American Noodle Bar - CLOSED

• Cuisine(s): American, Asian
  Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11pm-1am
  Price: $$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
  Alcohol: Beer/Wine
• Reservations: Not Necessary
  Parking: Lot Available, Street

Description

This place is very small: one 14-seat communal table with low, individual bench-stools that prove more comfortable than they look, and a half-dozen counter seats running parallel to the table; an open kitchen stretches along the back wall. A blackboard menu sits atop the cash register, which is where you order and pay. Get ready for lots of big flavors at small prices - the menu tops out at $9. Most popular of the small plates is a quintet of cheeseburger dumplings, crisply fried won tons encasing minced meat creamed with American cheese. A pulled-pork sandwich with roadside barbecue flavor is another winner, as are the customized noodle bowls: You select one of a dozen or so "sauces" (duck, oxtail, or vegetable broth; smoky lobster; basil or Sriracha butter, etc.). Then, you choose one of a similar number of add-ons (shrimp, oxtail, chicken thigh, mixed vegetables, deep-fried egg, and so forth). The noodles - chewy, lo mein-like strands that are thicker than traditional ramen - automatically fill quite a bit of each bowl. The basic version costs $7; each extra add-on costs $. House-made beverages such as strawberry vanilla soda, white peach lemonade, and yuzu green tea are sublime. A short list of American wines go for under $10 a glass and most bottles cost less than $25. The menu of American microbrews is a bit more extensive, and bottles cost around $6 or $7. A hefty, homemade wedge of carrot cake and a scaled-down baked Alaska cost $3, yet were more satisfying than recent $12 desserts at upscale haunts. Locals now have yet another affable and affordable outlet for deliciously fresh Asian fare.