By Ashley Miller
Writer
Downtown Lewisburg has had a new and pleasant addition to its restaurant list since Aug. 28. The Smiling Chameleon, as the name implies, is sure to surprise you.
When I first walked in to the Chameleon, it was a bit cramped with just a bar and a single row of half-booth seating. Once I sat down and got comfortable, the restaurant became cozier. The wood paneling and dark lighting enhanced the feeling, along with the old-fashioned décor. Apart from the three plasma screen televisions, everything about the Chameleon is somewhat quaint.
The Chameleon has NFL Sunday Ticket, a television channel that enables patrons to see every NFL game on Sundays. This makes the draft house the perfect place to go when your favorite team is playing.
Service is excellent. Since there is limited seating, the waitstaff has much more time to devote to each customer. You won’t find yourselfwaiting very long for your food, and the staff is personable.
The menu selection, however, is limited. Only four platters are available for each meal, along with appetizers such as tortilla chips, salad and the Chameleon’s homemade soup.
“I enjoyed my quesadilla, but I was a little disappointed by the limited options,” Sam Ferebee ’14said.
The dishes are a bit classier than you might get at a pub, and therefore a little bit pricier. But it is still definitely affordable and well worth the slight price increase. The house salad was large and fulfilling, and the sandwich was simple but tasty. Everything the Chameleon serves is perfect for “conversation food,” as the menu says.
If you like something on the menu, you better have it as much as you can. The Chameleon’s owner, Tedd Biernstein, explained the significance of the name.
“As a chameleon changes, so does our menu. We’ll have the same pork dish for a month and then completely change it up,” Biernstein said.
But don’t worry: your favorite dish is sure to be replaced by something equally interesting and delicious.
“We make our food fresh every day, no preservatives,” Biernstein said. He even said patrons can choose varying levels of spiciness for their salsa because the staff adds the peppers themselves.
While the food is good, the Smiling Chameleon is first and foremost a bar. The choices for beer and wine are extensive and take up more of the menu than the food. The alcohol choices change as often as the food. If you’re looking for a particular ale, you will most likely find it under the Chameleon’s roof.
The Smiling Chameleon is a perfect addition to the town. Typically, you can find fellowstudents there after 10:30 on weekend nights, but it is also open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for lunch. Whether you are going to sit down and have some lunch or bring some friends to catch a game, be sure to stop by and check out this new spot. It will definitely be worth your while.
Info Box:
Smiling Chameleon Draft House – 235 Market St
Phone: (570) 523-7777