The Fox and Hound Pub bills itself as the place for sports, spirits, and fun; but that doesn't mean you should have dinner somewhere else.
"People think of us as a bar more than as a restaurant," said General Manager Steve Glenn, "but we have really great food and a great menu."
It's true—the Fox and Hound has a surprisingly innovative menu to complement the sports bar atmosphere.
The appetizer section, for example, offers pot roast sliders made with braised short ribs, and fried soft pretzels with queso and horseradish dips.
You may also choose a bowl of tortilla soup or the Newcastle Brown Ale beer cheese soup. The fried fish and chicken tenders are also hand-dipped in Newcastle beer batter.
For your entree, have a pizza with basil pesto sauce; a Black Forest sandwich with grilled turkey, bacon, and hone
y mustard on a Bavarian pretzel roll; or blackened mahi mahi with jambalaya rice.
All of this is in addition to one of the best draft beer selections in town. Thirty-six beers are on tap every day. Another 70 imports, domestics, craft and micro brews are available bottled. My bartender, Mike, informed me that soon the number of bottled beers will rise to over 100.
I began my meal with the spicy chicken "billiard sticks" ($7.99). Chicken, black beans, peppers and cheese filled a crisp package that resembled a small chimichanga. The side of poblano sour cream dip had a deep green chili flavor, and would be delicious on anything.
Next came the tavern burger ($9.49), a juicy patty smothered in cheddar cheese, bacon, sauteed onions and barbeque sauce on a toasted bun. Crisp pickle slices, a pile of shredded lettuce, tomato and red onion came on the side.
Instead of fries, I added half of a Napa Valley spinach salad ($9.99 for the full size), which was absolutely loaded with bacon, cranberries, grilled chicken and feta cheese, all in a very tasty pinot noir shallot vinaigrette. It was topped with crisp, freshly-cut slices of granny smith apple.
Last, but not least, I tried the cheesecake ($5.29), an enormous slice doused in strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries.
With my meal, I sampled a Bourbon Barrel Beer from Bluegrass Brewing Company. The dark brew had been aged in a Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrel, imparting a sweet, caramely edge to the strong toasted malt.
Thanks to Mike, I also got to sip the new house drink special, the Corona margarita. This icy delight arrived with a full miniature bottle of Corona suspended upside down in the margarita. As the cocktail disappeared, the beer drained from the bottle into the glass.
"We want the Fox and Hound to be a social gathering place, a neighborhood pub and grill," said Glenn. "We stay open until 3:00 a.m. on weeknights, so all of the hospitality people can come here to get a beer after work, and we even have an event coordinator to help you plan your party. We just want everyone to feel welcome."
The Fox and Hound is located at 5416 E. Indiana Street
in Village Commons. Hours: 10 a.m. - 3 a.m. 7 days a week. They can be reached at (812) 473-5721, on Facebook or at FoxandHound.com.
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Photos Credit Aimee Blume
