5 out of 5 avocados (we will be back!)
Another Sunday adventure on a beautiful day! We wanted lunch with a shady, enjoyable outdoor seating–Whistle Binkies Pub was the answer. This is the north location, not the south location, got it? They have a wonderful back patio area with plenty of greenery and so off we went.
Parking is usually not an issue at all for Whistle Binkies and this time was no different. We found ourselves seated on the back patio in the shade of an umbrella in no time at all. I am a sucker for huge, hanging baskets of flowers and so enjoyed the view. The arborvitaes are pretty cool too, adding to the laidback atmosphere.
Our friendly server was with us in good order and we ordered a few pints. This place always amazes us at how inexpensive their drinks are, particularly the “specials.” I had a pint of Rusty Truck Red ale for $2.50 for crying out loud! By the way, this was the first time I have tried that beer and was pleasantly surprised. Anyway, back to the meal. We sat perfectly content in the shade watching the world go by, feeling the pleasant MN breeze and enjoying good conversation. This is the Sunday lunch I was hoping for!!
Food
For our meal we ordered the Coconut Shrimp Po’ Boy with steak fries and the Guinness Rueben with regular fries. A very helpful fellow brought these out in a nice amount of time and we were happy. One bit of improvement, however, could have been the presence of salt, pepper, and condiment sauces on each table. I love pepper on fries and would have enjoyed the addition. Alas.
We very much enjoyed our meals and they delivered on their promises. If you are curious about the combination of seafood and cheese on the Po’ Boy, it actually works, who knew?? The shrimp were sweet and coconuty (is that even a word?) A bite was the perfect bite of sweet, spicy, and savory. The fries were seasoned and cooked perfectly as well. The meal did not disappoint and we took half the sandwich home.
The Rueben was quite good and very large! I was only able to make it through half of this thing and had to take the rest home. The rye bread was yummy and you will note in the picture above the seeds along the edge…nice touch! Overall is was a good sandwich and the fries were tasty! If I were to pick on something, I would have to say that the brisket needed to be cooked longer so that the fat could render a bit more. I could also wish this sandwich had a bit more punch to it as it was very smooth and mellow. I don’t know, maybe some spicy kick? or a bit more acidy tang from the sauerkraut? But I suppose this mellow style matches the pallet of the upper Midwest (no offense meant, just an observation). Or maybe I want more spice because I have had a torrid affair with smoked ghost chilis lately? Anyway, great sandwich, great fries.
People
Everyone working was friendly and eager to help. No issues there at all! We felt so sorry for our server, however, as she was the only one for the patio and there were probably eleven tables to take care. I think she even had some tables inside that she was managing. Wow! It appeared that there were only two servers for the whole place, and I am guessing it was because of the shortage of help that every business seems to be experiencing right now. That said, yes, we waited longer than normal, but we were fine with it because she was working so hard and we didn’t need to make her job any more difficult. Thankfully, she did get some help from the other server towards the end of our time there.
Cost
Like I said in the intro, you can’t beat this place for price, especially on the beer side of things. We had four pints and the cost was a small $10! We usually enjoy the flights of beer too, so that we can sample multiple beers at a time–these are outrageously inexpensive too. Good value at Whistle Binkies!
Covid precautions: None to speak of.
We will most certainly go back! Who knows, maybe it could be a Sunday lunch favorite? But what to do when winter sets in?
Good Eats Rochester 