Taps is my destination spot, and my wife and I have pretty much been there every week since it opened at its new location.
The Beer
Taps has one of the best selections of beer in the city. IPAs, tripels pilsners, porters, saisons, the list goes one. You should be able to find a beer that you like there unless you prefer Bud or Coors Light. You won't see that tailgating beer here! The brew is constantly changing which is always great because it gives you an opportunity to try new brews. This was perfect for me when I decided to take a month off of IPAs(I know, crazy right?!). I was able to sample a whole bunch of different styled beers prior to my orders which was wonderful. I now have a new appreciation for saisons, porters, stouts, and barrel aged beer. The beer there gets five stars from me.
One thing that I've really appreciated about Taps are the Thursdays. Keep an eye on Facebook updates because they'll let you know what the spotlight brewery will be for that night starting at six. It's a great chance to see what each of the breweries around here have to deliver. On one Thursday, Taps had a Double and Triple IPA Night which was sooooo good. Being that it took place during March Madness, my wife and I decided to create our own beer bracket. We sampled nearly every beer and paired them against other IPAs. It turned out to be a really fun night and I'm looking forward to the next one! When are we going to see Firestone Walker there?!
The Service
The service has always been been excellent at Taps and the servers are always friendly and easy to talk to. If you have a questions, they're able to answer many of them and can offer good recommendations. We've always felt welcomed there.
The Food
I've had pretty much every meal there. Like the old Taps, you can expect to find some really good buffalo wings. I typically go for the stage two wings because they have pretty good heat to them; the stage three is a bit much for me. I like spicy foods but it was a little too much...everyone in the group I was with had a good laugh while eating them. They're hot!!
Another one of my faves is the charcuterie & cheese plate. In my opinion, cheese pairs way better with beer than wine. The plate used to have three cheeses - foggy morning, some other cheese, and a blue cheese. Since they started at the new location, I haven't seen too many blue cheeses and would like to see it back on the plate. Maybe they removed it because it wasn't that popular of a cheese? I love the selection of meats, nuts, and olives that comes along with it. Definitely a must get!
There's a good selection of different kinds of burgers and sandwiches; they are a pretty good size and are pretty good. For each of those categories, I have really liked the bison burger and the chicken sandwich.
Overall, I'd give the food a three to four star depending on what I'm in the mood for. I know that the menu is still evolving; I'm looking forward to seeing where the food menu heads. I'm not going to lie, I miss the paninis! They were pretty good, but I know that some customers(and staff) were tired of seeing them. They served it prior to the move at the Kentucky location because their old landlord wouldn't fix the exhaust fan in the kitchen. This prevented them from serving the wings, the large variety of fries, and hot dogs. Those were great too and I kinda miss them.
The place is pretty packed in the afternoons and during the weekends. I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out downtown, by the river, on a warm evening? It's perfect. Here's a tips though, if it's a breezy day, bring a sweatshirt because it tends to get pretty windy by the river. I loved the small crowds at the old place, so I'm not looking forward to seeing the large ones when the football season starts. Regardless, I'll be there around 10 or 11 to get a good seat at the bar.
My wife and I love this place and we hope to see you all there! Cheers! read more