Katie K.
Yelp
Food: 5/5
Drinks: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
My partner and I came here for a late lunch/early dinner (3:30-5:30) on a Sunday afternoon.
The bar was fairly chill, no rowdy crowds or loud patrons and it wasn't terribly busy. Patrons were mostly couples or groups of 3, in ~30s, 40s, and 50s. It wasn't "empty" by any means, but had our choice of seating at either bar/indoor tables/ or outdoor tables. There are a few tvs set up near the bar. We appreciated that the staff were very proactive about making sure we could watch the football game of our choice (my partner had his team's jersey on).
For drinks, we ordered:
Apple Butter Toddy 4/5 - a delicious toddy, not too hot and well balanced flavor. Perfect for a chilly night. My only complaint is the apple butter settles at the bottom and makes the last half of the drink a bit gritty.
Pumpkin Pie Martini 3.5/5 The first couple of sips I liked this. But it wasn't a drink I cared to finish or order a second one of. It's not sweet, but it definitely has a pumpkin flavor and texture. I think it ended up being a bit too "squash"-like for me, as opposed to "pumpkin pie/spice" feeling and as time went on I didn't love the thick texture and mouthfeel. Basically, it's a pumpkin drink, not a pie drink.
Cold Night in Julian 5/5: another hot toddy style drink and this was also delicious. Well balanced, the cider and rum paired really well together and the spices really shined through. We ordered a second one of these. Would highly recommend.
My partner also had a couple beers and I commend Dunedin on their draft list. It was pretty extensive and we were thrilled they had a few ambers/reds on the menu too.
For food we ordered:
Pretzel Bites 5/5:
The jalapeño cheese was surprisingly good! I'm not a fan of spicy things but this was refreshing. The jalapeño added good and fresh flavor without being terribly hot.
Sausage Roll 5/5: this was exceptional. Order this, yesterday. I will definitely get this again. The sausage has incredible flavor. Strong notes of fennel but not in a bad way at all. Small portion, but it's worth it. Our bartender gave us a pro tip of dipping the sausage roll in the jalapeño cheese and that was definitely a win too.
Nelson Chicken Sandwich 5/5: delicious, crispy, and very flavorful. It had a good punch of heat behind it, so don't order unless you like spicy.
Chicken Pot Pie 5/5: this was super rich and filling. If you're not terribly hungry I would recommend splitting this with someone. The flavor is incredible and it tastes rather decadent between the puff pastry, cheese, and rich cream sauce. Veggies in the pie weren't overcooked either which was nice. Old photos show it coming with fries and biscuit on the side but updated menu/recipe is just the pot pie with the cheddar biscuit embedded in the top of the pie.
Our bartenders were friendly. The crowd wasn't crazy. And parking on a Sunday actually wasn't a nightmare (but we might have gotten lucky, it is street parking only). Their happy hours are frequent, 3-6pm every day, and all day Tuesday.
All in all, a hidden gem.