Sunday, June 21, 2009

Restaurant review: II Charlies Bar & Grill in Denton

By Heather Jackson of North Texas Daily

At first I was not sure what to make of II Charlies, located just behind Arby's and Papa Johns Pizza off of Sunset Street. It has the ambiance, low noise level and menu of a great restaurant with the drink specials and energy of a great bar.

The two-floor location, which opened its doors in December 2007, features a small bar and lounge as well as a separate dining area on the first floor. The second floor has a bigger bar and sprawling patio.

II Charlies is a sibling of The Loophole, a bar on the Denton Square, and offers different menus for lunch and dinner that features the typical bar fare in addition to some very inspired and creative dishes. My only complaint about the menu is that all the options make it very difficult for someone as indecisive as me to make a choice.

For appetizers, the black bean quesadilla really raises the bar for vegetarian food; it is as hearty and flavorful as its meaty counterparts.

The salsa was remarkably fresh with a great, spicy flavor while the queso was a little disappointing considering the creativity and quality of the rest of our meal. The chips were perfectly crispy and thick and, best of all, not greasy.

II Charlies thin crust pizzas were also a special treat. On a previous visit, I had sampled the Pacific Rim pizza topped with marinara, mozzarella, black forest ham, jalapenos, mango and cilantro. The salty, spicy and sweet flavors were an amazing combination.

This time, I chose the margarita pizza: a cracker-thin crust pizza doused with mozzarella cheese, tomato slices, marinara sauce and fresh basil. The freshness of the basil and tomato were a lovely contrast to the rich, gooey cheese.

II Charlies has a slew of sandwich options, including what I consider the holy grail of sandwiches: the seared ahi tuna sandwich. The sashimi-grade tuna has a silky texture and an incredible, buttery and slightly fishy flavor.

But wait, there's more!

For just $8.99, you'll get the seared ahi tuna sandwich on a Kaiser roll with cucumber wasabi slaw, mayo, a whole mess of sandwich toppings and your choice of II Charlies thick-cut homestyle fries, garlic fries, veggie chips, potato chips or bleu cheese coleslaw. Even people who can afford ultra-high quality sushi cannot pass on this deal.

Our bill came out to about $27 for two people, including drinks. The portions are pretty generous and the service is not bad for a busy bar.

II Charlies is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. with daily food and drink specials and breakfast burritos from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Overall, II Charlies has been a consistently great experience. As soon as the heat takes a hike, that patio has my name all over it!

Pegasus News content partner - North Texas Daily

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