Bismarck

If you haven't noticed, I've been on a restaurant coupon purchasing frenzy of late.  Despite some of the mediocre results, saving at least a bit of money helps with my kid's college fund. Seeing how we go out to eat after our Friday night hockey games, I figured that a Groupon to the Bismarck would be a good call since it is open late.  Gordo, Lionel Hutz and Milhouse didn't mind saving a bit of money and were all in with this deal as well.

We decided to share everything starting with the Chicken & Waffles.  Unfortunately, due to the large pieces of chicken and the amount of syrup, the waffles were no longer crispy.  On the other hand, they were fluffy though.  As for the chicken, the thick breading was peppery and firmly crunchy.  The chicken meat was moist and flavourful including the white meat.  We also tried the Srirracha Chicken Flatbread with banana peppers and pickled red onion.  Slightly chewy while mostly pillowy soft, the flatbread was a bit thick.  Yet, the ample amount of toppings and restrained amount of srirracha kept the ratio in check.

Next we sampled the Pulled Pork Sandwich with crispy onions on a brioche bun.  With a few stringy pieces, the sammie was actually quite good.  There was enough sweet and smoky BBQ sauce to keep things moist without being wet.  Only a few onions remained crispy whereas the rest became soft.  The brioche bun did not hold up well to the wet ingredients.  On the side, the skinny fries were crispy and light.  Next up was the Bis Burger with 7oz prime rib burger topped with cheddar cheese, butter lettuce, tomato and pickled sweet onion served on brioche. This was pretty decent as well with a moist meaty patty despite being a bit salty.  The soft brioche was appealing in texture, but once again, didn't hold up that well to the ingredients.

For our sides, we had the Fried Okra with ranch dressing.  These were lightly battered where it was only a touch crispy.  Exhibiting that classic sliminess, the okra were not overdone.  Possibly a thick breading would've provided a better textural contrast in this case.  Lastly, we tried the Buttermilk Biscuits served with butter and chicken gravy.  More dense than fluffy, the biscuits were flaky on the outside.  I enjoyed dunking it into the mild and thick gravy as it provided some extra moisture.  Seemingly a better place to grab drinks rather than having an entire meal, the Bismarck was okay for late night eats.  Nothing remarkable, but definitely serviceable.

The Good:
- Hip spot with great music (that is just loud enough)
- Serviceable eats

The Bad:
- Okay eats, but not remarkable