Best RI Spots For Beer And A Bite With Dad
Thursday, June 13, 2013
It was a bonding experience -- that first time you got to sit with your pop and (legally) have a beer with him. As we come up on Father's Day, we began to think of fun places to grab a beer and a bite with Dad. We're lucky to have a lot of fun, creative places to imbibe here in Rhode Island and here are 5 of our favorites...
What Cheer Tavern, Providence
A relative newcomer to the local craft beer bar scene, What Cheer Tavern is one of our new favorite spots. An impressive beer selection is paired with treats made from some of the best local farms--Baffoni Farms and Pat's Pastured to name a couple. We wandered in soon after they opened and were very pleasantly surprised by the place. It's small, but from decor to staff to beer to food, everything was a hit. There are more beers on the menu then there are food choices but, really, you only need try the poutine. Hand cut fries are topped with cheese curds or straight up cheese and finished with a sauce--traditionally brown gravy. They turn them on their ears here with one featuring pulled pork and potato chip crumbles and another featuring the flavors of nachos with house pickled jalapenos. Grab yourself a delicious New England-produced beer and try the local flavors! 228 New York Ave. 680-7639, www.whatcheertavern.com
E&O Tap, Providence
During the last decade, there have been many food revolutions occurring at the same time. We love E&O Tap because they combine two of them on most weekends: the craft beer revolution and the food truck revolution. E&O is a funky place that attracts a diverse crowd of young and old. You will feel comfortable whether you are a Hipster or a Gen X'er. The beer selection is well thought-out and runs the gamut, giving everybody the choice of choosing an old favorite or finding a new one. The other portion occurs on the weekends: E&O doesn't serve their own food so they allow local food trucks to park outside, you can grab some food truck love--say, Poco Loco Tacos--and bring it back inside. They have also been known to do crawfish boils as a thank you to their loyal fans. It's one of the best spots in town to taste the revolution! 289 Knight St. 454-4827, www.eandotap.com
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTGraduate Center Bar at Brown University, Providence
SHH...We are about to tell you a secret, one that will make Dad feel young and cool again. There is a craft beer bar in Providence that is one of the highest rated in the state by Beer Advocate and most people have never heard about it. On the Brown University campus there is a "membership only" bar called the Graduate Center Bar. Now, a $5 donation at the door will bypass that membership and allow you entrance. Once inside, settle in for a delicious craft beer or an inexpensive cocktail -- low prices make it totally worth the membership fee. The menu is limited but the cheese board includes local favorite Atwells Gold from Narragansett Creamery. The other cool thing as far as we're concerned is the hard-to-find location of the bar. It makes those who find it feel in on the secret. Head down the sketchy driveway two blocks from the substation on Power Street - head round the dumpster and into the unmarked door - just down that hall and past the restrooms is the GCB. Oh yeah...no sign to help either. 42 Charlesfield St. 421-0270.
Mews Tavern, Wakefield
A longtime resident of craft beer-ville, the Mews is now and has been one of the state's best spots for beer and food. Imagine 69 beers on tap alongside terrific pub food and that's the Mews. We first tried it years ago when stuck for a spot for a big family dinner. They were very accommodating and treated us really well. Many trips later we settled on Mews as our fave beer bar in the area. Hard-to-please dads will definitely find a new favorite burger or pizza on the extensive menu...when in doubt, get the nachos.The constant rotation of beer makes this a real winner. We are big fans of the Alagash White. It has a background spice of orange and coriander that makes a refreshing beer. It is a perfect beer to pair with a burger or some local seafood. 456 Main St. 783-9370, www.mewstavern.com
Doherty's Ale House, Warwick
One of the patron saints of the local gastro-pub movement is Jack Doherty. His pubs are famous locally for tasty food and an even tastier selection of beer. We first found Doherty's East Avenue Café in Pawtucket and fell in love with the hustle, bustle and beer. Since then Doherty has worked his magic on the Shannon View Inn, in Warwick, and Sullivan's Public House in Pawtucket. All locations feature good bar food and one of the best beer selections around. His latest venture? Taking over the former location of Bugaboo Creek--and Howard Johnson's?-- just off the highway in Warwick. This spot gives him the size to do some things he hasn't been able to do in the smaller spots he operates. The new location just opened yesterday, but we can tell you that Jack doesn't do growing pains, so the usual waiting period for new places gets thrown out the window. Get there now! 30 Jefferson Blvd. 270-9800, www.facebook.com/DohertysAleHouse
