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Bootleggers Sports Bar and Karaoke Lounge

In today’s deteriorating economic times, service is one area where restaurants must leave a lasting impression. Unfortunately, the impression left on this reviewer by Bootlegger’s Sports Bar and Karaoke Lounge in the city’s northeast was less than favourable. The disappointment began before I even set foot in the pub.

Planning ahead, I tried to get a copy of their menu, but was told that it was not possible. I couldn’t imagine what culinary delights were to be found on this oh-so-secret menu.

Despite the initial disappointment, I will give credit to our server for suggesting we order the four separate appetizers (25 per cent off during happy hour), instead of the appetizer sampler ($32). It worked out to be a better deal and was appreciated. We picked one appetizer each and decided to share. We settled on chicken balls ($7.50), Thai-glazed shrimp on skewers ($7.50), tuna sliders ($7.13) and boneless dry ribs ($8.25). The menu is mostly standard bar food, so the tuna sliders really stood out to me.

When the appetizers arrived, everything was set in the middle of the table but without any individual small plates. We flagged down our waitress to inquire about getting some, but were told that “they must be all dirty or broken or something.” I had no idea what to say, so we just used our napkins as plates.

The chicken balls tasted like chicken McNuggets, and the ribs were as dry as their name suggests. The shrimp were tasty, but the consensus at the table was that they were better without the Thai dipping sauce. Lastly, the sliders were really good, and a high point to an otherwise marginal meal. The dish consisted of a decent-sized piece of seared tuna placed on some togarashi and wasabi, all on a crostini, which provided a pleasing and crunchy contrast. My only complaint is that there was no real presence to the wasabi or togarashi. A little more spice would have really rounded out the dish nicely.

For our main courses, my guests ordered the chicken quesadilla, chorizo sausage with penne and an eight-ounce rib eye steak sandwich. I chose the bacon cheddar mushroom burger.

In our post-meal discussion, not one of us could say that we enjoyed our meal. The quesadilla was described as dryer than the dry ribs, the pasta was good, but there was debate as to whether it really included chorizo, or whether a mild Italian sausage had been substituted. The steak was not cooked to order, arriving medium rather than medium-rare, and was horribly over-salted. We renamed it the “salt sandwich.” The burger was OK, but it had the consistency of a pre-formed patty. The pepper fries I chose as a side weren’t bad, but again, salt was used a little more liberally than I would have preferred.

About half an hour after our (large) plates were cleared, our server popped by and mentioned something about dessert. At that point, we weren’t willing to try any more dishes and decided to call it a night. We couldn’t help but ask ourselves what plates she intended to bring our desserts on anyway.

The meal was easily forgettable and could have been topped with a visit to M&M Meats. If you’re looking for a place in the northeast to meet a few friends, watch a sporting event (there is a ton of TVs at Bootleggers) and have a few cold beverages, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bootleggers. Just make sure to eat before you go.

Bootlegger’s Sports Bar and Karaoke Lounge, 3444 32 Ave. N.E., 403-291-0507.