Quigley’s Pint & Plate

FOOD

Quigley’s unlimited appeal is wonderfully focused. Thursday belongs to shrimp and Saturday to baby back ribs, with french fries, cole slaw and a choice of dinner salad accompanying either special. The featured protein is all-you-can-eat. Choose your day around the food you want to repeat; shrimp and ribs have separate appointments. Both specials are currently $28.

Thursday is the seafood choice. The kitchen’s regular fried-shrimp entrée uses a light breading and comes as a dozen with fries and slaw. If that is the shrimp dinner you have in mind, check the preparation offered with the unlimited special before ordering. It is a particularly useful question for anyone who has been thinking about fried shrimp all afternoon.

Saturday puts baby back ribs at the center of the meal. The regular BBQ rib plate comes with crispy fried onions, fries and slaw; the unlimited package specifically includes fries, slaw and salad. Keep those orders distinct when choosing extras. For a rib enthusiast, the appeal is being able to return to the main attraction without committing to another entire entrée and its accompaniments.

Give the salad some attention before surrendering the plate to protein. The regular menu offers a garden salad, romaine Caesar, spinach with bacon and egg, and a kale Super Caesar. Ask which choices come with the special. Fries and slaw then supply the familiar sides, leaving you to decide how much of the plate to devote to them.

A mixed table has plenty to talk about on the separately priced regular menu. Cajun Seafood Cornbread combines shrimp, crawfish and andouille with a spicy cream sauce flavored with tomato and bacon, over cornbread studded with jalapeño and cheddar. It’s a substantial alternative for someone who wants several flavors in one dish. Shrimp & Grits takes a creamier route with andouille and garlic toast. Neither is an AYCE refill option.

The brewery connection reaches the cooking, too. Southern Brewer’s Chili puts steak and black-eyed peas into brown ale, while the meatloaf gets a mushroom gravy made with brown ale. Those are separate orders with a distinctly Quigley’s reason to notice them. They also give a companion who wants pub comfort food a useful alternative to the evening’s unlimited entree.

For a separately ordered starter, fried green tomatoes carry goat cheese, blackened shrimp and a Thai chili glaze. Black-Eyed Pea Hummus with grilled pita is another Southern-minded choice. With shrimp or ribs ahead, consider whether an appetizer earns its share of your appetite. A smaller opening order leaves more room for the reason you arranged dinner around Thursday or Saturday in the first place.

Dessert is another separate decision. Key lime pie or peanut butter pie can finish the meal if there’s room. Budget dessert and drinks separately from the AYCE special. House-made lagers and ales give the drinks decision a local angle; ask what is pouring when you order. A pub dinner leaves a few pleasant choices even after you’ve settled on unlimited shrimp or ribs.