FOX Neighborhood Bar and Grill
FOX or F*O*X (I'm not sure whether to pronouce it "fox" or "eff oh ex") Neighborhood Bar & Grill recently opened in the space formerly occupied by Slapshotz way down south off of 14th street just south of Pine Lake. The address is officially 1245 Libra Drive. Fox is probably appropriate since they are affiliated with the grand old Red Fox out on West O.
I'd been to Slapshotz a few times after work last year. When Slapshotz opened they were proudly smoke free and then the Lincoln smoking ban went into effect so the purpose of Slapshotz was moot. They hung around for awhile but of all the places claiming the smoking ban as their downfall, Slapshotz probably has the best case.
Well, that and the fact that the interior of Slapshotz was like a machine shed or small airplane hangar. And they didn't do much on Friday afternoons to get people to show up.
I had a late lunch at FOX on Friday. I was amazed by what they had done to the interior. The aircraft hangar atmosphere has been replaced by something approaching cozy thanks to a big false ceiling made of exposed timber. Putting in real booths was also helpful. Just breaking up the space made a big difference because the previous place was just full of random tables.
I stopped in on Friday for a late lunch, late enough that happy hour was just about to start. The two guys who came in after me had beers served in 32 oz. glass chalices. They also enthusiastically shot tiny hoops at the machines there. Too bad I had another four hours to work.
I ordered the cheesesteak with everything which had a catchy name I can't remember. It had onions, peppers, mushrooms, jalapeños, and diced tomatoes on it. I've eaten plenty of cheesesteaks in Lincoln and this one was close to the best since Chartroose Caboose. I've also eaten plenty of cheesesteaks in Philadelphia and the leg up that that the really good cheesesteak places in Philly has is the grill and the cheese and experience.
The cheesesteak I had at FOX was better than what I've had in Lincoln because the cheese was melted into the meat so much that each bite was meaty and cheesy. The fries with my sandwich were the batter-dipped type like you get at Amigos.
The menu was basic sports bar stuff but it had a few unsuspected things like shrimp scampi as an appetizer, probably due to FOX's affiliation with the Red Fox.
FOX, if you live in the SW part of Lincoln, might be a cool place to hang. Being within walking distance of where I work, it's a good option for lunch and Friday evenings.
I'd been to Slapshotz a few times after work last year. When Slapshotz opened they were proudly smoke free and then the Lincoln smoking ban went into effect so the purpose of Slapshotz was moot. They hung around for awhile but of all the places claiming the smoking ban as their downfall, Slapshotz probably has the best case.
Well, that and the fact that the interior of Slapshotz was like a machine shed or small airplane hangar. And they didn't do much on Friday afternoons to get people to show up.
I had a late lunch at FOX on Friday. I was amazed by what they had done to the interior. The aircraft hangar atmosphere has been replaced by something approaching cozy thanks to a big false ceiling made of exposed timber. Putting in real booths was also helpful. Just breaking up the space made a big difference because the previous place was just full of random tables.
I stopped in on Friday for a late lunch, late enough that happy hour was just about to start. The two guys who came in after me had beers served in 32 oz. glass chalices. They also enthusiastically shot tiny hoops at the machines there. Too bad I had another four hours to work.
I ordered the cheesesteak with everything which had a catchy name I can't remember. It had onions, peppers, mushrooms, jalapeños, and diced tomatoes on it. I've eaten plenty of cheesesteaks in Lincoln and this one was close to the best since Chartroose Caboose. I've also eaten plenty of cheesesteaks in Philadelphia and the leg up that that the really good cheesesteak places in Philly has is the grill and the cheese and experience.
The cheesesteak I had at FOX was better than what I've had in Lincoln because the cheese was melted into the meat so much that each bite was meaty and cheesy. The fries with my sandwich were the batter-dipped type like you get at Amigos.
The menu was basic sports bar stuff but it had a few unsuspected things like shrimp scampi as an appetizer, probably due to FOX's affiliation with the Red Fox.
FOX, if you live in the SW part of Lincoln, might be a cool place to hang. Being within walking distance of where I work, it's a good option for lunch and Friday evenings.
posted by Swoof at 8:47 AM
3 Comments:
What is it with the hangar-style interiors you see all over the place these days? It's fine for some uses, but I hate it for restaurants. I'm glad to hear FOX went a different route with the interior.
As for the cheesesteak: I am sooo there. I love a good cheesesteak. Maybe I'll head to FOX next week for lunch.
I've been waiting for this to open was just thinking about swinging by to check on the status. A waitress at the Red Fox said it was going to be a little different than the West O menu, so it will be interesting to see what they've done.
The cheesesteak is a great barometer to measure a new restaurant and I plan to order that as soon as possible!
Thanks for the great news! I liked Slapshotz and I'm sure I'll like the Fox even more.
I live near and was happy to find a sports bar with a big screen in the area that was not BWWs. That said, they have an AMAZING wing sauce. Their pizza is really good too and they serve pizza late night Thurs-Sat. Impressed
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