Happy Hour Specials - B2 Bistro & Bar

It's been a while since I had visited B2 Bistro & Bar. In 2016, it was a staple of my Red Bank dining, but with the purchase of a new house and beer adventures taking me out of town, I've been on and off with revisiting. Yet, it's always nice to go back and grab a nice craft beer and enjoy with some good food. For this particular visit, I was able to partake on the Happy Hour food specials. I gathered my bar stool, hunkered down with a pint of Brix City Porter Authority and ordered three of the food items offered during my visit.

First up was the Chicken & Waffle Sandwich. The chicken's skin was crispy and crunchy to perfection. The waffle is described as a rice waffle but was a good combination with the chicken. What sets this dish apart is the whatever that syrup was used that was drizzled all over the chicken. The description on the menu said hot honey, but it was in a syrup type quality with a very nice spicey kick to it. I wish it had been drizzled a bit more over the waffles but I do understand that it is a sandwich. Whether it was honey with some jalapeño kick to it or a spicey syrup - it doesn't really matter, it's fantastic.

View fullsize

The Earl of Grilled Cheese was next. Shaved pork with fontina cheese dance together along with some pickled red onions and whole grain mustard. This is such a good sandwich. Simple, yet tasty, the mustard brings all of the components together. The shaved pork is delicious and the cheese is melted to perfection, but the mustard elevates everything. I'd absolutely recommend this. 

View fullsize

Last but not least - The Daily Dog. It looks like B2 changes this daily, so whatever version you may order, might not be the same as mine. Or, who knows, it might. Either way (and I can't believe I am going to say this) but the Daily Dog was my favorite of the three items. That all-pork hot dog was so damn good. The bread was toasted to perfection and held in the cheese perfectly. The pickled red onions add a nice tang to contrast the cheese and hot dog. As soon as this hot dog was finished, I wanted another. 

The worst part of having these three wonderful items was the fact that I saw multiple others being brought out to very happy customers. I saw the Rally Fries come out and that's next on my list. The Hash Brown sounds amazing and so does the Octopus Arancini. I love this Happy Hour specials menu and hope that something of a similar magnitude continues on after the summer. There's plenty more items for myself to check out and hopefully in 2018, we'll see that ever revolving draft list include some of Red Bank's own brews!

If you want to see happy hour times and days just click on this: B2 Bistro & Bar Happy Hour

Salud!

B2 Bistro & Bar - Blackened Rib-eye

Even with all of the places I've visited and reviewed, there will always be a place that I call my home away from home. Conveniently, this "home" is within a stone's throw away from my living coordinates. B2 Bistro & Bar is quickly approaching its second year of existence within Red Bank and I'm happy to have witnessed and be a part of that history. A fantastic bar with an ever evolving list of beer taps, B2 has been a mainstay on my radar because of its friendly staff, deep beer catalogue, and its ridiculous food.

View fullsize

Drinks!

Although this is within the Quick Bites section, it may as well also be a Quick Drinks section. Something a little different this time - Mike Molina whipped us up two drinks. Wanting to leave room for the big meal to come ahead, I decided to forego the plentiful yet wonderful carbs from beer. In lieu of that, drinks were had and enjoyed. A bourbon drink with orange zest and wedge in it, yes please! Don't be afraid to ask for a suggestion, but be kind and at least give the bartenders a baseline to go from, but they do get wildly creative - much appreciated too!

View fullsize

Keep this bread away from Oprah Winfrey!

Because the menu is constantly being updated to match the season, I find myself trying new things at B2. I actually went back into my archives to see when my actual review for it came out... nearly a year ago: B2 Bistro & Bar. Time flies when you are galavanting all over the East Coast! Order some food and B2's house made bread will come ahead. Served with a side of pickled vegetables, the bread comes with the butter already baked into the middle. It's a great way to get your appetite going. My personal suggestion: Save some for the main meal. 

View fullsize

I have NO words...

So what was this mystical main course that prompted a weekend visit in the first place? The answer: The blackened ribeye. If there is one thing that B2 Bistro & Bar has never failed to deliver is a wonderful main course where the protein is a huge cut of meat. Yes, the blackened ribeye is worth $38, but it definitely is big enough to feed two people and the cut is absolutely worth it. It does come with some red wine onions and a roasted garlic along with three "dips", but the main star of this course is the ribeye.

It's seasoned exceptionally well and even though I usually love a cut of meat like this with slight seasoning, you can't ignore the three dips that it comes with. They further enhance the flavor and make this dish is a knockout. Chimichurri, bacon salt (I believe), and chorizo (I'm almost sure?) are the three that you can choose to further enhance your culinary experience. Try it alone first and then compare. Then have ask Mike or Michelle or Marissa for any of their signature drinks to complete the eating experience at B2.

If you're going for beer, the tap list is quite often updated on their website. If you're going for drinks, you won't be disappointed. If you're going for food, from the burger all the way up to the ribeye, you're sure to enjoy whatever ends up being on your plate. To my home away from home, I lift my glass... Salud!

View fullsize

This drink was phenomenal - another Mike Molina banger!