The Mermaid Tavern and Grille

Location:  140 Aspinall Ave, Hagatna

Phone: 472-2337

Hours: Mon-Thur 11AM-10PM

           Fri-Sat 11-11PM

           Sun Closed

Website: Mermaid Tavern

Facebook: Mermaid Tavern

Price: $10-$15 Avg

John:

After looking over the menu for 20 minutes while we waited for Zach, I decide to be a follower and have the meatloaf special as well. I haven't had a good meatloaf experience since Old Hagatna Grill, so I was kinda hoping that Mermaids could exceed that of OHG .  

Surprisingly, Mermaids killed it!  The meatloaf was seasoned well, tender and juicy with  awesome gravy smothered on top with creamy garlic mashed potatoes... Oh man, it was delicious! Awesome job Mermaids!

Spicy Buffalo Wings

Zach:

Arrived a little late again today and the guys were already starting with the appetizers. They had ordered the Hummus with Pita and Spicy Buffalo Wings. I'm real new to hummus and am not a fan of it, but this one was delicious. It was very creamy and buttery, it tasted like mayonnaise on steroids. Not that steroids are good for you, but the flavor on this hummus had some sort of enhancer. After taking the last Pita, I claimed the Hummus.  The Buffalo Wings were also awesome. Very orange reddish in color, perfect on the heat index, and it's a bigger wing than other restaurants that offer the same appetizer. 

The main entree was the house special, Cajun Meatloaf with mashed potatoes.  The portion here was large. It also came with a salad and choice of dipping sauce.  I chose ranch.  The ranch suave was creamy and not tangy, I like creamy. The garlic mashed potatoes were good too. Garlicky flavor with very small chunks of potatoes and bits of skin. The Cajun Meatloaf was about the size of Texas Toast and it was spicy.  I like hot but no Tabasco or finadenne (local homemade hot sauce) needed here.  I'm Chammorro so finadenne would've kicked it up a notch. I left Mermaids Tavern feeling full, a defiant "plate plus"in my book. That fullness lasted about 5 hours, not bad at all. 

The waitresses were very friendly and constantly checking on us. I wonder if was because John and Brian are so handsome. Guess we'll have to ask to find out.  Our food came out in a timely fashion, together, and hot. 

The only negative thing I would say about the place is the bar and beer making machines. Since I don't drink that that part of this place gets a negative from me.  The wooden seats , tables, and stalls were pleasant however. I would definitely go back again.  5 out 5 plates for me.

Hummus with Pita

Robbie:

Got there early, as its my first 5 guys 1 plate venture and was greeted at door appropriately and advised waitress of expecting 5 to 6 people. Seated promptly due to 11am arrival. Atmosphere very cozy with "pub-like" feel. Waitress friendly and courteous and was offered choice of beverage, (I chose China iced tea, very pleasant) until arrival of other participants. Upon arrival of all concerned, waitress, with considerable amount of customers in restaurant due to lunch hour rush, continued to give appropriate attention to our table. Our first order was for appetizers, in which we got in about 5 minutes, House Hummus and Buffalo wings. I have never tried Hummus, unknowingly reluctant, but it was quite a pleasant experience with the garlicy flavor kick. I would have it again for appetizer. The Buffalo Wings comes in different heats- mild, hot and Xtra hot. I am an  "Xtra Pika" kinda guy, but we chose the "Hot". The wings were excellent in flavor, not too tangy-a plus. The Wings itself were like on steriods, large. For entree, I chose the Bacon Bleu burger. Upon arival, the burger has a fluffy-like sour dough bun, anticipated to see bacon and bleu cheese, but was infused in burger patty which was a surprise. Burger was juicy and delicious with all the flavors. First bite u could see the bleu cheese and bacon bits. The burger itself is very filling, but it comes with potatoe widges( which I chose), house salad or sweet potatoe fries. The wedges were hot and very crispy. Also had it with a chipotle mayonnaise, which has a pika kick. Awesome!  Excellent first meal choice, beverages were refilled appropriately during meal, even with lunch hour rush. Great service! I would definitely go back with friends, (uknown if children would be appropriate due to alcohol and bar setting) as a beginning of night starter. Only negative would be assigned parking insufficient for large group invite especially in inclement weather, possible far parking. Great place for eats though.  

Reviews:

Eats-5 plates (Excellent)

Service-4 plates (Good)

Atmosphere-5 plates

Parking- 2 plates (needs improvement)

Cajun Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatos

Brian:

Mermaids "cajun meatloaf w/ garlic mash" lunch special was delicious...first of all food was out and served hot within mins....garlic mashed was creamy n moist no need for gravy on top perfect by itself. The cajun meatloaf was tender and just the right amount of pepper mixed into the meat to make the cajun flavor come alive in your mouth. Definately there was no need for hotsauce. The portions are excellent..left Mermaids full n satisfied. Environment is really calm and inviting with an old school feel that the wood tables n bar give it....definately will come back thus such a wide selection on the menu...

Bacon Bleu Cheese Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Drew:

Parking (1) - Parallel parking skills a must.  Come early to grab a spot, or you'll be doing laps and cursing the parking gods.

Ambience (5) - Spacious, clean and the a/c was just right on this rainy day.  First thing you notice is the brewing equipment off to the side.  It didn't bother me, but I could see it as an eyesore to others maybe.  Big bar with lots of in house beers on tap.  Together with the 3 flat screens, I see myself as a regular, just to try all the beers.

Service (5) - Our waitress was friendly and very patient with us.  Drinks were topped off regularly and checked on us throughout the meal.  

Food (5) -  I ordered the Hummus with pita as an appetizer.  Pita was hot and fresh.  The hummus was creamy, had the right amount of garlic and not too thick.  The Bacon bleu cheese burger was delicious.   The patty was juicy and every couple of bites I hit a chunk of bleu cheese, just the right amount not to overpower the burger.  I didn't taste any bacon, but it was still very good.  I ordered sweet potato fries with the burger, they came out hot and crunchy.  I finished the meal fat and happy.  I'd say this burger ranks within my top ten.  

Overall (4.5 plates out of 5) - I wanted to give Mermaid Tavern 5 plates out of 5, but I can see the parking as a potential nightmare.  I'm the kind of person that sees a full parking lot and leaves.  So, if you want good food, come early!

"Good food, Good Company"

Mosa's Joint

Location:  Bejjess Bldg, Tamuning.  

Phone: 969-CHOW (2469)

Hours: Mon-Thur 11AM-9PM

            Fri-Sat 11-10PM

            Sun Closed

Facebook: Mosa's Joint

Price: $10-$15 Avg

          

Hummus with pita 

Doug:

5 guys 1 plate, off to a great start as we met up at Mosa's Joint for our first "official" gathering.  I had made a mental note to try Mosa's Joint, as I had noticed the restaurant while driving and had previously sampled Mosa's Hotbox, the "meals on wheels" version that can be found at Skinners Plaza. 

The first thing that I noticed is the parking lot, which in typical fashion is both cramped and crowded during lunch. For those with large trucks....arrive early or  good luck finding a suitable spot. Luckily I was early. 

The interior of the restaurant is nice.  Some local art hanging on the walls, with artist information, provides visual stimulus.  There was a flat screen TV at the bar with the football game on...nice! But a sports bar or restaurant it is not, I've seen bigger TVs hanging in cars.  So if you want a good view of the game, the bar is the best option.

On to the food!  We ordered a handful of appetizers which included baba ganoush, hummus, artichoke dip, and fried calamari. Down and dirty...the baba ganoush was great, the hummus and artichoke dip were good, but the fried calamari was soggy and oily.  The naan that came with the dips was good and soft, while the bread that came with the artichoke dip was  toasted on one side and had a nice crunch.  I did like the dipping sauces that came with the calamari.

On to the main course. I ordered the lamb gyro with sweet potato fries, which came out on a fairly large and fancy plate.  My first reaction was "wow thats it?"  The plate was big enough that the fries were spread 1 layer thin with large gaps in between individual fries. Nestled in a paper pouch in the corner of the plate was my gyro, almost completely hidden by the pouch.  I had to rescue the beautiful little gyro from the nasty dungeon by pulling it out from the pouch. Ok. Was I expecting a little gourmetification of the "meals on wheels" food experience? Yes. Yes I was. The presentation totally threw me off.  Simply put....it was a wrapped gyro with some fries thrown on a plate.  Ok ok. Who cares how it looked. What about the taste?  It was decent.  Not great.  The same naan tyoe bread they used for the dip was used for the gyro. However, my circle of bready goodness was a little tough on one of the edges, as if it had been left out and dried out a little. The meat was tasty, with a little crunch to it. I like crunch. A few tomato slices, sauce, and red onions finished off the gyro. I appreciate that they sliced the onions very thin.  Just how I like them. The tzatziki style sauce was good and did not overpower the other flavors.  The sweet potato fries were fried and mostly crispy.  They were served without cinnamon sugar topping.  I prefer them without added sweetness, so that was a plus.

Service was good.  My glass of iced tea (pre sweetened) never passed the half full mark, as the wait staff refilled drinks promptly.  It did take a while for all of the orders to come out, I think I finished my gyro before Drew even got his dish.  The temperature in the restaurant was warm, borderline hot.  It became a a topic of discussion, not really a good thing in my opinion.  Finally, one of the waitresses obliged our motley crew's request to take a photo of us in the middle of their lunch service.  That was appreciated.

I thought our appetizers were good. But it felt as if the entrées were made the same as their portable eats from the box, served on a fancy plate.  Thats not necessarily a bad thing, but I would have liked to have seen a little more effort put into the dishes. Quality was ok, with some inconsistencies observed.  The staff was on point and I never felt ignored or forgotten....although they need to put ice in their iced tea pitchers if they are going to keep the temperature setting inside the restaurant at "sweaty".

3 Plates...out of 5.

Baba ghanouge with pita 

Zach:

I was late when first arrived and the place was full before noon. Since it is our first outing together I was excited. My initial impression was that the ambiance was "warm" with wall colors, paintings, wood decorations, and air conditioning.  Yes, air conditioning. I don't know if it was because of the lunchtime rush but the ac was not up to par. 

The service to me was "better than ok". Our server was constantly checking on us and filling our drinks but unfortunately Drew and I had to wait 15 minutes after our table recieved thier food before we got ours. When asked about the delay the staffs reply was "they are taking care of a large order". Too bad it wasn't ours. 

The food or Chorizo Burger with seasoned fries in my case was the saving grace for this place. This burger's taste is right up my alley.  It was juicy, spicy, and flavorful. I wanted more. In fact, when John asked me if I "ordered a medium" I thought and had hoped he was referring to the size of the burger. Unfortunately,  he was referring to how cooked I liked it. The seasoned fries came with 9.5 pieces. I dont count a half piece as a whole. They were naturally cut so it was bigger than normal fries but I would have liked to have gotten 3 more pieces at least. Even though I would like more fries, I did not enjoy the fries as they tasted too salty. Almost "Ajinimotoish (MSG)."

Overall, my experience at  Mosa's was great. Great because I was with great company. The Chorizo Burger really prevented the overall rating from "dropping a whole plate." I hope the air conditioning issue will be addressed and food would come in a more timely manner. When the food arrives, fix the flavor on the fries and add more pieces please.

 3 plates out of 5.

Lamb burger

           

George:
 "I think the lamb burger is overrated I wouldn't order it again"

3 Plates out of 5

Lamb gyros with sweet potato fries

Drew:  The gyros were pretty good.  Pita was fresh and warm, lamb was seasoned well and the tzatziki was delicious. With a choice between regular fries, salad, and sweet potato fries, I had to go with what I love.  Sweet potato fries.  Wait staff was friendly and never had to ask for a refill.  Only complaint was how uncomfortably warm it started to get.

3 Plates out of 5

Blue cheese burger

 Brian: "The bluecheese burger was ok...i expected more of a homemade type dressing with chunks of real bluecheese...Mosa's mixed the bluecheese dressing into the meat itself which drowned out the bluecheese taste. Meat was juicy not dry with a homemade meatloafy taste...."

3 Plates out of 5

Fish Taco

John: "Seriously though, the food I ate was GOOD! Lol. Fish tacos was awesome! The fish was cooked well, the hummus was seasoned well... The nan bread was fresh, the spinach artichoke dip..... AMAZING like SPIDER-MAN!"

3 Plates out of 5