Ugly Moose

I heard about the Ugly Moose by word of mouth (don't think I ever would have found it otherwise).  Its located several blocks up Main Street on Shurs Lane, entrance through a side street that opens into a courtyard shared with a barbecue restaurant. The restaurant building itself has no signage, but you will know that you are in the correct place with you go inside and see the giant moose head on the wall (lol).  

This place has a somewhat dive-y atmosphere, it is very dark, and it was cold inside the restaurant on the evening of our visit. This is the kind of place where I hesitate to use the bathroom, and fortunately there was no need so I can't tell whether it was clean or not.  There were some random flies and gnats in the dining room.

The service was very pleasant, and the selection of draft beers was interesting with an emphasis of IPA styles and seasonal pumpkin ales. We enjoyed the Founders Centennial IPA, it has  lots of floral/hoppy aromas and is ery smooth and drinkable.  

Also tried the Southern Tier Pumpking Ale which was served in a tulip glass (8.6% ABV). This beer was very flavorful but more of a sipping beer, creamy and somewhat sweet with aroma of pumpkin pie spice.  I think this beer would be excellent as a "dessert" beer but was not exactly what you would want to wash down a plate of wings with.

Speaking of wings, we ordered a plate of the hot wings, which were flavored with a tasty spice rub, and had just the right amount of heat (I don't like food that is so spicy I can't taste anything else but pepper).  

The Ugly Moose has nightly specials, and as it was a Tuesday we took advantage of the 1/2 price salads and quesadillas to round out our meal.  The quesadillas were fine, I really liked the "Kirkland" salad which included a giant pile of spinach, lots of smoky bacon, crisp apple slices, a large glob of goat cheese and dressed with cider vinaigrette. It was really delicious and when they say the salads are "Jumbo" they aren't lying, This salad could be shared as a first course among 3-4 people.  As it was the 2 of us only managed to eat about half of it.

The prices here are very moderate, and the specials made it a very good value. Overall an enjoyable meal, excellent beer, and I would return.

The Ugly Moose is a nice little spot, tucked away from all the hustle and bustle of Main Street. We came here in search for a delicious burger, close to home. We've been know to drive out to the Fall Taproom when in need of a nice, comforting burger, but we decided to try out The Ugly Moose since it was right up the street.

The meal turned out to be delicious! We started out with the Perogies and the Crab Dip. Both were nice portions and were super tasty. The Perogies came from the Perogie Kitchen over on Rox Ave & Henry Ave. The Crab Dip was nice and meaty and was accompanied by delicious bread and chips.

Once it was burger time, I got the Bleu and Onion burger and my lady got the Cheddar Bacon Burger. Both were cooked to perfection and were wonderfully delicious. They even came with some delicious beer battered fries on the side.

This place looks like a great spot to come and watch a game. They have a nice big bar, and plenty of TV's, so you can watch the game from anywhere in the restaurant. They also have a big selection of Craft Beers.

My only gripe was the sort of slow service, but they only had 2 people on staff and one of those people was in training, so in reality they had one server for the whole restaurant, so he was running around like a mad man. Not his fault, but you'd think they would staff correctly on a Football Sunday during dinner rush.

Regardless, we will be back for sure. Venture up Shurs Lane and try this gem. Don't miss the signs for the restaurant tough, because it's tucked away in a back parking lot....

Love the poutine!!!!