Small Bar -- San Diego, CA

So after a long and winded debate with myself about what to eat for lunch, I finally decided to tag along with my co-workers to the Small Bar in North Park. Simply because... how can you not visit a place called Small Bar? Plus the beer mac n' cheese intrigued me, since I'm a sucker for mac n' cheese. And so we went!

Date of consumption: 10/08/2009
What it'll cost ya: $7-10 for lunch, $10-20 for dinner, $5-10 for drinks
Where to find it:
    Small Bar
    4628 Park Blvd
    San Diego, CA 92116
    Yelp it!

The place is pretty sweet. You go in through a gate to the left of the storefront, or barfront, rather, and enter the bar through a side door. By now you may be wondering, how small is the Small Bar? Well it's pretty small, but it's not a closet or anything. There are some barrels to sit around, and a couple tables that uncomfortably seat 4. We weren't really sure how to order the food -- there was just a chalked "Place your order here [[down arrow]]", which pointed to an empty stool in a corner... and for a good 5 minutes, no one really cared to help us. Thumbs down to that. Finally, someone came out and gave us the lowdown: grab a drink from the bar, start up your tab, order the food from her, and the food would be brought out. Easy enough.

First things first, alcohol. Can't talk about a bar without talking about the alcohol. They have, without a doubt, a *lot* of beer selections on tap. Plus a full bar.

courtesy of Tyler H on yelp

 After some wavering, I ordered the beer mac n' cheese I had come for. 

beer mac n' cheese: A three cheese Guiness bechamel sauce smothered in al dente shells and topped with beer candied bacon & roasted cherry tomatoes. Served with crunchy crostini.

Verdict: This would be really great as a side or an appetizer. The first few bites were really interesting and tasty, not as rich tasting as some mac n' cheeses can be, definitely beer-y, but about halfway through, it became really boring and I was itching to eat something else. The bacon and tomatoes were a really great addition though.

Here are some of the other dishes that were ordered:

hamilton’s hop sausage sammie: Hamilton’s Tavern’s signature handcrafted spicy Italian hop sausage (yes, that’s right folks, whole hops) on a soft Italian roll with sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms, stone ground mustard, and provolone cheese (optional)

chicago style italian beef sandwich: Small Bar’s take on a Windy City classic! Slow cooked beef with onions & spicy pepperoncini peppers on a soft, Sadie Rose Italian roll. Served with a side of its own sauce and a pile of shoestring potatoes.

portobello sandwich (vegan): Seasoned and grilled Portobello mushroom served on Sadie Rose vegan focaccia with roasted red bell peppers, sundried tomato aioli, fresh avocado, caramelized onions, and provolone cheese (optional). Served with shoestring potatoes.

Didn't try any of the last three, but didn't hear any complaints either! So I will take that as a mark of approval.

All in all, this a pretty sweet happy hour joint, or a sure stop on a pub crawl. Go visit!

--fatty monkey