Buckeye Beer Engine - Lakewood

We met friends in Lakewood to try out the Buckeye Beer Engine.  It was packed when we walked in and we were informed of a 1 hour wait.  We moved over to the large bar and ordered drinks.  This proved to be difficult because of the HUGE beer list.  We all ended up ordering drafts and loving them.  They had a large selection of beers, seasonal, bottles and drafts.  We sat down in a little under an hour and ordered three appetizers.  The first is Beer Caps which is breaded and fried jalapenos with chipotle ranch dressing.  We all liked them even tho some people thought they were a little too hot (not TBG).  The next app was Buckeye Chips which were fresh made chips with wucumber sauce.  The wucumber sauce is wasabi-cucumber and was great.  The last app was the fried pickles.  I loved them, not sure what makes them better than others but they were great.  The pickles also came with the wucumber sauce. 

Next came the entrees.  The Beer Engine is known for their burgers so almost everyone got that.  If you did not get a pickle for an appetizer, never fear because every burger comes with one.  The fries are extra but are very good, nice and crispy.  The first burger is the Blackened which has Cajun seasoning, grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, and blue cheese.  The burgers were cooked exactly as ordered and were very good, and pretty big.  I did not order one because I knew I couldn't eat the whole thing.  I also wanted to try one of the seasonal dishes.  I ordered the chicken paperkash.  It was ok, there was a lot of food but it was a little bland.  The next burger is the West Side which is carmalized onions, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a pierogi!  It was very good, the person who ordered it said the pierogi went so well with the burger.  The last burger is the Southwestern which is roasted red peppers, pepper jack cheese, grilled jalapenos, and chili sauce.  TBG really enjoyed it.  The service was pretty good.  The hostess took our names then gave us the beer list so we could look that over and order while we waited.  She also offered to get drinks for us.  Our server was prompt with food and new drinks after we sat down.  The bartender was also good, they were out of the beer I ordered so she gave me a sample of another similar beer to see if I would like that before she poured me one.  The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly.  The atmosphere wasn't anything too special, but it didn't take away from the experience.  Behind the bar was a full wall of taps and seasonal beer listings.  The value wasn't too bad for what we got.  We got great beer, lots of quality food, and good service.  I would definately recommend The Beer Engine to anyone spending time in Lakewood. 

Service____ 8 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____10 Chipps

Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

Tremont Tap House - Tremont

There are so many good resturants in Tremont and the Tap House is one of them.  It looks like a normal house on the outside but has a huge bar in the inside.  There is also an outside patio but it was too hot the day we were there to even think about it.  They live up to their name by having more beer on tap then I have seen in awhile.  There are not many tables so be prepared to sit at the bar or stand if they are busy.  We were actually not that hungry when we came in this day so we thought we would start by splitting a pizza.  There was a few that sounded good but we decided on one that had quail eggs, prosciutto, and fresh mozz.  It was great.  Each slice had it's own tiny fried egg and the prosciutto was thick sliced but still crispy.  The pic did not come out the best but there was plenty of creamy fresh mozzarella.  The crust was perfect, not too thin for all the great toppings, but not so thick as to take away from the taste of the quality ingredients.  The pizza wasn't actually all that big.  It was a good size to split as a starter, but not a meal.  It would have been too big for me to eat alone, but I would have eaten most of it if I was hungry.  Since we weren't done with our beers we decided to order one more thing.  We got the German Pretzel.  It was average but came with a delicious beer cheese sauce.  The prices were not bad.  The pretzel was a little much, but I thought the pizza was cheap for the quality of ingredients.  The beers were average to high priced, but you are paying for the selection and that is definatly worth it.  The service was good.  We got there a little before the dinner crowd came in so at first our server was not busy, but she still kept coming back and getting us things even after she was busy.  

Service____ 7 Chipps

Food____7 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer List____10 Chipps

Wine List____5 Chipps

Value____7 Chipps

North End - Hudson

North End is a nondescript building a few miles north of downtown Hudson on Darrow Rd.  When you first enter you notice the coolers of exotic beers and the bar.  When you continue on into the restaurant you walk into a wine haven.  Shelves of wine lines the walls and a wine bar is in the middle of the room.  The rest of the room is filled with intimate tables to eat and enjoy wine.  

I got the short rib with gnocchi and brussel spouts.  The red sauce was a wine reduction.  It was delicious.  The meat was tender and moist, the gnocchi were pan fried and salty, and the sprouts were tender and fresh.  Higher quality than I expected at a wine bar with a good beer selection.  TBG got the kobe, salami, bologna and cheese burger.  He liked it a lot, said it was a great combination of meats.  It doesn't look like much in the picture, but the coleslaw was good too, very fresh tasting.  The fries were parmesan garlic, tasty!  What we really went there for was the wine, so when everyone else that was meeting us there arrived we got wine!  TBG and the other guys got beer, but us girls got wine.  Then the table turned into a middle school dance with the guys talking about sports and beer on one side and the girls talking about clothes and wine on the other.  

Later in the night we had to get something else to eat.  We got the fondue.  It had strawberries, marshmallow, and pound cake.  Perfect for a wine night!  The price of the food was reasonable because the quality was so good.  The wine was a little overpriced, but the retail bottles seem average priced.  The retail selection was good.  The beer in the bottles was reasonably priced, the selection was great.  The draft beers were a little pricey, but high quality.  

Service____ 8 Chipps               

Food____8 Chipps

Atmosphere____8 Chipps

Beer/Wine List____9 Chipps

Value____8 Chipps