We've been here before, but I guess we've been sleeping on this place because we had a great recent…read morevisit on a Saturday afternoon. I want to go back!
The restaurant itself has a nice style, but it has more of an open concept vibe. It can get loud indoors, especially if there's a sporting event on. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a Taphouse, after all, but it's something to keep in mind if you're looking for a quieter restaurant.
The staff has always been very nice. We've never had any issues with the service.
We were starving, so we ordered quite a bit of food. We started with the crispy fried pickles. These are pretty dang great, and my wife described them as the "best fried pickles" she's ever had. I thought they were good too, but maybe not the best. You get a decent amount, a little expensive at $12.
We decided to splurge on a second appetizer and ordered the jumbo bacon cheddar chive tots. These are absolutely amazing. "Heavenly" is probably the best way to describe them. I feel like I could eat 30 of these in one sitting because they're that good. They have to be some of the best jumbo tots I've ever had at a restaurant, and the house aioli makes them even better. They're $13, and while they're still a little expensive, you do get a good portion. They're good enough that I'd call them an absolute must order.
My wife got the Spicy Honey Salmon Bowl and really liked it. Since it's salmon, it's obviously going to be a little more expensive, but I was impressed with the portion size. She even had leftovers to take home, and she said they reheated really well.
I've been searching for the best Nashville hot chicken sandwich in the area, so I decided to order theirs. It's also available in a "Minnesota Nice" spice level, but I ordered the regular spice version. Overall, it was pretty good, but it's not the best Nashville hot chicken sandwich I've had. That said, it's probably one of the better ones in the area and MUCH MUCH better than Barley & Vine's version.
I do wish it had been a little hotter because it really isn't that spicy. There's a little heat, but not much. As for the flavor of the sauce, I thought it was good, but I've definitely had better and I've certainly had worse. Overall, it's a solid sandwich, and I'd order it again. I got it with their fries and have no complaints there either.
We sat outside since the weather was nice and really enjoyed the patio. The bugs were a little annoying, but there's only so much the restaurant can do about that. The service wasn't slow, but it also wasn't particularly fast. Our waitress was kind.
Altogether, we ended up spending over $80 after tax and tip. It felt a little pricey, but we did order two appetizers, and my wife had salmon. There are definitely more affordable options on the menu, and considering what most restaurants are charging these days, I can't complain too much.
One thing I can and will complain about, and it's partially why I deducted a star, is the 3% credit card fee. They're passing part of their overhead operating/processing costs on to the customer, on top of the higher menu prices we've all seen over the past few years. That's disappointing to see.
All that said, I recommend this restaurant, and we'll definitely be back. The credit card processing fee is incredibly annoying, and while the Nashville hot chicken sandwich wasn't amazing, it was still good. The jumbo bacon cheddar chive tots are an absolute must order, and the staff has always been friendly.