Drewby’s Grill Pub

Hours: Mon–Sat, 11:30 am to midnight; Sunday, 11:30 am to 10 pm

Price: $/$$

Style: Laid-back local pub paired with a stylish bistro.

Don’t Miss: Artichokes flash fried in olive oil and served with shaved, imported provolone and mixed olives ($7). Another good starter is house-made mozzarella coated with panko breadcrumbs, fried, and served with a roasted-tomato sauce ($6). Thin-crust spicy buffalo pizza with blue cheese (small, $5.95; large, $11.50) is covered with shredded chicken. Grilled, 21-day dry-aged Angus strip steak (12-ounce, $15; 16-ounce, $19) is a Drewby’s mainstay. If you order tapas, good choices include roasted eggplant medallions with roasted garlic and mozzarella ($4.50) and carpaccio with baby arugula, fried onions, and truffle vinaigrette ($7). End with a warm peanut butter brownie over vanilla ice cream ($4.50).

Heads Up: The staff is knowledgeable, but service can be slow.

The Scoop: From mozzarella to bread, sauces, soups, and salad dressings, Drewby’s makes almost everything in-house. Owner and chef Bill MacKenzie, from South Plainfield, prides himself on serving American comfort cuisine in a relaxed, convivial setting.