The Hangover Pub

Reviews 4

ME

Meg Bradbury

Definition of a gastropub: a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food. A pub, bar, or tavern that offers meals of high quality. -Thats not happening at the Hangover. We called an hour ahead to make sure we could get seating for 3 people (all big bacon lovers) and John (host) told us they could seat us at 8:30. We got to the pub at 8:25, no host/hostess to be seen, waited about 5 min before a waitress noticed us standing around and mentioned the host would be there any moment. Then had to wait an additional 20-25 minutes for a table (during this time John came up to us multiple times making "progress reports" like "2 tables are ALMOST done" and "we just have to seat these other people first and then youre up".) During our wait we got drinks from the bar. I got the pineapple infused tequila drink with a bacon salt rim (cant remember the name) which was ok, taste like it came from a mix with a light pineapple taste Didnt taste the bacon in the salt much. Pretty sure I got about a 1/2 cup of actual drink in a small glass packed with 3x the amount of ice instead. My friend got the bacon infused bourbon drink which he didnt even finish. We love bacon infused bourbon, and have had it before, but this one wasnt good. No smokiness flavor, barely had a bacon flavor. Not impressed for the price you pay for these drinks. We finally sat down (after seeing an open table sitting there and then just asking if we could sit down?) John launched into a speech of what the Hangover Pub is all about, ie making sure theyre serving the best food they can by a chef whose been doing this for over 7 years, and curing the bacon in house. We order 3 apps after reading other reviews stating portion sizes were small. Kimchi and Bacon Rice Balls- these were great. You only got 3 balls though for $8 Pork Belly and Goat Cheese Ragoons: Big miss with these. Dry pork, barely any goat cheese and serious lack of flavor. Not to mention there was about a 1/2 tsp. of filling in the actual ragoon. You got 4 small ragoons for $8 Kitchen forgot our last app - Smoked Parmesan and House Cured Bacon Potato Chips: Very meh. A lot of places offer housemade chips and these ones arent anything special. There was NO bacon on the chips, so Im not sure if they fry them in bacon fat or what but I have no idea how theyre bacon chips without the bacon/bacon taste. Best part about these was the sriracha aioli dipping sauce. The bag that they give you for these chips was barely full (looking at some people at the bar, their bag was stuffed and overflowing, so not sure why the difference) Waygu burger - med rare and received a burger WELL done. Bacon onion jam had a good flavor. The other person ordered the Pork Belly Sandwich which was pretty dry, tasteless. All in all it was a disappointing experience. The only thing that didnt make this a 1 star rating was Nicky (bartender/waitress) and Kara (waitress) who were great. Attentive, drinks were kept filled, and did the best they could in a crappy situation. How can you have such a small menu and miss the mark on almost everything. When you setup to have a limited menu such as the Hangover pub, you better be knocking each item out of the park. Just because you throw kale on the burger instead of lettuce, or use waygu beef instead of plain ol ground hamburger, or use goat cheese instead of cream cheese in a ragoon doesnt mean people will trick their mind into thinking theyre eating fancier so it MUST taste better. Serious let down on flavoring, pricing for the portion you get, and a kitchen that after 8ish weeks of being open cant seem to handle a Saturday night in Worcester. There wasnt even a line when we got there. Just 2 other people. About 30 min after we sat down the tables began to empty out, and they didnt refill. Definition of a gastropub: a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food. A pub, bar, or tavern that offers meals of high quality. -Thats not happening at the Hangover.

AL

Alex Turgeon

Ive given this place a few chances for redemption, but as of my last visit I can no longer tolerate this type of service and food for the price I have been paying. It seems over the last few months that this place has foregone the considerations made in the initial opening of the restaurant. Management and the owners actions, although acknowledging when they screw up, clearly reflect a lack of consideration and quality control . Service is slow and often forgetful, and over the last few months I have found their communication regarding their food products to be misinforming (Such as the "house made whipped cream" on the pumpkin spice cocktail, which after waiting 15 mins to be served, was scooped right out of a Cool Whip container behind the bar. Other problems include the lack of planning for large audiences, especially during weekend brunch. Within the first hour of opening they had ran out of the special for the day, and milk......milk, a basic commodity! Overall, this place had a lot of promise. With some correction in the management of the restaurant and refinement in the menu items (less is more, especially when you advertise it to be a gastro-pub), the Hangover Pub may once again be a location for me to satisfy my bacon fix.

AN

Anthony Izzo

Myself, my wife and another couple made reservations on a Friday night, and were seated quickly after arriving, despite it being very busy the night we went. The current reservations-only model wasnt a hassle at all, and actually works well for a smaller eatery like this one. The atmosphere was cool, with the menu written on a wrap-around chalk board around an intimate dining area/bar. We shared three of the small plates: The "hog wings," the pork belly rangoons and the man candy (glazed thick-cut bacon). Each were unique applications of pork, and each were really tasty! My wife had the wagyu burger, which was cooked perfectly and tasted great. I had the chicken and waffles; unfortunately, both elements on the plate were under-seasoned, and it could have used some acidity to balance the richness of the dish. We each had a bunch of beers and cocktails, and I was very impressed with the drink offerings, especially the craft cocktails! The owner stopped by our table a couple of times to chat, and the regular service was extremely attentive. We would each definitely go back to this place. Our next venture is going to be brunch.

KI

Kimberly Sharp

The Hangover Pub, self-proclaimed as New Englands first Bacon Gastro Pub. The promise of craft cocktails and all things bacon had me excited for a new experience. The cocktails were on point - a creative twist on the classics (Sage Grape Gin & Tonic and Spicy Mule). Unfortunately the meal was hit or miss. The flavor of the Bacon Bourbon Wings was sweet and smoky. The bacon crumbles were cooked to perfection but the wings were considerably undercooked. The Bucatini was al dente with big bold seasonal flavors. The Brisket Burger was disappointing, the barbecue sauce was generic and the overcooked egg had me wishing for that ooey gooey yolk. Some level of redemption came with the Bacon Brownie Waffle, which was finished with candied pecans and pumpkin spiced ice cream. The atmosphere was fun. The staff was attentive and friendly. Im not willing to give The Hangover Pub high marks just yet but I am willing to them another shot. I want nothing more than to see the food scene in Worcester continue to evolve. Maybe next time Ill stick to brunch and bloodys.