A few weeks ago I was down in Newport without Josh who was probably out with his friends doing something far more fun than hang with his old man. But that gave me the opportunity to check out a place I’d heard about but at which I’d never eaten, Shortneck’s Bar and Grill.
Presenting themselves as a neighborhood sports bar, complete with enough high def televisions to wall paper your average home, Shortneck’s is also a great little local joint where the whole family could come and enjoy a good meal while watching the latest game. It seems that every local bar and grill puts up TVs and calls themselves a sports bar and usually people decide on which one to visit based on their own personal criteria. If I lived anywhere near their 830 Monmouth St. location (http://shortnecks.com/ on the web), I’d call this place home.
The atmosphere is cozy and this place actually feels like your favorite neighborhood joint even if it’s the first time you’ve walked through the door. And it also, always helps a place like this, in my humble opinion, if you can actually see the kitchen and watch your food being prepared. With a kitchen without walls, this is such a place.
Burger
In keeping with the stated mission of this blog, I ordered up the basic Shortneck burger with cheese. What I got was a delicious third pound of Angus beef that was picked up that morning, never frozen, directly from Newport’s Ebert’s Meats. This is how every burger should be, fresh with locally made quality ingredients.
The bun was a little too large for the burger which I always find curious. It makes the burger look smaller than it really is. The bun was fresh and added just a hint of underlying flavor. Likewise, the pickle, lettuce and tomato were also fresh and each offered up their notes with each bite.
I was given the choice between fries or chips and opted for the chips, a thicker cut, almost Saratoga style chip. They were lightly salted and with just enough crunch. Nothing spectacular but they were a good alternative to your typical French fry side dish.
I have to admit that Shortneck’s was a pleasant surprise. Not that I wasn’t expecting it to be good but it sailed well above my expectations and has made me want to go back and try some of the other items on the sandwich style menu. As I wrote earlier, if I lived near there, this could easily become my favorite neighborhood joint.
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