Name: Mad Moose
Food type: Barbecue, fish, fried food and pasta
Price point: Low
Restaurant Week: Dinner only
Walking into Mad Moose for the first time, I was immediately taken in with the decor. It had a cabin-in-the-woods type feel, with animal heads displayed on walls. It’s not my taste, but interesting nonetheless.
My friends and I were seated at an abnormally large booth — one we joked would be perfect for a triple date. By 8 p.m., the place was nearly empty — not surprising, as the kitchen closes at 9 p.m., although this probably discourages college students who may not have time to eat until late at night.
I was the only one of the group to order off the Restaurant Week menu, as it was quite disappointing. I didn’t even want to eat off the special menu. I mean, for a place that calls itself the “House of Barbecue,” there were no such options. I expected a nice pulled pork sandwich or perhaps a burger, but instead was greeted with cowboy tostada, avocado chicken or a vegetable pasta bowl. I went with the cowboy tostada — basically a steak fajita — in the end, which was very spicy and chewy. I can’t handle spicy food, so this was the wrong choice.
The appetizers included mini-bison burgers, maco shark bites and fried green beans. I chose green bean fries (one of my favorite starters), which were OK once you got past the burnt exterior. My side dish was a minuscule corn on the cob, which I selected over the glazed carrots or side salad. But it seemed like it was a few weeks past its expiration date. For dessert, I had the apple crisp instead of the fried Oreos. It was delicious, but cannot call itself an apple crisp. It was merely the filling of an apple pie in a baby-sized bowl.
The whole meal failed to meet my expectations, as I had heard great things about Mad Moose. The portions were tiny and the food wasn’t prepared well.
The meals off the regular menu, however, were of a decent portion size. One of my friends ordered penne alla vodka — not something you would typically order at a barbeque place — which was the best meal of the night, with its enormous size and savory flavor.
The food wasn’t the only thing lacking — the service wasn’t great either. From the second we walked in, it seemed they couldn’t wait to get us out, rushing us through our meal and handing us the check before we even got our dessert. Plus, they don’t split checks, so be prepared to do the math if you go with a group.
Overall, Mad Moose was a let-down and I won’t be visiting anytime soon. I should have just gone to Little Venice.