Food

Great burgers and more at Fat Louie’s

pick 1

 

By Michael Lowe

In my mind, two of the most important prerequisites when reviewing restaurants is to set your expectations in line with the establishment you are about to critique and to have an open mind.

Does the menu reflect the style of the place? Do the prices seem reasonable for what you get? Is the level of service what one would accept based on the other elements? In other words, the pieces of the puzzle should fit together in a way that leaves the customer feeling like they got a  fair deal.

On any two successive weekdays you can drive past Fat Louie’s, located in the north end of St. Catharines, and see many of the same cars parked out front.  Apparently, the place has a solid, local client base. After listening to my next door neighbour repeatedly remark that the pizza and wings are “. . . actually pretty good,” I finally succumb to the pressure and, on a night when our schedule is hectic, venture into the unassuming neighborhood bar to order take out wings and pizza.

The pizza was better than most and the same goes for the jumbo size wings, a sentiment echoed by all family members. Verdict: our first exposure to Fat Louie’s grub is good enough to warrant a repeat visit.

Inside, Fat Louie’s is your average sports bar and grill — not a drop of pretense here. Vibrant vermillion walls serve as a canvas for hockey and football posters while half a dozen televisions broadcast sporting events of the day.

Once seated, the server plops a single, pizza-sized, laminated menu on the table and takes drinks orders. Beer and whisky drinkers will feel more at home here, so I go with it and order a large draft beer. Wine choices are limited to a house red and white from Niagara.

Fat Louie’s menu offers a collection of finger foods ($2.95 – $11.95), foot-long subs ($7.95 – $8.50), pizza ($3.95 – $18.95 plus extras), chicken wings (starting at $9.50), and burgers ($8.50 – fries are $1.99 extra).

pick 2The burger selections, four specialty versions plus a “create your own” option piqued my interest so, after some deliberation, I order the “Texas Hell Burger.” For my wife, a steak and cheese devotee, the choice is simple. An order of saucy, jumbo wings serve as an appetizer. This time they are just a little over cooked. On the upside, fat is rendered out and skin is crisp. On the downside, the meat is a bit dry.

When the ten-ounce, hand-made whopper — apologies to the burger “monarch”—  arrives, I grin with anticipation. Besides the standard onion, lettuce, tomato and pickle, this mountain of meaty goodness is topped with jalapeño peppers, bacon, cheese, and barbecue sauce. I have to muster all of my dexterity to handle this monster without losing something — they ought to bring a drop-cloth with this thing! The meat is delicately seasoned, toppings are fresh, and the zesty sauce, though a bit messy (in a good way), accents the piquant jalapeños.

pic 3

The steak and cheese sub comes topped with sautéed onions mushrooms and green peppers. I would rate the sandwich as fair to good. But, like the rest of the food we tried, it represents very good value.

pick 4Fat Louie’s offers some great weekday deals. Chicken wings are only $3.95 a pound (eat in only) on Mondays and Tuesdays. Wednesday is burger night with a special price of $6.50 (including fries). There are also a few value-priced wing/pizza combos available every day.

At Fat Louie’s you’ll get exactly what you expect, provided your expectations are within reason. Service is fast and friendly, food is very reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is casual and relaxing.

Fat Louie’s Pizzeria & Eatery
384 Linwell Road,
St. Catharines, Ontario
905 934 4673

Hours of operation: 2 p.m. – 11 p.m. weekdays, 2 p.m. – 2 a.m. weekends.

3 Stars out of 5