Review: Monterey Pub

Posted by mike | Filed under Beer, Reviews

I feel like I’ve had this one tucked away for a little while, but it’s enough of a hidden gem that I really couldn’t let it slide off my queue. I’ve been in Pittsburgh for years now, and I had never even heard of the Monterey Pub. On a bit of a whim, I recently scheduled an outing of the Beer Meetup for the sake of giving them a try. I’m really glad I did.

Monterey Pub
www.montereypub.com

1211 Monterey St
Pittsburgh , PA 15212
(412) 322-6535

Tucked up in the Mexican War Streets on the North Shore, you probably aren’t going to come across the Monterey Pub without trying. The front door opens onto an otherwise residential street in an otherwise residential part of Monterey Street. I like to think of it as kind of a brittish pub. When I went, the place was packed–in part because a large group was holding a happy hour event a little earlier. Space is tight in general, so it seems like a better place for one or two than a full crowd. It’d be a great destination to catch up with a friend over a beer.

A quaint British pub. More than anything, Monterey Pub reminds me of a quaint neighborhood bar you might expect to find in Ireland, or, if you rather, your own favorite British isle; aside from an Irish flag out front and a handful of old Guinness ads, the pub is pretty neutral.

A single tender maintained the bar, while a server handled individual tables. Despite my feeling a little guilty, both were quite cool about trying to squeeze in a big group. They even managed to round up a table sooner than I expected. In general, they were laid back but on the ball.

Black bean everything! Quite honestly, I expected a menu full of pub grub and only sparse veggies. Turns out, I was way off: Monterey Pub had a vegetarian option on every section of their menu. Most (but not all) options feature black bean burger—basically the best commercial patty around.

Here’s what I found:

Black Bean Quesadilla
Ploughman’s Lunch (just cheese/bread/apples/chutney)
Black Bean Salad (really, any salad with black bean)
Pub Salad Wrap (w/ black bean)
Mango-Ginger Salad Wrap (w/ black bean)
Grilled Veggie Wrap
Vegetarian Black Bean Burger

Not too bad—especially for a pub!

Pub Salad with Black Bean Burger (crumbled)

Pub Salad with Black Bean Burger. When I whip up a salad for dinner, black bean (or sometimes just veggie) is my favored approach. Sadly, you don’t see the option called out on too many menus. When I saw the option on the Monterey Pub menu, I went for it.

Fresh veggies and good balsamic. I really can’t complain about the salad. I found cherry tomato, red onion, sliced cucumber, and crumbled pieces of black bean burger–all over mixed greens. The veggies were packed with flavor, and lettuce mound was pretty well-sized. If I were to make one comment, it might be that the red onions were sliced a little thick: I would have stuck with half the width. I especially appreciated the black bean texture: there’s often a tendency to throw a sliced up burger patty on top of a salad. I think the semi-distributed crumbles are just a better presentation.

Going around the table. Others around the table placed some other orders, so I’ll show off what photos I captures. You’ll have to give me a break on the quality. As you almost expect for a pub setting, lighting was somewhat limited.

Monterey Burger (maybe?)

Black Bean Quesadilla

Solid session beer. A bottle shop with every beer imaginable is certainly fun, but I think most nights call for a nice balanced session beer. Think English pale ale, various red and brown ales, or perhaps even a dry Irish stout. Monterey Pub seems to nail that list with their draft list. The options sway more toward European imports than American craft beer, but they did throw in at least two American options—including one from East End (Snow Melt, I believe). The full list included about 8 different options, plus a bottle list they defined with a row of empty bottles resting above the bar.

Well worth a shot. Plus. Depending on what you’re looking for, I wouldn’t tag Monterey Pub as a “must try,” but I am a big fan. It’s definitely worth a shot. After all, my “must try” list does have to mean something. That said, Monterey Pub does make for an excellent destination if you’re looking to grab a drink with a friend—especially if you’re already on the North Shore. If you’re like me, and like to rock the veggie thing along with you’re beer, then you’re edging closer yet to the must try realm. You probably have a good reason to venture across town and try it out.