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| The Hound Burger at The Hunter's Hound |
Tis' the season to visit an Irish pub (sort of) in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The Hunter's Hound doesn't ooze Ireland, unless you count a few hosts in green sweaters, but it was openly cheerful, clean and loud. Reservations help, but when you're walking in with Mr. Smooth himself (the legendary Arch Campbell) primo spot tables magically appear. It was busy, but we were served in a timely manner (thank you Zack) minus a water refill or two. Arch and I opted for an Irish Soda Bread opener ($4.50) followed by a couple of Hound Burgers with French fries ($18 each.)
The dining room is big, roomy and well-lit with a sweeping bar that goes three or four deep comfortably, but TVs including a giant projection screen in front of the kitchen area literally dominate the scene. Said scene includes a lot of voices that drown out whatever music was being played (I forgot to Shazam, and don't remember any music whatsoever.) Arch and I had to shout quite a bit, but we were still able to exchange funny stories as usual.
The House Made Irish Soda Bread, two thin slices with visible grill marks but zero taste & cold, failed to impress, especially with a relatively stingy single side of Kerrygold Irish butter. Next time? Make it thicker, and season the bread with something/anything.
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| House Made Irish Soda Bread |
Our burgers arrived soon after, and looked appetizing (especially the patty itself) but (again) tasted of almost nothing. The fries (what few there were) had some skin on, but zero seasoning (had to ask for salt.) The bun touched the grill, but not enough to add crispiness. In fact, it was downright flaky which didn't match the heaviness of a half-pound beef patty and a single leaf of lettuce and tomato. It was easy to eat, and the aforementioned bun stayed intact until the end. As for the beef? Overcooked (well done instead of the asked-for medium) and under-seasoned. Not terrible per se, but you if you can't cook or season it properly, why bother? I finished half, and truth be told, the pickle spear was the only thing I actually finished all night.
It was a Saturday night just before Christmas, so it's difficult to find too much fault, but by the same token, I doubt I'd go back unless it was to try their Full Irish Breakfast (since they're hard to find around town.)
