Guide to Bar Food in Plattsburgh
Some of the best bar food in the North Country can be found right in Plattsburgh
Story and Photos by Chris Taylor
The sign outside of Therapy Sports Lounge. Food is served at Therapy until 10 p.m.
Whether it is a Sunday afternoon watching football or in the middle of a night out with friends, eating bar food will always be something we can’t resist.
The downtown area of Plattsburgh, N.Y., offers a host of different menus within some of the most popular watering holes, so here are some clues as to what you can expect to find.Monopole
Stories of the Monopole’s renowned wings have been passed down from generation to generation in Plattsburgh. Teachers at Plattsburgh State often refer to them when they try to bond with their students, and alumni recount times when they ate more than they would like to admit.
The bar offers a variety of flavors including the usual mild or hot, BBQ, teriyaki, mantis (a mix of BBQ and honey mustard), and stoner sauce—a mix of every sauce slopped together.
The Monopole is the most popular place for bar food, mainly because unlike their competitors, they sell food into the night.
“No one else really sells that around here and when people see it, they know it’s from here.”
“I have always believed people will buy more food if it is more readily available,” bartender John Loguirato says. “People want wings and pizza with their beer.”
Although their famous wings top the menu, Monopole is also a popular place for their square pizza.
“It’s our signature,” Loguirato says. “No one else really sells that around here, and when people see it, they know it’s from here.”
Wednesday and Sunday are designated days for wing specials. Sunday specials usually occur during football season, but Wednesday is probably the busiest day of the week for the bar. Forty five-cent wings and $2 pitchers makes for a great time without having to empty your wallet.
Therapy
With its sports bar appeal, Therapy Night Club & Sports Lounge is the newest entry to the bar scene in Plattsburgh. Endless flat screens surround the walls of the bar, and what better way to watch sports than with some great bar snacks?
In an attempt to represent the same feeling of being at a sporting event without having to pay stadium prices, Therapy offers customers a vast variety of hot dogs.
The usual bar snacks are there, too, like nachos, chili fries, burgers, and sandwiches, but one look at Therapy's menu shows you what they are trying to achieve.
The “Wing Dog," “Nacho Dog,” “Spear Dog,” and the “Foot-Long Hot Dog” are just some of the choices patrons have when looking for the perfect dog at Therapy.
“We are a sports lounge, so we try to give it that sports feel,” bartender Dustin Honsinger says. “We incorporated a lot of ball park ideas.”
Gourmet pizza shares the menu with traditonal bar food staples at Livingoods in downtown Plattsburgh.
Livingoods
Gourmet pizza and bar food don’t always go into the same sentence, but when it comes to Livingoods, they do.
Not just a bar, Livingoods is also a restaurant that has a vast menu to go along with one of the more diverse beer and wine selections in the North Country.
The “Rajin,” a Cajun-inspired pizza, and the “Tuscan” are two of the more popular pizzas, but if they don’t tickle your fancy, you can have a go at designing your own gourmet pizza while choosing from a long list of toppings.
If you don’t want to get a full pizza for yourself, then maybe a burger will hold you over while you try the nightly beer, wine, and spirit specials.
“Seven Deadly Burgers,” named after the seven deadly sins, offer a burger for almost everyone’s tastes. “Pride” is the vegetarian burger, whereas “Gluttony” is the biggest of them all, topped with a duo of cheeses and extra bacon. Whatever your sin, Livingoods can help you indulge.
Whether it is “Half Off Hump Day” or “Finally Friday,” Livingoods also has daily drinks specials that will complement your bar snack.
Geoffrey’s Pub
Located a little farther away from the Margaret Street lights lies Geoffrey’s Pub, a British-style pub with an interest in community and sports. Apart from its long list of imported beers, Geoffrey’s stays true to its English theme, offering England's national dish: beer-battered fish and hand-cut steak fries.
“Tuesday nights is when we hit with the student crowd because of the trivia, and they get discounts on appetizers too.”
Wednesday’s are two-for-one fish and chips, and one look inside shows it is a popular night. The pub is only busier on a Tuesday trivia night. One look around shows table upon table of customers taking down the foot-long fish and washing it down with a selection of Geoffrey’s brews.
Catering to a slightly older crowd, Geoffrey’s is not as cost-effective as some of the other options, but their quality is undeniable. The drinks come in a large glass, and the deals can make it somewhat bearable.“Wednesday‘s are obviously really popular with the fish and chips,” waitress Jodie Defayatt says. “Tuesday nights are when we hit with the student crowd because of the trivia, and they get discounts on appetizers too.”
