Our first surprise came at the entrance; you can't get there from the main banquet entrance. Instead, drive to the left end of the building and you'll see big windows and the restaurant entrance (and maybe a few parked golf carts). Once we went in, though, we were impressed. The interior is woody, warm and welcoming; as Jack said, it's a major improvement over the days when he and his golfing buddies played at the course here. There's lots of stone, too, including a beautiful floor-to-ceiling fireplace. Two separate rooms are available, both filled with dark wood furniture; each room has its own bar, back-to-back on a shared wall.We had the place pretty much to ourselves and were able to pick where we wanted to sit, so we opted for a table near a window even though it was dark outside. Our server, who was the only one working on this night, came right away to take our drinks orders (on-tap Yuengling for me and Stella Artois for the other three in our party). We chatted a while - she was great fun to talk to, and with less than a handful of other customers, she had time to spend with us.
But we knew decision time was drawing near, so we turned our attention to the menu. It's not what I'd call extensive - for the most part only appetizers, wings, burgers and a few other sandwiches plus some breakfast items - but there was more than enough to make us waffle back and forth over what we wanted to try. There's an unwritten rule among the four of us that we each get something different and share, which further complicates the decision-making process but makes it more satisfying in the long run.Jack was the first to make his choice - two appetizers including the Portabella Parm, breaded 'shrooms topped with melted mozzarella and marinara sauce ($7) and calimari with either spicy Tai chili or marinara sauce ($8). Barb set her sights on appetizers as well, going for the shrimp tacos (three flour tortillas stuffed with marinated shrimp, clubhouse pico and sweet and sour sauce at $9 and a dozen bone-in wings ($10). There are several sauces from which to choose, such as Thai Chili and Seracha Bourbon (there's a boneless option as well), but at our server's suggestion, she picked Stingin' Honey Garlic. I should mention that with orders of 10 wings, diners can pick two different sauces (we passed on that and went with just one).
Jerry and I, meanwhile, had heard that the burgers here are excellent. His pick was the Surf & Turf, a prime beef burger piled with shrimp topped with spicy caramelized onions. I went for the Jalapeno Melt, a burger topped with a mixture of chopped fresh jalapenos and melted cream cheese. Both come with fries at $10.
Not long after we placed our orders, the server returned with bad news; the calamari wasn't available. Oh drat, Jack said, switching to onion rings, also a favorite of our foursome ($7).
The wings arrived first on a big platter - plump and juicy with plenty of sauce. It was quite delicious, with a bit of a kick but not enough to knock any of us down (I'm the only one who has a hotter-the-better attitude; the others don't mind a little heat, but only a little). At any rate, the flavor was exceptional, and yes, we'd order it again in a heartbeat.
Once the rest of the food was delivered, we all dug in with gusto. Barb's shrimp tacos disappeared in record time, and she mentioned that the slaw was especially good. The O-rings were a bit of a disappointment; although they were huge with just the right breading crunch on the outside, the skins on the onion slices made most of them too tough (literally) to eat. Jack enjoyed his portabella, noting that it's unusual to find one that's breaded but he really liked it that way. As for the toppings, he said they were tasty but he would have preferred that the marinara sauce be put on top of the melted cheese rather than the other way around.
Jerry and I were pleased with our burgers despite a mix-up that might have caused an issue with diners more picky about their meat. He'd asked for medium and I for medium-well; when we got them, clearly I got his and he got mine. Since the toppings were firmly in place, asking for a redo would have been a bit problematic (and neither of us really minded all that much anyway), so we just shrugged and chowed down. We agreed the toppings didn't seem to add a lot of flavor to the burgers; my minced jalapenos, for instance, were crunchy but impossible to identify as jalapenos. Still, the sandwiches were thick and flavorful and the accompanying fries were quite good as well - I for one would happily order the burger I got next time around.
All in all, we had a great time and definitely plan a return visit before long. In fact, our server said future plans call for expanding into dinner entrees, so for sure we'll be keeping an eye out for that.
If you go:
Albatross Bar & Grill
710 E. Liberty St.
Girard, Ohio 44420
(330) 545-6841
https://www.facebook.com/TheAlbatrossMCC
Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
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