A love/hate relationship…

A love/hate relationship…

Review of: 21st Amendment Brewery Cafe

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Sigh. I really, really want to love 21A. It’s fresh beer, perfectly acceptable food and only a block away… yet, there’s something unsatisfying about it.

It’s not the beer. Overall, the house made beer is better than average… if a little pricy ($4.75 per pint)… and they offer cask ale once a week. It’s not the food either – the asian-style ribs I had as a snack were actually quite good, though I didn’t understand why they served them with field greens. It’s also not the staff- the bartenders there are friendly, efficient and overall pleasant to be around. They also started to serve guest beers from local breweries like Drakes and Speakeasy – a real plus.

I think that the problem is that everything just doesn’t fit together properly. The bar is small, the restaurant space is industrial (but not in a chic sort of way), and you just don’t know if they want to be a restaurant that serves its own beer or a bar that wants to serve food. There’s nothing wrong about it, but there’s something not quite right either.

Don’t get me wrong – I’ve met Nico (one of the owners) and watched this place for years, and I love having this place in the neighborhood. Even if it’s not inviting… and the beer and food is expensive… and it closes earlier than I want on the weekends and…