With jazz playing in the background and contemporary art on the exposed brick walls, Hawk’s Bar and Grill offers an atmosphere perfect for grabbing dinner with some girlfriends or catching the Brewer game with a couple buddies. Located on State Street, it is hard to miss the black awning and the chalkboard announcing the daily specials. The ambience is inviting, and even though the menu lacks imagination, the bar and grill still has the potential to please all.

Hawk’s is partitioned into a grill side and a bar side, making it easy for families and those not of the drinking age to still enjoy the restaurant. Still, the overall vibe of the establishment is very relaxed. The music is audible, yet not too loud, and there are many pictures of jazz musicians on the walls. The bar has a very large selection of beer on tap and in bottles, along with a wine list with over 20 selections. There is no waitstaff; customers must walk up to the open kitchen to place their orders. When the order is ready, it is announced, and the customers must pick up the food, also picking up silverware and desired condiments from the table by the kitchen. This is not necessarily a bad thing; it just adds to the overall feeling that the restaurant evokes.

The menu is broken up in to roughly six categories: appetizers, salads and soups, featured sandwiches, burgers, specialty sandwiches and desserts. There is a considerably wide selection of appetizers, from mozzarella sticks to Asian-fried calamari, but some are even pricier than an entree.

There are also daily specials listed inside and outside the establishment. Friday’s fish fry special is anything but. The cod was tasteless and the breading was much too peppery — not at all enjoyable. Hawk’s Classic burger is exactly as the menu describes it. It is juicy and tender and sure to be a favorite of many. The menu does fall short in the dessert category, having only cheesecake, brownies and cookies, which is disappointing and perhaps causes customers to skip dessert.

Despite the lack of personal service, the food is made very quickly. The portions are large — the fries almost overtake the entree — and the presentation is pleasing to the eye. People do not seemed bothered by the missing waitstaff, and the open kitchen is a nice touch because customers are able to see the food being prepared freshly in a clean environment. Although the menu is short and sandwich-heavy, there are enough positives about Hawk’s that keep people coming back for more.
3 stars out of 5