Tap House Grill

emerge077

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2 | $$

Stopped in recently on the way to the Bavarian Lodge. This bar is located in the quaint shopping district of downtown Glen Ellyn. I drove by once, and didn't see it, there was no flashy sign, it was nestled into a space that was formerly an English/Irish pub (Firkin & Fox). "Beer spoken here" was painted on the front window.

The small interior had a small wooden bar with a corner beam to the ceiling, with seating for maybe 8. Dark wood, carpeting, and several tv's. A few small tables lined the walls, with 2 in the front window. I didn't explore further, I was here for the beer. There was a sign in the back with the beers listed, they were preprinted on little slats that slid in/out on the sign. Looking the taps over, I didn't see much that couldn't be found in any other bar. Looked at the "beer list" and this was confirmed. Little to no craft beer here, with Mikes Lemonade and Kaliber NA rounding it out. Out of 28 beers, there were less than 5 that could be considered quality craft. These were Alpha King, Fat Tire, Hacker-Pschorr, and Sam Adams Winter White. The rest were utterly dismissable. MGD, MGD 64, Miller Lite, Amstel, Heineken...if I had to venture a guess, a Miller distributor chose their beer selection. They may "speak beer here", but not "craft beer". Big difference.

Alpha King was $4.75 and served ice cold. At least the bartender was quick and friendly. Didn't stick around to try the food, but the menu seemed to be "upscale pub grub". This is the kind of place you might grab a beer while your significant other is shopping, but otherwise there's nothing for a BA here...I've heard the locations in Westmont & Oswego have better taps, but a similar ratio of craft to swill.

http://www.beermenus.com/places/2398-tap-house-grill-glen-ellyn-

04-03-2009 13:41:31 | More by emerge077