It was just before noon. We easily found a parking spot. We were welcomed with a nice smile. We were immediately seated. And our waiter was promptly there to take drink orders. He didn't complain when I asked him to redo my kid's apple juice without ice. He was fine with substituting Alfredo sauce for red sauce for the other kid. AND he liked to talk beer--couldn't have been a better matched server for me.
I went right for their "new" beer, an IPA called HopStorm. And it was very tasty. Nice bready, malty backbone with a solid amount of hops and spicy bitterness. Good balance, flavorful, quite enjoyable. After I polished that off, the waiter asked me what I thought. I told him it was great. He said he thought it was perhaps a little more like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, not hoppy enough. I heard that opinion and was OK with his analysis, but I felt it as a solid IPA.
He went on to let me know his friend was a homebrewer and they had just "celebrated" a successful SNPA clone the night before. He used that as a segue to let me know about a beer dinner they are hosting next Monday, May 21, 2012. It appears to be a 5 Course Dinner paired with 7 Beers from BJ's and Magic Hat. He told me that he's going with 10 of his buddies. Anyway, it costs $30 and you can call 954-430-3545 if you want to check it out. There are other locations too with the same event besides Pembroke Pines so if you're not local, check their website.
I thoroughly enjoyed my burger and fries, which I paired with their Harvest Hefeweizen. This wasn't a bad beer. Had a nice fruity flavor and a little tang. Fairly wheaty. It was easy to see that the glass was not perfectly clean, but I didn't say anything. It was Mother's Day and I had just come from church.
As my son and wife shared a dessert, I grabbed one final beer, the Tatonka Stout. This beer has a very creamy and luscious texture. Malty sweet chocolate with a solid amount of roast. Nice bitterness and balance. Nuances of coffee and vanilla come with a small alcohol bite toward the end. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was shocked to hear my wife agree. SHOCKED!
Anyway, I took a few photos at the bar to show you their full lineup of taps, both their own beers as well as guest taps, which there were many. They also had a fairly extensive bottle list in their menu, which I didn't take too much time to read, but it was solid. I will definitely be back and suggest you do the same for a relaxing, casual lunch or dinner with some great beers. Damn it! I probably should've got the guy's number for a date. LOL.
HopStorm IPA |
Tatonka Stout |
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