Two Tooheys at Twohey’s

At Twohey’s, two Tooheys dined

And ate ham and chicken well brined

The owners they met

Drank some cocktails? You bet

That hot fudge, truly one of a kind!

Newly opened Twohey’s Tavern in Pasadena is many things. A modern, fine dining take on the 75-year old Twohey’s diner in Alhamba. A gorgeous space with enough bar area to comfortably enjoy a creative cocktail, or three. A restaurant where you can enjoy a truly damn good ham steak.

One thing is it not (lest you find yourself misled by the name and our introductory limerick)- an Irish restaurant. But THESE two Tooheys (also deceptively unIrish) agree- that’s not a bad thing.

Don’t get me a wrong- I’ll take a Guinness any day of the week. But that Twohey’s Old Fashion, with their homemade root beer and chocolate mole (don’t ask me how), was something special. As was the Bobbing for Apples, an adult apple cider-y concoction that was autumn in alcohol form. And the bartender even made Mrs. Toohey a lime juice mocktail topped with muddled raspberries that was the envy of the other bar patrons.

As for food- the french fries were impressive. They were perfectly crisp on the outside, fluffy in the inside, and the perfect size! More delicate than a potato wedge but more substantial and hearty than a shoestring fry, any diner can easily recognize Chef Travis Limoge’s attention to detail when eating these taters. They paired perfectly with the Stinko burger. The substantial burger was well made, perfectly cooked, and held up to any burger you would find at the Misfit Restaurant, Plan Check or Umami Burger.

The brined and fried chicken was delicious as a stand alone dish, but what put it over the top was the unique hot sauce. Chef Limoge masterfully ferments Fresno chilies and blends the product with apple cider vinegar to create a complexly beautiful hot sauce. The uniqueness of this hot sauce lies in the fact that the flavors do not rely on any smoky flavor profiles, as most hot sauces do. Due to the apple cider vinegar, the hot sauce hits your mouth with a perfectly balanced tangy sweetness that slowly turns into a pleasant burn. If siracha sauce had a handsome, more successful, and charming cousin, this sauce would be it.

Usually, dessert is the last thing I think about when dining out. The banana split at Twohey’s Tavern is a dessert not to be missed! Unlike any other banana dessert, the banana maintained the integrity of a freshly peeled banana while one side was coated with a glass like sheet of perfectly caramelized sugar. Topped with more sugar, Twohey’s original fudge sauce, and whipped cream, this dish was any dessert lover’s dream.

If you find yourself in Pasadena, looking for a well-rounded and thoughtful meal, check out Twohey’s Tavern!

And that’s all the Tooheys wrote