Ladies and Gents put on your finest wares because I’m taking you all to dinner. Yes, you have to come. Where to, you ask? Why, I know, the nicest place in Oak Ridge that we can all go to (you’re paying for yourselves by the way, I’m not made of money). Its called The Grasshopper and has some of the best not-so-Irish food out there. Now I know what you’re saying, “Why there?”
On Christmas eve my family took me out on our annual pre-Christmas dinner where we go to a moderately fancy restaurant. This time it happened to be a relatively close joint called The Grasshopper: Irish Bar and Restaurant. Looking at the outside first, the place certainly gives off the vibe of a fine restaurant, there are outdoor tables with umbrellas on a railed off patio. The building itself has the looks of a classic North-West European design. It resides on an island in the middle of Route 23 in Oak Ridge. It is very difficult to miss if you’re driving through.
On the inside is where this place’s Irish heritage shines. The place has this very “warm” vibe to it; there are brown hardwood finished floors, shelves filled with books or knick-knacks were on some of the walls, and there was a fireplace with rug next to it. The lighting in this place is a faint orange-yellow tint to the whole interior. The same brown wood finish is also present on the booths and tables complemented with green cushions. One issue that I happened to have was that the lights flickered on and off repeatedly; I hope they fixed it. It was extremely annoying.
But enough about the place itself; let’s talk about the food. In honor of this place and the proud, rich culture it represents, let’s order the most Irish things on the menu: pizza, French onion soup and shrimp-quesadillas. Let’s start with the pizza; it tastes about as good as pizzeria pizza, however, note that it is a lot smaller than normal pizza, about 65% the all around size for $11.95. Next the French onion soup. The Grasshopper has one of the best French onion soups I’ve had in years of living in NJ. The cheese, bread, onions and broth are delicious. Now, you might not expect a an Irish restaurant to serve great Tex-Mex foods but you’d be surprised. The shrimp was spicy, and seasoned to perfection. The rice, chicken, beans and dips that come with the meal are good, but the shrimp is where it shines. You might need to wait a little bit depending on how many people are there. It took the waitress thirty minutes for the appetizers and another 40+ for the meals.
If you’re in the Oak Ridge area and want great food and a cozy Irish atmosphere, then head to The Grasshopper.