Posted by mightyoaks on February 13th, 2006 — Posted in Pubs, Quick Food, Sports
Sandy’s is a small takeout and eatin restaurant on Haggard Rd in Elon. Located a quarter mile west of the BP station, they have a pretty extensive menu of subs, gyros, pizzas, hamburgers, etc.
I had a pair of Gyros, one steak and one chicken, both with onions and peppers, and they were quite decent. I haven’t been to the bar half of Sandy’s, but have been told by several people that they typically have sporting events on their TVs, and an inexpensive selection of beers and wines.
The kitchen looks like it hasn’t changed since the place first opened several years ago, with older grills, refrigerators, etc, but all of those help to give Sandy’s a “down-home” feeling.
Other than a bit of a delay in my order, I couldn’t find anything to complain about. If you’re looking for a good sandwich, or just a quick place to stop with friends, check out Sandy’s.
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Posted by mightyoaks on February 4th, 2006 — Posted in Pubs, Quick Food, Sports
Satisfaction’s, at 905 W Main St in Durham, has a very collegey atmosphere. They’re open for almost every sporting event, and typically have a couple running on their big screens at every visit.
I go predominantly for their pizzas, which have a great medium-thickness crust, and a solidly tomatoey sauce which isn’t too sweet. Their toppings list includes such diverse choices as Bleu Cheese, Bacon, Anchovies, Pineapple, and Pepperoni, along with about 15 others.
They also have an extensive selection of sandwiches and burgers, which several fo my friends have enjoyed, but I haven’t sampled yet. Their appetizer menu is about what you’d expect for a sports spot: everything’s deep fried, and if you like mushrooms, I can’t recommend their fried mushroom appetizer enough… just be sure to let them cool a bit before you eat them.
Their drink and beer menu is extremely long (with over 100 mixed drinks listed), and reasonably priced. I generally find that I can spend under $15 for an appetizer, split on a pizza, and soft drink for myself.
It’s probably not a place you want to go every day, and it can get loud when a major sporting event is on TV, but overall I recommend it to any pizza-loving college student.
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Posted by mightyoaks on January 14th, 2006 — Posted in Pubs
It’s dim and often smoky at 912 W Main St in downtown Durham. Heavy wooden furniture, tables, and the unmistakable Irishness of the decorations greet you upon opening the door. I generally arrive Tuesday evenings around 8:20 to be greeted by Luke, the main bar tender, and a couple friends for pub trivia. After ordering my typical Red Oak to start, I’ll consider their daily specials to see what strikes me. The James Joyce Irish Pub has great pub food. It should go without saying that a pub would have good pub food – wings, soups, fries, sandwiches, etc – but the Joyce really excels at bringing the Irish tastes and sounds to the fore. My personal favorite combination, when I’m in the mood for a full dinner, is to get the Gaelic Chicken, New England Clam Chowder, and an order of fries or skins. A close second is their Sheperd’s Pie, and sometimes they’ll run a Gaelic Beef or Irish-ized Shrimp Scampi special.
Generally, service is very fast. The kitchen sits towards the rear of the pub, and you could go watch the cooks making your meal if you wanted. Tuesday evenings tend to really pack in the crowds for trivia, which slows food service and makes the whole place noisy, but it’s a lot of fun, too. They have a full-service bar, but the dominant theme of drink sales are beers. From my informal survey, Guinness, Harp, and Amstel seem to lead the list. The waitstaff and bar tenders are almost always friendly, and they’re always willing to open a tab for you so you don’t have to worry about paying for your food and drinks till the end of your evening.
Entree prices run in the $8-15 range, and the entire menu is a la carte. I can usually count on a $15-20 bill for a night at trivia, either from a main dish and a couple small sides and a beer, or from skins and 2-3 drinks. With live music offered most Friday and Saturday nights, trivia on Tuesdays, and sporting events (mostly soccer) constantly on the TVs, it can be a noisy time of visiting, eating, and drinking, but it’s a lot of fun.
http://jamesjoyceirishpub.com
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