Bar Louie

My friend and I frequent Bayshore Mall about once a month for lunch and a little shopping and had never been to Bar Louie since starting these lunchdates about 3 years ago so we finally gave it a go recently. For starters it was their “guest appreciation” week and they were giving away a FREE drink (one per customer – including martini’s!) and a free appetizer with purchase. My friend and I forewent the appetizer (bummer because I really wanted to try the loaded tots – NEXT time!!) but I indulged in a free martini – The Tickled Pink martini. Wow – SO good. An adult version of Rudy Red Grapefruit juice with a kick. More, please! The staff was very courteous and the restaurant was very aesthetically pleasing to the eye – an “upscale” sports bar if you will; dark wood, soft lighting, but still with big screen TV’s for watching the game. The only thing that seemed out of place for both me and my friend was the skimpy tank tops the waitresses were wearing for uniforms. Neither of us by any means are prudes or prudish, but they really kind of cheapened the whole experience for us. I understand they may be trying to attract a certain clientele, but I think it could still be done more tastefully – i.e. a nice v-neck or scoop neck t-shirt would still be sexy without being “cheap”. That really would be my only criticism for Bar Louie. Otherwise I think it’s safe to say that Bar Louie will be added into our rotation of restaurants for our regular Bayshore lunch outings!

Ideally, you get great service no matter where you sit in a restaurant. But here’s the thing… to be blunt, your bartender was hired because they are exceptional at serving you drinks. Period. Fast, efficient, calm under pressure, creative when necessary (“Oh, just make me something yummy with rum”) and a steel trap memory (“It’s that drink that’s called a Red Head or something”). They may not necessarily know how many ounces of pasta come in your dish; whether your salmon is farm raised or wild caught; if the beef is grass fed or grass finished; if the mustard vinaigrette is gluten free.

That being said, I wasn’t expecting them to be so efficient that they whisked away our food and bussed our plates before we were done eating!

Went for a brunch – it was a mistake. My taste buds still remember the mistake. Over cooked and dry whatever it was…. wont go back. No 2nd chance there..

I went to this restaurant after the gym intending to have just a drink. But their excellent selection of burgers with the added bonus of substituting a turkey or veggie burger…changed my mind. I had the oriental turkey burger and wow the wasabi mayo was really fantastic.
We were able to get a table on the patio which overlooks the mall and I recommend giving that a try, its a great view.
I was impressed with the variety on the menu and the friendly service from the hostess and the server.
They also offered trivia in the bar every Wed. night.
Its not fine dining but it exceeded my expectations for ‘bar’ fare.
I’ll be going back to check out their Sunday brunch in a couple weeks. Great food and environment for a moderate price.