I couldn't wait to try out the brand new
Port Aransas Brewing Company. We stopped by for lunch on opening day. Not a good idea.
On the positive side, I thought the new building was nice. It seems to be designed to reflect the property's past life as a garage with large windows taking the place of garage bay doors. They have a bunch of nice flat screen TVs scattered throughout. I think if you were there to watch TV you would not be disappointed. This would be a nice place to catch a game on the tube and sip a cool one. They do have a good selection of bottled beers as well as their own brews.
I'll skip most of the negative stuff, for now, since I'm optimistic about their ability to correct the service and food issues that were going on when I visited. I do plan on giving them a second chance. I ordered a hamburger and got a cheeseburger. No big whoop, I can deal. The hamburger actually looked good. Unfortunately, it had all the heft of a happy meal hamburger and was completely devoid of beef flavor. The cheese was that fake, easy-melting kind that also suffers from lack of flavor. I'm sure plenty of people like this type of cheese since it seems like many restaurants use it; it is just something I try to avoid. Don't get me wrong, I adore (real) cheese. The burger came with fries and a tasty black bean,
pozole salsa. Our table ordered a pizza, grilled cheese sandwich, fried shrimp sandwich, hot dog, and
queso and chips. I only tried the
queso, which was fine. The accompanying
tostadas are served heated, which I do appreciate.
I tried one of their own brews, the Port
Aransas Pop
Pilsner. It was just OK; crisp and light with a bitter finish. I felt like it could use a little more balance. Although I've certainly consumed more than my fair share, I am not a beer connoisseur so please don't give my opinion too much weight. Does anyone know if a
pilsner should have a head?
