Mullane's Bar and Grill in the LaFu
-----------
I'm a pretty decent Sports fan. So when Mullane's first posted a sign with "Watch the World Cup Here" I wasn't as upset as some people that a Sports bar was opening up around the Nabe.I was actually kind of happy.There really isn't any place in the Nabe that I know of to where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.I had high hopes for Mullane's to become that place so when it opened you just knew I had to go and check it out with this criteria in mind.
Watching the Game
The decor is nice inside Mullane's. They've got 4 HDTVs and it's high enough that you can get a pretty good view of the game from any place near the bar. What I didn't like is that, as you will see in the pictures, they weren't always broadcasting in HD.Those gray bars are really really annoying don't you think?
If you have HDTV's then you should be broadcasting the game in HD otherwise it's a waste.
Nice high ceilings and a dining room separate from the bar.
One of the nice touches is a separate dining area so people can still go there for dinner and avoid the Sports bar scene.
So as a place to watch the game, it's not so bad. You'll get a good view from anywhere around the bar and I'm sure they'll get it together eventually and put the games on in HD.
Getting a Beer
A decent selection of tap beers.
As with any decent bar they offer a good selection of beers on tap. Magic Hat #9 isn't something that you find in a lot of bars. The Blue Point is also a very good beer that not a lot of places have on tap.
I was quite impressed by the selection.
Great place to grab a beer.
Getting a Bite to Eat
I know that Mullane's might not be a Sports bar but I think because of the "Watch the World Cup Here" sign and the HDTVs - it left me with that impression.And, again, I'm looking for a place where I can watch the game, get a beer and get a bite to eat.So, in traditional Sports bar manner, I'm expecting really really good BAR FOOD.We start with the Onion Rings.The Onion Rings were missing...something. It was kind of bland. I mean, I should like it. It's fried after all but...no. Maybe more seasoning in the batter and stronger onions would help but these were boring.
Onion rings - eh.
We move on to the Buffalo Wings.Any decent Sports bar has to have really good wings. It'll make or break a place, for me, if I can't get good wings while watching the game.Mullane's wings were...different.While the Wings were kind of tasty I wanted traditional Buffalo Wings. Hot sauce and butter. And the hotter the sauce the better so that I can wash it down with beer.These were kind of gourmet wings. And I think they were grilled, not fried. WTF??
There also weren't very many of them. I'm counting like, maybe, a half a dozen in the picture?
Maybe it's me but when I want wings I want to be able to, if need be, make a meal out of it. You'd have to get like 10 orders of Wings here to make it a meal.
Very disappointing.
These Wings are not from Buffalo.
[Lesterhead's Two Cents: I, however, AM from Buffalo,
and was extremely insulted by these wings. No, they weren't bad, but they were chicken wings in a ginger sauce. BUFFALO WINGS indicate that they are chicken wings in the traditional Buffalo hot sauce.]
What are Mussels doing in a Sports bar?Well, okay, this is the whole "maybe it's not really a Sports bar" thing but I like Mussels. I had to order them. Just because.
Does it go with Onion Rings?
Does it go with Buffalo Wings?
No, not really but, hey, food is food.But does Mussels go with Chick Peas? NO. THEY DO NOT.
So why are there Chick Peas in with the Mussels?
Ugh.
The Mussels were good once you picked out all the Chick Peas.
There are chick peas in my Mussels. Not a good thing.
And the last staple of good ol'Bar Food is the classic American Burger.
burger 3
And, no, I didn't eat them all.(I'm good but I'm not that good.)I was the proud owner of burger 3 - mushrooms and bacon. It was either the BAM burger or the LaFu burger or something like that.As burgers go - these were good. Not the best I've ever had, not the worse. It was...just a burger. That's probably the best way I can explain it - it was just a burger.
The Final Verdict
I really wanted to like Mullane's. I really wanted it to be that place - especially since the Mets made the playoffs.(Let's Go Mets!)I just wasn't impressed by the food.TV: Check.
Beer: Check.
Food: Eh.And the food really matters. The Wings were a really big disappointment to me.
Still, you might catch me in there from time to time.
I'm just probably going to have to eat before I go.
(When are Smoke Joint and 67 Burger opening again?)
---
We need a vote on what to name that area.
LaFu - is short and sweet.
TriFuLa - the triangle between Fulton and Lafayette is what Mr. Set Speed wants to call it.
TriLaFu - adding the Tri to LaFu to gives it that TriBeCa feel and I can still claim ownership.
(Which is important for royalty reasons once the realtors pick up on it.)
Cast your votes.
