Hough’s Bar & Restaurant
I stopped by Hough’s last week to check out the bevy of beer I’ve been hearing about. And boy is it a bevy. It rivals Sharp Edge in quantity and quality selections but has a slight edge because it’s next door to its own brewery. Copper Kettle Brewing Company churns out local suds and also allows patrons to brew their own batches. Please and thank you. That post is for another day though.
I was pleasantly surprised by Hough’s when I first saw it. I had it pegged for a dark, dank, Pittsburgh-style Yinzer bar but was greeted with a bright and large space full of a diverse crowd. The bar itself was also quite large which is always convenient for the single diner/drinker. And stashed in one corner was a shuffle board! Can you feel the excitement!
Hough’s had a feature beer menu and a regular beer menu. The menu is broken down by brand rather than style which can be slightly overwhelming for a beer novice like myself. The great part about the beer menu is that it offers a sample size so you can taste a beer before committing to a full pint. This proved to be a lifesaver. Or a life ruiner. Hard to say.
After I got my beer order out of the way, I got down to the really important part: food. I heard the menu had changed but not for the better. It was standard bar food selections with a few gems one of which was a Sloppy Joe. And I didn’t pass that up. My dining partner wanted hummus to start with and I obliged.
The hummus arrived and was quite possibly the saddest appetizer I’ve ever seen. For being “homemade,” it sure tasted like it came out of a plastic tub. It lacked any real flavor and had the texture of wet paste. My Sloppy Joe came out soon after. It came on a semi-hard bakery-style bun that held up well to the sloppy but the meat/sauce had no tang. No zip. No personality which is the real highlight of a sloppy joe for me otherwise it’s really just a hamburger with too much ketchup. And the cole slaw… so sad. It may have looked like delicious cole slaw from Chick-fil-a (blagh) but it was partially frozen and again had no flavor.
My brother joined the party a bit after we finished dinner and had the Mac-n-Cheese. It had a rich, cheesy flavor but the portion looked to be a side rather than an entree. And at the price point it’s offered at was quite a disappointment.
Overall, I was a tad disappointed by the food but the beer and atmosphere made up for it.
5 Comments
This has always been my experience with Hough’s too – great beer selection and the staff is friendly, but don’t bother with the food unless you’re wasted or desperate.
So sad… Hopefully the food will get up to snuff soon!
I thought the food sucked there too (and generally, much of it does) until I tried the BBQ briscuit sandwich after smelling the sandwich of a guy next to me who swore by it when I asked him about it. Seriously, it was amazing. Not too sweet w/ just the right spice. Hands down the best BBQ I’ve had in the Burgh.
Ah good to know. I saw that on the menu but was skeptical after reading a Yelp review. I’ll give it a try the next time I’m in. Thanks!
I agree that the food here leaves much to be desired. I had particularly disastrous experiences with their burger and reuben. They should really consider partnering with Schmidt’s down the street to provide food.
That said, its really hard to F up a quesadilla, ask for it with brisket.