Park on Fremont
Mac & Cheese Balls – House made bacon mac & cheese balled up in Panko breadcrumbs and golden fried
Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich – Fried Chicken with Applewood Smoked Bacon Waffles and Wild Turkey Maple Syrup served with Sweet Potato Tots
French Toast – Vanilla Bean Soaked Brioche topped with ‘drunk’ mixed berries, syrup, powdered sugar
Located on the corner of trendy East Fremont and Las Vegas Boulevard, with raves received from hipsters since its inception, it was just minutes before noon that I sat down with a friend for lunch at Park on Fremont and although I’m happy to say the service far outperformed similar spots in Chicago, Brooklyn, or Portland the food itself left much to be desired – a seemingly well-culled menu instead proving limited in not only options but quality of execution, as well. Clearly the sort of place where cuisine is considered less important than booze and décor suffice it to say that the beer list and creative cocktails far outnumber the options for food and even with the extended brunch menu it was only in three items that myself and a friend could muster enough interest to indulge, the plates arriving in two rounds as we sat amidst a room awash in faux-taxidermy and paintings ranging from humping animals to possessed children with neither rhyme nor reason to be found. Opting for one starter to precede a duo of entrees it would not be long before the best bites of the meal would arrive and served as a quintet the Mac & Cheese balls each proved not only sizable but also quite delicate, the crackling panko overlying supple pasta with briny bits of bacon imbuing each bite plus a sidecar of cheese sauce for those desiring even more cream. At this point happily conversing about recent events as background music played on it was after only the slightest of delays that three trays would arrive and with the kitchen opting to split our French Toast while the sandwich was served whole it can only be said that neither dish tasted as good as it looked, the brioche too lightly soaked and thinly sliced to allow the exterior to be rendered crisp without burning it while the waffle was chewy and lifeless, a bready detriment to otherwise pleasant chicken and bacon served alongside entirely forgettable, yet all too trendy, ‘tots.’
TWO STARS: Not exactly a disaster in that the service was pleasant while the Mac & Cheese Balls were far better than standard pub-grub suffice it to say that for those not interested in being upsold on cleverly named cocktails or craft beers Park on Fremont has little to offer – a quick walk down the street to MTO, eat, S+O, Carson Kitchen, or DuPar’s offering far more extensive selection with equal or better value on the dollar at each.
RECOMMENDED: Mac & Cheese Balls.
AVOID: Fried Chicken and Waffle Sandwich.
TIP: Those convinced that Park on Fremont is worth their time and effort are encouraged to look for parking somewhere around 6th or 7th, the $1/h meters a veritable bargain compared to flat-rate lots ranging anywhere from $5-$10, though for those planning to stroll the Fremont Experience or Container Park afterwards the later could certainly present a viable option without the need to drive around waiting for a space to open up.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://parkonfremont.com/
