Trusty Rusty

With all of the bars and restaurants in Portsmouth that come and go, sometimes it’s easy to take for granted those places that are just solid and reliable. I found myself thinking that way as I ate dinner at the Rusty Hammer the other night.
There’s nothing special or spectacular about the place. But it’s one of the few places in town that you can go anymore and get a decent, filling meal and a beer without breaking the bank. The Friendly Toast used to be one of those places, but its prices have gone through the roof, and I always felt weird ordering a beer at a breakfast place anyway.
Over the years, the Rusty Hammer has hardly changed its menu, yet I keep coming back. It’s one of the best places in town for lunch, but it’s also a pretty good place to watch a sporting event. In fact, in the year or so that we’ve been running this blog, I think the only time I even mentioned the Hammer was in the list of best places to watch a game. Yet, both The Beer Drinker and I ate there on different days this past weekend.
Like I said, there’s nothing flashy about it. Great burgers, good sandwiches, usually a seafood special, but not much else. And the beer selection’s nothing to write home about either. Just the basics — Bud, Bud Light, Red Hook, Sam, Guinness. But there’s something to be said for a place that offers good food at a reasonable price.

– Mr. X