Restaurant Review

Friday, October 13, 2000

Pub's menu gives patrons multiple choices

Drink selections, large portions and karaoke are highlights of Chelsea Street Pub

 

There's a reason why the word "pub" comes before "grill" at Chelsea Street Pub & Grill - just look around. A board at the front door of the Sunrise Mall restaurant announced one food special for dinner; meanwhile, each table had a laminated and exhaustive list of drink specials for every day of the week.
   Although the food at Chelsea's wasn't gourmet or especially unique, the selection is broad, ranging from seafood to salads and burgers to chicken-fried steak. And the owners seem to want eating and drinking there to be fun. They supply the droll wit by displaying signs with slogans such as "Royal Liver Friendly Society" and "Parker's Prepared Malted Food for Infants and Invalids." And the patrons throw in the music, with karaoke beginning at 9 p.m. every day except Sunday. All you have to do is bring a good attitude.
   The selection from Snacks Row started with a list of Chelsea's Famous Mountain of Nachos. We ordered the Nachos Grande, which included chips and melted cheddar cheese, taco meat, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole and jalapeno peppers.
   They arrived piping hot and covered with the fixings, so much so that we had to use our forks to dig for the chips. The taco meat was slightly spicy with cayenne and cumin, the beans simple and plain, but we happily drilled that mountain down to a small hill.
   Monster portions
   For dinner, my companion ordered the bacon cheeseburger, one of many burger selections on the menu. I ordered the Chelsea King sandwich that boasted that it was big enough to feed the Knights at the Round Table.
   My companion had ordered his burger medium-well. The person behind the grill took it a little too seriously; it was really well done. But once the mustard, mayonnaise and ketchup were piled on with the lettuce, onion and tomato, my companion didn't complain because the bacon was cooked perfectly, and the large burger disappeared quickly.
   My sandwich was a monster. It wasn't cut in half, it was cut into thirds. It was placed on two pieces of rye focaccia bread cut the thickness of sandwich bread. The bread was warm and crisp on the outside and soft where it touched the meat and stuffings. Inside were turkey, roast beef, sauteed mushrooms and onions, bacon, monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses, lettuce, mayonnaise and honey mustard dressing. I ask for the mayo and honey mustard on the side and that was a good thing - this sandwich was plenty moist without the condiments.
   Upon first bite I promised that I would consider putting mushrooms on sandwiches more often. Grilled perfectly, the sandwich was filling enough for two. The fries served with both meals were the shoestring variety, fresh from the fryer and sprinkled with salt and pepper.
   For dessert we tried a chocolate shake. We shared from two straws and wished that it had been the old-fashioned kind made with syrup and ice cream rather than soft serve. Its chocolate taste was mild and similar to those found in fast-food shakes.
   We left when the wannabe Aretha Franklins and Frank Sinatras started to stream in. Judging by the warm-ups from some patrons, it's no wonder the place has walls covered with signs that encourage humor. Come to think of it, maybe that's also why the drink specials reign.
  
  Chelsea Street Pub & Grill
  5858 S. Padre Island Drive, Sunrise Mall
  993-3322
  Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Wednesday; 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Thursday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday
  Entrees: $4-$12.99
  Checks: No
  Credit cards: Yes
  Full bar
  Wheelchair accessible
  Food: **
  Service: **
  Atmosphere: **
  

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