Establishment: Duffy's Sports Grill
Location: Plantation
Meal: (Gametime) Dinner
Drink: 2for1 Guinness
Appetizer #1: New England Clam Chowder
Appetizer #2: Smoked Fish Dip
Crispy flatbread, fresh vegetables, grilled Naan bread
Appetizer #3: Loaded Potato Skins
Bacon, scallions, jack & cheddar cheese, sour cream
Appetizer #4: Sesame Tuna Tostado
Seasoned and seared Ahi Tuna, served cold on a crisp tostone with homemade tzatziki, Sriracha and scallions
Appetizer #5: Open Faced Meatball Sliders
Our homemade meatballs with a blend of ground Certified Angus Beef® and Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork® simmered in marinara sauce and served on slices of toasted baguette with Parmesan cheese.
Main: Bacon Mushroom Cheeseburger
1/2 lb burger with onions and pickles
Side(s): Parmesan Truffle Fries
Dessert: n/a
Server: Carissa
Back to back sports bars -- courtesy of a night Penn State game last week, and a World Series game 7 this week -- and in both cases, it was a delight to be eating in restaurants that placed a healthy emphasis on the food they were serving instead of it being an afterthought to all the alcohol. And a quick note about the feast on display ... this was a viewing party, so all of the apps (except the soup) were shared amongst four of us, and the main was split between two. *Together*, we cleaned those plates ... and this is how the establishment fared in the score:
AMBIANCE: 9/10 (lots of TVs and outdoor seating was available [we love a place with outdoor seating], with comfortably sized booths [we hate a booth where four people feel crowded] made this place "home" for the night ... plus there were a cast of characters at the bar that were entertaining to observe during the commercials ... just a point lost 'cause it was a bit loud, all things considered [and not just when we were bellowing out Cubs cheers])
FOOD: 8/10 (there was a lot to sample, which is a double edged sword in this rating because that means there were more opportunities to maybe miss something ... but the burger [juicy!] and fries [flavorful!] matched the menu pics and tasted great, the clam chowder had huge chunks of clam and was super creamy, and those meatball sliders were just the right touch ... the smoked fish dip was smoky enough but not anything amazing, although serving it with naan was nice ... the points come off for the tuna tostadas [with an overwhelming splash of Sriracha] and the loaded potato skins that could have used a bit more potato and a bit more things loaded on to them)
SERVICE: 7/10 (our server took it in stride when we explained we had moved in for the night to watch the whole game, and that we were going to order in stages ... and the staff was quick to change the channels on the TVs upon request so that everyone had a good view of the World Series ... but a point lost for a bathroom that was unattended [no paper towels and urinals with standing urine on the floor around them] and another lost for being a sports bar that was closing down before the final game of the World Series had ended -- strictly at midnight, right in the middle of a 10th inning rain delay ... and a final point lost because it was a super long wait for the first of the many dishes to arrive [and that was just fish dip])
BACON: 10/10 (it's on the menu in all the right places -- added to the chicken sandwiches, to the burgers and to the salads ... plus it was part of what made the skins almost loaded)
BONUS: 7/10 (+3 because the Cubs won the freaking World Series [later, after we got home], +3 for BOGO beer all night long, and +1 for being a place to which we will return, because I saw some desserts walk past our table that looked amazing)
TroyScore: 41 out of 50 -- aka 82, a low B
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