The Independent

went in Sunday during btw brunch and dinner, sat at the bar, ordered a drink, asked about one of the specials, was told they were subject to change, ok, no problem, told by the bartender/waitress that she would check, never came back, another bartender/waiter came back, 10 minutes later, told me the chef wasn't around, ok...strange - never came back, never asked if I wanted anything else, meanwhile I turn around and see a table being served - food.  Crap customer service

Not gonna lie - without a few key elements, The Independent is 2-stars for me.  However, a few things, they do absolutely perfectly.

After Atwood's was inexplicably closed for a random private afternoon party, we made a game-time decision to take my family and the in-laws (all in town for our graduation and to get drenched in a monsoon for 12 straight hours) to The Independent, partly because it was close by, partly because it had ample space to seat us (it was empty at 5:30pm on a Graduation Friday in a monsoon), partly because the food was "normal" (my stepdad mainly sticks to things he recognizes), but mostly because it was near the highway, and my family is eerily obsessed with self-positioning for a quick exit.

SO, parents, in-laws, sisters, and sisters' significant others in tow, we rolled up, parked out back (free parking after 5 in the office lot behind the building), strolled in, were seated immediately, and proceeded to receive impeccable service start to finish.

That is Pro 1, I suppose.  The service is fantastic.  The poor guy had to deal with an eclectic table of odd food requests and questions, indecisive beer snobs, and the entire party smelling like wet dog from sitting in a puddle all day.  

Pro 2 is the beer list itself.  It's insane.  Long, all-encompassing, and gleefully free of shit-beer, there is something for everyone here. Had I not already spent 2 entire weeks pounding brews on vacation, I could have tackled a few more, but drinker beware: some of these pack an ABV punch.

Pro 3, if you're wondering, is the fries, but we will get to that.

We started with some oysters.  Fresh, salty, brine-y, and from PEI, these were as you'd expect from oysters...so I'm not sure a restaurant can get too much credit for that!  

We had an order of deviled eggs but, a $5 for two eggs (halved), this seemed like a huge rip off.  Aside from the bacon crumbles on top, these tasted just like the ones I make at home, no twist or anything (for a twist, try the deviled eggs at Hungry Mother...they're insane).  I wouldn't order them if I were you - save the $5 and put it towards a tastier app.

On to entrees:

The fried chicken came highly recommended - it was thickly-breaded chicken cutlet, deep fried to a crispy brown, and served with mac and cheese and greens.  Looking at this plate, it's not what you'd expect when you ordered a "fried chicken dinner" because the chicken was not greasy, crunchy, crispy, or boned (is the opposite of de-boned boned? You get my point). Chicken fail.  The greens were sauteed in garlic and, though a bit oily, were a nice try at a southern dish. Mac and cheese lacked any flavor, cheesiness, cream (really, anything that makes it fattening and delicious), and the entire dish, an attempt at "southern", disappointed.

The broccoli and bacon mac and cheese ($11) was a small portion, served in a cast iron skillet, and again, like the pasta above, lacked cheesiness.  The bacon added a richness that the cheese was unable to, but the broccoli didn't seem to belong there at all.  Overall, a bland dish that I could have done without.

The burger, ordered medium rare, came out well-done, and thus it was very dry and tough to eat.  The burger experience would have been completely forgettable if it wasn't for the fries.  

Ohhh the fries.

We cheated and snuck a glimpse of the fries on someone else's plate when we walked in, so we knew that the side-of-fries with the burger just wouldn't be enough.  We ordered another side of fries, and it came heaping with a tiny pot of garlic aioli.

Two things you need to do when you come here: 1. get the side of fries, even if your meal comes with fries.  Trust me.  2. ask them for like 7 more pots of garlic aioli.

These two steps, along with the delicious beer you'll order when you sit down, will SALVAGE your meal here.  Without these things, The Independent serves food a bit bland, generic, and, while a good try, sort of falls short.  With these things, however, you can have a nice, casual evening at the bar with your closest friends, and not hate yourself for dropping cash on a subpar meal.

Dinner.of.fries.  'Nuff said.

The Indo always seems like a good idea: new American fare, killer cocktail list, please-all diversity, gastropubesque. It's the inconsistency that really buries it in the pile.

Normally, I'm not a huge fan of the pros/cons list, but in some environments (greasy spoons and everypubs), it's really the only way to lay down the facts.

+ Deviled eggs flavor: tangy, firm and heavily salted. Dig the cuke platters to keep them upright, and bring a little texture to the party.
+ Gnocchi with short rib: eating this dish is like coming out of the rain and sliding in to a warm, thick robe. A robe made of braised meat. Gravy slippers.
+ The cocktails. Go with one from the specialty list and it's a ne'erfail. Honolulu Dogfight? Alright. Calamity Jane? Okayne.
+ Service. Top notch. Incredibly on point without hovering.

- Deviled eggs price. Two eggs halved for $5? All-Star Sandwich Bar does a picnic version and slings 1.5 ova for $0.99. Maybe it doesn't run the con anywhere else on the menuohwait. $8 for a wedge salad. Suckered.
- The calamari. Just... awful. Imbalanced, overcooked and almost rancid. Actually had to send it back. Bad plate? Won't chance it again.
- Sirloin salad. The played-out combination of Bibb lettuce, blue cheese, avocado and tomato serving as a bed for protein would be fine and dandy, if it were executed well. The steak is rimmed with fat, most definitely precooked and sliced cold; the cherry toms are underripe and mealy in a handful of salad. Portioned for kids, priced for adults ($12). Nope.

Methinks I'll be sticking it out at the bar for the next journey 'round Union Square, but with options like Precinct, Bronwyn and backbar closer to front of mind, I'm not sure when that next drink may come.