“Mrowf fumph grumba,” Brother Jim said as he worked on his chicken.
“Hrmph,” Brother Ray replied as he took another bite of his grilled cheese. “Mumbrp furguh schump.”
“Growmp,” Brother Ron agreed over his burger.
So, it was decided: Tickets Pub & Eatery in downtown Fairborn. So obvious!
Actually, we aren’t sure how we missed Tickets back in the day when we did this more regularly. It’s a great lunch spot. Just a stone’s throw (not that we recommend that) from the fenceline at Wright-Patterson, it’s a favorite for base folk – and they know what they’re doing. If you haven’t been, we suggest you check it out.
Tickets has a nice, easy-going vibe – family-owned sports bar decor with a few deer heads and hunting stuff on the walls, as well – but there’s some serious kitchen hustle. Our food arrived fast, but it didn’t taste rushed. Brother Jim did burger duty this time, while Brother Ray went all doggie on us. Brother Ron sampled the Greek fare, of which there’s a lot. We’d heard the chili was good, too, so we helped ourselves.
By the way – we ate at the bar and had terrific service. The waitress called Brother Ray “Hon” when she poured his coffee, and she called Brother Jim “Sweetie” when she refilled his Coke.
“What’d she call you, Ron?” Ray asked.
“Sniff. Nothin’.” But hey! The Greek salad was swell.
Here’s the important info: Tickets is at 7 W. Main St. in Fairborn, surrounded by plentiful on-street parking. You can reach ‘em at 878-9022 or check the menu at ticketspub.com. We were seated fast and our bill was light.
And … drum roll, please … what’d we think of the food? Wellllllllllllllll….
BROTHER JIM: I had the Char Burger ($6.65 loaded) — a half-pound of rompin’, stompin’ goodness served on a tall roll with cheese, bacon and all the fixings a Leadbelly could desire. It came in a platter basket with chips and a huge dill slice. And it tasted as good as it looked. The char hit your taste buds first, then slowly diminished as you sank deeper into this big burger. The fresh onions, lettuce, tomato and perfectly cooked bacon enhanced the dining experience. I highly recommend you try one.
Hey, Brother Ron — Sweetie, Honey, Baby, Buttercup, whatever — pass a napkin my way, will ya?
BROTHER RON: Yeah, you missed a spot. You know, I like Greek food but for some reason don’t have it very often, so this seemed like the time. Tickets has a fairly wide variety, from Souvlaki to Feta Steak. I did the open-faced Gyro dinner ($9.75) and, perhaps counter-intuitively, had home fries on the side. Those came crispy-browned and loaded with onions that actually worked quite nicely with the lamb-beef-feta of the Gyro. And just for grins, I sampled the Texas chili, too. It wasn’t too thick, but was pretty darn tasty. While I’ve got the floor, by the way — they serve a mean cup of coffee, too. Brother Ray? What’s that big thing on your plate?
BROTHER RAY: I had the Foot Long Garbage Dog ($5.95). It comes on soft bun smothered with chili, cheese, onions and mustard. And I wondered, “who named this classic creation?” since it was more Picasso on a plate than garbage. It was a true work of art — and fantabulously delicious. As good as that was, it wasn’t as good as Bro. Ron or Bro. Jim’s, which is saying a lot (and I couldn’t say much since my mouth was so full). The chili? Smokin.’ The Char Burger? Best I’ve tasted in a while. Anytime you can go to a neighborhood joint and get nothing but delicious, you it a home run. This was a grand slam.
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