A few weeks ago I received an email from Thrillist that a new bar would be opening in the space formerly occupied by Finale in Coolidge Corner. I was sad to see that Finale location go. I had celebrated the baby shower of one of my favorite cousins there and it had sentimental value. However, if it had to be replaced by something, it might as well be a bar specializing in beer and scotch, right?
Hops N Scotch is located on Beacon Street, right across from the Coolidge Corner T stop on the C line.
The first floor has windows open to the street which makes for prime people watching.
I really liked the Hops N Scotch logo which was illuminated above the front door.
When you set foot into the space the first thing you notice is the rowdy bar scene. The night we visited the bar was completely packed at 7:30pm.
We were a party of five and the hostess gracefully escorted us upstairs to our booth. The windows on the second floor over look all of Beacon Street and you have a great view for the sunset.
The logo re-appeared on the menu, this time in gold. Fancy!
As promised, there were lengthy lists of beers and scotch.
The three boys with me each ordered a different brew - a Magners, an Allagash White and a Harpoon IPA (as you can see, most of the beers don't match their glass).
I ordered a drink called the "Cat Lady" which was pama, St. Germain and prosecco. I hate cats, but this drink was so amazing I'll forgive the name. It tasted like a refreshing, light, fruit juice. I could have had three or four more easily.
To start we ordered the fried green tomatoes. The tomatoes were very thinly sliced, practically shaved, and fried to a delightful level of crunch. The dipping sauce served with them was far too runny and left me wishing for a rich, buttermilk ranch.
The entrees arrived and one of the boys was really looking forward to his BBQ chicken sandwich, especially once he noticed the sandwich had two full chicken breasts. He said the toasted bun was a nice touch but that overall, the sandwich was boring and he was unimpressed by the taste.
Here's a close up of his BBQ chicken. Since I didn't taste it, I can't say, but on looks alone, I'd give it another chance.
Two of us at the table were vegetarians so we decided to share two dishes. We started with the mac and cheese which came with cavatappi pasta and was topped with a light layer of bread crumbs. The cheese sauce was fantastic.It was creamy, but not too decadent, and the serving size was just right for two people.
Our second dish was the grilled cheese served with a bowl of gazpacho. The sandwich was Texas toast stuffed with pimento cheese and onion jam.
Look at that monstrous sandwich! The pimento cheese is more like a spread which delivered an unusual consistency.The onion jam added a surprisingly smokey flavor (or it could have been the toast). Either way, it was a nice change from the usual American cheese on white.
The gazpacho was a disappointment. It was too thin and tasted strongly of a spice we couldn't quite identify. My best guess was paprika.
Though not captured on film, two of my fellow diners had the burger and they were both really underwhelmed. They said the meat tasted charred, the burger was boring and the fries looked better than they tasted. Note to self: skip the burger.
To round out the meal we ordered dessert in honor of a birthday we were celebrating at the table. There is no dessert menu, just one choice and that night it happened to be fried cherry pie.
The fried cherry pie turned out to be cherry pop overs, almost bordering on cherry pop tarts. These tasted store bought and the fruit inside didn't have a strong cherry flavor. In fact, some of my fellow diners commented it tasted more like apple. Fail.
I think my cousin said it best that night when he said, "This food is made for people who've had more drinks than we have." The food at Hops N Scotch is passable, but not great. They've only been open a few weeks so their offerings could definitely improve.
Have you checked out Hops N Scotch?
