A gastropub is an easy sell for me. It hints at a laid back joint with a focus on creative, indulgent eats and a few good drafts to wash it all down. Make that gastropub an addition to a microbrewery, and I'm pretty enthused from the gate.
Here's the skinny for those of you that want a quick wrap-up - This place is regrettably mediocre, but only as a flat sum of its parts. I experienced the Snake River Brewing Company as many do a regular season baseball game - excited going in, happily slugging down some quick eats and a few beers in the 2nd inning, winding down by the 5th, and regretting the last thing I ate and quite ready to bail by the 7th inning stretch. I recommend this place for some beers in a boisterous, local-hang-outy spot and to grab a few starters, but head elsewhere for your main courses.
Digging in a little more - this place has a few real strong points, most of them up front. The atmosphere is relaxed and unassuming. The decor is nothing special (see: bland industrial has a lovechild with a snow lodge), but it's got good energy and is well offset from some of Jackson Hole's more plentiful haute fooderies. The interior was spacious enough and i liked the split-level, high ceiling layout. A few details shined through as cool and creative - like each glass mug served at the bar being uniquely designed; making for easy brew identification after a jaunt to the bathroom tiled with kitschy hand-painted tiles.
The shining stars (as one might expect) were the suds. The beers are phenomenal! I tried a flight of 8 samples and found every single one to be highly drinkable. I even polished off the IPAs, which I normally favor as much as a chilled glass of windshield washer fluid. I liked the Jenny Lake Lager and Good Alt Days Ale so much, I'd brown bag them at work.
By the time I was tapping the bottom of my 2nd *hick* 3rd sampler beer, the starters arrived. Perfect timing. Had the trout cakes w/ salsa verde and some spicy elk jambalaya to start. Those went down well and quickly with the next few beers. The side of cornbread was a little dry, but I left nothing but crumbs so can't really ding them for that. All-in-all, these were some great locally inspired small plates.
The main courses had arrived as I savored the last few sips of the 5th masterfully crafted beer. I returned the mini glass to its designated slot in the wooden wheel of buzzery and dug into my well-plated trout. Everything was great to this point and I was really jazzed for the next course. And so began the end of my good buzz.
I had about half the dish before my tastebuds fell asleep on me and I put down my fork. Coming from a guy that would eat a napkin if some tasty sauce spilled on it, that says a lot. The fish was bland, the skin was soggy and overall, it ate like a poor man's frozen salmon fillet. The trout also had that note of what I can only describe as...garden soil flavor? Maybe it's typical for certain fish, but I usually only experience it with the frozen-in-a-baggy sort. Strange, since trout is a local fish. The three fillets were stacked on a bed of blah - a wet, pale colored mix of tomatoes, potatoes, soggy brussels sprouts, and I honestly couldn't tell you what else. I passed off a piece of fish to my dad and he passed it back, less one meager bite. Oh yeah, just remembered...there were bacon crumbles in there too.
My dad had The Roper, which was just as exciting as the Three's Company character by the same name. It was the sloppy joe of brisket sandwiches - served more like pulled pork - shredded on a soft hamburger bun. It was excessively fatty, moist leaning toward wet, topped with bacon and despite all earthly reason, still on the boring side! I think I heard a few of the sweet potato fries pleading for some salt or seasoning on their way to the trash bin. The horsey sauce that rode side saddle with the fries was pretty on point though.
We left most of the 7th and 8th mini beers behind; not a testament to their quality and more as a result of being done and ready to go. Left feeling full, but wanting. Found a bit of something between my teeth with my tongue on the way out the door and preferred spitting it out to savoring it. (Kindly stow your jokes.)
Service was good. A solid 18%; friendly, fairly attentive and smiley throughout. Food was served quickly and the jambalaya was hot enough to scald my tongue slightly - a bittersweet reminder of a middle of the road experience, bedazzled with some serious high points (beers and apps) and dragged down by the flatlined mains that were priced as they should have been had they lived up to their enticing descriptions on the menu. read more