It’s really hard to say enough good things about pub food, but I’m about to say some more. Because for my last meal in Salem, I made my way to the Olde Main Street Pub in the hopes that this Irish place would have food fit for an unvegan. After a bunch of seafood, beef and pork, it was time to taste the what Salem had to offer from the poultry realm.

Thus, I ordered The Chicken O’Brady under the assumption that it was named for Tom Brady, the New England and Michigan Wolverine hero. This sandwich began with a grilled chicken breast and was topped with bacon, cheddar and honey mustard. It also came with fries. Unfortunately, even though I asked the waitress to keep any vegetables away not named in the menu, the sandwich still arrived with a bunch of veggies on one half of the bun. These were easily removed, but a total waste of precious vegetable life.

And really, this was one of the better chicken sandwiches I have ever had. The bacon was placed with such care that it was evenly dispersed across the sandwich instead of lackadaisically criss-crossed atop the chicken. The cheese was melted into delicious gooey oblivion and the fries were seasoned to perfection and fried in all the right ways. The only thing I could have asked more was more chicken, as the breast was kinda small.

This sandwich was a great way to close out the visit to Salem, and while it wasn’t anything groundbreaking, it was beyond what you should reasonably expect from an Irish Pub in a old New England touristy town.

It seems like just yesterday that I packed up my bags in Michigan to move to Los Angeles, but alas it was nearly 10 years ago. A lot has changed in those 10 years, and aside from housing prices and traffic much of it has been for the better. Take, for example, breweries. Michigan was littered with them and I found LA barely had one (San Diego was strong, though). Now, they are much easier to find and have even come around to serving brewery food instead of fancy stuff (I’m looking at you, Golden Road, but glad that you have also fixed yourself up!) Highland Park Brewery is one of the new entrants and I set out to test both its food and booze.

The booze passed the test, plus Highland Park Brewery had a great selection of local guest taps. But I know all you really care about is food and so I should say that I ordered the Meatloaf Burger. It was made from beef and bacon blend, then topped with a fried egg, avocado and pimento cheese. Thinking that a meatloaf is essentially a giant burger, I kind of thought this would simply be a burger with a hipster name. It turned out I was wrong, as this literally looked like a slice of meatloaf. More than that, it tasted like a slice meatloaf as opposed to a burger, which is all at once a very clear and very ambiguous description. Just know that from a texture and density standpoint, this was meatloaf.

And that’s all good and well, but call it what it is – a meatloaf sandwich. I love a good slice of meatloaf as much as the next guy/gal, but it is important to set my expectations correctly. Because of these expectations, I couldn’t help but feel at least a little bit disappointed by the sandwich, which is sad because it was really an ideal mix of ingredients for an unvegan.

Nonetheless, the menu at Highland Park Brewery, just like the beers, is ever-changing. I am all but certain that the meatloaf burger is gone from the menu and has been replaced by something that may be described better. Whether that is the case or not, I certainly enjoyed the beers and can only mildly complain about the naming of my meal, which meant I was a happy man and would happily return.

Sometimes when I go to a restaurant I get pretty torn on what to order. In times like these I lean on the professionals (aka waitstaff) to help me out. Such was the case at the Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub in Brookhaven, a suburb of Atlanta. The pub serves much of what you would expect from pub food, and I love that stuff so much that I’m inclined to eat it all up.

When the waiter recommended the spicy fried chicken I was all about it. It came with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, but I subbed the veggies out for onion strings and the result was something beautiful.

As for the actual taste, I found the whole getup to be just okay. Certainly they did not mess up the onion strings or mashed potatoes, but the fried chicken just wasn’t anything special. There was nothing bad about it, but there wasn’t anything that screamed “good” either.

Alas, perhaps it is not always best to trust the experts. I’d go back again, but would hope for something more than just okay.

When you’re in New York, it’s probably not the best idea to decide where you are eating based on the proximity to your hotel. Yet, when I walked by Black Iron Burger, right around the corner from my hotel in Chelsea I was immediately drawn in. The place claimed to have been voted as one of the best burgers in New York, and I was in no position to disagree.

I sidled up to the bar and began with a beer, but quickly moved on to the Ai-Oli Fries, which were topped with scallions, bacon and a special aioli dressing. They were definitely a tasty way to begin my meal, with a healthy hit of garlic and bacon. Plus, the fries did a good job of staying crispy in the fray of dressing.

As for my burger, I had a tough time making my decision. You see, the Black Iron Burger and the Masterpiece both had my attention, but when I asked the bartender for his recommendation he fairly quickly told me to go with the Black Iron Burger. This burger was prepared with two 4 oz. patties, horseradish cheddar, caramelized onions and horseradish mayo. I got mine without the onions, of course, and ordered it medium-rare.

The result was one melty and messy burger. Black Iron Burger did not go light with the cheese and the burgers were both cooked to a delicious and juicy medium-rare. If you’re not into horseradish, this is obviously not the burger for you, but if you’re on the fence it really wasn’t overkill. If anything, Black Iron Burger managed to find a healthy balance of horseradish and savory.

It was all pretty good, but didn’t live up to my hopes of being one of the best burgers in New York. I can’t speak from a ton of New York burger experience, but I have had at least three better burgers and one worse in the boroughs. Nonetheless, if you are on a burger quest it is worth stopping in, because while it might not be the best burger, it was a far cry from bad.

While in Sac Town, it’s advisable to check out the State Capitol. It really is a beautiful building with a sprawling grounds showing off some of the best flora of California. And just up the street from there you can find what seemed the be the coolest place in town to grab brunch: Fox and Goose. With a dingy interior and pretty sweet patio, this British Pub drew me right in.

I got pretty excited about a burger of theirs, only to taste disappointment when I learned that they were only serving off of the breakfast menu on Sundays. Fortunately, they had a little something called Benedict Arnold on the menu, which is just a treasonous term for their Eggs Benedict. These had the option to swap out Canadian bacon and I chose regular bacon instead, plus they came with Welsh Rarebit cheese sauce and a choice of potatoes or fruit. I really truly love fruit and decided against the potatoes on this day.

The end result of the treacherous meal was nothing short of delicious. It seems so obvious in hindsight how much of a difference cheese sauce can make to eggs benedict, but it unquestionably did. The best part was that although the dish was essentially savory on savory on savory on savory, I was able to take a quick break each time I snagged a piece of fruit. As for the eggs, they were poached to perfect and the bacon was just the right amount of crisp.

So perhaps not having the lunch menu available was a good thing, because Benedict Arnold was great (which, I know, is a terrible thing to say). Or, maybe I missed out on something even better in the burger. The world will never know. But at the very least I know that stopping by Fox and Goose while checking out the Capitol is the right way to go.

Many people wake up in the morning craving breakfast food. Not me. Just like any other time of the day I crave burgers. It could have something to do with the fact that I try to wake up more around lunch time than breakfast time, but that’s beside the point.

Thus, I found myself at Blondies in Las Vegas’s Planet Hollywood ordering a burger as my first meal of the day, I’m not going to play the victim here, I only do it because I know I’ll spent way too much time playing with the digitaledge casino games so I’ll probably won’t catch up on lunch later on.

It’s almost a ritual at this point; I find myself spending hours diving into the world of digital sports betting, placing bets on my favorite teams, and enjoying the thrill of live casino games.

The beauty of platforms like Sbobet is that they offer a one-stop shop for all things betting. Whether I’m placing sportsbook bets on an upcoming football match or spinning the reels of exciting slots, there’s always something to keep me entertained. It’s easy to see how online betting has become such a captivating way to pass the time, all while potentially making some winnings along the way.

As with much of my time spent in Vegas, my memory is mildly fuzzy on the name of the burger that I ordered and the online menu is outdated. Thus, I’m going to refer to the burger as the Southwest Bacon Burger, as it was topped with guacamole, bacon and jalapenos. It was also stuffed with cheese, although it was not referred to as a jucy lucy or juicy lucy. Whatevs, we all know what it was. I ordered without any other veggies and got some curly fries on the side (although the burger does not normally come with a side).

My veggie desires were not heeded, as I found onions placed on the top of my bun as well as a big, stupid pickle spear grazing my bun. Fortunately, neither of these managed to leave many remnants and I did my best to recover from the trauma by eating. Like many places that make stuffed burgers, Blondies seemed to hope that cheese would provide the flavor needed for the burger. As always, this was not the case and the meat itself left me wanting more. I will say, though, that the bacon was cooked perfectly, the guac was nice and creamy despite likely being made in a factory and the jalapenos gave it all kick in the blonde parts (wherever those may be. The curly fries were impressive as curly fries tend to be and of course the molten cheese center of the burger was glorious.

Overall, this was a pretty good showing for a bar that probably doesn’t have to try very hard with its food. Probably not a top destination type of place, but certainly respectable if you’re going to be drinking at Blondies anyway.

Why is nutrition important?

Just when I thought I knew everything about old school Pittsburgh food pots, Monterey Pub in the North Side was thrust in my face by multiple sources. As an Irish Pub, the place is famed for its Guinness Shredded Beef, which it manages to drop into dishes at every level – nachos, burgers, shepherd’s pie and whatnot. I like Guinness and I like beef, so I was hoping Monterey Pub would satisfy my hunger.

We started out with chips, salsa and guac, which was a huge mistake. After all, despite being in the Mexican War Streets, this was not a Mexican place and I’m pretty sure all three things came from Costco. Nonetheless, my main course more than made up for that.

Per my waitress’s suggestion, I ordered the Guinness Shredded Beef Boxty. This delight was composed of potato pancakes in Big Mac formation layered with the shredded beef, English Double Gloucester Cheese and something called signature pub sauce. Little did I know that this would be served in a ring of lettuce, which was a poor choice, but what I ordered certainly was not. Despite looking like a sandwich, this required a fork and knife and each bite was better than the next. The shredded beef had a touch of sweetness from the Guinness malts, yet was plenty savory. The cheese was just strong enough and the special sauce was reminiscent of a certain mixture of ketchup and mayo, but better. Finally, the potato pancakes were nothing like the Jewish variety and added a great hit of crispy texture and flavor to the mix.

Monterey Pub is definitely worth a visit for anyone looking for awesome Irish Pub food. The Guinness Shredded Beef Boxty is one of the most uniquely delicious meals I have had in a long time, and that’s a pretty strong statement for an Irish Pub. Just make sure to stick with the Irish food as opposed to random menu offerings like chips and salsa.

The bar and restaurant once known as Stack’d II quickly became The Ave and has in turn finally become the Tipsy Cow – still in Shadyside of course. And while Stack’d II and The Ave slung cheesesteaks instead of burgers, the Tipsy Cow has taken the original Stack’d’s custom burger concept and upgraded it to make burgers that actually taste like something you want to eat.

Yet, when it came to my order for my review of the Tipsy Cow, I went with a pre-set burger called the Tipsy Pig. This burger was made with a 50/50 bacon and beef patty, then topped with strips of bacon, Canadian bacon, bacon mayo and finally some cheddar. I also ordered some fries to go with it.

Sadly, the cheese turned out not to be the only non-bacon topping, as my burger arrived with a tomato and lettuce. I removed these promptly and was at least glad the lettuce wasn’t shredded. And it turned out the Tipsy Pig was actually pretty great, despite the fact that all the bacon made it pretty dry. I have experienced the bacon threshold before and this burger did not appear to reach that point, despite being quite the bacon challenge. Perhaps it was the Bell’s Two Hearted that neutralized the effect, but whatever the case I was a happy man. Plus, the fries were at least not fried in bacon or anything like that.

Despite dropping the cheesesteaks, the Tipsy Cow has put up a good effort in Pittsburgh’s slightly classier bar food scene. Plus, you can’t go wrong with bacon, bacon and more bacon.

Saugerties is one of the bigger small towns of Upstate New York and is also one of the weirdest-named. Nonetheless, it is home to a bar and grill called Mirabella’s that I found myself in for dinner while I was up there. Looking a whole lot like the Waterfront in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, I had high hopes that the place could deliver some good food.

Beginning with some garlic knots for the table, things were looking (and tasting) good. I ended up picking the Crispy Chicken Kicker as my main course because it looked awesome and appeared to be a specialty of Mirabella’s. It came topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon and spicy horseradish sauce. I picked fries as my side and also noticed all sandwiches came with a pickle (so nice of Mirabella’s to tell me!) that I made sure to order without.

The result was a pretty fantastic sandwich. The chicken wasn’t your typical breading and was actually more schnitzel-esque. This was nice, because there’s already bread for the bun and it was just enough to give it a crispiness to accompany the great flavors of the cheese, bacon and horseradish. On top of all that, the fries were really damn good – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and nicely salted.

For bar food, Mirabella’s really surprised me with its unique options and solid execution. One could do a lot worse with their drinking food while in Saugerties.

It all began with a quick stop for some Medalla Light beers and some appetizers, but after taking a look at the menu and seeing the food our fellow customers were eating, it became apparent that Bananas in Esperanza would become our dinner that night in Vieques. Bananas, like Duffy’s from the night before, is kind of like a beach bar with mainland American influence.

But again, it all began with some appetizers. The first was their Mofongo Spring Rolls, which were basically a spring roll shell filled with mashed plantains, manchego cheese, bacon and caramelized onions with a horseradish sauce. We didn’t order without the onions, because, well, travel and fortunately the taste was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, the bacon was pretty tough to find as well and these ended up just kind of tasting like fried plantains with cheese. Not a bad thing, but not as good as they could have been either. But we also ordered the Jerk Chicken Rangoons, which were basically dumplings filled with jerk chicken and some mango ginger chutney for dipping. These also sounded much better than they tasted, with much less flavor than I had hoped for, but enough to give me hope for the main course.

And the main course was truly something. I ordered the Tripleta Burger and while I know you may be getting upset at me for once again not getting something truly local, I have to explain to you what comes in the Tripleta. It begins with a really solid (and perfectly medium-rare cooked) beef patty that certainly seemed to be made in-house. Then it is topped with roast ham, pulled pork, swiss cheese and fried plantains. The pulled pork was surprisingly amazing, which made up for the fact that the fried plantains were just plantain chips. Moreover, it all just worked perfectly as a burger, especially with the great BBQ sauce it came with (that tasted weirdly similar to Kansas City’s Gate’s Hot BBQ Sauce).

If you’re looking for a good burger in Esperanza, Bananas is far superior to Duffy’s. It’s a little more costly, but definitely worth it. As for the appetizers, they’re good for getting in touch with the Puerto Rican side of the restaurant, but otherwise it’s best to just skip to the main course.