A Review of Rose Alley Ale House

Saturday night finally came after a long week, and so we headed out to one of the restaurants we sampled at Taste of South Coast. We chose Rose Alley Ale House, located at 94 Front St. on the waterfront in the historic district.  Once inside I observed Rose Alley Ale House’s rustic, pub-style décor.  They had plenty of televisions for sports viewing and an area for live music, though the lighting was a little dark and seating is limited.  My eyes were then drawn to the colorful mugs hanging above the bar area. The bar itself had an impressive array of different taps, along with most any liquor you could think of.

A friendly waitress greeted us and got us a table right away.  She then produced a list of all the beers they offered, which included descriptions of each beer along with a list of upcoming events. I noticed that the information was only good for a week.  A constantly changing list means new beers and events are always happening, and so that’s good news. The menu also stated that it had “…38 constantly rotating taps with some of the finest beers from around the world.”

We were overwhelmed by the choices of beers.  They had so many varieties of all different types of beer, including India Pale Ales, Belgian/Belgian Style, Lagers, Hefeweizen/Wheat, Odd Balls/Special Releases, American Pale Ales, English Stouts/ Ales, Bottled Beer and 4 beers referred to as Heavy Seas.  If you can’t find a beer to enjoy on this menu, you might want to think about switching to wine or another beverage.

I started with a Blue Moon White Ale, which I paired with a stuffed quahog.  Mark chose the Heavy Seas “Loose Cannon”, and ordered a half pound of medium-spicy buffalo chicken wings with homemade potato chips.   Sarah got the Wachusett “Green Monsta” pale ale and Mike chose the Sam Adams East West Kolsch with a chicken bacon ranch Panini and french fries.  Each having its own unique flavor, the beers were refreshing and fun to taste, and went well with the food.

My quahog was stuffed with chunks of clams, linquica and stuffing and served on a shell with a pat of butter on the side: it was warm, light and smooth. The buffalo chicken wings were dripping with sauce (you will get messy, but in a good way) and when you bit into one it was crunchy on the outside and the chicken was soft and warm on the inside.  They were prepared well and may have lived up to their impressive motto: “Earth’s best wings”.

The potato chips were crisp and salty, and the Panini was warm and gooey full of chicken with bacon, ranch dressing and cheese. Between the beers and food this combination couldn’t get any better for a night out.

Considering Rose Ally is a pub, the menu had a large selection of food to choose from. They offer appetizers, soups and salads, wraps, panini’s, even entrées consisting of things like steak tips, stir fry’s, surf n turf and friend seafood, all with great prices. A kid’s menu is available with reasonable choices for $3.99 each. There were only two dessert offerings but with the huge beer selection, who needs dessert? If you’re up for a food challenge like on Man vs. Food, they offer the San Juan Challenge: How many suicidal wings can you eat in 20 minutes? Suicidal is the hottest sauce they have, so don’t accept this  challenge if you can’t take the heat. If you beat the current record, your picture will be put on the Wall of Fame. Any takers?

By 8pm a staff member was on hand checking ID’s, and the Rose Alley Ale House was filling up with thirsty patrons Also the Bruins were playing so everyone was gathering around the televisions cheering them on. We did have to drive around to find a parking space that was close to the restaurant, so beware that parking is limited and walking is going to be required.

This is a fun place to meet and hang with friends, cheer on your favorite sports team, listen to live entertainment and enjoy some premium, micro and hard-to-find brews. This establishment is definitely the place to go in New Bedford for the beer devotee, and for those celebrating birthdays.  When it is your birthday come in with three or more friends and your entrée in on the house!