80e Gastropub
Alright, let’s dive straight into this one. Alaina, Wen, Kristie and I popped
up to 80e Gastropub for some grub! Now the feast we had at 80e was a
beast to say the least! I have to stop rhyming, but this meal put me in such
a good mood, I want that happiness to reflect in this article.
Doug, the manager and bartender extraordinaire, had planned out quite
an evening for us. He, alongside Sara our rock star server, and the always
lovely Hannah who kept us (de)hydrated with some stellar drinks, made sure
we got the best feel for all that 80e has to offer. Sara brought us over two
of the house favorites, The Mermaid, which is a beautifully layered drink,
full of rum and pineapple juice, and garnished with fresh fruit, will make
you feel like you have a tail and can swim off into the sunset. Following
that was the Cucumber Mule, with cucumber-lime vodka, ginger beer and
fresh lime juice, this was spicy and refreshing. Television always portrays
people relaxing with cucumbers on their eyes, and I finally get it! Put me in
a hammock and bring me a bucket of these!
Our first snack was the Pub Pretzel with Pimento Cheese, big soft fluffy
pretzels, lightly salted, with a homemade jalapeno pimento cheese for
dipping, spreading, and just eating with a spoon. This is my new go-to when
I eat there. The pretzels came out with the Southern Caprese, spinach,
fresh mozzarella, basil oil, roasted tomato vinaigrette, and how could you
not love it; fresh, lightly battered, fried green tomatoes. Pinch me. Why don’t
more restaurants on this island sell perfect fried green tomatoes like 80e?
This was the perfect kick start to warm our pallets up for what was about
to come. Doug, at this point, hand delivered his own creation which Alaina
jumped up to grab. The Fresh Doug En Dorf, a raspberry lemon martini
with a sugar rim, it was sweet and sour, and gone very quickly as the group
fought over it.
Out came the Uptown Burger, and since Kristie and I couldn’t be bothered
to wait for Alaina and Wen to stop taking pictures of the following plates, we
dug in. This is a grownup burger. Nothing you will find anywhere else. Fresh
spinach and tomato, maple bacon jam, and caramelized onion all sitting
pretty on top of this plump Angus beef patty. The flavor profile was incredible
(I’m going to admit a fault of my own. I worked at 80e and never bothered to
try the Uptown Burger, which is now a regret of mine … if only I could turn
back time).
Besides having the best burgers on the island, 80e also is known for
some fantastic specials, and we were lucky enough to try one of them. The
BBQ Flatbread, house smoked pulled pork, sweet Boursin cheese, cilantro,
fresh Pico de Gallo, and caramelized onions rocked our taste buds. This is
one of the best things I have ever tasted, and I am admittedly sad for all of
you who didn’t get to try it. You’re missing out! We paired these two entrees
with the Brooklyn Lager out of Brooklyn, NY, and the Sweetwater 420 out of
Atlanta, GA. The lager was strong and traditional, a delicious safe go-to beer.
The 420 was definitely hoppier, but not to the point where a lager drinker
wouldn’t like it. I recommend either of these beers with the Burger, or any of
their flatbreads.
Next up was the 80 Z Pub Filet, an 8 oz. Filet Mignon with a house steak
sauce, next to a pile of brussel sprouts and pan-fried potatoes packed full of
bacon. This steak was topped with house fried onion rings, and everything
about this plate was delightful. The steak was perfect and the side added
flair. You’ll love this dish, it has everything you could want from 80A to 80Z!
We paired this with the Zac Brown Cabernet Sauvignon, bold and delicious,
14 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | NOV 2018
it held its own next to this steak. And speaking of alcohol, Hannah brought
out the Orange Cosmo, a Deep Eddy Orange Vodka, with triple sec and fresh
lime. This was fantastic! Sweet and subtle up front, then bam! There’s the
alcohol. I dubbed this a Cocktail Mullet, it was fruity in the front, and party in
the back. I could have had a dozen of these! Delicious!
I must mention we did this food spy outside because the lighting was
perfect, and wouldn’t you know, just as we finished the filet, the skies
opened up and it started pouring on us. We grabbed the remaining plates,
and Fallon, the host, rushed out to help us. She saved us from what could
have been a very soggy meal. Inside we got settled and turned our attention
to the Wings. 80e offers 10 flavors for their house smoked wings, which
were big and juicy, and we were given a fun mixture - Sweet Chili Teriyaki
and Original. The Original were fat and sassy, with a light kick to them, but
the house-made blue cheese and ranch cooled us down. The Teriyaki were
sweet and cheeky, both great choices!
We moved on to seafood at this point, and started with the Salmon BLT,
loaded with crispy bacon, spinach, tomato, and a crawfish aioli. This was
salty, fresh, and the salmon harbored a mild flavor, not over-powering the
rest of the dish. The side on this was sweet potato tots, served with a honey
mustard happy sauce for dipping. I will tell you that in my notes I wrote very
largely I LOVE THIS SAUCE! The tots were crunchy and wonderful.
Three words for you: Low Country Tacos, fresh wild caught Georgia
shrimp, spicy chorizo, fresh corn, and an old bag sriracha aioli all on a corn
tortilla, served with a trio of house made sauces to change up these perfect
tacos. A hefty helping of beans and rice made this a memorable dish. It was
a perfect southern twist on an old Mexican favorite.
At this point we could not move, we were stuffed, and Doug and Sara
brought us out dessert. 80 East Ice Cream Sandwich, salted caramel
ice cream smashed between two fresh baked, massive white chocolate
macadamia cookies. We forged on and ate every. Last. Bite. Then the
Irish Car Bomb Cheesecake, which I can never get enough of. If you love
cheesecake, this is going to blow your mind. If you hate cheesecake, this
is going to blow your mind. A Guinness espresso reduction drizzle, it was
incredible! We paired these with the Chocolate Martini, which was happy
and frothy, then the Caramel Martini, not overly sweet, and a fun salted rim.
You can drink your dessert if you so choose.
If you haven’t been to 80e Gastropub, then put it on your list. They
won’t disappoint. 80e is located at 725 B 1st St. (the corner of Hwy. 80
and Campbell, next to Chu’s). They are open Mon-Thurs from 3-10pm,
Friday from 3-11pm, Saturday from 12pm-1am and Sunday from 12-
10pm. Whether you are in the mood for an appetizer, an entrée, dessert or a
fabulous cocktail, 80e Gastropub is a Gastronomical delight! See you there.
By Jimmy Prosser - Photos by Wen McNally