Stars: 3.5 out of 5
Pros: Draft Selection, Appetizers
Cons: Service, Main Course
Weddings have been one of the few things that cause me to scrape together my limited funds and travel outside the state the past year or so. So, I found myself boarding a plane and headed to Delray Beach, FL to be there for my uncles wedding to a wonderful woman. Once I landed and met up with my family we got settled into our hotel rooms and talked serious business, dinner. Seeing as none of us were familiar with the area and hadn't really eaten all day we began wandering the streets. We happened across The Blue Anchor Pub (The Blue Anchor Pub) and went in to quell the grumblings issuing from our stomachs.
The outside of the building (according to the menu) was built in England and shipped across the Atlantic to be erected here in America. It certainly has the look I, as a simple American, would expect from a classic English pub, having never been to England myself. The inside provides the same feel. There is a large central bar and ample seating. As it was fairly empty (it's off-season) when we arrived we were quickly seated at a large table. The waitress handed us menus and left us in peace to ponder our choices.
I will interject this early so we can move past it. The service wasn't horrible. It was mediocre at best. The waitress was forgetful. She would leave us for long stretches of time with out checking on us. She just didn't seem to be there 100%. She was certainly nice enough, just lacked a little on the attention side of things. We all know this is a pet-peeve of mine hence I knocked stars off for it.
The beer list at The Blue Anchor Pub is quite impressive. They make it a point to let you know they don't serve Budweiser, which I wholeheartedly applaud. They focus on craft beer, which is the way that it should be done. They even had one of my favorite beers on tap: Wychwoods Hobgolin. I could drink that beer by the barrel full. I didn't hesitate to order one. After our beer orders were placed and delivered I dove right in. The one thing I could do without was that all their draft beer is hand drawn, which means it isn't as carbonated as regular tap beers. It gives a different flavor to the beer, but I ignored it. I know in the future that I do NOT prefer it that way.
We started off with some appetizers as we looked at the menu. We got an order of the Black 'n' Tan onion rings and an order of the Irish Boxtys. These are basically deep friend balls of whipped garlic cheese potatoes rolled in cheddar. The onion rings were good. The batter was flavorful and the rings were crisp. Exactly what you want from an onion ring. They came with a side of horseradish sauce that was wonderful. It was an excellent accent to the the onion. I saved some to use on my meal. The boxtys were on a different level. They were nice and crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. The flavor was exceptional without being over powering. I am not a huge potato fan, but these alone may be the start of my conversion. They were good enough to make me order them as my side dish to my meal.
We ordered a large variety of entrees as there were 7 adults and one toddler. I can't begin to list them all, but they ranged from chicken dishes to shrimp to steak & kidney pie. That would be me folks. Steak & kidney pie hooked me the moment I saw it. I have never had it, but I have always wanted to try it. I'm a giant fan of the ingredients so why not see if I like them all together. It came with peas, carrots (which I detest) and a side of my choosing. Boxtys, you are the winner there. As we waited it was nice to catch up with my family of whom I see too little of (always room for y'all to visit...)
The presentation of my dinner was very nice, when it arrived. It was a balanced plate that highlighted the pie nicely. I was excited to dig in. For the most part, it wasn't bad. I ate the carrots first as the less time those vile vegetables soiled my plate the better. The peas were tender and lightly buttered, which is a very nice way to serve them in my opinion. The pie itself gets mixed reviews. The crust was flaky and crisp, which I truly appreciated. The gravy was rich and thick. It was made with Guinness, but I won't claim I tasted it. Still, it was very nice. The meat itself caused me the biggest bit of disappointment. The kidney chunks were tough and chewy while the beef was too thinly shredded for my liking. I was hoping for a slight bit more tenderness to my kidney, which I understand isn't the easiest thing to attain. And I guess I was expecting chunks of steak instead of shredded steak. Would I get it again, probably not. Was I sad I ordered it, no, not really. It's faults were mostly balanced out by it's positives.
The rest of the family seemed to enjoy their meal. I will say that this isn't the normal fare my family eats, but it served it's purpose. The Blue Anchor Pub fits it's niche of a local English pub wonderfully. A little out of place in posh Delray Beach, but well worth the visit if you are looking for a hand-drawn craft pint and some rugged fare. Give it a shot if for no reasons but the boxtys.
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