I love eating out locally. Two friends and I were at a meeting near my house and we were looking for a place near home to eat. I remembered going to Maloney’s Pub & Grill in Matawan a while back and suggested it. One of the most distinctive things about Maloney’s is that they have over a hundred beers on tap. It’s a nice neighborhood kind of place. We sat at a high top right at the front of the restaurant at a section open to the sidewalk. The sun,  shining right on our table, was just about to set over the Attractive Tattoo building on Main Street, when I went twice to have my horseshoe earrings put back in. It was a good place to sit.

I started out with a T’ Smisje Kerst, a Belgian strong dark ale. I ordered the French Onion Soup. It was outstanding. Yes, I will eat soup made with meat stock. If I didn’t I wouldn’t get to eat out very often. It’s a compromise. Did I say it was good? It was. Just the right amount of cheese and bread with a very flavorful but not too salty stock. One of my friends ordered the Black and Tan Onion Rings. I will admit I had one of those too. And it was beyond good.

The vegetarian entrée options were limited. I decided on the veggie burger. I asked the waitress about it. She explained that it was made in the restaurant with quinoa and black beans. When she brought it to the table she said, “Hold on.” It came on a bun with roasted red peppers, pickles, and what looked like a little dish of mustard. I also got the broccoli instead of fries or Tater Tots. Good choice. I’m not overly wild about broccoli, especially if it’s just steamed, crisp, and without much added flavor. This broccoli was perfect. It was sautéed until just slightly wilted, and loaded with garlic. Before I stared eating, out came one of the cooks to explain that the burger was made with quinoa, black beans, red peppers, carrots, and butternut squash that had been cooked to a paste to keep the burger together. And that it did. I hate when you bite into a homemade veggie burger and it spills out the other side of the bun and into little lumps on the plate. Worse yet all over your lap. This burger held together and was delicious. The “mustard” wasn’t mustard. It was a Pommes Frites sauce of curry and kind of a mayonnaise. It was spectacular.

I wasn’t driving, so while I ate I had a Boaks Abbey Brown. The sun had set. The food was good. My friends were happy.

Maloney’s Pub & Grill is at 119 Main Street in Matawan.