Penance, penciled licks from the Target.

   In the beginning there was the Light. And the Light said eat the Wings. And the Wings were good. They were crisp, meaty, saucy, and cheap. But we were too proud and had to add heat. Heat that hurt the Soul and Body. So we added cold liquid refreshment to cool the heat and we would never go back. Once you have been seduced by the Wing you have to pay a yearly penance. So we head back to where it all began.

The beat goes on...knee high cold rolled meanies dice up the sand and snow. 67th & Holiday's, 1/7/2018.

  Smitty McGee's. Each year we have returned. Users of the standard of which to measure ourselves. But upon our return this year, on a cold damp January night, it is easy to see the years have aged our once proud bar. The place was oddly quite. The crowd, small; mostly at the bar. Only two waitress for the entire place. We find we have a lot to catch up on. No contact since before Christmas. So, we fill the air with our own voices and enjoy the time. As we peruse the aged menu, we place our orders and noticed another main stay of Smitty's missing. There will be no music from Randy Lee. Another cut in the off-season budget. But, we had arrived in time for evening specials. The Watt put in for a dozen Oysters. LWatt and I ordered Steamed Shrimp.

We also added the famous BBQ Wings as well as an order of Old Bay.

This is the food Smitty's was built on, and Wattman and I had a cold pint of beer as we waited for our meal. All the usual suspects on tap. No surprises. The Oysters arrived half-shelled and were good sized. Full of that special salt water taste we locals seem to like. The shrimp were what was expected and I seemed to have slightly more than my share. However, wings are what brought us here years ago, and it is the wings that we crave. The Old Bay both LWatt and I like. They were meaty, not over-cooked with a sprinkling of Old Bay. The Watt seemed to think they needed a lot more spice. The BBQ were a bit over sauced really. While they tasted good there is a point where you need to know you are eating a wing and not just a bottle of sauce.

   With no live music, and no important game to see on the TV, we finished our meal and felt no need to stay. Smitty McGees will always be Smitty's to us. A decent meal. A cold beverage in a friendly environment. The place never really changes. Which is why they could use some updating...at least new carpet. For us, this is the beginning of another year. Another wave. Another session. Another dive to critique. And the beat goes on. The Beat Goes On. Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain. La de da de de, la de da de da. 

THE RATINGS-

Raw Bar Oysters: B

Steamed Shrimp:  C+

BBQ Wings: B-

Old Bay Wings: B

Beer: C+

Atmosphere: C+

Value: B-

Overall Score = 2.61