Lyonshare Public House, in Beacon, is going to be successful…they just need some time to work out the kinks of a new business.
OVERALL: STRONG 6 – SOFT 7 out of 10 (for now). I’m sure they will improve over time.
The menu is small but hits the basic choices most people look for – steak, burger, chicken, fish, and vegetarian option. It is a bit pricy for a ‘blue collar’ location – such as Beacon, but I believe the owners are going for a NYC-style bistro vibe.
A GREAT pour on the bourbon, but their alcohol selection is small. Hopefully, in time, it will grow.
I ordered “The Burger” - Dry Aged & Custom Blended Beef, American Cheese, Raw Onion, on a Toasted Potato Bun with Pickles and it comes with French Fries.
The presentation was PERFECT. LET’S START with the SIDES: The fries were excellent. They came out hot and the texture was great. The pickles were excellent 💯. THE BURGER was cooked perfectly (medium well), you could taste that it was charbroiled, but (to me) it lacked pre-seasoning (like when the beef was grounded, no seasoning was added). I’m sure they used salt/pepper when preparing, but the dry aged beef was just bland. The ‘American Cheese’ is REAL and not processed 💯. The onion is a full cut. I used 2-3 rings, but the entire onion may work for some. Some people may like chopped onions, but it may be something you have to (specifically) ask for. The aioli (that comes with the burger) is excellent 💯. I suggest you add it to the top & bottom of the burger.
I’ve heard some chatter about the burger being $24. YES…a little on the higher side, but this isn’t FIVE GUYS, and the quality of beef (dry aged) should be considered. Overall, the burger was good, but it’s a long way from Red Hook Tavern (which I believe has the BEST burger in NYC).
The bar looks nice. As I mentioned earlier, their liquor selection is small but (it looks like) they have good a “bar starter” selection. In time, (hopefully) their selection...
Read moreWe have tried this place twice now, once when it was a month old, and now, a year later. Often new restaurants take a little time to get their game on, but I am sorry to say it hasn’t made much difference. The first visit, my partner’s fried chicken was dry and burnt tasting. My meal was fine, although not memorable, but the dessert tart I ordered was replaced with something else, without any notice. These are rookie mistakes which should improve with time… The mushroom fritters we ordered at our second visit were crisp and light, and would have been excellent if only they had any flavor. A bit like eating unsalted potato chips. It was necessary to dip them in the provided reddish mayo to get any flavor at all. Salt and pepper was missing from every table; the kitchen appears to be overly confident about their seasoning ability. The main course, which was fish for my partner, and mussels with French fries for me. The steamed mussels were perfectly fresh, but very bland, the green curry was as thin and watery as stock and lacked any acidity or curry flavor whatsoever; no lemon, lime, wine or vinegar. Our waitress was very accommodating and gave me a dish of limes to help, telling me that the chef said “the mussels had released too much water” but I have cooked mussels hundreds of times; the chef needs a new recipe. My partner’s dish was well seasoned but arrived looking flat as a pancake, no rice or mashed potato to give it a little lift. Instead it was curiously surrounded by carefully cut cherry tomatoes, castlevetrano olives, and a few shavings of fennel. It looked like someone had prepared a dish for a child rather than an adult. We declined dessert, skipped wine and our meal still came to over $100. For that price, everything should have been delicious. The design & atmosphere of the restaurant is beautiful, the service perfect but, alas, we won’t be...
Read moreWe made a reservation on NYE not realizing it was a prefixe menu. The reviews from friends and online have been mixed so we were not expecting much, and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious meal, wonderful service, and warm atmosphere. It was packed - many people dressed to the 9s for the occasion - and there was an incredible local 3-piece jazz band. After we checked in with the hostess, she took a drink order for us. I don’t drink and they were able to make me a really delicious mocktail (which I think they should put on the menu!). My husband loved his drink, which was called the Madame Brett. For dinner, we started with Drunken Uncle oysters from Maine. I got lobster bisque with large chunks of lobster followed by a mouthwatering perfect NY strip. My husband had the sea bass, which he loved. The portions were perfect - we cleaned our plates. For dessert, my husband lucked out with the brownie sundae - the brownie had some orange zest in it which was really nice and unexpected. I ordered the apple tart, but was disappointed with it - it seemed almost uncooked. The philo dough wasn’t right. But no big deal. The only other downside, I’d say, is that there wasn’t a vegetarian option on the menu, which my husband would have chosen. Nevertheless, the staff were so friendly and kind and helpful. It was really a nice evening and we are happy we went, and will be coming back! Now we can walk to a restaurant in Beacon where they reliably serve my favorites: oysters,...
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