Sweet Harmony Gives New Life To Historic Hot Spot
| 06.08.17
Best Features: Plenty of Seating, Large Dance Floor, Delicious Food, Kids Welcome for Earlier Hours
Downside: Older Building, Menu is Limited, If It’s Busy Service Can Be Slow, Bar Seats Have No Backs and Flex – Could be Dangerous After a Few Drinks
Mountain Rating: 7/10
Sweet Harmony is located in a building synonymous with night life in the NEK – but don’t let its history fool ya. Under new ownership the food is spectacular – and with a steady stream of entertainment this business is sure to be a local hotspot.
Over the years this bar/restaurant, located in Irasburg between Orleans and Coventry on Rt. 5, has been home to a number of bars, serving drinks but not much of anything else. That has all changed, as has the atmosphere of the entire place.
For anyone that frequented the old Kingdom’s Playground – walking through the doors will surprise you. Though no major renovation has been done the addition of tables, the smell of food cooking, the smile from the bartender, and the overall cleanliness of the place will have you doing a double take.
The Menu
We started at the bar to sample a few different items.
Overall the menu is great for a pub. Burgers, sandwiches, munchies, and a few friend selections are all perfect pairings for beer and cocktails.
We ordered some wings at the suggestion of a friend – and the flavor we chose came highly recommended by the owner. My husband ordered the house burger. I got the spinach artichoke dip as an appetizer and the fish and chips.
When our food came – I was blown away. First off the Kickin’ Bourbon Molasses wings were delicious. So much flavor, and with a bit of a bite (I thought – my husband said there wasn’t enough heat. This is becoming a common theme). They had a sweet, yet savory taste that is unique to this restaurant. Next time I will have to try the house sauce.
The burger was not the frozen patty that is offered at many similar establishments. This was a real burger, and 
cooked to a perfect medium rare. This was piled with veggies and in place of condiments used the house sauce. This smoky addition added flavor but didn’t detract from the burger. It comes with your choice of French fries (house made, not frozen) or onion rings (for a dollar more).
I love good spinach artichoke dip – and I have to say this was pretty good. I would recommend more garlic and salt, but overall it had good flavor. It did not contain those huge chunks of artichoke that can’t fit on a chip, and wasn’t overly cheesy.
My fish was the highlight of the evening. This was not the frozen, pre-breaded fish patty I was expecting (I was ordering fish at a bar after all). Instead, I got fresh fish with a crispy batter. In fact a few hours later, while we were singing karaoke, I offered a friend the last bite of my fish. Though cold by then, the batter was still crispy.
I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality food we ordered at a local ‘bar’.
But the surprises didn’t stop with the food and atmosphere.
What Makes This Place Unique
The prices can’t be beat!
In fact, their prices beat many local restaurants for the same item, but the quality is much better.
And the bar prices are just as good.
Seriously, we spent about $65.00 plus tip for 2 apps, 2 meals and drinks for the night.
To top the night off, we spent about three hours with the Karaoke crowd. This was perfect. Performers had the stage but the dance floor was wide open so the audience made great use of it – dancing away to classic karaoke anthems like Bohemian Rhapsody and I Can’t Dance. Check out our Facebook live video here.
Most of the night there were children around. As a parent, I know how great it is to have a fun, affordable place to go 
out that is kid friendly. The kids menu is extensive and if they want to run around on the dance floor it is away from diners and no one seemed to mind. While I imagine that Late night, and Sat night bring a different crowd, this was reminiscent of the barn dances and dance halls of the 80s and 90s where kids were a part of the fabric until about 9-10 p.m.
We are looking forward to checking them out on a night they have a band as well, but I definitely see another First Friday Karaoke Night in my future – I hope you join us!
For Hours, Contact info, and More
Check Out Sweet Harmony’s Page on NEK Eats