The Taproom & Grill

I'm actually surprised I've never reviewed The Taproom.  This was located a 5 minute walk away from my old apartment.  It was a rainy Friday night and we couldn't decide on where to go.  The Taproom isn't a great food option place, but it's a friendly non-pretentious atmosphere and they have a great beer selection.  We walked in and were sat right away, though there were 5 girls standing around the hostess station which made it a little weird when walking in.

We sat down and were immediately greeted by our waitress who was patient and attentive.  I got one of their many beers on tap.  They feature mostly local beers which is fantastic.  I loaded up with a Yards Brawler, while the gf decided to get a frozen version of Mike's Hard Blackberry lemonade.  I tasted it and it was pretty fantastic.  They most definitely got an A+ there.  Drinks were mildly expensive, but that wasn't a huge deterrent.  For an appetizer we went with the buffalo chicken dip.  It came out super hot (temp-wise) and it was a good choice.  I've gotten nachos here as well and they are quite good.  They have pretty standard selections and would definitely try something else next time.

For our entrees the gf and I split the BBQ pulled pork sandwich and the shrimp po boy.  Both I thought were pretty decent.  The BBQ pulled pork had a great smokey flavor and the bbq sauce was sweet and tangy.  Definitely a good choice.  The shrimp po boy was a little disappointing.  The shrimp are breaded and most definitely done on premises (can tell by the breading).  The roll wasn't ideal for a po boy (I prefer a crustier italian roll).  The sauce was good, but it was clearly lacking the sandwich.  Need to slather it up a little better.  The fries are standard fare and are about what you expect.  They were frozen, but they were cooked well.

I've tried other things here before, but most of the entrees escape me.  Perhaps because the menu changes quite a bit.  They always have specials and was half tempted to get their softshell crab sandwich.  They have a great Taco Tuesday special.  Cheap dips/salsa/tacos/drinks.  Well worth it for that alone to check the place out.  They have a fantastic outside deck and live music on the weekend if you are into that sort of thing.

This is a local stand-by.  Seems like we go here a lot during baseball season. Our son plays across the street so we come here a lot after a game to grab a quick bite to celebrate a win or console a loss.  Sometimes the food and service are GREAT and others not so much- very inconsistant.  
Great sports bar to catch a game and a burger- not so great for a date night, sometimes very loud- The outside seating is nice in the summer and they often have a local band playing- so all in all it's an OK place, but nothing to drive any distance for.

I am giving this place four stars mainly due to the bartender who I once asked to "surprise" me and subsequently received the best drink I've ever had: a creamsicle flavored masterpiece. To this day, I visit Taproom for that drink.

I've spent the last two New Year's Eves here and definitely enjoyed myself. Plus, the deck is an awesome summer option.