Beginning late last year, owners began morphing Scully’s into something a little different. Their logo went from “Scully’s Signature Dine & Drink” to “Scully’s Bar & Grille”
Built on the Walnut Street incline, Scully’s has three distinct dining areas. Two are at a lower level: a room full of cozy red upholstered booths and a sweet outdoor patio. Definitely want to check that patio out when the weather gets warmer.
Up four or five stairs is the bar and all the action you’d expect at a friendly neighborhood or college hangout. If you’re in to darts, look no further. Three boards are set up toward the back.
In front, the bar and some large high-top tables big enough for groups. There’s a small patio outside these windows that’s perfect for people watching.
Scully’s is a little different, built on two levels. Their menu’s also a little different. Think bistro-bar food.
We three girls were having a “sister’s” day in Asheville, beginning with lunch at Scully’s. We decided to share three Appetizers: Crab Rangoons, Potato Skins and Bacon Bruschetta.
The Crab Rangoons ($6.95) were generously filled with a lightly seasoned crab meat and cream cheese mix. They were served with a nice soy and sweet chili sauce. I’d get these again and plan on sharing again. They’re pretty filling.
Scully’s take on Potato Skins ($6.25) is what you’d expect: cheddar and jack (I think) cheeses, bacon and sour cream. The menu mentioned chives, but we didn’t see any?
Although served not quite as described on the menu (didn’t see much goat cheese), this Bacon Brushcetta ($7.50) dish was light and refreshing. Crustinis were topped with chopped tomatoes, basil, bacon and Parmesan. They came with a tasty balsamic which had to be drizzled on top, as dipping definitely didn’t work.
It was one of those cold, breezy days, so one sister wanted to warm up with Classic Potato Soup ($4.95). There were chunks of potato in what was more a broth than cream based soup, topped with a couple types of cheese and bacon bits and served with a melted-cheese-topped crostini.
The other went with a Spinach Salad ($8.95). What a pretty presentation of baby spinach, dried cranberries, walnuts, cherry tomatoes, and chopped “applewood smoked bacon”. Two servings of honey mustard dressing came with the salad.
It’s hard to tell without perspective in the photo below, but this salad was huge! It was also very fresh tasting.
And I, being the carnivore I am, ordered the Classic Cheeseburger ($8.95). Described on the menu as, “Locally raised beef patty with lettuce, tomato, red onion and slightly spicy chipotle aioli”, it was delicious. Not sure I’d call it “classic” with the chipotle aioli on it, which was more than “slightly spicy” to my palate. Half went home for PIC to snack on later.
The sister that didn’t have the Spinach Salad ordered one to go, so she could have it for dinner. After getting it home, she discovered it was somewhat lacking in everything except the spinach. A couple thoughts on that; take a look inside the box when you order anything to go – at any restaurant; this left me wondering if they were running low on goat cheese since it was not in evidence on the brushcetta and barely there on the take-home salad. If that was the case, it would have been good to know, so we could have made other choices.
Service was good. Our drinks were refilled almost before we’d noticed refills were needed!
Our experience at Scully’s overall was good and we’d go back. It would be the perfect place to go with a crew for a nosh, a few drinks and a game of darts.
Scully’s Bar & Grille
13 West Walnut Street
Asheville, NC 28801-8102
(828) 251-8880
