My shortsightedness notwithstanding, the Surly Girl is another of Liz Lessner's many operations. Lessner, who co-owns the Surly Girl alongside her other operations Betty's, Tip Top and Dirty Frank's, specializes in comfort food and delicious intoxicating beverages in much the same way that I specialize in eating comfort food and drinking delicious intoxicating beverages. Her menus are also very kind to vegetarians.
Surly Girl features a wide variety of draft beers, running the gamut from Pabst Blue Ribbon to Bell's, Brooklyn Brewing and Stoudt's brews. There is also a great range of cocktails that are as delicious as they are non-traditional (the bourbon-spiked root beer comes immediately to mind).
Surly Girl, alongside the other Lessner operations, offers many options for vegetarians and vegans. I started with the red bean hummus, which features a Cajun-spiced bean dip alongside an array of dipping tools that include pita bread and vegetables displaying every color of the rainbow. Most of the other starters are vegetarian or are available with a vegetarian option.
My entree was a Southwestern chili mac made on a bed of homemade mac and cheese. It is a great combo, topped with onions, tomatoes and cheese, served on a bed of cheesy pasta, beans and roasted peppers. If I were Ebert and Roeper, I'd give it two thumbs up.
The one caveat for most restaurants in Liz's empire is that unless you eat at off-peak times, you will often have to wait for service. We waited about 75 minutes, which was 15 minutes longer than the wait the hostess expressed. However, the drinks and your ability to order appetizers at the bar relieve some of the pain of waiting for a table.
The Surly Girl Saloon is a great entry into the fray of gastropubs, a dining concept where great food and great drinks at late hours theoretically keep the house packed night after night. The convenience and selection coupled with the great atmosphere and vegetarian-friendly vibe makes this place well worth checking out.
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