We tried a total of 6 samplers. They were presented on a wooden lily pad.
Hefeweizen - Kevin liked this one best. Light and refreshing. A fairly typical hefe.
Blonde Ale - hoppy
IPA - hoppy
Red Ale - kinda hoppy
Belgian White - bitter finish on a the palette. Overall ok.
Scotch Ale - Though I liked the hefe, I liked this ale better. Nice, complex flavor with a hint of scotch note on the palette.
As to food, we both had Fish & Chips. There was a bit of a twist with these entrees though - the fish is wood-smoked. I had the salmon and Kevin had the basa. Overall, a satisfactory nontraditional version of F&C, but in all honesty there wasn't much smoked flavor to the fish. The salmon held together well, was moist and the batter was crisp and not too oily. The basa, which I wouldn't have considered appropriate for F&C, was ok due to the smoking adding some flavor. The fries were excellent and the coleslaw was crisp with sufficient dressing to add flavor and not drown it. We would probably order the Salmon Fish & Chips again, but probably not the Basa.
The atmosphere is a little on the dark side. We were there for lunch around 12:30 on a Saturday. The place had about 20 patrons. The wait staff was efficient, friendly and attentive. Even for that time of day, the interior was dark, which made the menus a little hard to read. They're going for an English Pub feel, which is moderately successful. We sat in a booth and the benches and seat backs were comfortable, but I did feel that I was sitting a little low to the table. Kevin seemed to be sitting a little higher. The acoustics are kind of loud in the main dining room. For the amount of people, the sounds really bounced. I can imagine it's very noisy during peak hours and may hinder intimate conversations.
As to the beers, on our next visit, we will definitely enjoy a pint of the Hefe and the Scotch Ale. They were very drinkable and of good quality. There were several other items on the menu that looked very tempting and I can't wait to give them a try on our next visit.
