SHADE-O-METER RATING
4 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “SHE GAVE GOOD FACE – SHE SERVED IT”
What’s The Asylum? It’s a restaurant that’s located in the Jerome Grand Hotel, which is in Jerome, Arizona. Jerome is an old copper mining town, and the Jerome Grand Hotel was originally The United Verde Hospital, which serviced the mining community. The building operated as a hospital from 1926 to 1950, and it’s estimated that 9,000 people died in the hospital during its illustrious tenure. Hence, the building is purported to be one of the must haunted sites in Arizona. The hotel opened its doors to the living in 1994, and the restaurant opened to them in 2003.
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Was there an age restriction? None for the living. What time did we go? Not at the witching hour, unfortunately. We went at about 1:00 p.m. How was the maître d’? Materialized.
What was the décor like? It played into the haunted mystique of the building. The vintage wheelchair outside was an especially nice touch. What was the seating like? There’s a bar area, which has seating at the bar and some high top tables. There’s also a small dining room inside—which has spectacular views—and a small dining area outside.
What was the atmosphere like? Upscale casual. What was the crowd like? They appeared to be virtually all tourists. When’s happy hour? No happy hour. The spirits won’t allow it.
What libations were ordered? We ordered an Electric Shock Lemonade for $9, a Screaming Sazerac for $12, and a Blood Orange Margarita for $11.
Were they served timely? Yes. How were the drinks? The lemonade, which had house-infused lemon vodka in it, wasn’t exactly shocking, but it was tasty. The margarita, which was made from house-infused blood orange tequila and homemade sweet and sour, was slightly more spectral in effect. However, the standout poison was the New Orleans absinthe-laced Sazerac. The drink was excellent, and contained the required louche. However, considering that we were customers and not patients, I wasn’t a fan of the bartender’s clinical reliance on the jigger measuring tool.
What was ordered? We ordered a Turner Family Farms of New Zeeland Calamari for $16.50 and a Mushroom Bacon Burger for $14.99. Was the food served timely? Yes.
How was the food? The calamari was made from Turner gourmet calamari, and it had both dehydrated wasabi chick peas and chives on top of it. It was also served with picked ginger and three kinds of sauces—Atomic horseradish cocktail sauce, a lemon basil aioli, and a wasabi aioli. I supposed that Turner calamari is a bit better than regular calamari. Regarding the three sauces, the wasabi aioli was the best. The cocktail sauce was too salty. The burger had sautéed shitake and button mushrooms, an “onion medley,” and mesquite smoked bacon on top of it. It was also served with a side of Kennebec fries. The burger was great. The fries definitely had a homemade taste, but they were a little too chewy.
How was the service? Polite and astute. Of note, the server said that he lives in Jerome, which only has a population of about 500 (living) souls. What stands out about the restaurant? The history, the theming, and the vistas. The award for the best drink name goes to “Liquid Valium.”
What could be improved? I would uniform the wait staff in vintage medical attire. Also, even though Jerome is a tourist area, I would still lower the prices a bit to align more closely with the cost of a public hospital in Central Arizona (which is where Jerome is), as opposed to prices that one would typically encounter at an exclusive, private clinic in, for example, Sedona. What was surprising? The Ouija board slate with the restaurant’s name on it.
The Asylum at the Jerome Grand Hotel is located at 200 Hill St., in Jerome, Arizona. It’s open seven days a week from about 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Love your reviews and plan on making this a stop if ever in this area