It’s always fun to find a great tasting, friendly restaurant where you are greeted with a smile, the atmosphere is casual and the surroundings are interesting and historic. Bounty Hunter scores on all points with an informative staff, lots of dark wood, an ornate tin ceiling, historic art and a variety of hunting trophies.
Of course, there is a full bar of top shelf liquor as well as plenty of wines to taste and a variety of ways to taste them. For wines you can buy a 2 oz. tasting glass, a 5 oz. glass or a flight of three tastings all cleverly titled to entice the patron. I was instantly drawn to the Chard to Please flight, a “chardonnay lover’s wet dream”. How can you pass on that? Our wine slinger brought the flight and went over each wine and when I didn’t care for the first selection, it was instantly replaced with something closer to my taste buds. Unlike the current trend, I still love a big, buttery chardonnay with oak, vanilla and toasted nut notes. As an added bonus during the course of our meal the bartender brought another glass of chardonnay for me to try that was specifically to my liking, complete with some history on the vineyard. That’s some good customer service.
Bounty Hunter’s simple down-home menu features good appetizers to accompany cocktails and wine such as marinated olives, charcuterie and cheese plates. Piled high pulled pork or shredded chicken on fresh buns and an incredible looking open-faced ruben sandwich, The Rubenesque wafted past our table, but we settled on the famous Beer Can Chicken with sides of jalapeno cornbread and coleslaw.
The beer can chicken delivered upright to the table is perfect to pull apart with a friend. An irresistibly crispy spice rubbed skin and juicy marinated meat, this is a finger lickin’ good for you meal. The corn bread was moist and the bits of jalapeno sweet and spicy. Coleslaw was lightly dressed and pleasant, they didn’t try to do anything trendy or foodie here, just cooked up some good bar food and paired it with great atmosphere and alcohol.
There are lots of great BBQ choices on the menu, including Smokin’ St. Louis Cut Ribs, slow smoked Beef Brisket and vegetarians can enjoy a Grilled Veggie Sandwich. Everything we saw coming out of the kitchen looked tempting. Prices are reasonable, the beer can chicken comes in at a $24.50, but it was a big enough bird for lunch for two and leftovers for the picnic home. Sandwiches are priced at $13.50 and come with your choice of side and by the stack of meat on the sandwiches we saw, we’re pretty sure folks are not leaving hungry. As a bonus, specials include the “Pony Express Lunch”; a sandwich, side and non-alcoholic drink for $10.00 and ready in 10 minutes, Monday - Friday 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. Happy hour specials and Cheese Burger Wednesdays make Bounty Hunter a must try on your next visit to Napa.
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