Ashland’s Perfect Pub

How many times have you passed by a little “hole in the wall” restaurant and wondered what it’s like? This was certainly the case for me with the Ashland Pub. It is very close to where I work and I pass it nearly every day. I guess the idea of a “pub” just turned me off. I had envisioned burgers and chicken fingers and that’s just not my menu of choice. But I overheard a coworker speak one day about an Ahi Tuna salad that they had for lunch and this certainly peaked my interest. I love a seared Ahi tuna steak and there aren’t many quick spots near me where I can enjoy this during lunch. So one day I had no plans and, having this salad in the back of my mind, I decided to give it a try. Man, I am so glad I did!
The Ashland area of midtown is super cute! I love the beautiful Ashland Place church, the cute fire station, quaint little neighborhoods, and NOW a hip new pub. Pubs are open late but thankfully this one is open for lunch as well. They also have a Sunday Jazz Brunch, which I have heard is phenomenal, although I’ve never had the chance to try it. But the idea of music and a delicious menu in a chill atmosphere is just my style, so one of these days we will go.
I visited Ashland Pub for lunch today because frankly, it had been too long. Every now and then I need my tuna fix and there is just nowhere else in Mobile that can serve up a salad as yummy as Ashland. The restaurant is very small. They have a few outside tables but today was too hot to sit there. However, don’t think small means crowded, rather I would describe Ashland as cozy. I don’t know if it’s the wood grain bar, the wooden farm tables in the dining room, or the big china cabinet behind the bar but this place has such a homey feeling. And this, in my opinion, fits the Ashland neighborhood personality perfectly.

The back wall is usually filled with paintings by local artists but, judging by all of the empty spaces today, they must have been sold.

They have a chalkboard menu, which is always filled with yummy selections, but I’m never able to venture away from my favorites on the menu. However they always look tempting. I love that it’s actually the wall of the kitchen and they have cut out a window so that you can see the cook and know when your food is ready. Check out the special they had that day. Crab Lasagna!! That sounds amazing and if I weren’t so concerned about my pants size right now, I would have given it a try. Of course the bread pudding is calling my name but I’m always too full for dessert.

I couldn’t help but notice on the board behind the bar that they offer a gluten free beer. Call me sheltered but I didn’t even know that exists! I’m not sure how many places in Mobile offer this but here is one that does.

Enough about the cool atmosphere, let’s get to the main dish… the FOOD! When I visited this pub for the first time, I was alone. But I couldn’t wait to call Matthew and tell him about a new favorite hotspot, that I was so sure he would love. I didn’t get a picture of the menu but you can find it by visiting their website. You will see that they have a variety of choices, one of which is pizza. Due to our diet, pizza is something that we reserve for a weekend item and it’s not very often. But when we have the craving, Ashland Pub is where we go. They have my favorite pizza in town and possibly my favorite pizza anywhere; it’s called “The Hookup”. You have to try it. When I had it the first time, someone ordered it for me so I didn’t even know what all was on it but I knew it was delicious. The ingredients are: red sauce, Italian sausage, pepperoni, house roasted garlic cloves, vidalia onions, finely chopped jalepenos (not too much), mozzarella & parmesan cheeses. Even if this list of goodness doesn’t sound like the best pizza you’ve ever tasted, trust me and try it anyway. It’ll soon become your favorite too.
I told you earlier about the Ahi Tuna Salad and that is usually what I order at lunch. Matthew is NOT a salad fan and even he loves this dish. It’s a spring mix salad with avocado slices and seared tuna that’s seasoned perfectly. It sounds so plain, but the house vinaigrette used to coat the salad is the perfect flavor combination with the tuna. Not only does it TASTE amazing, but the way they plate it looks so pretty. They decorate the plate with a soy glaze and sirachi. As I said before, this is the best Ahi Tuna salad in Mobile. I never have a problem cleaning my plate.

Other menu items I can recommend are the meatballs, the cheesy bread, and the lasagna. But basically, you can’t go wrong at Ashland Pub. I can’t wait to one day try the Sunday Jazz brunch and when I do, I’ll tell you all about it.

You can tell that I love the Ashland Pub but don’t just take my word for it. Check them out for yourself and I’m sure you’ll have the same experiences. Follow them on Facebook and stay in the know about specials and fun events they might host. I’m sure they would love to hear YOUR feedback as well.

Thanks for reading!
Kelly