Tiger Striped Rings at Ellyns in Glen Ellyn

Has anyone ever eaten onion rings with grill marks? I had an order of onion rings at Ellyn's Grill in Glen Ellyn after asking if they were fresh made. The bartender said yes, they weren't and they were "striped". I thought I knew my onion rings, but the bartender made it very clear I didn't have a clue informing me "they've been everywhere for years, you musn't get out too often". OK. I live under a rock and that attitude cost you some tip and made these rings taste worse then they were.
My question is what is the product that makes the grill marks? The marks were all the way around the ring so it was actually stupid looking, not appearing authentically grilled. And why the blank would you grill a fried onion ring anyway? The rings had a very off taste and I was informed it's not Guiness, but no more explanation. The "knowledgable" server/bartender got busted in a lie and instead of rectifying the situation, wierded out on us. This was the quickest visit to any place, 2 beers and a order of rings in ten minutes. We were happy to leave.

I'm with you in being confused about why anyone would want to ruin fresh-out-of-the-oil onion rings by throwing them on the grill. I've never seen this, and I've been to my fair share of bars and diners.

Furthermore, if a bartender responded to "I'm not familiar with 'striped onion rings'" with "you must not get out much", I'd probably let him know that I usually only go to good places with quality food and good service, and that this diversion from my usual routine was clearly a mistake.

I think what you may have been served are called Black and Tan onion rings based on your description. I have never had these personally but I recall seeing them on a Food Network show, possibly Unwrapped, recently. They were made by a large mass producer.

metro man wrote:I think what you may have been served are called Black and Tan onion rings based on your description. I have never had these personally but I recall seeing them on a Food Network show, possibly Unwrapped, recently. They were made by a large mass producer.

McCain beer battered black & tan(tm) onion rings

Description:
Brew City proudly presents Black & Tan onion rings! These one of a kind rings are drizzled with a dark stout beer for rich beer flavor and handcrafted appearance.

Customer Segments: Bar/Tavern; Business & Industry; Casual Dining; College & University; Deli/Sandwich Shop; Family Dining; Healthcare; Hotel/Resort; Leisure/Recreation; Quickserve Restaurant; Schools; Theme Restaurant/Specialty Rest

Piece Cost:
$0.17/piece

Khaopaat-These weren't actually grilled, more like painted. I'm not really sure if it was the onion ring that didn't taste good or the oil it was fried in. The color was dull so probably both. This is one of the silliest products I have ever seen.
Third negative visit to Ellyn's so that's history.
Thanks for the info. Now I can crawl back under my rock!