There’s so much to enjoy at Washington Boulevard sports bar Joxer Daly’s way before you even get to the food. The gentleman behind the bar had an Irish accent and, not shy of cultural stereotypes, there’s a tiny little “leprechaun door” at the front. Like, a proper little door with a kitschy design and everything.
Then there are the Liverpool F.C. shields on the wall – this English writer’s soccer team of choice. It’s kismet that we happened by it in search of somewhere to get a salad on a Saturday afternoon, and there, scrawled on the specials board outside, was a sesame chicken salad. Perfect.
We know what you’re thinking. A high street sports bar simply can’t be a suitable venue to purchase a sesame chicken salad, or indeed any salad at all. Burgers or chicken fingers, sure. But a salad? Try the vegan joint down the street.
But you’d be wrong. Very, very wrong. Against all of the odds, Joxer Daly’s created a stellar salad that is both fresh and relatively healthy, and absolutely delicious.
We say “relatively” healthy because the salad is served with some thick slices of parmesan toast, which is cheesy and yummy, but heavy on the carbs. No matter.
Regarding the classic salad ingredients, everything is crisp and fresh. The lettuce, carrot, cucumber and tomato is so vibrant and vivid, it wouldn’t need anything else, including dressing, for it to feel like a tasty treat.
But there is much more, and it’s all so good. The toasted croutons add some much needed crunch, while also serving as delicious little sponges for the other ingredients. Some tomato juice and some dressing soaked into a crouton can make the whole salad.
That Asian dressing is awesome too – a sort of ginger and soy concoction that works perfectly with this salad. It ties everything together and really hammer home the theme. But the star of the show is clearly the chicken. Encrusted with sesame seeds the meat is juicy and not dried out – a common mistake with these salads.
The flavors of the meat and sesame seeds blend together beautifully and, when you add the dressing, the full effect is felt.
The staff is super-friendly and the interior, while in many ways that of a traditional sports bar, is welcoming. As you’d expect, multiple screens show multiple games of multiple sports. There are pool tables and that sort of thing. But if you want to just chill out with a drink and have a bite to eat, you can do that too and it’ll be great.Joxer Daly’s is located at 11168 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232. Contact 310-838-3745, or visit facebook.com/joxerdalys