BOWLING GREEN — Reverend’s Bar & Grill, 130 E. Wooster St., is not just another college bar. In fact, its menu is simply divine.
The restaurant takes modern pub fare and elevates it to another level with seasonal ingredients and interesting combinations.
For instance, the featured appetizer on our recent visits was avocado fries ($6.99).
Instead of the traditional potatoes topped with an avocado sauce or garnish, these fries were sliced avocado lightly breaded in panko and fried. The serving was easily split among our party of four, and everyone raved about the selection. Does it get any better than a fried super food?
The restaurant, which opened in 2007, focuses on appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and salads with a few other specialty entrees mixed in. It is also heavy on religious puns with the menu divided into such categories as “Garden of Eatin,” “Sandwiches of Salvation,” and “The Last Entrees.”
Over two visits, we began our meal with the smoky fried pretzels ($7.99), the Rapture Dip ($8.99), and the Heavenly Wings (10 for $10.99).
★★★★½
Address: 130 E. Wooster St., Bowling Green
Category: Casual
Menu: American.
Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays; 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays; 3 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. (Bar is open until 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.)
Wheelchair access: Yes.
Average price: $$.
Credit cards: AE, Dis, MC, V
Website: reverendsbarandgrill.com
Pretzels are a standard offering at many bars, but Reverend’s elevates the appetizer to a higher level with a dusting of Parmesan cheese a light smoky flavor. They’re served with melted queso and/or honey mustard.
The Rapture Dip, which according to our server is the eatery’s most popular item, was perfect for sharing. The mix of melted queso, refried beans, chorizo, tomatoes, sour cream, and cilantro arrived at our table warm and was accompanied by a large bowl of crispy tortilla chips. The chip-to-dip ratio was spot on.
The Heavenly Wings, ordered with the house barbecue and roasted garlic sauces, were meaty, well-flavored, and received high marks even from diners who typically shy away from chicken wings.
One diner opted for the Southwest salad ($11.49). The greens were fresh and crisp, and the chicken was juicy and just the right size for a bite. That turned out to be key, because the bowl was so full that using a knife would have been a messy endeavor.
Another companion was pleased with Ma’s meatloaf ($15.49), taking the advice of the server in choosing the entrée over the sandwich. Two slices of meatloaf were topped with a tomato sauce rather than the more common ketchup and served with smooth mashed potatoes and gravy and fried green beans. A forkful of the meat and potatoes was a great bite of comfort food. Without the potatoes and gravy, however, the well-seasoned meatloaf was dry. Like with the avocado, the flavor and breading for the green beans was good.
The smoked brisket poutine ($14.99), a take on a Quebec comfort food, was simply heavenly and worth the visit alone. The traditional combination of white cheddar cheese curds, French fries, and beef gravy gets a savory riff with the addition of smoked brisket and tobacco onions, so called because of their color from deep-frying with cayenne pepper, flour, and salt. An added bonus, the leftovers from the heavy meal were just as good the next day.
The grilled portobello cap ($8.99) is a wonderful vegetarian offering — a sizable mushroom topped with baby arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, marinated red onion, pesto aioli, and goat cheese. It was a divine mix of flavors. Pair it with the rich garlic frites and you can’t go wrong.
The salmon burger ($11.49) was also packed with flavor. Reverend’s tops a patty of wild-caught Alaskan salmon with sun-dried tomatoes, marinated red onion, mozzarella, pesto aioli, and mixed greens. My one complaint was that the perfectly cooked salmon was a bit lost under the cheese and other toppings. I chose the sweet potato fries as a side. They had a wonderful Cajun season that packed quite a kick that might deter some.
From Reverend’s Southwestern offerings, members of our party selected the pork belly tacos ($11.99) and the Willie’s BBQ tacos with smoked brisket ($13.99).
Both meals feature three grilled flour tortillas. The pork version was packed with avocado, red onion, sour cream, smoked Gouda, shredded cabbage, and cilantro. One diner surrendered after eating two of the shells and opted to save the third for a later snack. The brisket version featured a cracked pepper Parmesan slaw, shredded cheese, red onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.
One of the more unexpected items at Reverend’s is its grilled stuffed zucchini ($10.99), featuring a generous portion of zucchini boats stuffed with black beans, Spanish rice, shredded cheese, mixed greens, sliced avocado, and tomato salsa. My dining companion opted to add chicken for $1.99 to make the dish more filling. Still, she said it was a lighter offering with a nice smoky flavor.
Reverend’s offers a full bar, but it’s the beer that draws many through its gates. At least eight microbrews were on tap during each of our visits, and the offerings change frequently. In fact, the restaurant’s website gives a list of what customers can expect soon.
Contact Bill of Fare at: fare@theblade.com
First Published June 11, 2019, 2:00 p.m.
