Friday, November 4, 2011

The Pub

7600 Kaighns Ave
Pennsauken, NJ 08109
(856) 665-6440
Website

In which of the following would you prefer to live?
A) Medieval times
B) The 1950's
C) New Jersey
D) All of the above


If you chose D, then the Pub is the place for you. If you chose A and B, the Pub is still for you (and I don't blame you). I had heard about the Pub for years, but I never had the occasion to visit. However, I was going out for a celebratory dinner with family, so I decided that the Pub was just the spot to try. Old school steaks, salad bar, and a damn time-warp were soon to be mine.


We were quickly seated in the GIGANTIC dining room, which must be able to hold seven thousand people, at the bare minimum. A server came over and informed us of the drill: order a main course, take full advantage of the salad bar, and cut slices off of the soccer ball sized loaf of fresh bread they put down at the table. So far, so good.



There is a line of ovens that the cooks use to prepare Flintstone's sized pieces of meat. It's pretty awesome.




We quickly ordered a bottle of wine ($35), a round of drinks and hit the salad bar.


Now that salad bar is no Fogo De Chao, but then what is? This is old school. Make a salad, eat some Caesar (with real anchovies, score!) and some potato salad-type stuff.



They had the traditional Pizza Hut salad bar dressings and containers.


Homemade zucchini bread and a couple of unnamed cheeses (prov and cheddar?).


You simply have to get a whiskey on the rocks, and do it up like a 1950's gangster. Below you will see my sickening array of food that I ate before returning for seconds. I have some serious issues.



The server brought the steaks out on a cart, and offered some Au Jus.


As soon as she tripled the Au Jus, I began to eat. I went with the manager's special, 16oz. boneless rib-eye cooked mid rare. Thin, I am not. They cooked the steak perfectly, and served it with a lone onion ring.


Thick fries left something to be desired, which is exactly what I had expected.


Even the steak knife is representing.



One of the dining mates ordered the ribs. I pressured her into the whole rack ($5 more, you are losing money by NOT getting it). I ate two thirds of the ribs as well. I have no shame.


Another (female) got the chicken. I guess it was pretty good. I don't remember much at this point because I was legally intoxicated on saturated fat.


The other manly man got the rib-eye as well. Look at the size of that damn twice baked potato. Are you serious? I also ate half of a twice baked.




A recon mission brought me info that the woman's bathroom used to be/still is a "powder your nose" kind of place. I bet this place was INSANE in the 70's.


In the end, it was $50 a person for everything. I would GLADLY go back in the future, and I am going to make it a point to hit the retro lounge and order an old-fashioned. It was just as you would expect. Stuck in time, which is not always a bad thing. I didn't have to hear about any foie gras that was imported from South America, dried, reconstituted and now served as a bubble accompanying my 1oz. steak. Go to the Pub for the atmosphere and steaks, and return for a connection with Americana you never knew you were desperately missing.

8 comments:

A and J said...

Haha-- this post is hilarious.

Philly Phoodie said...

Thanks, it's a pretty amazing experience!

guy said...

The bro in the fourth photo looks like he has a meat-induced O-face.

I like the reviews of off-the-track spots.

Kris Kachline said...

I was there recently. I ordered a ribeye, as any real steak lover should. i was disappointed when I was brought a sirloin. So, I naturally brought it to the attention of my server who told me that she would grab the manager to get me the correct cut. The manager said to me, "no, that is what our ribeye looks like." I said, "bullshit." She refused to get me a new steak. So, as there is an open kitchen, I took the steak to the nearest cook, with the manager in tow, and asked him what cut my steak was. I said, "oh that is a good looking sirloin." VICTORY. The ribeye was amazing.

Philly Phoodie said...

@Kris HA! That makes total sense. It's certainly an experience.

rehrlydun said...

bout time someone checked this place out for me, i'll follow this with an 'over the years' review of the village thrift that shares the parking lot haha

Megan said...

I'm going here tonight, and haven't eaten all day to prep for it. Can't wait!

Anonymous said...

I'm starving myself Friday to prep for The Pub. Never been. Can't wait. Kickin it in the lounge, no question about it.