Reads Landing Brewing Company

The Highlights:
This place has the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had and a beer made with Cap'n Crunch.  I could end the review right there and it should be enough to pique your interest.  

The Run-Down:
This place is a must-stop if you are making a trek down 61 - and judging by the motorcycles out front, the word has gotten out.  A friend of mine and myself stopped by here on a recent trip to Winona and it proved to be well worth the visit.

Outside, this place has a good old-timey look.  The flat-front brick building looks as though it could be the centerpiece of a town in the Old West, however, it stands alone overlooking a beautiful section of the Ol' Mississip.  Apparently, the building has been in the owner's family for generations and they have done an excellent job with up-keeping and up-dating.  Heading through the front door, customers are greeted with a wide-open floor plan and a room that is filled with old, classic, worn wood floors and beams as well as many modern amenities such as flat-screen TVs (this is important for a sports fan like myself).  There is even a living-room-style sitting area complete with a couch that overlooks the picturesque river-scene out front.

The staff was extremely friendly and delivered our beer flights right away.  All of the beers had great flavor without being overly powerful.  I would describe each of them as good "entry level" beers into their individual styles.  The highlight for me was definitely the Cap'n Amber, which utilizes Cap'n Crunch cereal as one of the grains used in the brewing process.  While it didn't taste like Cap'n Crunch, the smooth Amber brew was a great mid-range beer with a great balance of hoppiness and maltiness.  I could have sat in a window seat and stared at the river with some Cap'n Amber in hand all day.

While we were sampling our beers, our server brought me what was the real treat of the day, my pulled-pork sandwich.  This sandwich is a "Carolina-Style" BBQ, which means it is sauceless and instead relies on the meats own flavor, coupled with a dry-rub and a bit of vinegar.  The meat could not have been more tender.  It literally had a velvety mouth-feel.  The meat was VELVETY!  I could tell just from the quality of the meat that great care was put into the preparation.  In addition, the vinegar mix and dry-rub spices were spot-on.  I found out later that the owner works with another local to create the delicious combination of meat, spice, and vinegar and that it is smoked right there in Reads Landing.  Couple the sandwich with a little 'slaw and some sweet potato tots (complete with honey-butter for dipping) and I was right there in food-heaven.

Great food, Great Beer, Great View, Great People.  Seems like a recipe for success to me.  Make sure you swing by next time you're heading down 61, or heck, hop on your hog and make a specific trip to RLBC and take in the amazing fall colors that the Mississippi River Valley has to offer!

Wow. Everything we ordered exceeded our expectations. Four thumbs up on the shrimp & grits, the wings, and the salted caramel cupcake.

Stopped there for the second time today and once again my mind was blown. I had the battered walleye and garlic fries. The walleye was perfectly cooked and melts in my mouth. The breading on the fish I likened to a pronto pup but with tasty fish inside. Loved the Cap'n Amber beer too. I highly reccomend to anyone in the area.