CombatCritic's TravelValue™: happy

Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts

Monday, January 27, 2020

Washougal, WA: Get With The Times And Check Out This Happy Hour

Washougal Times

1826 E Street

Washougal, WA 98671

Website: washougaltimes.com

Phone number: (360) 835-2488

Prices: $$$$

After my fiasco at another local brew pub, I was bit hesitant to try another fairly new burger, steak, and mac & cheese place, but I am glad I did. Occupying the same building as the old Heller's, they have updated the floors and decor to a certain extent, but it is still a bit "no frills" and lacking warmth.

We went for dinner, but after looking at the Happy Hour menu, we decided to order from it instead of the "All Day" or "Supper" menus. The all day menu has a large variety of choices with low-moderate prices, but the supper menu is very limited with meals (entree, soup or salad, potato and vegetable) running from $17 to $28. The meatloaf supper is $22, seemingly a tad high for such a simple dish.

The server looked at me patiently while I asked a few questions about the menu, but her service was top notch and she did not attack me for taking photos of our food and surrounds like their nearby rival's owner did.

I had the Burger and Beer ($8), selecting a 16 ounce IPA and adding pepper jack cheese (50¢) and bacon ($1.00) to my burger. The burger could have been bigger (1/3 pound or 5.33 ounces), but what can you expect from a $3.50 burger? The burger is just $8.50 on their all day menu which is still a relative bargain. The bacon was crispy, yet chewy just the way I like it and the bun was fresh and tasty. I also ordered a large side of fries ($3) with StoneJax seasoning ($1) and they were crispy and hot.

The War Department ordered two sliders ($3 each), one meatloaf with BBQ sauce and an onion ring on fresh ciabatta and the other a pork medallion and Gruyere cheese on a crispy, delicious focaccia. The bartender told us that they just switched bakeries recently, a wise choice in my opinion. She also got a pile o' tater tots ($3) which were also crispy and piping hot ... HOOAH!

My wife and I ate quite well, having devoured a bacon cheeseburger and fries, two sliders and an order of tots, and two IPAs for just $29 plus tip, about the same price as the lousy, frozen cheeseburger and fries, and a beer I had while on my own at their competitor's horrid restaurant. No competition folks, Washougal Times is the better of the two by a long shot (read my 7/10/2019 Yelp review if interested). We will be back for a full meal one day soon, so expect an update!

CombatCritic Gives Washougal Times 8 Bombs Out Of 10 For Their Happy Hour Menu ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Monday, August 27, 2018

Vancouver, WA: No Bitterness Here, Amaro's Happy Hour Is Sweeeeet

Amaro’s Table

1220 Main Street, Suite 100

Vancouver, WA 98660

Phone number (360) 718-2942

Website: amarostable.com

Prices: $$$$

I was a little hesitant after seeing the exterior of Amaro's Table ("amaro" means "bitter" in Italian), a

small, glass fishbowl environment with modern, minimalist furnishings in the corner of a sterile, boring, multi-story office building in downtown Vancouver. I usually prefer warmer wood tones over glass, steel and concrete, but we decided to give them a try anyway ... and am I glad we did!

They have a reasonably priced menu with an eclectic selection of starters ($5-$12), salads ($6-$16), burgers and sandwiches ($10-$14), and entrees ("large plates" - $14-$26), but their Happy Hour menu (2pm-5pm daily in the dining room) made me very happy! With a widely varied selection of tasty savory and sweet treats, prices start at $3 for House Made Chips and Ranch Dressing or a Caesar Salad and top out at just $5 for a Bavarian Cheese Fondue (with a giant pretzel), Cheeseburger, Fish & Chips, or Flatbread.

We ordered an iced tea ($3 - minimum drink order for Happy Hour pricing) and an (IPA - $5) as well as the Carnitas Tacos ($4) and the Bavarian Cheese Fondue and Pretzel, a Cheese Burger, and Fish & Chips ($5 each). The portions were not very big as we were warned by Stephanie (our server), but appropriate for the price. It was nice to sample several dishes in one go, allowing us to determine if will return in the future. We shall.

The Cheese Burger ($5) looked smallish and very lonely on the plate, a 3-4 ounce patty on a toasted brioche bun with caramelized onion, tomato, pickle and house sauce, but it was tasty nonetheless.

The Fish and Chips ($5) consisted of two small breaded, deep-fried fish filets, a small portion of fries, and tartar sauce. The fish was crispy and very good, and the fries came in handy while chowing down on the burger.

Our Bavarian Cheese Fondue ($5) was rich and savory with a hint of chardonnay and Swiss cheese along with the massive, soft pretzel. There was more than enough fondue to go around for pretzel dipping with a little leftover.

The two Carnitas Tacos ($4) had two large corn tortillas each and were stuffed with shredded pork shoulder in an adobo sauce and topped with shredded cabbage, accompanied by a homemade salsa verde. In my opinion, the tacos were the best value on the menu at just $2 a pop, a relative bargain in my eyes, as well as being scrumdiddlyumptious.

Stephanie was very attentive, efficient and friendly as were her numerous tattooed comrades who greeted us a we entered and said goodbye when we left. The place was nearly empty when we arrived at 3:45 PM, but was packed when we left just before 5 PM, a good sign.

At $42, including tax and tip, Amaro's Table is a definite "TravelValue" and worth a visit in my opinion, whether for happy hour, lunch or dinner.

CombatCritic Gives Amaro's Table 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

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Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point

Monday, January 27, 2020

Washougal, WA: Get With The Times And Check Out This Happy Hour

Monday, August 27, 2018

Vancouver, WA: No Bitterness Here, Amaro's Happy Hour Is Sweeeeet

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