Sunday afternoon (it didn’t help that the Reds were blowing another ball game) and some of the reviews I’ve read on line indicate that the noise level is usually pretty high in the bar area. Perhaps back in the dining room it is more conducive to sitting and chatting but we were at a table out front.

Josh

                   Again, the end of the school year is hampering Josh’s time toward writing up his reviews.

               Not that it would really matter much because when we got there he decided that he was really hungry and not really in the mood for a burger. So he ordered up one of their pizzas, a pepperoni that took every bit of effort on his part to finish. He said it was good. No John’s on Bleeker in the West Village in New York but not bad for a pub pizza. (Just of note, a few blocks away over in Newport is a great little pizza joint, the Newport Pizza Company - http://newportpizzacompany.com/ - at 601 Monmouth is the closest to a New York pie I’ve found around here.)

Mark

                For my lunch, I ordered one of their half-pound Angus beef burgers. There’s nothing like Angus beef when fixing up a burger. I was having a discussion not too long ago with my friend Jeep who made the comment that there is something special about an Angus burger. There’s a flavor that really shines through. And that was just as true with the Angus beef used at Skinny Legs. (By the way, Jeeps current favorite burger place is Terry’s Turf Club, a place we will hopefully be reviewing in the coming months.)

                They claim to cook the burger to order but mine was a bit more well-done than what I had asked for. Still, the flavor was there and the burger wasn’t at all dried out. It was served on a toasted Kaiser Roll which can often be hard and not hold up to the burger and the toppings. This one did, though, being a good soldier in doing its job.

                As for the toppings, my slice of provolone added just the right hint of cheese without taking anything else away. The pickles were what you would expect. I actually had to look to find the lettuce but what little was there was crisp.

                This was a decent burger. While the beef, as I said before, was flavorful, there really wasn’t anything that jumped out and grabbed me by the taste buds screaming to be noticed. According to what I’ve heard, some of their specialty burgers really stack up with some of the other top burger joints in the area. Maybe on my next trip I’ll give one of them a try. In the meantime, if you go there and eat a lot of half-pound Angus burgers, you won’t have Skinny Legs for long.

Butterbee's American Grille

                Opened in 2006, Butterbee’s American Grille is a family owned and operated sports themed restaurant. The original location at 390 N. High Street in Mt. Orab, OH (about 30 miles east of Cincinnati) was joined a few years later by a second location at 4022 Mt. Carmel-Tabasco Rd. at the corner of Beechmont Ave., right off I-275. Both locations feature an amazing number of flat screen HD televisions, all tuned to the latest sports. The subdued sports atmosphere is helped by the many old sports related pictures hanging on the walls.

                Though they specialize in all things chicken, from chicken sandwiches and wraps to the obligatory chicken fingers, the menu boasts a wide variety of offerings including steaks, pork chops, baby back ribs, fish, pulled pork and, of course, the requisite “Grand Slam Burgers.”

                In addition to the two locations, you can also find Butterbee’s American Grille on the internet at www.butterbeesgrill.com.

Josh

                Again, with the end of school and SAT and ACT tests coming up, Josh had time to enjoy the burger but not really the time to write up a review. He did order the Old School burger, a half-pound of ground beef cooked to order on the grill. He topped it with a lettuce and tomato garden and Swiss cheese. Like a growing number of restaurants, Butterbee’s accompanies their burgers, in fact all of their sandwiches, with chips rather than French fries. In their case they offer up Saratoga chips. Josh opted for a baked potato and ordered it with cheese and bacon. When it arrived, the cheese was a very unappealing cheese spread product and the bacon bits, he said, were soggy. He didn’t eat the potato but pretty much inhaled the burger. He felt about the burger the same way I describe it below.

Mark

                Like Josh I ordered the Old School burger with the lettuce and tomato and a slice of Jack cheese. When the burger arrived, very promptly, I might add, it smelled the way a good burger should: like it came right off the grill. It was perfectly cooked and stacked high on a soft, thick bun. Good thing, too, because the burger was extremely juicy.

                With the first bite I could taste the grill. I could taste the meat. Then I got a hint of crispy lettuce and ripe, juicy tomato. The mellow Jack cheese was just enough to round out the experience. This is a very nice burger. It is plump and, as I said before, very juicy. It is savory and filling.

                I happen to be a fan of Saratoga chips. Named for Saratoga Springs, NY where the potato chip was supposedly invented, these are a just a hair thicker than traditional chips. Also, as is the case with all good Saratoga chips, these come with an order of tangy barbeque sauce in which to dip. Butterbee’s barbeque sauce is good and I’m sure makes their ribs and pulled pork come alive in your mouth. With that kind of sauce it’s easy to see why a person would need the roll of paper towels that sit on every table.

                Not all was right at Butterbee’s though. Besides Josh’s dreadful baked potato, when the two of us asked for mustard to put on our burgers we were given two little packets of Heinz. Not that I have anything against Heinz, it’s a great yellow mustard, but come on, packets? Do they not want people to use the mustard the way to use it as much as the ketchup they have in bottles (two bottles in our case) on the table?

                Another disappointment was the pickle spear. It wasn’t crisp and it was rather bland. It was as if they were trying to save money by not offering up the same quality in some of their standard additions. Since everything else was so fresh and tasty (including the bread that arrived warm shortly after we sat) it really rather surprised me that such simple touches as a tasty, crisp pickle and mustard could be so lacking.

                With fast friendly service (we were right at the beginning of a weekend lunch rush and it almost felt like we were being rushed at first as our server was asking for drink and even food orders before we’d even settled in, though that really wasn’t the case) and an inviting sports related atmosphere, it’s well worth it to check out either location of Butterbee’s American Grille. How can you not like a place that has rolls of paper towels on the table to help you keep your fingers clean?  Just don’t order a baked potato.

Anderson Bar and Grill

                Sporting a good location and having a lot of room, the Anderson Bar and Grill has many of the makings of a great neighborhood pub. Located at 8060 Beechmont Ave. at the corner of Nagel Rd. (and at www.andersonbarandgrill.com on the web) there is easy access and plenty of parking. The place is divided into two large rooms. To the right of the entrance is a large bar with plenty of flat screen TVs situated so that everyone can see. To the left is the more subdued dining room. The service is generally fast and friendly even when they’re working with a skeleton crew.

Josh

                Josh hasn’t had the time to write up a review of this restaurant because of his school obligations. So I’m going to post without him and if and when he gets the time we’ll just edit the blog and let you know he’s posted.

                In the meantime, Josh ordered the Create Your Own burger, topped with lettuce and tomato and two slices of American cheese. He splashed ketchup on top of it all and added a side of fries.

Mark

I had been to the Anderson Bar and Grill several time but it was usually to grab a drink and some bar food with friends so the thought of stopping in for one of their burgers was intriguing. As stated above, the place is pretty large and while the bartender was also working the floor as the server, she was fast and friendly and got our orders quickly. I ordered a classic make your own burger which is advertised as a half-pound of hand formed choice ground beef cooked to order. I had them put on some provolone cheese along with lettuce and tomato.

When the burger arrived I was pleased at its size and the fact that it was sitting on a very thick bun. Except the bun was perhaps a bit too thick. The generous slice of tomato along with the beef on that thick bun made it impossible to put the entire thing in my mouth for a bite. Now this normally isn’t a problem and I never let anything so trivial stand in the way of enjoying a tasty burger so I just dug right in.

The bun itself seemed a little hard, almost stale. While it didn’t entirely break up as I ate it did cause some handling problems. The lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp. And while they advertise a fresh hand formed beef patty, mine looked too symmetrical to have been done by hand and tasted as though the beef was either a little old or had been frozen and recently thawed.

                On the side I got an order of French fries. They were wonderfully cooked with a nice crisp outside and light as air inside. Add to that a spear of dill pickle that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary (keep in mind that I tend to favor the dills at my favorite New York City delis so any comparison to something in this town is unfair) and a HUGE size drink and I was more than filled by the meal if not overly delighted.

                The burger at the Anderson Bar and Grill wasn’t terrible burger but I would suggest heading off to one of the neighborhood’s other, much better pubs for a great burger.

Blue Goose Sports Cafe

                Located in the heart of the Sharonville Loop, the Blue Goose Sports Café proclaims itself a family friendly restaurant and sports bar. With a well-rounded menu and about 20 flat screen TVs situated all over the place, it’s impossible not to have access to a favorite sporting event. High dark ceilings may help to keep the sound levels a bit loud but the low lighting helps provide an intimate feeling. Located at 11060 Reading Rd. (making the parking situation quite difficult) and on the web at www.bluegoosesportscafe.com, the Blue Goose is a true neighborhood pub with a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Josh

                With the school year coming to an end, Josh is busy wrapping things up as well as prepping for the upcoming SAT and ACT exams. So while he was able to go and enjoy the foot at blue Goose Sports Café, he hasn’t had the time as yet to write up his review. If he gets round to it we’ll just edit it in and let all of you know. For his part he had the Classic Cheeseburger along with his usual garden of lettuce and tomato and ketchup and mustard for condiments. Along with the burger was a side of fries.

 Mark

                I’ve noted before that I’m a firm believer that a burger is more than just beef. It has to be taken as a collection of everything, from bun to garden to cheese and condiments. With that in mind, yes I suppose my outlook on a burger is that the whole is greater than the components. For me a tasty piece of beef can be dragged down by a stale or flaky bun, or from wilted lettuce or an unripe tomato. It takes all of the components working together to build a top notch burger.

                I was hoping for such a top notch burger when we stopped into The Blue Goose during the recent Sharonville Chamber of Commerce car show (check out some posts on our car blog at www.turnerbudds-carblog.blogspot.com).

                Noted for some of their appetizer options as well as The Big Goose one-half pound Angus burger I opted for the one-third pound Angus beef Classic cheeseburger. I chose lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, mayo and mustard to help adorn my burger.

                The first thing I noticed on my first bite was the bun. Unlike a lot of buns that are nothing more than something to keep your fingers clean while eating the burger, this one added a nice flavor to that first bite. I later asked our server and she told me that the Goose uses Klosterman buns. I thought it tasted familiar. Klosterman makes the kind of buns any guy would want to gently squeeze and then slap his meat between.

                The next thing that hit me on that first bite was the crunch of lettuce and how flavorful the tomato was. Those two flavors mingled and danced across my taste buds. This was the first day of May and produce isn’t supposed to be this crisp. But the folks at the Goose have found the right place to buy and it really enhances the burger.

                Again I asked our server who informed me that they were using Roma tomatoes. Roma tomatoes? Now I grow my own tomatoes in a little garden behind our house. And one of my favorites is the Roma. We always use the Roma more for cooking. It makes great sauces, particularly a tasty marinara and really beefs up a salsa. But I had never considered slicing it up and putting it on a burger. I mentally log that one for future reference.

                As I bit through the burger, the condiments added their own touch of flavor. At this point I was delighted with the symphony of taste that was building from this burger.

                Alas, that all ended. After the first bite it dawned on me, I hadn’t tasted the burger or the cheese. To confirm this I took another bite, then another. Nope, no real flavor from either burger or cheese.

                Advertised as a third pound all Angus beef patty, to look at it you get the feeling that it wasn’t formed by hand and probably wasn’t fresh but had most likely been frozen at some point. The lack of flavor was very disheartening. Especially when you consider that this was one of the more expensive burger joints we had encountered. The burger itself was nearly $8 and while I settled for the standard potato chips, Josh opted to be charged extra for an order of fries.

                The good atmosphere and fast and friendly service just weren’t enough to overcome the lack of flavor from the beef. Add to that the high prices and while the Blue Goose is an OK local pub, I wouldn’t go out of my way to make a return trip.