Thursday, March 8, 2018

Taft's Ale House



Taft’s Ale House – Friday, March 2nd 

I’d heard a lot of good things about Taft’s, so when I was trying to decide where to go for my birthday it came up as an option and ended up winning. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of going on the night of the annual Bockfest Parade, so parking was difficult (and expensive) to find, and it took us nearly an hour and a half to get a table! It’s a really neat place, though.

Taft’s opened in 2015 in what’s considered the Over-the Rhine neighborhood. It’s a brewery, bar, and restaurant that apparently has three levels to it, but on this night we stayed on the 2nd level, which has the look of your typical beer hall, including large picnic-style tables, a bar right down the center, and a few TV’s. When you walk in, you immediately notice the classical, dramatic ceilings of an old-style church, which makes sense, as it’s located inside the former St. Paul’s German Evangelical Protestant Church on Race Street (built in 1850).

While we were waiting, we grabbed a round of beers from the bar. I tried the Cherrywood Amber, a red ale. It was smooth and had a just hint of smokiness. Once seated, service was very good and our meals arrived quickly. Their menu focuses on Tri-Tip Steak, so I chose something featuring it, the Cherrywood Tri-Tip Tacos (which went well with my beer since they marinate the sirloin in it). They were priced just right at $9.50 for 3, and I enjoyed them, especially the essence of cumin in the sour cream. I topped it off by trying their Maverick Chocolate Porter. The flavor of the cacao really stood out, but wasn’t overpowering. It was dark, but still went down very smoothly, much like the Amber.

It was a fun night with a few of my friends!

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