Dining Specials - are they really worth it?

I typically don't dine out on Thursday nights, but it was a special occassion- the Hunger Games Premiere at Patriot Place. The show was at 8, so we decided to grab some food and drinks before heading in for the show. We met at Bar Louie, and while I do frequent Patriot Place for other reasons (coughRedRobbincough), I had never been to Bar Louie- so I was excited for a new dining experience.

Right off the bat, we noticed they had a 1/2 off "special" on flat breads and small plates from 4-7PM. Now these types of specials have their pros and cons. PROS: It allows us cheap folks to enjoy the suprising thrill of a good deal. In Mass- we aren't used to happy hours, or bottomless ANYTHING- so when a restaurant offers anything like it- pure excitement runs through our salivary glands. CONS: Often these "specials" only allow you to choose from a small selection of menu items. These specials start a war between your stomach and your wallet...do you choose what you really want from the menu? Or get the "special" just because its a "special"?


Well- I decided to go the cheap route this time around, and did ultimately regret it. I selected the boneless BBQ wings and Firecracker Flatbread. First off- these choices didn't have much chance, as I am not a huge fan of spicy food- but sometimes I pretend like I am ( a weird flaw in my character.) Now, its not like these dishes were bad- there wasn't anything left on the plate once I was done...but that's a self control issue...

The Firecracker Flatbread was topped with five spice beef, spring onion pork, mozzarella, provolone, szechwan sauce (?), red bell pepper, carrot, cilantro, basil, green onion and sesame seeds. It had the asian flavors comparable to a general tsaos chicken with a mexican kick. If I loved spicy food, I would probably be raving about this right now. Unfortuantley, after watering down my first bite, I accompanied the rest of the dish with some sour cream to shut that spice down.

Looking at the menu after the fact, I realized several selections would have sent my taste bluds flying to the moon. The BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with onion strings, the Crispy Chicken Melt with sweet chilli mayo..oh- I'm sorry, all of those sound like heaven on a plate. The side options really twisted the knife: mac & cheese, fries, TOTS (now I'm crying) and LOADED TOTS (now I'm bawling).

The moral of the story: just because its part of a discounted special, does not mean you HAVE to get it. Think about what you actually want to eat, and then figure out if you really want sacrifice a happier pallette for a couple extra bucks.

http://www.barlouieamerica.com/