Winston’s Pub
115 S. Eagle StreetLast January, my mom called and asked if we wanted to go see Kenny Chesney and the Zac Brown Band in Detroit. It didn’t take much arm twisting for us. We both really wanted to see Zac Brown Band and Kenny Chesney always puts on a good show.
Since I usually work Saturday’s, I had to ask for the night off….and since I’ve technically held three jobs this summer, I had to ask for it off three times. Fortunately for me, everytime I asked for it off, it got approved, so the concert was a go.
My parents decided to drive up from the Chicago area the morning of the show instead of the night before. They got here a couple hours before we needed to leave and we were all hungry. I wasn’t going to make them wait until we got to Detroit for two reasons. 1.) it was a long drive…and 2.) there was a concert at Ford Field, a baseball game at Comerica Park, and the Woodward Dream Cruise….Detroit was going to be packed.
I decided to stop along the way in Marshall. Ever since we moved to Michigan (almost four years ago), we have passed signs for Schuler’s on the various highways around Southwest Michigan. I checked the menu out a few times and realized it was a little fancy for J and I, but, and isn’t there always a but, in addition to the fancy part of the restaurant, there’s a pub that serves pub food. Now, that’s something right up our alley.
Before I get too far in to this, I do have to mention that I just found out that J works with one of the daughter’s in the Schuler family. She’s married now so she doesn’t have the Schuler name so up until about two weeks ago, neither of us realized out. We were all out to dinner celebrating the birthday of another one of J’s co-workers when this blog got brought up. It was slyly asked if I had ever reviewed Schuler’s. When I said, no, she told us that we should eat there…then told us it was her family’s restaurant. That’s not the reason I chose to eat there today, but just something I thought I should point out.
Winston’s Pub is “Light Fare” part of Schuler’s Restuarant. It’s in the same building that sits just off Michigan Avenue on Eagle Street in downtown Marshall. Since we were stopping by for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, we had no problem finding parking on the street at a meter, but there is also a pretty large parking lot across the street.
To get in to the Pub, you could walk in the main entrance to the restaurant and take a right once you get in the lobby. There’s also an outer door that leads right into the pub’s bar area. It’s marked by a heavy wooden door with a sign protruding from the wall overhead.
The pub is a long narrow space with a bar running along one wall and a dining area on a second tier along the other. There’s more tables in a back dining room and a fairly large outdoor patio. We were told to seat ourselves so we took a seat at a table for four near the bar.
The cloth wrapped silverware is already on the table along with a bottle of their custom wine. No, it’s not free, but it’s there to tempt you. A few minutes after sitting down, a waitress came over with the menus and took our drink orders. I was happy to see that they have Pepsi as their soft drink…not so much for me, but more for my dad who always gets a little unhappy when he can’t get a Mt. Dew. In addition to my dad’s Dew, I got a Pepsi, my mom ordered a Diet, and J got an Iced Tea.
The thing that Schuler’s really seems to be known for is their prime rib. Being in the pub, the prime rib came as either a Prime Rib Sandwich or the “Winston.” My dad loves prime rib, but ONLY prime rib from a restaurant back home where he gets it almost every weekend. Every time we go somewhere that serves prime rib, he orders, compares it to his regular restaurant, then complains about how it’s not the same. Knowing this, I was a little surprised he actually ordered The Winston. The sandwich is thin slices of prime rib stacked pretty tall on an asiago ciabatta roll with onions, Swiss cheese and a side of au jus for dipping. As he would point out later in the meal, this really is a sandwich that I would like minus the onions. It’s basically a French Dip sandwich but it’s made with Schuler’s signature prime rib. To my surprise, my dad loved it. I cannot believe I would ever say that. He never says anything at all about his sandwiches when we go out to eat and he actually said this one was really good. Near the end of the meal, he made a comment about wishing he would have actually been hungry, but when I looked at his plate, it was nearly empty. He wasn’t even hungry and he finished off his sandwich. I guess it really was as good as they say.
While I eyed the Winston, I, of course, went with the Winston Burger. That sandwich is Black Angus ground sirloin with cheddar, bacon and a tarragon Russian dressing which I opted to leave off. The burger was very juicy and it was served on a hearty bun which soaked up those juices and held the sandwich together. The patty was cooked to a perfect medium center with just a bit of pink showing.
J stuck with her recent trend of getting grilled cheese sandwiches by ordering the Triple Cheese Sandwich and Soup. The three cheeses are Boursin, Cheddar, and Swiss. It’s put together with grilled sourdough bread, spinach, and fresh spinach. The soup is a hearty, comforting tomato bisque. It’s one of those adult takes on grilled cheese and tomato soup and she loved every bite of it.
My mom ordered the Fish ‘n Chips. The fish is a beer battered Atlantic Cod that was tender and flaky underneath a smooth yet crispy beer batter. She remarked two or three times at how good the fish was.
Other than J, we all got fries with our meals and we all loved them. They are crispy, battered fries unlike anything my parents had ever had before. J felt a little left out because she got chips with her meal, but my mom and dad both offered up some of theirs as there were too many on their plates to finish.
The bill for the four of us was just a tad under $60, so Winston’s isn’t quite a cheap option. The only two menu items under $10 are the burger with no cheese or bacon and the Veggie Flatbread. It is, however, a delicious option. Since J and I tend to stick to pub food, Winston’s plays right into our hands. We’d still like to give Schuler’s a shot some night…maybe for their Sunday Supper. For now though, I’m happy we finally crossed at least half of another road trip off our list with a successful meal.
The Winston Burger w/Fries
Triple Cheese Sandwich and Soup w/Chips
SW Michigan Dining 