Coming in hot is the newest addition to Fillmore street in Pacific Heights.
Eclectic cocktails, local beers, and finger lickin’ bar food is what you’ll find at The Snug. It’s been open for about two weeks now and without a doubt it’s the hotspot. They open at 4pm and by the time I arrived at around 4:30pm it was pretty packed but I managed to grab a few bar seats by the window. Even though The Snug is a bar, I was more interested in the food since a former coworker is the chef/partner of the restaurant.
Gift: Beer Nuts with Honey and Cayenne (9/10).
Candied nuts may seem simple but these were so bomb and addicting. It also helped that the mixture of nuts were two of my favorites, cashews and peanuts.
Spam Ssam with Kimchi, Cured Egg Yolk, and Rice (8.5/10).
The perfect lettuce wrap with crunchy spicy kimchi, glazed spam, white rice with a slight crispiness on the outside, all topped with nori. I could easily eat a few of these.
Korean Fried Chicken Wings with Ginger, Garlic, and Soy (8/10).
The chicken wings came out piping hot with a sticky soy glaze that made a mess but was totally worth it. A little heat could be a nice addition to the sweetness from the soy sauce.
Gift: Corn Fritters with Cheddar, Chipotle, and Cancha (7/10).
I would have liked more corn flavor in the fritters but these were tasty. The cancha on the bottom, basically like corn nuts, was a fun addition.
Bodega Burger with Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Cheese Special Sauce, and Bacon (8/10).
Not your typical burger but this was damn tasty. The burger had almost a crumbly texture, but in a good way, with a creamy cheese sauce. The “bun” held all the ingredients together and didn’t fall apart which I appreciated.
Tater Tots with Horseradish Sour Cream, “Bacon”, and Chives (8/10).
Who doesn’t love tater tots? The airy horseradish sour cream just added to the beautifully browned potato bites for a perfect pairing.
Trotter Hot Dog with Perilla Mustard, Ham Hock Ketchup, and Shiso Relish (8/10).
Probably the best hotdog I’ve had in awhile. The hot dog itself had an intense porky flavor with pungent shiso relish and slightly spicy mustard with a sweet ham hock ketchup.
Everything we ate just hit the spot; no frills kind of food that everyone can enjoy. The only thing missing was dessert (hopefully they add some sweet items on the menu soon)! From the lively atmosphere to the yummy bar food, I can see why The Snug is packed every night. Therefore, my rating is an 8/10.