The first thing I notice upon entering Seabring Inn in Newfield is the pool table which intrudes into the dining area from near the bar. On my right is the bar and on my left is the small dining area which has a capacity for less than thirty. Above the dining area are two televisions which always seem to be tuned to sports programs and also overhead are several lighted signs advertising various beers. All of this leads me to conclude that I’ve landed in a sports bar which serves food. The menu confirms that the food served here is composed of simple, basic categories that we come to expect in an establishment of this nature: wings, pizza, burgers, subs, and sandwiches.
The food category on the menu written with the largest font is WINGS so I assume that’s their specialty. They are offered bone-in or boneless and we are required to buy one dozen for $16. The easy choice for me is bone in and they arrive with four celery sticks and a choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing for dipping. The next decision we must make is which of the 17 seasonings we want on our wings. They range from mild to very hot and I recently chose Buffalo in a mild version, and garlic parmesan which was also mild. Here’s a tip from something I learned that you won’t find on the menu: if you don’t want all the wings with the same preparation, you can choose two different preparations and get each on a half dozen wings. They’re served on wax paper in a basket and the cook adds some of the sauces you select onto the paper. I can readily see why they are a specialty here because the wings are perfectly cooked and very tasty without being greasy.
Another major category is BURGERS ($16-$18). These are hand formed in the kitchen and made with some mild spices. I recently selected the Mushroom Swiss Burger which comes with “L/T/O” (lettuce, tomato, onion) and is topped with a generous portion of sauteed mushrooms and just a bit of melted Swiss cheese. It’s delivered cooked the way you order it, “pink or not pink”, was the way the server asked me. The other burgers are traditional choices: Black and Blue, Cowboy, and Classic Cheeseburger. They all come with a dill pickle spear and crinkle cut fries or tater tots. For a buck more you can have waffle fries, fried pickles, or a side salad. I like the burgers here, they’re nothing special but they are substantial and have a nice texture.
Other major categories are side salads ($5-$14), Subs ($15-$16) and Sandwiches ($15-$17). Four of the five sandwiches feature chicken. I’m a devout omnivore, however I ordered the only “vegetarian” item on the menu because I know many readers are vegetarian: The Big Missed Steak sandwich. The grilled balsamic marinated portobello cap, spinach, roasted red peppers, and melted mozzarella turned out to be a tasty combination of ingredients. Once, when I ordered it, my server told before she couldn’t take the order because she’d have to check with the kitchen to see if they had any mushrooms “because we don’t sell a lot of them.” Fortunately, they did.
I’ve also selected the Chicken Spiedie Sub which is served with sauteed peppers and onions. The word spiedie comes from the Italian “Spiedino” which translates into English as skewer. Until now, all the spiedies I’ve had at other restaurants were, indeed, skewered however the “Spiedie at Seabring” was delivered as a sandwich on a bun and was enjoyable even without a skewer.
I never had time to check out their Half-Sheet Pizzas. ($11). They charge $1.25 for half toppings and $2.50 per topping and there’s a choice of a dozen of the usual toppings you might expect to find on a pizza. Specialty pizzas range from $12.50 to $22.
There are no desserts available.
With this kind of casual, comfort-type food I would order a beer, not wine, and apparently, I’m not alone as there isn’t a wine menu, just a note, “WINE: Please ask for available varieties.” They usually have only about seven choices. As you might expect, the beer offerings are more substantial: nine in cans, a dozen in bottles and five drafts. Beer prices aren’t listed.
If you live in the Newfield area or are just visiting, you might find the unpretentiousness of the atmosphere and the quality of the basic fare make the Seabring Inn a pleasant place to stop for a meal.
TID BITS: Lunch and dinner offerings are the same except for a daily special each evening. Examples that caught my attention are Monday wings are $.85 each and half off all burgers on Thursdays. Parking is on site.
Seabring Inn is located at 330 Sebring Rd, Newfield. Open Sun.-Weds. noon-midnight; Thurs-Sat. noon-1 a.m. Contact: (607) 564-9338, facebook.com/SeabringInn