The beer is covered, but how is the food?

A5

The Two Fat Guys

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The Moncton Alehouse is located at 841 Main Street, at the former location of Doc Dylan's. Along with its 27 draught beer taps, it offers a full menu for lunch and dinner. Call 204-2576 for more information. The Two Fat Guys set out to the Alehouse on a recent weekday for lunch.à

HUSKY E's Verdict

When Heavy T and I arrived at the Alehouse, it was pretty much just us and the staff there. The empty feeling of the place was kind of eerie, but our server was friendly and made us feel right at home. I don't know what the Alehouse looked like before the renovations (when it was Doc Dylan's), but I think it has a tasteful look to it now. I also noticed there was a cozy fireplace area with couches near the back that looked like it'd be a nice place to gather for drinks and conversation.

I debated for a while between having the fish and chips or the lobster roll, but in the end the lobster roll ($7.96) won out. It came with fries and coleslaw. This decision was made despite the fact that the waitress announced to us, seemingly unprovoked that, "our fish and chips are delicious". When asked 'what about everything else on the menu?' she laughed and made a joke out of it. Foreshadowing? We'll see.

When my plate arrived, I was a bit disappointed by the meager amount of fries. At a pub, I expect the plate to be overflowing with enough fries to fill up any fatty, but at the Alehouse there was only a modest handful. There also could have been a bit more coleslaw "" the little dish it came in wasn't even filled up to the top.

The lobster roll itself was quite good. I've had my fair share of lobster rolls and they're often served on a bun that's rather soggy which results in a sloppy sandwich. This one had a solid bun which helped the whole thing stay together. The lobster had a fresh taste and although the fries and coleslaw were on the small side, at the end of the meal I was full. It could have been because I had my usual pre-lunch snack though. What, that's not normal? Runners have to warm up before they run, eaters have to warm up their stomach before they eat!

Perhaps next time I'll try the fish and chips. The Alehouse has a lot of potential and it might just be a case where they need to work out the kinks.

While they find their legs as a new restaurant, I'd definitely meet up with friends there for a few drinks after work and maybe even give some of their appetizers a try.

I give the Moncton Alehouse a 7.5/10.

HEAVY T's Verdict

Same location, whole new feel at the Moncton Alehouse.

Boasting 27 different kinds of draught beer "" which apparently is the most anywhere in the province "" I almost felt as if I'd prefer to be going there to drink as opposed to eat. Then I remembered who I am "" a tried and true Fat Guy. Let's eat.

As Husky described, the atmosphere was pretty good in the Alehouse, with a bit of a classy feel while at the same time keeping the "pub flare". That probably doesn't make any sense, let's just leave it at the fact that the Alehouse looks nice and the renovations are definitely noticeable.

I ended up going with the Beef Stroganoff ($11.51) and it was definitely underwhelming. Maybe I was misled by the name, but I actually thought there would be pieces of beef in the pasta dish. However, it took a search crew (and my expert fork skills) to find any. In total I think there were only two or three small cubes of beef throughout the whole meal. Bummer.

It's especially a shame because aside from that the meal was quite tasty, with a nice sauce and decent taste. The portion could have been bigger (way to dispel Fat Guy stereotypes!), and obviously there could have been more beef. This was a meal that had potential, but ended up coming up a little short.

Overall, I get the impression other items on the menu might be quite good and I'm not yet ready to throw the towel in on the Alehouse. I won't order the Stroganoff again, but I will likely give Alehouse another chance because of its beer selection and friendly service.

While muttering "Where's the BEEF?!?" to myself, I give the Alehouse a 7/10.