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By MICHAEL ZITZ
Craig: The first thing that hits you when you walk in the Hard Times Cafe and Cue at Four-Mile Fork is that it's a big place. Really big.
Mike : And coming from you, a big, big, really big man, that's saying something. Big Craig. Big Craiiig. Big, bad Craig.
Craig : You're weird.
Mike : I think we've already established that.
Craig : Lots and lots of pool tables. One thing I've always wondered about, though, is the guys who come in here carrying their own cue sticks. They're that good that they can't use the house sticks? What's the deal with that?
Mike: Exactly. Look, ladies and gentlemen, it's the famous Spotsylvania Fats! He's brought his own cue stick because he's serious about this game, folks. There's a bowl of Cincinnati chili on the line!
Craig: Yeah, and he's going to hit you over the head with that custom cue if you don't settle down.
Mike : I wonder if that would qualify me for workman's comp.
Craig : One of my favorite things about Hard Times is the hot sauces. They're really hot, really tasty, and they have really risque, cool names like
Mike : We can't say that.
Craig : And like
Mike : We can't say that.
Craig : And like
Mike : We can't say that.
Craig : We got the chili lime wings as an appetizer, and they're great--big and meaty and flavorful.
Mike : We can't say that.
Craig : Our Hard Times waitress, Justine, didn't give us a hard time. She's attentive and nice and .
Mike: We can't say that.
Justine put up with us without complaining to either the bar's or The Free Lance-Star's management, which is always a big plus in my book.
Craig: The place has a nice selection of beers on tap, including the local microbrew Blue & Gray Lager, which they call the Hard Times Lager here. Craigy likey.
Mike : That's about the only thing we can say.
Craig : Hard Times is a family restaurant that's also a serious sports bar, with lots of screens and lots of hard-core fans coming in to watch games together, have a beer and cheer on their teams.
Mike : As we're doing this review, LSU is upsetting Duke in the NCAA basketball tournament, and the place is packed with Atlantic Coast Conference fans. Craig is from New Orleans, and went to school at LSU and isn't cheering for his alma mater even once. Not a peep out of him. I'm not sure if he's completely focused on doing this review or afraid of getting hit over the head with a pool cue.
Craig: Let's not forget the reason a lot of people come here--the chili. Hard Times has four kinds: the Texas, the Cincinnati, the Terlingua Red and the Vegetarian. It's a nice selection for chili lovers of all taste preferences. Be sure to ask for a free sampler. And then hog it all by sticking your spoon in each little cup before your buddy gets a chance to taste the samples.
Mike: That's what I did. But ask for two free samplers. Then you don't have to pay for dinner.
To reach MICHAEL ZITZ:
Email: mikez@freelancestar.com
THE PLACE: Hard Times Cafe and Cue THE ADDRESS: 5099 Jefferson Davis Highway at Four-Mile Fork HOURS: 11 a.m. to THE FEEL: Very laid-back and friendly THE CROWD: Families in the restaurant, and PHONE: 540/710-6771 |
