Grill Marks: Ian turns to the West End Grill to pull us all out of the restaurant-scene doldrums

The menu includes salads and sandwiches. Of these, I sampled only the hamburger, with cheddar cheese. Here the West End didn't try to improve upon the basic bar-and-grill template: This was a classic American hamburger — nothing more, nothing less — and quite good.

Among the appetizers, the pulled-pork empanadas were notable for the very tender pork (so tender that I think it spoiled me for the not-as-tender pork porterhouse) and a smoky, tangy chioptle barbecue sauce. The polenta fries were sort of the Platonic ideal of the fried appetizer: crisp but not burnt outside, scalding hot and tender inside, with a mild flavor just distinctive enough to be enjoyed by itself, but perfect for dipping in Boursin cheese sauce.

West End calls itself a pub, but with the exception of Smithwick's on draught, the beer selection isn't very publike. The wine selection is quite small. Service was generally good, though the staff seemed caught short when a weekday evening brought healthy walk-up business.

I'd expect the West End Grill & Pub will see much more walk-up business. Though only four months old, it feels like an established neighborhood spot, the sort of place you go on a whim. That it provides more than you might expect from such a restaurant is, in its own way, remarkable.

Here's hoping that, this time next year, I can't say the same.