O'Learys Bar & Grill (Singapore Flyer)

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.

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.

Thanks Zul & all the staff at O'Learys for making our ROM a joyful & memorable ceremony.

The service is excellent!

The food on the day of our ROM is much better than the 'food testing'.

The ambience is good but it can be better by improving public address "PA" systems especially for those who need to hold special events.

Hopefully this review is not too late as we are getting feedback from our guests and not only two of us.

Once again, thanks to O'Learys. You guys are the best!

From: KA & YY