New pub takes wide aim at S. Toledo neighborhood

2/7/2013
Scrubs Hamwich.
Scrubs Hamwich.

The recently opened Scrubs Pub & Grub on Glendale Avenue wants badly to be a go-to place for a busy section of the city. Adjacent to a shopping plaza, a college campus and a medical center, the restaurant suffers from a bit of an identity crisis.

With options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a somewhat extensive kids menu, Scrubs takes on the feel of a family-friendly neighborhood diner. Its location makes it convenient for a quick lunch, but the full bar, televisions, weeknight and happy-hour specials give it a sports bar feel.

While Scrubs has the food side of the business all figured out, service and staffing aren't quite up to par. On both our visits, the restaurant was understaffed. On our first visit, there was just one waitress on duty. The place was fairly busy for a Tuesday, with about 20 patrons, many of whom where there to take advantage of the restaurant's 50-cent wing special.

MENU: Scrubs Pub & Grub

We ordered the breaded variety, 10 whole wings seasoned and deep-fried (regularly $8.99). The wings were above average with a thin crunchy coating on the outside and seasoned with a blend that tasted like a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic, and a few other spices. The seasoning gave the wings plenty of flavor and no sauce was needed.

We also ordered the basic burger ($6.99) and a western-style omelet ($6.99).

The burger was simple -- a thick beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato, and onion served on a bun. It was large enough for the kids in our party to share and it came with a basket full of fries, which were all the rave. Part of the potato skins were left on and the limp fries were seasoned with cracked pepper and kosher salt.

The omelet was made with a thick fluffy egg white and it held a mountain of toppings without bursting at the seams. The inside was stuffed with hearty chunks of ham, onion, green pepper, and cheese. We needed to doctor it up a bit with salt and pepper.

Our waitress was nice, but forgetful. We had to ask for everything, including silverware. We assume that's because she was working solo.

The restaurant was less crowded on our second visit. We stopped by for lunch on a Thursday. This time, there were two waitresses on staff, which made for better service.

We opted for the gyro ($6.99) and the Scrubs hamwich ($6.99), both served with fries. At first glance, the gyro didn't look like anything special. Like most gyros, it featured the traditional toppings of crumbled feta cheese, tomato, onion, and chunks of lamb meat stuffed inside a warm pita, but a homemade cucumber sauce put it over the top. The thick creamy sauce was rich with cucumber flavor and good enough to eat on its own.

The hamwich is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, but with a few twists. The sandwich starts off as a thick, lean slice of ham topped with provolone cheese, Texas toast, and grilled. Add some french fries, cole slaw, and barbecue sauce and you have the Scrubs hamwich. The sweet barbecue sauce and french fries created a sweet and salty combo that mixed well with the crunchy slaw. The mishmash of flavors and textures blended well.

Once Scrubs figures out its audience and learns how to serve it, the restaurant will be in good shape. Until then, we'll keep our eyes on this one.

Contact Bill of Fare at fare@theblade.com.

Scrubs Pub & Grub: ***

Address: 3312 Glendale Ave.

Phone: 419-697-6289.

Category: Casual.

Menu: American.

Hours: 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 a.m. to 12 a.m Sunday.

Wheelchair access: Yes.

Average Price: $-$$

Credit Cards: AE, Dis, MC, V.

Web site: scrubspub.weebly.com.