A brand new restaurant with a giant menu, great specials, and plenty of entertainment are just some of the things I have been hearing about the new CP restaurant and bar, Looney’s Pub. It seemed almost too good to be true so I decided to get the inside scoop on the new establishment from my longtime friend and Looney’s waiter Greg Ricciardi.
I knew Ricciardi a UMD senior accounting major, would be just who I needed to talk to since he has worked at both Friendly’s and Torrisi Italian Specialties in New York. As a waiter of 4 years, he was able to break down the menu, specialties and overall atmosphere of Looney’s Pub, located off Route 1 under The Varsity. Looney’s in College Park is the 4th one in Maryland and as with all of their restaurants, boasts a casual family style Irish pub by day, and a bustling sports bar at night. Here’s Ricciardi and I:
Though it is not a nightclub, it still features plenty of different music, including Techno Wednesdays, and live bands every weekend from local D.C. Metro artists. Also, as far as entertainment goes Looney’s really “brings it”; they have over 60 TV’s. Yes, 60, including a projection screen that is perfect for watching games. Whether you are from Maryland or Florida, on Sundays they have football on every TV. That means every game from every state for your viewing pleasure.
Looney’s menu is also just as impressive as their wide variety of entertainment options, and their portions are nothing short of generous. Ricciardi assured me that the menu was huge. “It definitely has something for everyone, but at the same time is very Maryland-centric (laughs) lots of Old Bay, and lots of crab!”
Whether you want a cheeseburger, Rueben or a cheese steak sub, Looney’s has it done to perfection. I decided that as part of my “research” I would try their famous crab pretzel: a jumbo soft pretzel, topped with crab dip, cheddar cheese and baked. Just as Greg had promised, it was delicious. The crab dip tasted so fresh, and with the cheese, was the perfect combination of sweet and salty, with a little kick of spice.
Now you are probably thinking, great atmosphere and great menu with huge portions is going to be pretty costly. However, it seems that Looney’s has not forgotten that it has opened its doors to a mostly college-age customer base because not only are the prices reasonable (grilled paninis, quesadillas, and burgers for under $10) but they also offer weekday specials.
Monday is my favorite, featuring 50-cent wings, Tuesday is $5 burger day, Wednesday $5 chicken sandwiches and Thursday is $6 cheese steaks! Featuring huge portions, and great prices, Looney’s menu is my favorite part about the new College Park eatery.
For the 21+ scene, Looney’s also has great nightly drink specials, like $2 Domestic Beers on Monday and $3 Micro Brews on Tuesday. Make sure to have your ID though, because they are not the next Thirsty Turtle; a fake ID, will not get you through the door. Regardless of age, Looney’s provides customers with great food and a relaxing environment to hang out with friends. As Ricciardi says, “The food is really good, and yea, the service is obviously awesome so come check it out!”
For more information check out their website and for updated specials follow them on Twitter!
http://looneyspubmd.com/index.html
Twitter: @CPLOONEYS