American & Bar/Pub joe on 28 Dec 2008 03:05 pm
Jeremiah’s Tavern - Monroe Ave.
Where: Jeremiah’s Tavern, 1104 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 (two blocks West of Culver Road)
When: Saturday, December 27th, around 1:30 PM
Cuisine: American, Bar Food
What: Went as a party of two around 1 PM on a Saturday, and the place was packed. Took a couple minutes for us to be seated, but the place was energetic, college football games were playing on the multiple TVs, and the atmosphere was fun. It wasn’t so loud to make conversation difficult, which was appreciated.
Jeremiah’s has approximately 20 beers on tap and is a great place to grab a pint (or two, or thirteen). Selections run the gamut of local brews, your expected macros (American and Canadian), and I believe at least one higher-hopped IPA selection. Nothing to write home about, but Jeremiah’s has no air of pretentiousness - so they should have something for everyone.
Our server was friendly and efficient, although we had to flag her down once because she forgot the coffee my dining companion ordered. Perhaps one more stop by our table between dropping the food and dropping the check would have been appreciated, but it is understandable due to the crowd in the restaurant at the time.
Food came out quickly, considering the volume. I ordered a cup of the “corn and lobster bisque”, which was the soup du jour (pictured below), while my companion ordered a bowl of a rather forgettable, unbalanced chili slathered in cheese.
The soup was above average for what one normally expects from a bar — they are handmade on premesis, and it showed. Chunks of lobster and corn floated in a slightly sweet, creamy base - I’m not sure “bisque” is appropriate, as it seemed more like a cream soup, but in any case, it was a pleasant surprise and very enjoyable.
For the main course — what else? A cheeseburger.
I ordered it medium, but it came out slightly overcooked at a medium-well, but the burger retained its juicyness and was still very good. Might have liked a little bit more seasoning in the meat itself, but the lack of it wasn’t a big detractor. It was topped with onion, bacon and cheese — again, as a personal preference, I would have preferred if they had backed off the the cheese a bit, as it was somewhat overwhelming. The bacon was pleasantly crisp — if it were a bit smokier, it would have really stood out as it was cooked perfectly. The bun was a good combination of crusty and soft, and the onion rings were crispy and cooked through. All in all, a very pleasant dining experience.
Rating:
Ambiance: 4 out of 5 stars.
Food: 3 out of 5 stars.
Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars