By Sally Deering

 

 At the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Hoboken, owner Nirav Patel gives his customers a big bang for their buck: hearty portions, an extensive beer list and 39 flatscreen TVs.  As an added bonus, the waitresses don uniforms that are a mix of Scottish lass and sports bar hottie. It’s all in good taste, Patel says. He prefers to compare the Tilted Kilt to the bar on TVs “Cheers” a neighborhood hangout where everybody knows your name.

 “We’re a pub,” Patel says on a recent afternoon. “I’m not into the Hooters thing.  I’m the brother of three sisters and my sisters come here all the time because the food is amazing. In fact my middle sister is my partner in the Jersey City Tilted Kilt I’m opening. I would never do this concept if it was degrading to women.”

 And although the waitresses are eye-catching in their plaid uniforms, the dishes are the stars at the Tilted Kilt served in portions that are flavorful and generous.

 The menu features Tilted Teasers that include Irish Nachos, Classic Nachos, Drunken Clams, Mozzarella Sticks, Five Quid Squid, Potato Skins, Grilled Chicken Quesadilla, Roasted Garlic Fries, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Chips and Salsa ($3.99-$9.99).

 Fresh Salads include Chicken Tender Salad, Scottish Cheesesteak Salad, Braveheart’s Chopped Salad, Classic Caesar, and the Blue Cheese Steak Salad ($6.99-$12.49).

Fresh Wraps are a choice of the Chicken Tender Wrap, Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap, Ultimate Club Wrap, and the Spicy Black Bean Veggie Wrap ($8.99-$9.99).

 Tilted Kilt’s Burgers and Wings’ menu is a nice selection of specialty burgers including the California Burger dressed with Swiss Cheese and a generous slather of Guacamole that was absolutely delicious. The French fries that accompanied the burger were crispy and seasoned with a light shower of parsley. Other burgers on the menu are the Big Arse Burger, BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, The French Connection Burger, Black & Blue Burger, Jalapeno Inferno Burger, and the TK Slider Basket ($8.99-$9.99). TKs signature Wings can be ordered traditional or grilled for ($9.99).

 The Pub Favorites menu features Maggie Mae’s Fish & Chips, Chicken Tenders, Ian’s Shrimp Basket and Old Dublin Irish Stew. Pub Entrees include Blackened Chicken Fettuccini, Fish Tacos, Grilled Salmon, Italian Herb Chicken, Chicken Fried Chicken, Chef Flannery’s Steak, Gaelic Chicken, and Danny Boy’s Shepherd’s Pie, a hearty portion of seasoned ground beef, carrots, peas and mushroom gravy topped with garlic mashed potatoes and parmesan cheese. Served with garlic bread, this flavorful dish is divine. ($9.99-$18.99).

 Hot Sandwiches and Pizza dishes feature The Kilt Club, The French—We Mean Irish Dip, The Scottish Cheesesteak, Fat Bastard’s Meatloaf Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Club, Pastrami Sandwich, BBQ Pulled Pork, The Sloppy Jane, and Spicy Sausage Sandwich. Flatbread Pizzas include the Chicken Florentine, Scottish Cheesesteak, “One Shot” Johnnie, BBQ Chicken, Roasted Garlic Chicken, McKayla’s Garden, Quinlan’s Five Cheese, and the Build Your Own Pizza ($8.99-$9.99).

 There’s a dessert menu and an extensive beer list, too.

 “The reason why our food is great, the corporate chef comes up with great items,” Patel says, “and our chef Jose Laureno, his food comes out amazing every time.”

 An extremely busy restaurateur who holds two doctorates in pharmacy, Patel, 32, also owns Hopscotch in Jersey City. In the next two weeks he’s breaking ground in Jersey City to build a modern day beer garden called the Tap House and he’s opening a Tilted Kilt on Marin Boulevard in Jersey City while another starts construction in Hamilton. 

 “I’ve always been business-minded,” Patel says.

 Hoboken’s Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery is big and roomy and great for large parties. With all those TVs broadcasting sports, Patel says men who frequent Tilted Kilt outnumber the women 3-to-1.  Still he sees Tilted Kilt more like a neighborhood pub than a singles’ bar.

 “We’re not looking for the nightlife scene,” Patel says. “We want this to be like ‘Cheers’ where everybody knows everybody.”

 If you go:

Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery

800 Jackson Street

Hoboken

(201) 714-4040

www.tiltedkilt.com

Hours:

Mon-Thurs, 11 am-1 am

Fri-Sat, 11 am-2 am

Sun, 11 am-Midnight