Located deep in the east side of Waterloo you could say the Half Pint Saloon is an interesting place.  As I reached for the front door we heard an explosion of laughter from inside the rustic dive. The laughs muffled and eyes of the regulars shifted to us as we took our table amidst the mostly empty restaurant. Take away the TV’s and slot machines but keep the drunken locals and wood décor and we are not too far off from a real saloon. A very sweet woman came over from behind the bar with menus and assured us not to be scared. You know, just what you want to hear from someone who is about to serve you dinner. Good thing this wasn’t our first rodeo.

We order two bowls of Chuckwagon Chili and two Coors Lights and all of the sudden we fit right in. At this point the bar took a rowdy turn, and there was more F words flying than a Martin Scorsese film. In an effort to drown out the expletives someone decided to play some music on the jukebox. The most random playlist I’ve ever heard started with Kanye and ended with ACDC. These people were either confused about their taste in music or really, really drunk.

In the middle of a Hinder song the chili came out in a big bowl with those big spoons we love so much. The menu says that it’s not spicy and that’s an understatement. It falls on the red side of the chili color spectrum seemingly due to the overwhelming taste of tomato. The meat was unseasoned but oddly complimented the flavor well. Similar to other bowls we have had it contained a few large and in charge chunks of ground beef and tomatoes. Due to the red sauce it was honestly reminiscent of Spaghettio’s. You remember the can with meatballs that sat on a shelf for weeks before you became desperate enough to have it for dinner? When it comes down to it I don’t think the chili is going to top any charts but it was a nice change of pace. I’d admit the dish was enjoyably different, especially if you fancy tomato soup.

Unsure if it was a way to apologize for the other patrons or just the way they do things at the Half Pint, but our waitress brought us out complimentary little smokies once we finished eating. Personally I think it was a ploy to get us to order another beer. It was a successful ploy nonetheless. All and all whether you come for a drink and a show or for a mediocre bowl of chili, enter the Half Pint at your own risk.

Breggie rating: 7