Houlihan’s
http://www.houlihans.com/
For one reason or another, Houlihan’s has never really registered to me. My lasting impression is that it is a jack of all trades, master of none. I have to admit though, I liked their menu a lot. Pastas, entrees, salads, burgers etc. They had small plates menu and even a “frites bar”, where there were five different choices of fries. The drink menu had a lot of offerings as well with lots of martinis that looked good. A ton of suff to try, that is for sure.
With all that being said, I got a burger. It just sounded good at the time.
What I Ate: Burger 72; $9.95. Topped with a garlic cream cheese mushroom cap, horseradish, parmesan and watercress.
When delivered, it looked great. The mushroom cap was adequate at best. I thought that I would really love this combination, but it didn’t do it for me. The more burgers that I eat (a ton of them), the more of a purist I become. The spaces around the musroom cap tasted a little dry (an extra dollop of horseradish sauce could’ve cured that). The burger was cooked perfectly, the meat tasted fresh and the overall quality was surely there. Then again, for a $10 burger, it should be. My problem with the mushroom cap is that it wasn’t crispy enough, so there wasn’t a crunchy texture in there. I like a little raw red onion usually for a touch of crunch with my burger.
Fries were tasty, I ate all of them.quickly. Nothing special, but hot and fresh.
Would I Buy It Again? No to the burger. Sure to Houlihan’s. The service was attentive and friendly. The meal was not bad at all, but I just didn’t fall in love with what I had. With a menu as large as theirs, I imagine that there are a few favorites that people like. I was pretty boring and ordered a burger, but I would like to go back and check out a few other things they have to offer. There was nothing wrong with what I had, this is just a matter of personal prefrence.
-wibia
Tags: Burger, Food, Fries, Frites, garlic, houlihan's, mushroom
I tend to think that Houlihans is above average for that category of restaurant, but one of the best features is the half-priced drinks if you sit in the bar. All day everyday for pretty much everything on the drink menu. I tend to always go off the small plates menu too. Good prices to try a variety of items.
Ha great minds must think alike because I had planned to do a Houlihan’s review of this same burger this week. We have a couple differences of opinion here so I’ll try to get the blog up later this week and elaborate a little.
@Brent: This burger is a popular one recently. A Hamburger Today did a review of it earlier this month. Here’s their thoughts: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/09/chain-reaction-houlihans-burger-review.html
I recommend the baked potato soup, I literally have cravings for it and have it at least once a month. Their buffalo wings are pretty good too.
My highest possible recommendation for the down home pot roast if you hit Houlihans for dinner. Seriously.
Thanks for the shout out! So sorry to hear the ‘Shroom wasn’t quite up to our regular crispy ‘Shroomtastic standards — they usually have a nice crunch! — but glad you dug the burger otherwise
If you have a chance to visit us again, definitely check out some of our signature items: the Stuffed Chicken Breast, Down Home Pot Roast (as another commenter mentioned) and Thai-Chile Wings are a few of the most popular. If you’re feeling adventurous, hit a couple items on the Small Plates menu, like the Ahi Tuna Wontons, flatbreads or Goat Cheese and Artichoke Poppers. They’re a good time.
Feel free to email me directly if you have any additional feedback or questions; we’d love to hear from you. Thanks again for visiting us!
-Jenna, Houlihan’s Marketing
You know, I’ve never had a really bad meal at Houlihan’s. That said, I’m never had an outstanding one there, either. I tend to think of them as “solid”….but not great.