City Tap House

After a fun Quizzo experience at Local 44, we decided to see how City Tap's compared last week and left disappointed.

First off, the website lists that it starts at 10pm (which I even called to confirm). The host didn't show up until 10:40, which according to our waitress, is the new standard this summer. And as it turns out, Johnny 'Goodtimes' is actually a miserable guy in his 30s with the personality and emceeing skills of a log. Pretty tough to sit through that for over an hour.

Beer list is huge, albeit more expensive than it really should be for a lot of the selection. Our friends ordered a pizza, which they said was good despite being pretty small for $14+.

All in all, can't say there's much of a reason that I'd come here over Local 44, so approach with caution.

If you want to pay $7, $8, or $9 for a beer that elsewhere in the city would cost $5 or $6; be served by bartenders who think a 3/4-full pint is good enough; and eat food that feels lazy at best and hostile at worse --- then, well, here you go. What in the world keeps this place in business?

An ample draft list combined with classed up gastropub fare should equal success, especially in this beer-crazed city. Unfortunately, Tap House shows a lack of thought on both food and drink fronts, translating to a merely decent experience when there are elements in place for greatness.

Tap House's 60-deep beer list should, in theory, have plenty of great options for any palette. Alas, there are always a handful of well-priced, tasty brews worth drinking here (Yards Saison and Ommegang Rare Vos during my last visit). But the rest of the tap list? Mottled by overpriced beers ($7 for 10 ounces of a 4% abv wit? No thanks) or beers that just suck (A chipotle stout we sampled that our waiter claimed nobody ever ordered. If nobody likes it why is it there?). I'd personally rather have 10 well-curated, reasonably priced taps than pages of crap. At least you can try before you buy with copious free samples.

The food also exhibits one too many execution errors to attain excellence. Mussels are consistently overcooked and fishy. Flatbreads and sandwiches often have an ingredient or two that throws off the whole dish (ridiculously salty and astringent kalamata olives in the case of otherwise delicious octopus flatbread and lamb burger, for example).

Again, if a little more attention was paid to the details, the food could match up with the city's better restaurants and bars. The open atmosphere and huge deck with fire pits make Tap House a solid choice for UCity dining and drinking, but it falls short of its ambition to be a temple for excellent food and beer. 3.5 stars.