To Dine or Not to Dine....

This week I will be featuring Hooligans in Jamestown.


As with most folks that frequented - or even knew of - Azzo's in Jamestown it was a sad day when the doors of that fine dining establishment closed. But as with the restaurant business...the property did not sit vacant long. Soon Hooligan's opened its doors advertising 'Pub and Eats' leaving no one confused as to what type of dining experience they would have.


On a nice stroll through downtown Jamestown,  if you read my last column you would know that stroll is code for shop, as I was saying, on a nice stroll through Jamestown my husband and I worked up a pretty good appetite. We had heard of Hooligan's through the grapevine, as convoluted as that is in the foothills, and thought we would give it a try.

We were greeted by wonderfully cheerful and helpful waitress who seated us quickly and told us of the specials. Not one that subscribes to the theory that seafood should not be eaten so far from the coast, I once again ordered calamari. It was perfect. Crisp, not chewy, light seasoning, with a smooth herb dipping sauce. With my seafood appetite not quite quenched I ordered the seafood chowder. Heaven in a bowl. So many flavors, just the right consistency and perfectly seasoned. My husband ordered the fish and chips. Are you seeing that this Irish pub was more of an English Pub as far as dining? They even offer bangers and mash. So the fish and chips were fried, not in the traditional rather greasy beer batter, but with a crispy seasoned batter. Almost no need for the malt vinegar, but alas, I love my malt vinegar. Hubby only shared one bite with me...it was that good.


The prices were extremely affordable and the amounts were just a bit larger than expected for the price. We left stuffed ... that was because our plates and bowls were wiped clean.

I would tell you of the drinks and how they were poured, but it was only noon and that whole 'its five o'clock somewhere' thing doesn't work with me unless I want to fall asleep at 7 pm...which I did not want to do as it was Karaoke at the Sports Pub that night.

So that was the good news...

While we knew not to expect a 'fine' dining experience, we were a bit disappointed with the atmosphere. It was cold and dark and the patrons at the bar were loud and obnoxious with a bartender not able to take care of the situation. Keep in mind it was only noon. Though our waitress was quick and efficient we noticed other waitresses spending more time chatting with each other than serving the customers.

With all that said, I would still go back for another helping of their seafood chowder.


By, Charity Maness

 (My little disclaimer:  'To dine or not to dine' is meant to be a helpful - and humorous - informational piece only. I receive no monetary compensation for this column nor do I endorse any one eatery. This is simply my opinion. My tastes will be different from others and I readily admit that I have no culinary background, but I am pretty confident I know when food is cooked correctly or not, whether a drink is poured well or not and especially whether wait staff is first-rate or in need of a career change.)