I’ve been keeping my eyes open for some new pub grub. Lebowskis, serving both great food and a ridiculous variety of White Russians, seems like a safe bet.

Having watched the film in idle amusement, the theme of the bar pleases me. It’s trying to do something relatively different from a lot of other establishments, and I’ll always respect a place that challenges the status quo. The bar is littered with paraphernalia from the film, ranging from The Dude on the wall to having bowling pins underneath tables. It actually has a nice aesthetic, and manages to pull off the movie vibe without appearing tacky.

In line with The Dude’s tastes, there’s an entire page dedicated to different varieties of the cocktail. I’ve tried six of them so far and my favourite is The Toe – coffee liqueur, creme de menthe, chocolate sauce, and 50/50 cream milk.

On my first visit to Lebowski’s, it was only for a drink and some nibbles. These guys are serving up some of the best fries in the city – imagine McDonald’s fries but perfectly crisp. After trying them and also some onion rings I knew that I’d have to return for one of their mains. So the next day we went back for the real deal. The menu has a surprising variety; from burgers and hotdogs to sandwiches and soup. My maw was unsure about which dishes were vegetarian, but upon request our waiter was able to describe in some detail what each dish was like.

Being a burger lover myself, I went for large yet generic “The Big Lebowski”. The largest and most expensive burger on the menu, this dish has 2 patties drizzled in Lockerbie cheese. I enjoyed it. The patties had a nice taste and texture to them and each burger also comes with a choice of either fries or “tats” (potato wedges). My maw said the wedges were also enjoyable.

Dessie had the magic mushroom burger, which consisted of a few fried mushrooms coated in batter inside the bun along with lettuce. Both my maw and Dessie said they enjoyed their dishes. My only gripe about the menu is that it’s slightly overpriced. Not in comparison to other burger chains but compared to smaller independent places (Dennistoun Bar-b-que), there’s not as much on your plate as their should be for the price you’re paying. A lot of effort does go into presentation however, as all food is served on clean wooden platters, and fries served in small aluminium buckets.

I’ve also been to the bar once with intent to simply enjoy a drink with a mate – and sadly their late night game doesn’t live up to the standards they set during the day and early evening. The surface of the bar was literally covered in empty glasses, and we had to wait 15 minutes to get served in the reasonably quiet place by two curt girls, with them serving others before us, but who arrived after. But that’s not the point of this blog.

For me, Lebowskis is a positive experience overall. I would recommend everyone go along at least once to try a few of the white russians and grab a burger or something, as the food really is exquisite. +1