Very odd fellows

By Stephanie

We stumbled in to the warm candlelight of the tall old room that houses Odd Fellows Cafe & Bar  late one night this past week. Late, for geezers like us being just before 9 p.m. The place was full, with a few minutes to wait for a table. (Reservations for 6 or more only.) Please wait to be seated after 5. At this hour, we were well a decade or two older than most everyone in the place. There seemed to be few plates, but lots of glasses on the tables. Tables, flanked by old church pews, and small metal stools and chairs, a bit tough on the backside. But it felt like a great place to meet your friends, have drinks, eat if you want, or plot a coup.

The menu is short, with a few appetizers, main plates, sandwiches (French Dip!), salads, and hearty dishes of love. A few desserts round things off. We did not sample a lot of the menu, but the bacon cooking up for BLT's sure did smell good, all the way home. I had the steak (unknown cut, I think it might have been a flatiron?) perfectly cooked medium rare, with fresh arugula and onion (a half onion topped with some breadcrumb and cheese.) Michael had the Shepherd's Pie - a big casserole of whipped and piped potatoes over a bed of ground meat and carrots. He swears the 'taters were of the canned variety, hard for me to believe. I liked the fresh flavor of the pie, but it lacked enough spice for the boy, "school lunch" he said. He also had a big green salad (called small on the menu, if I recall.) Other options included rotisserie chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, braised pork shank, beef stew, as well as lunch and breakfast.

We ordered up the apricot apple cobbler for dessert, and even though there were many reassurances that it was coming, it took forever - over half an hour! And the apples remained crunchy. We declined an alternate dessert, but did end up taking home some sweet cookies for dessert. If they have the peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, get them.

Comments

[Greg]

I have been to the Odd Fellows Cafe three times, once just today after reading the above review. Sheperd's pie is a favorite dish of my wife's who has fond memories of her mother making it as a child. I think of it more as a way to use up leftovers. We agreed that Odd Fellows attempt was dry and boring. A bit of gravy with the beef would certainly have helped. Also, some onions with a few more carrots might make it more interesting. It wasn't bad;it just doesn't warrant a spot on the menu. Our previous two visits were much more satisfying and we will return in the future.

[stephanie]

hey steph, steph from sugar saying hello. i still can't stop thinking about the peanut butter and jelly cupcake i had at the odd fellows a few weeks back...it was so freaking fantastic! they are using, it seems, the better quality strawberry freeserves from sun fresh foods and chunky peanut butter in the cupcakes. nice peanut butter buttercream, the best cupcake outside of my own in seattle ;)