On a balmy, 40-something-degree December day, our quest took us up I-75 to Tipp City, then onto Main Street where this unassuming and easy-to-overlook property is home of some of very good, made-to-order meals.
What we had:
Appetizer: The Armadillo Legs caught our attention, of course. Jalapeno poppers, $4.50. You choose the filling. We asked for cream cheese. Out came four large, deep-fried chunks of pepper, hot and deliciously swimming in the white cheese. They came with controversial cocktail sauce. Connie loved it but Sandy typically gets ranch dressing to accompany any sort of breaded appetizer to help cool down the heat. If you can't decide on a sauce, don't worry. These poppers are so good they don't need sauce.
Appetizer: Broccoli Cheese Bites, a dozen deep-fried nuggets of broccoli and cheddar cheese, $4.75. "They taste like Campbell's Broccoli Cheese Soup!" Connie noted. The accompanying sauce — again, cocktail — was sweet and tangy, and brought out flavors in the broccoli you don't get if you nibble them without it.
Wings: We ordered the Butt Warmer chicken hunks — chunks of fresh chicken lightly breaded and made to order, $6.95. The sauce was surprisingly pleasant with the tangy and sweet flavor. "These butt-warmer hunks certainly will not protect you in a polar vortex," Connie mused. "Maybe a cold front in late March," she ended her brilliant analysis.
Our server told us Hinders uses fresh white chicken breast, never frozen, and breaded to order each time. The attention to freshness is apparent. At first sight, the breading is so light you don’t even notice it. However, upon second inspection, you can see the covering. The flavor was perfect, and our waitress said these were their biggest seller. They also serve wings and strips with their Easy Sitting (mild) flavor, Butt Warmer (medium) and Ass Kickers (if you have the courage), plus BBQ flavor.
Patty Melt: A ½-inch sirloin patty comes topped with grilled onions and cheddar cheese, $7.25. Delicious and filling.
Rest of the Menu
While Hinders boasts typical sports bar food, you will find unusual options like “Shrimp Jammers” on the appetizer menu, breaded shrimp stuffed with Monterey jack cheese, $6.25. There are a lot of sandwiches, from usual favorites like burgers and club sandwiches, to Philly Steak $7.95, Fish $4.95, Chicken or Tuna Salad $4.50.
What sets Hinders apart from other sports bars is the eclectic ambiance. If you stay in the front dining area, you’ll miss out on some funky atmosphere in the back.
Hinders looks to have grown room by room, areas added on with whatever supplies were available. There are seven separate rooms, both inside and outside, that provide little areas to sequester yourself. From the large beach-themed dining room with nautical paintings and 3D art, a man cave for smokers, to the small and dark tiki bar, there are little nooks and crannies to call your own. Discovering each one after our meal was an adventure all in itself.
We didn’t find a website to represent the place, and Hinders gets some mixed reviews by independent online reviewers. But co-workers who’d been there vouch for the place, and we’re glad we listened to them. Hinders has fresh food in a casual atmosphere and located just off I-75.
The end.
How to go:
The place: Hinders Sports Bar and Grill, 902 W. Main St., Tipp City; (937) 667-4433; Facebook: www.facebook.com/HindersSportsBar.
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 to midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.
Final musings: Sandy Collins and Connie Post are two of the Dayton Daily News’ Dining Divas, tasked with discovering every great Mom & Pop eatery and every yummy option in the Miami Valley. Contact us at life@coxinc.com.
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