Red Dog Tavern Has its Charms

Several folks implored me to try GK's Red Dog Tavern (located in the Madison Hotel) after I railed against the bars in town.  Finally, last Saturday my wife and I (with friends) ended up there for some food and drink.

My initial impressions are very favorable.  What stood out more than anything was our bartender, Doug.  After spending a few hours there I am fairly certain he is there most nights.  That is a very good thing.  He was personable, engaging and knowledgeable about a great many things.  Having spent time on both sides of the bar I cannot emphasize enough how important those things are.  

Over the past 10 years I have been in Madison he was without question the best bar-keep I have had in town.  And it isn't close.  He had quality control too (which is amazing these days.)  After pouring one of their signature drinks he emptied it and had his staff check the tonic lines.  These things do not go unnoticed.  How many times would that drink be served elsewhere in town??

The bar itself is clean, classy and understated.  I happened to enjoy the (2) mirror/tvs displaying my Astros taking their nightly beating.  I had never seen framed televisions that act as mirrors when not in use.  They are pretty cool to say the least.  

The bar itself has other elements I found impressive.  First, the Guinness is clean and fairly priced.  My wife had one of their signature martinis (a pear vodka or something) that was quite tasty.  And I am not a liquor drinker.  The food was a bit better than bar fare.  I had my standard open faced turkey with gravy and mashed. Excellent!  And the excessive cheesecake I forced in was terrific too.  I cannot speak to the crab cakes the missus dined on because she did not let me taste. That speaks to their quality I would say.

Overall the Red Dog is a bar I can see myself getting to again, and probably soon. The bar is not big and you cannot really let loose with friends.  No jukebox to blast your Daughtry too and you are going to run into hotel guests and an otherwise transplanted (odd) crowd. The location is not ideal either but for a few pops you cannot go wrong.  This 'Dog is well-trained and poised for success.

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