Engine Room

Engine Room Restaurant Review:

They had us at bacon fat caramel popcorn. Situated on the Mystic River in the cool environs of a restored marine engine factory, Engine Room is the second venture from the trio behind Mystic's Oyster Club. Co-owners Dan Meiser and James Wayman and chef Chris Vanasse over-deliver again, with bar food that defies the bounds of this food genre and more than 50 beers on tap and in bottles including hard-to-find brews. We can't resist a Little Sumpin' Sumpin' brewed by Lagunitas to wash down cornmeal-dusted fried oysters served with a spicy dipping sauce. Order a house-made pastrami and chicken liver pâté sandwich or the BIG stack --- the menu's burger star is an enormous pile-up of three beef patties, cheese, slaw and smoky secret sauce --- and you'll already be calculating how much you'll be taking home for a midnight snack or tomorrow's lunch. Although sandwiches and bar bites dominate the menu, a handful of entrées includes both a steak preparation and fried local catch du jour. We're not ashamed we like to drink our dessert: Engine Room specializes in bourbons, too. You might like monkey bread served warm with bourbon caramel ganache or soft-swirled ice cream topped with more bacon fat caramel popcorn.