by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
The Ale House is a place that everybody, sooner or later, is going to eat. This is for a number of reasons. First, it’s a late night option, and second, the prices are reasonable and the portions are more than substantial—they’re huge.
I still remember the first time I ordered a salad there, thinking I wanted a light meal. Instead, a huge dish was placed before me, piled high. My date laughed at the look of sheer amazement I had on my face. I really should have known, judging from the intimidating beverage I received after ordering a soda.
But I learned my lesson. At the Ale House you’re going to go home very full, with or without leftover boxes.
Despite the fact that I mostly review home-grown restaurants, this week’s sports theme, and the fact that the Ale House is a Florida-born chain enticed me to review it. Jack and Claire Miller opened the first Ale House Restaurant in Jupiter, Florida in ‘88. The chain has grown since then, with a total of 38 restaurants in Florida as of January 2006.
They are most decidedly a sports bar. My husband and I once went there during a Gators vs. Seminoles game. There was a delicious tension in the air, with fans groaning during bad plays and cheering for touchdowns. Fans came out in their colors; it was easy to tell who they were rooting for as they drank their brew and ate their wings. It’s like that during most major games, especially those involving a Florida team.
The theme at all Ale House is fairly nautical, dark stained wood and brass accents share space with local (and not so local) sports memorabilia, often signed by standout players and coaches. It’s a place where local teams, from little league on up, come to celebrate their victories. During the day and early evenings many families come out to enjoy the food. Dad can watch the game during the meal, as there is a TV visible to every table in the place. Each table has a handy printed sports guide, with a schedule of some of the upcoming games.
Late on the weekends, people come to play pool and it can look like a bit of a meat market. Regulars are stationed at the bar, eyes glued to whatever game is going on at the moment, and Jacksonville women come out, bedecked in their finest bar clothes.
Price-wise, the Ale house is mid-range. Most items are about $8 and the highest items (like their 20-ounce Porterhouse Steak) are only about $15. Their substantial 12-ounce prime rib is well-priced at about $11. (It’s a special on Tuesdays & Thursdays). Locals who work on the Southside will order their lunch specials, which run from about $5-$6, depending on what you order. Professional drinkers come in for their $5 pitchers and drink specials. Monday-Friday from 11 am- 7 pm you can get a $1 mixed drink special of your choice. The specials do change, but there are a lot of them (too many to mention here) and there really is a special for everybody. Kids, by the way, eat free on Sunday with the purchase of an adult entrée.
If you look at the menu, you’ll find the usual cadre of bar foods: wings, fried mozzarella, nachos and chicken fingers. Their Zingers (boneless wings) are a favorite, and so are their chicken nachos. If anything is sharable, it’s their chicken nachos, which I must say is so large it’s almost obscene. Almost. For something a little lighter, but still Southwest, I go in for their quesadillas.
Burgers are super yummy here, ½ a pound of ground charbroiled sirloin, flavorful and available in about 10 variations. Oyster fans also come here for their raw and steamed oysters. Whatever you get, be it seafood, meat or salad, you won’t go away hungry.
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