Banter - Irish Bar & Kitchen

Will and I visited my sister and the future brother-in law's new nest in Forest Hills, Queens after the NYC Dumpling Festival. I like the quiet and relaxing vibe of the neighborhood and not too far is where all the buzz, shopping, restaurants, and bars are along Queens Boulevard.

My sister and future brother in-law took us around the neighborhood before and after our dinner. For dinner, we went to Banter - Irish Bar & Kitchen. I found this place on Yelp and it turned out to be a pleasant experience for us. It's located conveniently close to a theater, so great place to check out after the movies. The restaurant was smaller than I imagined, but I was surprise a lot of families ate here because it felt more like a pub than a place for family dinner.

The service was on par and food is heavy, but delicious! Their menu is full of delicious Irish and comfort food. This is what we ordered:

Irish Five Onion Soup

Will and I have been ordering French Onion Soup quite often so when I saw that Banter had it on their menu - we had to have it. The Irish Five Onion Soup was filled with Irish croutons and Swiss and Irish porter cheese. The soup was extremely delicious and not oversalted which I was very happy about.

Mozzarella Pinwheel Salad

My sister said we didn't have enough greens for dinner so she ordered the Mozzarella Pinwheel Salad to share. The salad was full of deliciousness and filled with homemade mozzarella cheese rolled with basil pesto and prosciutto with garlic toast tossed over mixed greens, green olives, pine nuts, and roasted red peppers in white balsamic vinaigrette. I really enjoyed this salad because it's a plate of different textures and flavors that just really come together and it's rustic and just delightful!

Signature Banter Burger

Both the brother in-law and Will ordered the Signature Banter Burger which contained pepper jack cheese and creamy Chipotle mayo. The burgers looked delicious and perfect if you're looking for a simple dinner. 

Beef & Guinness Pie and Chicken Pot Pie

My sister and I decided on a very different dinner. I got the Beef Guinness Pie and my sister got the Chicken Pot Pie. The Beef and Guinness pie consisted of prime beef cuts with carrots, potatoes and peas in a Guinness infused gravy with a fresh pastry top. This was a heavy and quick-filling pie. Honestly I would recommend sharing it between another person because I only finished a quarter of it. The pie was full of delicious comfort ingredients and definitely perfect for a chilly day. 

The chicken pot pie which consisted of chicken, corn, pearl onions, baby potatoes, carrots and celery with a pastry top. The chicken pot pie is somewhat similar to my beef Guinness pie, but minus the infusion of alcohol and some ingredients. My sister enjoyed it very much, but also had an issue with finishing the pie as it was too filling.

Besides the food, we also had a little booze. Two Blue Moons, Magners, and Strongbow. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the food and selection of drinks at Banter - Irish Bar & Kitchen. I definitely would like to come back here as I've noticed there are certain menu items that pique my interest. Looking forward to my next visit here!