Shotz is on target

July 7, 2019 at 12:00a.m.

Shotz Bar and Grille”s Italian Greenz Burger

By Anthony M. FUDA

IF YOU GO

Where: Shotz Bar and Grille, 3713 Oakwood Ave., Austintown

Phone: 330- 799-2510

Hours: Monday, 10 a.m. to midnight; Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Wednesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Burgers: 8 burgers ($6.00 - $8.75)

Website: www.Shotzgrille.com

Grade: 4 stars

Sometimes change is a good thing. A new hair-do, or a new car… or most important (for us), a new burger.

Shotz Bar and Grille made a few modifications to their burgers, and the people who frequent the pub said we have to try the new changes.

Before we looked over the menu, owner Chris McFall sat down with us and told us a little about the changes at Shotz. The seating was expanded, and it makes for a more friendly restaurant. He is just waiting for the nice weather to stay, so he can open the garage, which will add even more space and bring in the outdoors.

Chris says when they opened Shotz, it was 80 percent beer and bar food, but now it is close to a 50/50 split with more emphasis on the sit-down foods.

Chris added that the Homemade Special Blend Cheese Sticks appetizer are the highlight of the menu, and they are ordered quite often. The cheese sticks are a special blend that Chris came up with, and after trying them, we know what makes people want them. One reason is they are delicious. I didn’t even need the marinara sauce, and the cheese inside was gooey and very tasty. JT also agreed, saying, “ I don’t really care for the mozzarella cheese sticks because they harden up and just don’t taste very good, but these taste great, and I would definitely have these again.”

Another highlight from the menu is the Shotz old-fashioned cane soda, made with real cane sugar. I had a bottle of grape and it was very refreshing, and I could have lined up a couple more bottles. I had a hard time deciding between the different flavors. Rounding out the other flavors are orange, root beer and raspberry lime. Chris is looking to add a few more flavors to the menu – cream soda and black cherry. He also wants to get a freezer to put ice cream for cane soda root beer floats, and just thinking about it makes me want to be first in line with the ice cream arrives.

If you want a local beer to complement your burger, Shotz also has a cooler called the Ohio Brewing cooler, which is full of strictly Ohio-brewed craft beers.

And what goes better with a nice, cold Ohio beer than a fresh, juicy burger? The burgers are ground fresh every other day and handmade with brisket, chuck and an 80/20 beef blend and seasoned perfectly.

The menu offers eight burgers in either a one-third or one-half pound:

Hamburger

Cheeseburger

Western Burger (BBQ, cheddar cheese, bacon, topped with onion strips)

Hot SHOTZ Burger (double Pepper Jack cheese, topped with two homemade jalapeno peppers)

Mushroom & Swiss Burger

BLTE Burger (bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried egg)

Bacon Cheddar Burger

Italian Greenz Burger (fresh made greens, Hungarian pepper, Provolone cheese)

We made our decisions with help from our celebrity waitress Tiffani Chance (who was on “Little Women of Dallas,” which was seen on the Lifetime channel.)

I chose the Italian Greenz Burger, and was delighted with my choice. The greens can be a meal in itself, but combined with a burger, it was like taking a bite of euphoria. The greens blanketed this juicy patty with the flavor of provolone filling any gaps the greens did not fill – which were very few. The Hungarian peppers added a spicy kick that rounded out this fantastic-tasting burger. The grape soda helped combat the heat of the peppers and helped me finish off a great burger.

JT gave his choice of the BLTE high marks, noting, “Props to Shotz and Chef Moody on the seasoning of the beef! It’s totally different from when we were here 5 years ago. I thought it was good then, but now, excellent. The burger was juicy, toppings were all fresh, bacon crisp – I couldn’t ask for more. And I have to add, for anyone who hasn’t been here lately, Chris has done a remarkable job renovating since we were last here. Very nice!”

With the new menu additions and the fresh handmade burgers, Shots is definitely climbing the burger rankings. A fresh quality product is a statement in itself, and it speaks highly of these burgers.

Make the trip to Shotz and before your burger, try the special-blend cheese sticks – you will thank us later.

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