Tag Archives: Bromance

The Stadium: A Sporting Chance at Decent Nachos

4 Jun

South Boston may seem a little off the beaten path, and indeed had long been off our nacho radar.  However, only the briefest of internet searches reveals that Southie is a veritable treasure trove of virgin nacho destinations (except for the Boston Beer Garden, which considering it is related to both great and terrible nacho destinations Brighton Beer Garden, the assorted Taverns in the Squares, Joshua Tree and Shitty Side, is something we will only approach with great caution).  In the interested of breaking new ground (and evening out the north-heavy Nacho Map), we ventured to The Stadium for some nachos and beeyah.  As much of a sports bar as you will ever find (the waitresses wear modified soccer uniforms, which, upon consideration, doesn’t make a lot of sense for an American sports bar), The Stadium was pleasantly uncrowded despite an impending Bruins playoff game.  And thence came the nachos:

  • Appearance: (7) Very colorful, but in an unsettling way.  Only canned condiments and pre-made chips are ever that bright.
  • Quality of Ingredients: (5) Jarred salsa, guacamole from a bucket, and the chips, while colorful, were a little stale.  The chili was good but had a strange hint of summer sausage flavor, which, while not unpleasant, was a little odd.  We were puzzled by the sour cream, which appeared to have some sort of chives mixed in, but with no discernible effect on the flavor.
  • Distribution of Toppings: (6)  While there was a fair amount of chili, the cheese was not entirely melted, which hampered distribution.
  • Price: (8.3)  In this age of nacho inflation, it’s nice to see a sizable plate of nachos, with chili for only $10.
  • Overall: 26.3.  These nachos were exactly what we expected from the place, nothing more, nothing less.  Edible, even enjoyable, but worth neither a long review or a return visit.

No one’s first time is all that great, right?  On to bigger and better Southie nachos!

Hurricane O’Reilly’s: Naturally, a Disaster

4 Dec

Save for The Fours and their delicious buffalo chicken nachos, the bars of the North Station area remain an unknown quantity to us. Perhaps it’s because we know exactly what to expect from them: crowds of Bruin and Celtic jersey-sporting bros in varying states of intoxication, out-of-towners who don’t know any better, average draft lists, and mediocre, overpriced food.  Before attending a recent Celtics game, we put our theory to the test and went right for the heart of Bro-Town: Hurricane O’Reilly’s.  The crown jewel in the strand of mass-produced Mardis Gras beads that is the Glynn Hospitality Group, Hurricane O’Reilly’s is the kind of place that’s sort of comforting in it’s timeless, generic blandness (and indeed, at least the website is in a time warp: it refers to TD Garden as the Fleet Center and has a completely obsolete menu).  Surprised to find the place rather empty for right before a game and 3(!) types of nachos on the menu, we forewent the plain (boring!) and buffalo chicken (too many bad memories) versions and ordered the Nachos Grande, which came with chili and BBQ pork.

  • Appearance: (4) For nachos “grande”, these certainly did not live up to the size of their name.  All of the colors seemed faded, and the salsa and sour cream were in plastic takeout containers.
  • Quality of Ingredients: (5.5) The chili was watery, and some of the chips were a little stale.  The large chunks of BBQ pork were OK, but would never have been tasty enough to carry a pulled pork sandwich on their own.  The red onions were intended to be pickled (which would have been a lovely touch) but still had too much of a bite to eat on their own.  And the cheese, while it was not quite the dreaded American cheese, came very close (we dubbed it “Guam cheese”).
  • Distribution of Toppings: (7) There was decent distribution, and even some cheese padding on the plate.  The watery chili made things soggy and sort of disappeared into the other ingredients; we wouldn’t have known it was there if it hadn’t been on the menu.
  • Price: (4) On the Sunset scale of size-to-price ratio, these barely registered.  But hey, it’s downtown…
  • Overall: 20.5/40.  We debated heading over to The Fours after the game to wash away these bad nacho memories with some good ones.  You would be wise to do the same, or just head there in the first place.

Game On!: In It To Win It

4 Aug

First and foremost, we owe Game On! a big apology. We’d spent two years CONVINCED we’d reviewed their nachos. To us, the Fenway bars are a bit of a blur, and with woeful humility we admit to confusing the bounty of Game On! nachos with the plebeian bore-fest at Cask & Flagon. Oh, Game On! we throw ourselves on your mercy and proudly announce your candidacy for the best nachos in Fenway (not that there’s much viable competition in that category).

  • Appearance: (8) As she delicately placed these upon the table, our waitress warned, “I have never seen them put so much chili on something.” We can agree!  Along with the ooey-gooey cheese and perked-up ears of guacamole, these appeared to be quite an exceptional nacho.
  • Distribution of toppings: (9) The tidal wave of chili roaring across the quiet countryside of these nachos burst through the levees of cheese and chips to soak through to the very foundations. We were just about ready to call for FEMA to step in and declare it a state of nacho emergency. While we’re not sure if such a deluge is common practice at Game On! (they may have received reports that we’d be dropping by), the proportions were about right and there was plenty of topping to go around.
  • Quality of toppings: (8.25) Once again we find a sweeter chili, with a distinct note of teriyaki.  Though it’s not our favorite, we enjoyed it and the kidney beans. For the most part, the ingredients were fairly standard–nothing stood out as especially delicious and the guac could have used a bit more seasoning. Here’s a lesson.
  • Price: (7.25) We were extremely skeptical of these nachos: an extra $3 for guacamole making these top out at $15?  Unheard of!  But when it came down to it, there were far more worth their high price than we could have ever imagined.  Four of us gave it the ol’ college try and still failed to finish them.
  • Overall: 32.5/40.  FINALLY, great nachos in Fenway!  Game On!, you were worth the wait.

Game On!, tonight you surprised us, and after 100+ reviews, that’s hard to do. What with our multiple traumatic experiences with Beer Works nachos, the blandness of Fenway Cantina and Cask & Flagon, and the predictable nightmare of Fenway Park, we thought the Fenway area was a wasteland. Nevertheless, you delivered the goods and while we’d love to see the price come down from its low-earth orbit, you finally gave us a place to recommend to our multitudinous following of drunk Red Sox fans.

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