The main bar area, with the usual woodwork and highceiling, remains much the same. Framed prints illustrate Milwaukee’s beer history. An upper level isused as a party room. For a complete change of setting, there is an enclosedand winterized patio. The year-round patio, which also has a bar andconsiderable greenery, overlooks an outdoor seating area for warmer weather. Donot be surprised if you hear an occasional train rumbling by, as tracks arejust a few feet away.
The entrance is near the open-air kitchenanappropriate placement, since most of the customers are here to eat. The menuhas a bit of an Irish theme filled out with standard American fare. You’ll alsofind daily dinner specials that can offer excellent values. Corned beef showsup in sandwiches and Reuben roll appetizers, and potatoes range from homemadepotato chips to the pancakes served with the Friday fish fry.
The menu makes occasional changes. One such newbieis a shrimp martini appetizer. The good-sized glass is filled with shelledmedium shrimp covered with cocktail sauce and served over a base of lettuce.Quantity is the idea.
The daily soup specials are one of the highlightshere. Currently a meaty chili is popular, but even vegetarian soups such aschunky tomato with basil dumplings are deftly prepared. Soups may be ordered onthe side ($2.75-$3.25) or included with an entrée. Entrées also offer a housesalad of leaf lettuce with Roma tomato, cucumber, red onion and some decent,homemade croutons. The dressings, though they take no chances, are adequateenough.
Entrées consist of two groups: dinners andblue-plate specials. The specials include hearty fare like shepherd’s pie,meatloaf, fish and chips and even lasagna. You’ll also find Irish pot roast($8.25), a thick slab of beef covered in gravy made with minced vegetables anda dash of Guinness. A heap of garlic mashed potatoes with red skins comes onthe side. Perhaps pot roast should not be sliced this thick, as the meat tendsto be stringya sharper knife is called for.
The dinners reflect the menu’s American side: steaksand ribs. A restaurant with mainstays like fish and chips, pot roast and cornedbeef seems like an odd place to order baby back ribs, but the ribs are Slim’sbest item. Order a half-rack ($10.95) or whole ($16.95). The tender meat isfirm to the bone and freshly charred with a final visit to the grill justbefore the barbecue sauce is added. This makes the meat less fatty and a joy toeat. The Texasbarbecue sauce has just the right elements of tang and spice. Soup or salad isincluded, as well as a side dish. The creamy coleslaw is ideal with the ribs.
At lunch, most customers opt for sandwiches. Theburgers ($7) are large and the tenderloin ($8.95) is respectable in size. Theburgers are cooked to order while the thinner tenderloin tends to be a littleoverdone. There are many choices of toppings. One is called the “Blueroom,”sliced mushrooms with an abundance of melted blue cheese. The standard bunseems too small for the burger, so opt for another bread, like the marble rye.The meatloaf sandwich ($6.95) is very basic, a slice served warm or cold withwhite bread. Order a burger instead.
The prices are quite reasonable, but they can be even better with thedaily dinner specials. Wednesday has a $10.95 New York strip steak and Sunday hasblue-plates for less than $6. Slim’s has many things going for it: a casual,classic, corner-tavern setting, reasonable prices and a location close toDowntown with plenty of free street parking. In addition, most of the items aresound, hearty fare. The main draws are the soups, the fish fry and, especially,those baby back ribs.