Addella’s offers bold pub fare at fair prices
When I entered Addella’s on Oak, it was early on a Saturday evening and the place was sparsely populated. Stepping in farther, I heard “Water No Get Enemy” by Fela Kuti, the great Afrobeat maestro, playing on the house stereo as I perused an appealing room with a wooden floor, amusing cassette tape-patterned wallpaper, colorful hand-painted tables and politically tinged, vibrant local art.
“What a cool bar,” I thought. I haven’t been hanging out in bars much since the pandemic hit, but I slid my mask down for a quick one when my server informed me that my food
Luke Miller said.
It starts with thin strips of fresh, never frozen rib-eye grilled on the flattop with bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and banana peppers served on locally produced bun. Most customers opt for a topping of white cheese sauce, Miller said.
A vegan “impossible” cheesesteak ($14) is another option.
“They’re actually very, very good,” Miller said. “It’s probably one of the better vegan options I’ve had.”
The Cuban ($13) offers roasted pork, ham, swiss, giardiniere and spicy yellow mustard on thick-cut sourdough.
All sandwiches are served with chips; add fries for a buck. Otherwise, a la carte sides are: fries ($3), mac and cheese ($4), onion petals ($3), cucumber salad ($3), side salad ($4) and sweet-potato waffle fries ($4).
For appetizers, Miller suggests the sweet-potato buffalo chicken fries ($9) — sweet-potato waffles topped with cubed white meat, white and blue cheese, buffalo sauce and scallions.
“It’s what I would recommend with anything because it’s our bestseller as an appetizer,” he said.
The soup, which changes frequently, most recently was tomato basil ($4 for a cup, $6 for a bowl), which has a smooth consistency, rich creamy flavor and is flecked with green onions.
It’s the perfect setup with the grilled cheese sandwich ($8) — American cheese, a slice of bread and fried mozzarella between two additional slices of toasty bread.
“They pair very well,” Miller said.
Flatiron’s “blue line” burger ($13), a customer favorite, features two 4-ounce patties, blue cheese, Cajun seasonings and traditional garnishes on a brioche bun, on which all burgers are served.
Frye said the Flatiron is offering specials to lure more dine-in customers. The house burger ($6 for dine-in, $10 for takeout) is a simple 4-ounce smashburger with no frills.
A dine-in menu ($5 each) includes chips and salsa, Flatiron fries (balsamic, red pepper flakes and white cheddar), pretzel bites and mozzarella sticks.
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