First off, I have to add a caveat. I'm not a drinker. I'm certainly not the sort of drinker who's willing to drop $10 on a glass of scotch, and not when I have to drive clear across the city afterward. Consequently, I can't speak to the brew quality at the Fat Squirrel; you'll just have to find out for yourself.
The atmosphere at fat squirrel is pleasant. Dark-stained wood, booth tables with old maps under the lacquer. Music isn't too loud. There are more windows than are typical in a pub, which is a nice touch for those who don't like to eat in what feels like a cave. On Monday nights at 7, they do a trivia game called Geeks who Drink, which is fun to go for.
The menu has what seems like a fairly typical spread for an Irish pub. Burgers, sandwiches, and classics like fish and chips and bangers and mash. The Dublin prime sandwich was tasty, but not really above the crowd when it comes to philly chessesteak-type sandwiches. The schnitzel strips (breaded pork loin with a brown gravy) were pretty good.
However, I'm here to talk about my two favorite dishes from this restaurant. First off, fried pickles. No, that's not a typo. Yes, I was really skeptical at first, but my girlfriend talked me into it.
Is there anything you can't find deep-fried somewhere in the US these days?
This is the single least healthy way to eat something that was once a vegetable that I have come across yet. the pickles are sliced thin (about 1/8"), battered with a thick, glorious, wonderful beer batter that I really wish they'd use on the schnitzel strips (If you're reading this, guys, we would all really appreciate it). They come out too hot to touch, but this isn't the sort of place you go to if you're in a tremendous hurry to eat.
You wouldn't think it, but the pickle flavor and the taste of the batter mix to give you a really awesome-tasting dish. The ranch dip really completes it. They're incredible.
Next we have my favorite item off their menu, and the reason I can't comment on anything other than the Dublin prime, which I had before I tried this. I give you the Monte Cristo.
This is my half. There is no way I could eat a whole one, unless I was ten years younger.
If you've never had a Monte Cristo, you've missed out. Close this page, get your keys, and go find one. Or make one yourself. For those of you who have led criminally deprived lives, let me explain. it's a ham and turkey sandwich with Swiss cheese. You then batter the thing and deep fry-it. Finally, you dust it with powdered sugar and serve it with thick raspberry preserves.
Fat Squirrel makes theirs with three slices of really good sourdough bread (think Big Mac pattern).it's served with fries and is HUGE. I can suck down a pretty big ribeye and two helpings of cheese tortellini without blinking, but half of this thing makes me feel like I need to hibernate for a week. Healthy it is not, but it's grade-A comfort food. Bring a friend, you won't finish it, and deep fried stuff doesn't micronuke very well.
I would talk about dessert, but I have never been able to even think about dessert when I've eaten here. Someday I'll go just to try their dessert menu.
So, not the most healthy meal ever. However, it's well worth a few extra laps on your morning run. Stop by, have the Monte Cristo, report back when you're done.
'Till next time.
deep fried pickles are a staple in just about any Austin sports bar, pub, or unhealthy restaurant. they sound weird until you try them, then you just have to get them at every restaurant you go to just to see if they're still that good. some are slices, some are whole fried spears, all of them are tasty. took me a while to convince Nikki to try them, but she eventually gave in
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