George Street Ale House Serves Up Comforting Pub Classics

George Street Ale House
New Brunswick
378 George Street
732-543-2408

Open: Lunch and dinner, daily; brunch, Sat-Sun

Price: $-$$

Style: Comfortable neighborhood pub/sports bar with 10 big screens. Glossy red walls signal its proximity to the Rutgers campus.

The scoop: Capably prepared tavern food pairs with 55 choices from the Scotch and whiskey menu, 15 beers on tap and another 15-18 in cans or bottles.

The menu: A long list of starters includes a plate of three crispy empanadas (left) generously stuffed with spinach and cheese, classic beef or Southwest chicken and cheese. You can choose from a variety of grilled flatbreads, stuffed tacos or nicely composed dinner salads, including the bacon-and-avocado Keto Salad. Burgers are a juicy Angus blend of short rib, brisket and lean chuck. The Ale House Burger (on brioche bun, topped with Gouda, crisp bacon and chipotle mayo) came out a perfect medium, as ordered. Burgers, sandwiches and wraps come with a choice of fresh greens, fries, cole slaw or Cajun-spiced, house-made chips. A grass-fed flatiron steak and nightly dinner specials are the more substantial options.

Heads up: Reservations are essential for George Street’s Boozy Brunch, featuring $3.95 mimosas (Saturday, noon-3 pm and Sunday noon-4 pm). Monday is trivia night; Tuesday is live jazz; Friday, karaoke.