Mad Moose Saloon

Just don't do it.  Sounds like it would be great right?  BBQ style, wood fire pizzas, tons of draft beer, what could go wrong?  Try everything.  First you need to go down a flight of stairs to get to the space which I think is cool.  You feel like you're underground, it's definitely a different kind of feel.  The bar is big, so big, too big to the point where we felt like we were literally in some abandoned saloon.  It's set up is so poor.  It's like two big circles with two sets of draft handles on each side, but only one bartender.  The seats were covered with faux animal fur and we so big that you actually felt far away from the person you were sitting directly next to.  Beer selection was just OK.  Took a good ten minutes for the bartender to acknowledge us and there were only four people at the entire bar.  Again, too big of a bar to be maintained by just one person.  Rewinding back about twenty minutes we were told by the host that there would be a twenty minute wait.  No problem, as we approached the bar we noticed there were at least FOUR, yes FOUR empty tables.  We aren't complainers so we didn't say a word but we thought this was odd.  About a half hour after being told there would be a 20 minute late we were seated.  The booths are right on top of one another.  You almost feel like you are in an airplane with a small aisle separating you from the people across the way.  Very weird vibe.  

The menus are two pieces of paper stapled to one another.  Yes, I'm serious.  No lamination no book, just stapled sheets of paper.  I've seen more put together menus in fast food joints.  I was trying to eat light on this particular night so I was that annoying customer and asked for potential modifications.  I just wanted a salad with raw vegetables.  I asked for spinach and the waitress told me they didn't have spinach.  I pointed out on the menu that one of the entrees mentioned baby spinach and she said she would check with the kitchen for me to see what they had.  She was clearly inexperienced and had no idea what was on the menu but she was also helpful and nice and good service might be what keeps this place open because I can't see the food being the reason people come back here.

We ordered the vegetable pizza for the table and it was set up on one of those pizza holder things that are so inconvenient because they are awkward and can be easily knocked over.  The pizza tasted like, well, veggie pizza.  Dough, sauce, cheese veggies.  That's it.  Not bad, not great.  I took one bite and bam our entrees came out.  Literally within seconds of our appetizer.  So much for the typical appetizer entree style.  Talk about feeling rushed.  My Dad and sister got their entrees which consisted of the Pulled Pork Platter and Pulled Pork Sandwich.  My garden house salad with vegetables which required zero cooking came out about ten minutes after they got their food.  The "sides" that came with the platter were more like teeny itty bitty samples.  I couldn't believe they considered them "sides"  One bite and they were gone.  My Dad who will clean his plate no matter what barely touched the pulled pork.  There was mold in the corn bread which left him with a bite of sweet potato mashed potatoes and a bite of the baked beans. The quality of the food here was just awful.  

This is not a place I would ever come to for happy hour or for a late night bar scene.  Place is just creepy.  Didn't see any sign of a manager throughout our entire meal.  Seems unorganized, outdated and poorly run.  Someone needs to get in here and see what's going on in the kitchen and with the presentation of the place overall.  Will be skipping this one next time I'm in town.

This place is located in Downtown Binghamton. It looks small on the outside but the moment you walk in, there are stairs for you to walk downstairs into the basement where the building is located. The decor is nice and it was about a 15 minute wait. There is a nice ice cream booth located by the waiting area...talk about temptation island. My friends and I were hungry, so we resisted but it is definitely something I will try next time around.

We were seated in a booth and the waiter was quick to bring us a menu, our drinks, and food. I ordered a pizza  from the brick oven and boy was it delicious. The pizza was thin crust, with mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced tomato, and spinach. For Binghamton prices, I would say it was on the expensive end. It was called the Margarita pizza, a must try for those of you who want a decent pie.

My two friends got the gourmet cheese burger and they stated it was cooked exactly how they ordered it. On the other hand, the fries were a little cold that one of the girls ordered but garlic mayo made up for it. Bit pricy for the burger, then again we are talking about three college girls on a budget.

I would go back again, but they have limited vegetarian options. If you eat fish, it is fine they have a few selections but the majority of options all contain meat, even the salads.

The pizza is ok; not great or anything. I have been here twice in business trips so I have given it a fair chance. Maybe the rest of the menu is better.  Also, it's a little weird but it always seems I am the only customer in there. It might have to do with the fact that you can't see the place unless you are right in front if it. My GPS couldn't find it and I almost gave up.