O'Learys Bar & Grill (Singapore Flyer)

Saturday night; away from the normal place we usually go we decided to try O'Leary's. Nice big entrance; huge empty bar; too much sport's memorabilia for my liking. 

Anyhoo we were eventually greeted and seated. we ordered the usual round of drinks; bucket bottled beer for the lads and mocktails for the ladies. 

Ordered from the menu; good choices and looked ok. The meal arrived in the fashion we have become accustomed to; warm food on cold plates. 

I ordered the burger; bad move; dry patty; too many herbs. The other meals were the mixed grill which was regarded as ok - nothing special. 

Not long after we arrived the live music started; it would have been ok if we were seated in a concert hall - at the back......Way too loud and over the top. 

The service or lack of was poor to say the least. A tip for for those brave enough to go; try to sit away from the ceiling air-con vents!!....

I gazed with great admiration at the decor and enjoyed the food. But with the amount they invested in this place, I can't believe they made such an error on location. I went mid 2008 and if they're still around in mid 2010 I'll be stunned. It was empty when we went for dinner in the middle of the week.

Armed with a $100 voucher at O' Leary's which I'd recently scored at a lucky draw, I took this opportunity to try out this sportsbar which I'd typically give a miss, not being a fan of American fare.

O'Leary's sets itself out as a themed sportsbar and grill, with the requisite sports paraphenelia on the walls, tv screens showing sport (tennis was on the night I went), with a generous bar area that reminded me somewhat of Cheers.

The food is your typical American fare - burgers, ribs, steaks. Portions are relatively generous with the burgers weighing in at 175g of beef, sandwiched between 1.5inch thick buns with chips and slaw on the side. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing particularly stellar. and certainly no match for the burgers at Seah Street Deli. Or Botak Jones.

The mixed grill that we ordered came with a variety of meats - lamb, chicken, steak, topped with a fried egg and bacon, and a side of baked potato and corn on the cob. At $32, it was surprisingly small in portion and my dinner companion finished it easily, with space for half a burger to boot.

My choice of grilled chicken breast came with three thin pieces of chicken breast that were surprisingly well done - incredibly tender and juicy to the bite. The chips were not quite as crispy as I'd like and the BBQ sauce was far too watery with a texture akin to minestrone soup. The side order of coleslaw on the other hand was memorable with fresh, crunchy, tangy shredded cabbage and carrots coated with just enough dressing to be refreshing without overpowering the taste of the vegetables.

The nachos with three dips - cheese, salsa, guacamole - was also forgettable. The nachos thankfully were not from a bag and were obviously fried on the spot, but the dips were most obviously store bought and disappointing.

Overall, O'Leary's got a pretty chilled atmosphere and a fairly good drinks selection, but I'd be hard pressed to see how long a themed restaurant will last in this day and age, especially when the food is ordinary at best.