South Street Brewery

Date
November 20, 2008

Location
Downtown, right by where they have the Farmer's Market
106 W South Street

What I ate
Chicken breast with BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese on a kaiser roll with fries; Satan's Pony Amber Ale

Who went
Matt and Suzie

Thoughts
The food was really good. It is, overall, just a solid place. The selection seems a little limited, but there is enough variety that you can find something to eat, as long as you aren't a vegetarian. I think there was one entree on the menu that didn't include meat. They also have a good variety of beers, letting you mix and match your beer with your dinner. My chicken was well-cooked and, while the roll lacked a little heartiness, the sandwich held together. The fries are tasty and crispy, though a few pieces were burnt.

My beer was a nice compliment to the chicken; it was nice and light but still tasty. Matt got the porter, which was delicious. I'm sure it would work beautifully alongside a burger. Ask him about that and his satay bowl. Suzie had nice things to say about the cider, though her stuffed trout was apparently a little boring.

The only real gripe was about the service, and it wasn't all that bad. Our beers were out very quickly but it just took a little while for the food to arrive. I have definitely waited much longer elsewhere and it wasn't so long that we ran out of conversation topics, but it just felt like the food could've found us a minute or two earlier. I think our waitress, who was nice and helpful when talking to us, was a little overextended as we were preparing to leave; it took a few tries to flag her down to get the bill and then pay. Again, this is not exclusive to South Street and wasn't that big of a problem, but there was a little room for improvement.

They do a good job with the pub feel - lots of wood (tables, chairs, walls) and good lighting makes the place feel warm and comfortable while the high ceilings give lots of space, making sure you don't feel cramped. It seems like a great place to go, especially with the weather getting colder, to hang out and have a few beers after wandering the Mall. I'll have to go back again soon.

Recap
Pros - Tasty food, cozy atmosphere, good beers
Cons - Service was a little slow, not vegetarian-friendly
Overall - High marks. There wasn't much to complain about unless you don't eat meat. They have good food and beers, and nothing seems particularly overpriced, especially for that area of town. This was my first time dining there, but it definitely won't be my last.