I've been here twice, the first just for beers and pizza with friends to watch a football game on TV. The second was with a large group (20+) of friends for lunch. The atmosphere is nice - warm and comfortable, with a ski lodge like feel to it.
First and foremost there is the beer. Fifty foreign and craft beers on tap and the menu is rotated regularly so there is always something new to try. The beer menu contains the rare and the familiar and bartenders are knowledgeable enough to make suggestions if you tell them what kinds of beer you like. The beer is fresh and served in style appropriate glasses.
Our dinning experience was on the "pub side" so only applies to that, however it's been my experience that places that serve high quality food do it in the main dining room and the bar.
I ordered a rare cheddar burger with grilled onions. My wife ordered the fried calamari and the Autumn Salad. Instead of the grilled onions I asked for, I received bacon on my burger. Being that I like bacon I didn't complain, however I was disappointed by the size of the burger. For $9 I was expecting something more substantial. I though for a moment I accidentally ordered a "slider". Though I ordered rare it came medium, the meat was unremarkable and the pretzel bun added little. I wasn't expecting a "half pounder", but I was hoping for something that would take more than 4 bites to finish.
My wife complained that her Autumn Salad was supposed to come with Gouda cheese, but there was no sign of it on the salad. We had to flag down the server to bring us a small cup of grated Gouda to add to the salad. The chicken on the salad was overcooked, dry and leathery and she thought the dressing was overly sweet. The calamari was tender and perfectly cooked, all 8-10 tiny pieces. I'm not the sort who is impressed by huge portions, however they could have tripled the portion and still nobody would have been wowed by the portion size.
A friend sitting next to me ordered the filet mignon sandwich and complained that it was all bread and no meat. Another member of our party complained that his pizza crust wasn't completely cooked. Though I didn't poll the rest of the party about the food, they all ate quietly without the raves you often hear when you are eating with a group where the food is top notch. Perhaps they had no complaints or perhaps they were just being polite because I chose the venue.
Our server was pleasant enough. He patiently waited while several members of our party tried to decide on a beer and was kind enough to bring a few samples for the indecisive ones to try. I sensed that he wasn't exactly thrilled, but he put on a good face so give him credit for that.
Bottom line is that if you are a beer aficionado this place is worth a trip (I gave the place an extra star due to the beer), but the food is a disappointment, even more so because it's not a cheap place. read more