One of the most consistently busy restaurants I've encountered during my review tour has got to be The Wicked Hop, 345 N. Broadway. But what is it that makes the Hop so busy? Is it the food, the ambience, the cocktails, the service?

Perhaps a little of each, but mostly it's the animated, lively staff, the cocktails, the seemingly omnipotent televisions airing hot sporting events, and a who's who of Third Wardians, who seem to know everyone else's name.

Service at The Wicked Hop is technically imperfect, slow, and sometimes annoyingly absent, and water seems to be a scarce commodity, even after multiple requests. But both servers I encountered on two recent visits had such big, enjoyable and genuine personalities, that much of this was forgivable, if not forgettable.

I won't rush back to The Hop if I'm on my way to a show or in a time crunch for any reason, but if I'm just looking for a fun atmosphere and I'm in a good, relaxed mood, I would definitely consider a return visit, more than likely for Sunday brunch.

Dinner at The Hop was nothing above average for the price. In fact, a butternut squash soup of the day was inedible with a bitey, red pepper-type hot sauce flavor on the back end. But a half-order of chicken nachos ($8.95) was better than what one would expect from bar food, and the other offerings were not what you will usually find in a pub. The chicken in both those nachos and in a tequila chicken wrap ($9.95) was juicy and well-cooked. And while the wrap somewhat lacked flavor, the produce within was fresh and well-apportioned.

Black magic marinated bistro steak ($16.95) had the opposite issue; the hangar steak was so tender and perfectly cooked it was likely one of the better versions of this cut I've sampled, until, that is, I swiped a bite through the Guinness demi-glace, which was too thick and somehow both sweetly and bitterly overpowering for the meat. The accompanying red pepper mashed potatoes, however, were a treat.

The grapevine says that brunch at The Hop is the real reason to visit, and in this case, the grapevine doesn't lie. Bloody Marys ($7.50) are a daring and delicious brown, threaded with thin strings of cheese and shrimp, a portabella mushroom, olive, and beef stick, and served with a chaser of Klisch. Eggs Benedict XVI ($10.95) slightly spin the original by offering choice of bacon, turkey or ham in lieu of traditional Canadian bacon.

The eggs arrive puffy and snow white and the hollandaise is surprisingly light. Brunch items come with toast and your choice of choice of potatoes, fruit or cottage cheese. However, on a busy Sunday, we all received potatoes and white (instead of wheat) toast instead of the fruit we had ordered with the Three Little Pigs ($10): a combination of ham, bacon and sausage in an open-faced omelet loaded with cheddar and jack cheese.

No worries, as the potatoes are adeptly salted and an absolutely stellar brunch side -- but this shows one of the issues with the Hop -- because it is frequently so busy, diners almost need to expect some errors or overlooks -- they simply are part of the experience here, for good, bad or indifferent.

Sixto Lezcano ($10), one of the signature scramblers, covered another open faced omelet with chorizo, corn, cilantro, black beans and a medley of green and red peppers smothered with jack and cheddar cheese with excellent results.

We found The Hop to be a great brunch option, with fantastic people watching, solid drinks and flavorful, better than run of the mill brunch fare. While we may reserve dinner visits for nachos at the bar, Sunday mornings may have just taken on a new favorite in the Third Ward.

The Wicked Hop is open Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m., Sundays at 10 a.m.