Daniel B.
Yelp
We came to Bantam Pub because of a 25% back deal on Seated and walked away liking this place. This is a great little neighborhood pub. They call themselves the "Cheers of Ralph McGill" and I could see why -- when we entered the restaurant around 6:45pm on a Tuesday, the bar was full with what looked like regulars, relaxing, unwinding, and having a good time with the bartenders and each other. This intimate, easy-going atmosphere instantly hit me when we entered. It was cozy, warm, and welcoming and I think this type of environment is what draws people to this place. It was really chill and laid back.
There's plenty of free parking. They have their own lot in the back and you can park on the street.
The pub has a low-profile look and it's small. There are two rooms, one with the bar and a banquette with some dining space and another room with tables and big TVs that are great for sports viewing. I guesstimate the first room can seat about a dozen people at the bar and another 18 at tables. The second room can probably seat about 35-40 comfortably. Additionally, they have patio and sidewalk seating and it looks like there's a separate outdoor bar off to the side. The ambiance is more old-school and traditional. Lots of wood. The tables were candle-lit and ours had a real flower centerpiece. I liked the colorful Christmas lights they use for decor. During our visit, I enjoyed the music which was an eclectic remix featuring many 80s hits.
They had a decent drink menu with 10 beers on draft (half local), bottles, wine, cocktails, and whiskies. The food menu is elevated pub grub. Apps like crispy shrimp ($14) and hummus plates ($11), burgers and sandwiches ($11-15 each), salads ($7-9 each), entrees like fried chicken ($14) and hanger steak ($21), smoked wings (6 for $7 or 10 for $12), chili ($8), taco plates ($12 each), homemade soup, and sides like red pepper grits ($4) and loaded fries ($7). The homemade soups during our visit were bacon clam chowder and "Stewnami" (a seafood soup) for $8/cup and $12/bowl. There were also blackboard specials -- duck breast for $22 and chocolate cheesecake for $8.
Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2:30pm.
We got an app and two entrees:
* Pub mussels ($12) - fresh garlic, basil in a beer broth
* Bantam burger ($14) - roasted mushrooms, sauteed onions, poblanos, Brie
* Duck breast special ($22) - Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, pickled onion
The food was good.
The mussels were delicious. Good quality. The broth was delectable. I didn't taste any beer in it. Instead, it tasted almost like a spicy Thai coconut soup broth to me. It had a creaminess and milkiness to it. I loved it. It was relatively light too, which I appreciated. Oftentimes, mussel broth can be too rich and intense. There were 15 mussels in the bowl and they came with a side of bread (four slices). We asked for more bread ($2) to eat with the soup after we had finished the mussels.
The Bantam burger was A-OK. We asked for it to be cooked medium. Not the kind of burger that will blow you away, but still tasty and satisfying. It came in a nice, manageable size and wasn't one of those gargantuan burgers that a lot of chains are serving these days. It was refreshing in that sense. The roasted mushrooms and Brie cheese were my favorite ingredients. The burger came with a side of fries and ketchup. The fries reminded me of Checkers fries in terms of taste and texture. They had that extra airy and crispy batter on the outside. Lightly seasoned too. Yum.
I saw the special duck breast entree on Bantam Pub's Facebook page and then on the blackboard, so I had to get it (it looked good). A small piece of duck breast was cooked to what looked like medium rare, sliced into six pieces, and served on a plate with a generous helping of chopped Brussels sprouts and sweet potato, and topped with pickled onion. The duck was cooked perfectly. The skin was crispy and the meat was moist and tender. Overall, the duck was flavorful and gratifying. Lean, high quality, and full of umami. The Brussels, sweet potato, and pickled onion sides were ideal accompaniments.
Mullany was our server and she was terrific. The main bartender lady was friendly too.
TL;DR - Bantam Pub is a great little pub with good food and service and a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. I enjoyed our experience here.