Two-Minute Review: Bailey's

Bailey's American Bar & Grille is a solid, if not spectacular, addition to downtown.

Bailey’s American Bar & Grille is a charismatic new downtown restaurant with some good menu items, downtown’s only salad bar (that we can think of), and, if it plays its cards right, a future at 319 W. Walnut St.

I was pretty struck at the change in décor from the old Rasta Grill. The kitchen is exposed along the east side of the restaurant, with the substantial bar area portioned off on the far west end. In between is a mid-sized seating area— booths and tables—and the aforementioned salad bar. The décor is pleasing, if understated (I like restaurants that don’t plaster the walls with crap—paint comes in pretty colors for a reason).

The menu was a mixed bag, though there was more good than bad. The best thing we ordered was the crab and spinach dip ($8.99), which is fresh crab mixed with a real spinach, with tons of pita for spreading. My wife Nichole’s baked penne pasta was a huge helping with tons of chicken and fresh marinara—you could tell because there were chunks of tomato in it—and relatively well priced at $9.99. My pork chop, while tender and tasty, fell a little short of the $13.99 price tag, even with two sides—a so-so baked potato and Cheese & Macaroni. Why did I upper-case my pasta dish? Because it really is Kraft Cheese & Macaroni, given away by the telltale neon yellow color. I asked, and our waitress admitted as much. That said, the staff was the highlight of the evening.

Our drinks were good, even if Nichole’s martini was a little steep ($7) for the quality, and the new bartender took a while to make them up. Bailey’s has a good beer selection, with Mueller Pale Ale on tap from Brew Co. down the street, which is a nice touch. We ordered a huge piece of chocolate cake ($3.99) that we enjoyed but couldn’t finish.

Overall, I like Bailey’s, but wasn’t wowed. It is also developing a sports and nightlife reputation at the bar, with occasional live music, that is probably deserving of its own review.