Where Everybody Knows Your Name

 

Since moving to Mexico there are very few things that I miss from my former life in Canada. I love the lifestyle, the people and the culture here. But there is one thing they do not have. The Neighbourhood Pub.

There are restaurants, bars, nightclubs and old fashioned saloons. But there are no Neighbourhood Pubs. The closest thing I have found here is the bar at Hank’s Louisiana Grill. They play great old music, have 2 for 1 drinks every day from 5:00 PM to 8:00PM and a wonderful staff that always greets us with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. A huge polished wood bar, in authentic British pub style, dominates the room.

You have to get to Hank’s early if you want to get a table as it will be standing room only by 5:30. I will always continue to go to Hank’s, as a matter of fact we are meeting another local blogger friend there tonight for Taco Tuesday, when they offer crunchy Texmex style tacos for 20 pesos each.

Still……it is just not quite the same as the Neighbourhood Pubs of Vancouver. Near our home in North Van, there was the Pemberton Station, the Rusty Gull, Sailor Hagar’s and the Maplewood Inn to name a few.

 

The Rusty Gull

 

The bartender knew what our beverage of choice would be and it often made it to the table before we did. There was lots of seating so you could almost always expect to get a table. The atmosphere was easy going and convivial. You could shoot a game of pool, play darts, challenge a friend to a game of cribbage or just relax and enjoy the live music that was usually offered in the evenings.

 

Sailor Hagar’s

 

For a wonderful ( and fattening ) lunch, pub fare usually included Shepard's Pie, Steak and Kidney Pie and Cornish Pasties among other tasty and hip-enhancing meals. You could also often get a huge steaming bowl of clam chowder at many of these venues, which was one of my personal favorites. 

Enter Hansen’s Bar and Grill. To San Miguel that is. If I could actually stroll, it would be a short stroll from our house. It is not in “El Centro”. It is not a trendy tourist spot. Although I’m sure the tourists will enjoy it if they find it. It is located at #12 Calzada de la Aurora a few blocks past the Fabrica La Aurora, going towards El Centro.

 

 

Okay, it’s not exactly like a North Vancouver Neighbourhood Pub. It’s in a small Mexican city, in a small Mexican colonia with Mexican staff. Absolutely great Mexican staff! You can get a bucket of 6 beer for 80 pesos, about 6 1/2 or 7 Canadian dollars. The 3 partners are charming and personable and all of the staff are friendly and helpful. Right now they are only open Thursday through Saturday but I hope that they will get enough business to expand that, should they wish to do so.

 

Hansen’s Bar

 

 

The menu is small but very well thought out. They offer sandwiches, roast beef, Ruben, turkey or chicken breast, Italian sausage and Ratatouille. You can choose from chapata, multigrain or rye breads and a side of French fries (which I think are the best in town), potato salad or coleslaw. And then there is the pickle. It is the best pickle I have ever eaten.

There are also salads, minestrone soup, soup of the day, garlic bread and desserts. But the absolute best thing on the menu is the chicken liver pate. It is served up with what must be a baseball size ice cream scoop and comes with garlic toast slices.

That, however, is just the menu. Each day they also have a dinner special. Thursday is a pork chop. You may not think that this is very exciting but wait until you see it! It is at least 2 inches thick ( I am not exaggerating ), cooked through perfectly and still juicy. Last Thursday I had it served with linguini in a light fresh tomato sauce with fresh parmesan. I ate my dinner there, made a sandwich the following day, Todd made 2 sandwiches the following day for dinner and I finished off the pasta. Did I mention that this was 98 pesos?

It was all so good that we went back on Saturday for Prime Rib. Really…Prime Rib.

 

 

 

Now I’m not a Prime Rib fan, but Todd assures me that it was some of the best that he has ever had. I had Tortilla Soup and that incredible Chicken Liver Pate.

 

 

Sorry, I ate half of it before it occurred to me to take a picture. I was hungry. And the soup was wonderful. Just the right amount of spice. Friday is Osso Bucco night which I have yet to try, but I most definitely will.

The restaurant has a small intimate feel but is actually quite large, as there is the main floor, the bar area, a sort of terrace above the bar and another room upstairs, which I have not seen as stairs are not my strong suit these days. Hansen’s motto is “Our specialty is making people who recommend us look good”. Indeed they do.

All in all, Hansen’s Bar and Grill is a welcome addition to our neighbourhood, and sort of fills a small void in our otherwise near perfect lives here in Mexico.