The Crow Bar

Last night we went to The Crow Bar located on PCH and MacArthur in Newport Beach.  Maybe I will eat Crow for saying this, but as our second time back, I was throughly unimpressed.  When we arrived at 9pm it had already made the transformation from restaurant to bar.  While the kitchen is still open the place was loud and resembled college bar crowd.  None of this bothered me, as I was prepared for it to be like that.  My only concern and reason for going there, was for a good bite to eat.  We lucked out and didn’t have to wait for a table as one had just been cleared.  

The waitress rushed over to take our drink orders and ask if we had any questions about the menu.  When she came back with the drinks, we ordered our meals.

 I was intrigued by the “Flatbread’ section of the menu.  One sounded particularly delicious, however it mentions gorgonzola cheese.  I made the mistake once before about not asking what kind of gorgonzola cheese, blue or regular, (I hate bleu cheese), so this time, I inquired.  To my dismay it was the bleu version.  Well maybe I can get it with the cheese on the side, our waitress politely told me no.  While it was with a smile, I was taken back, here all that needs to be done, is not add an ingredient, and they were unwilling to accommodate me.  The fine print on the bottom of the menu says they will not honor substitutions, but says nothing about just omitting any ingredients.  With the waitress standing over me with her stupid grin, I had to change my choice…  everything else seemed to weird for me.  Note that they call themselves gourmet, I call it obscure.  Well the clams sounded good, but they add chorizo to it..  and well fish and chips is a good choice, oh but it is covered in a curried tartar sauce.  Nope not good.  Meatloaf is usually normal, but to be different they cover theirs’ in a mushroom gravy.  So I settle on the clam chowder.  Big mistake, huge!  the clams in the chowder are still in the shells, so I need to work to get all 4 of them out.  Yes only four clams in the clam chowder.  Although it was overloaded with potatoes.  There was barely any actual chowder in the bowl and what was in there was so friggin’ hot, I  scorched  my tongue.  Thanks Crow Bar now I can taste nothing for a few days!  

Needless to say the menu in my opinion sucks.  If you want a fun bar to go grab a bottle of wine at and hangout, this is your place. If you want good food, go next door to either Bungalow or Rothchilds.