I’ll admit that I’m a little biased when it comes to chain restaurants. And, by biased, I mean I’m more than a little skeptical that I’ll stumble upon anything worth writing home about. However, when multiple people tell me a brunch is worth checking out, it is my duty and obligation to sacrifice that skepticism and give it a try. That is how I found myself at Bar Louie in Hamilton Place.
Though it was early when I walked in, Bar Louie gave off a Happy Hour joint kind of vibe with its dim lighting, liquor bottle décor, and some funky, old school music playing over the speakers.
The Drinks
Because I’m apparently a masochist, I picked a table on the patio outside where we immediately began to melt under that wet cloak of southern humidity—that’s our bad. So very ready to cool down, we got started on the drink menu.
Bar Louie’s brunch menu offers an “Ultimate Bloody Louie” (a Bloody Mary prepared with Absolute Pepper, hot sauce, and Bloody Mary mix), a “Beer-Mosa,” a “Man-Mosa,” (a mimosa topped with Gran Marnier), and a “Mimosa” (which was actually a fancy mimosa prepared with Skyy Citrus Vodka, La Marca Prosecco, and fresh orange juice).
They also offer a normal mimosa for $2, though it wasn’t listed on the drink menu. My fiancé ordered one of these, while I ordered the Big-M Mimosa for $5 so we could compare the two.
If you enjoy some bite to your alcoholic beverages, the $5 Mimosa is worth the extra $3. It is tasty, but you know you’re drinking booze. If you’re the kind of person who likes to camouflage your liquor (at least before noon), I’d suggest saving some cash and just going with the regular mimosa.
The Food
I’m currently on a diet, so I was leaning towards the Harvest Omelet (cooked with egg whites, fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and feta cheese, and served with fresh fruit). However, the moment our waiter recommended The Lobster Bennie and the Hangover Helper as his favorites, I immediately caved (of course). We ordered one of each.
The Lobster Bennie was darn good. As an Eggs Benedict aficionado, I wanted to snub my nose up at it (see reasons above), but I honestly could not. The dish was made with lobster cakes, poached eggs, ham, hollandaise sauce, and green onions over a brioche bun. The eggs were the perfect kind of runny, the lobster cake tasted fresh and luxurious, and the ham gave the recipe that little bit of comforting, familiar flair without overpowering the lobster. While it’s a simple recipe, Bar Louie does it right.
The Hangover Helper was also very delicious, in addition to being refreshingly creative—and decadent. Served in a cast iron skillet, the Hangover Helper is essentially a bowl of tater tots covered in onions, peppers, chorizo (or bacon crumbles), queso sauce, and an egg on top. What else can you say?
The Takeaway
Good service, yummy food, and boozy drinks for cheap. My friends did not lead me astray.
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