Hey folks,
On a recent trip to escape my life's problems (most of you know what they were). I once again found myself down in the Philadelphia region-- at the request of some good friends. Thankfully, the trip was worthwhile, yet incredibly hot. The heat was turned on at 99F the night I arrived (with about an 80% humidity) and it was 6pm! Damn. The following two days, the mercury hovered at a brutal 103F and a cool 97F, respectably. Whew! Is that hot or what?
Because of this excessive heat, there really wasn't too much to do in town (do you want to sit and watch a baseball game when the seats read 140F?). Nah, me neither. How about the beach? Can you imagine how hot that sand was? Scratch that! What else? Oh, let's eat and drink in the air con! :)
My friends Matt and Nicole suggested the Iron Hill Brewery for lunch. The Iron Hill is a small chain of brewpubs that are located between Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE to the south (and out to the Western Suburbs). All are located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The one we ate at was just east of Philly in Maple Shade, NJ.
After a warm, okay HOT car ride to the pub, we got in. The temp was icy. I loved it. Nothing like a blast of cold air on a hot day. We were promptly dealt with by the hostess that informed us that if we wanted to sit in the bar area, that we could choose any of the twenty or so tables (or get up to the bar). We chose the high tables, which allowed us to see the TVs with golf (of all sports) on. The restaurant itself, is very large and in total, I would say that there are about 50-60 tables in this place. However, the dining area is much more intimate and quieter than where we sat.
Upon sitting down, our waitress gave us our menus which we perused and felt really indecisive about! The selection is very nice for a brewpub and all over the shop with variety. Of course the regulars are present (wings, burgers, etc.). Before we get into the food, let's remember why this place was suggested to me.... the beer!
The beers range from a light beer to the diesel fuel "Second Rising" a double IPA using strictly Japanese hops @ 8.5% ABV (all are made in-house). As most of you know, you can tell which I preferred. They also have many different beers such as a couple Belgian-styled ales, amber ales, porters, etc. This pub has more beers on offer than I have ever seen in a brewpub. Top notch drinks and they're affordable as well. I opted for the Seasonal Sampler tray, which is roughly two pints broken up into eight glasses. You can also do the Traditional Sampler (which consists of the beers which are always available). Matty got the traditional and Nicole was into the light beer (after all, she was driving!).
Now, when drinking diesel fuel and other beers it's usually wise to put something something down to line that stomach! We opted for a unique starter that I hadn't seen before. A fusion cooking of sorts. Everyone knows egg rolls, you know the free things that come with Chinese food? Well, these ones are like none other. The three types that they have on the menu are: Oktoberfest Egg Rolls (which have bits of bratwurst, sauerkraut, cheddar, monterey jack, green onion and are served with a stone ground mustard sauce), Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls (Monterey jack, grated carrot, celery served with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese dressing), and finally Cheesteak Egg Rolls (fried onion, American cheese, matchstick potatoes served with ketchup and a cream horseradish dipping sauce). Because Nicole didn't like the Oktoberfest, I didn't try the Cheesesteak one. However, that was due to Matt and I bargaining over the last Buffalo Chicken one (that was left over). I liked the rolls, the Oktoberfest one was really good. The mustard was an excellent touch and out of the two I tried, the best. The Buffalo one needed something more. I think that the sauce should have been present inside the roll-- or adding real bleu cheese instead of jack would have given it more "pop." Nonetheless, I wouldn't refuse either if offered again. Next time, I would just get the Cheesesteak one (which I will fairly soon-- when I get "Down the shore," like they say).
Their mains are salmon, tuna, steaks, meatloaf and pot pies. Burgers and Pizzas are also present as they should be. They also have a large selection of huge salads. Iron Hill even offers a gluten free menu for those that cannot eat wheat. All the main courses (not pizzas or burgers) hover around the $15 range. Not bad for an establishment like this, and their price point is dead on. The pizzas range from $10-15 and the burgers are all around ten bucks.
If memory serves correctly, Nicole ordered a salad, which was nicely presented and was very fresh looking. Matty and I needed something with more "teeth" and something that would stick to our guts. Both of us opted for burgers. The burgers are a manly, half pound of Angus beef. Lovely! I ordered mine rare (which is a good sign-- only places that are confident you won't get sick will do this) with sharp cheddar. I loved it. Matty didn't enjoy his as much, but he didn't specify how he wanted it cooked. Mine was juice with meat-- meaning that my roll was almost soaked through with that bloody goodness (sorry, didn't mean to freak any of you out by using that analogy). Frankly, it was the best burger that I've had in quite some time-- actually since the diner in North Vale (an earlier post).
After roughly two hours and four beers, it was time to move on and back into the inferno. If you're in the Philly, Newark or Wilmington areas and like beer, I recommend this place highly. It's would also be a great spot to catch a game-- although leave your Mets hats at home (unless you go to one of the Delaware locations). Don't fret if some of your friends dislike beer, they alo have a fully stocked top-shelf bar and I am sure they know how to use it.
Total for three of us and drinks came out to be in the $80 range. Not bad. Next installment will touch on an "Irish" pub, also in Southern New Jersey. Happy chomping!
Iron Hill Brewery- Maple Shade, NJ
On a recent trip to escape my life's problems (most of you know what they were). I once again found myself down in the Philadelphia region-- at the request of some good friends. Thankfully, the trip was worthwhile, yet incredibly hot. The heat was turned on at 99F the night I arrived (with about an 80% humidity) and it was 6pm! Damn. The following two days, the mercury hovered at a brutal 103F and a cool 97F, respectably. Whew! Is that hot or what?
Because of this excessive heat, there really wasn't too much to do in town (do you want to sit and watch a baseball game when the seats read 140F?). Nah, me neither. How about the beach? Can you imagine how hot that sand was? Scratch that! What else? Oh, let's eat and drink in the air con! :)
My friends Matt and Nicole suggested the Iron Hill Brewery for lunch. The Iron Hill is a small chain of brewpubs that are located between Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE to the south (and out to the Western Suburbs). All are located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The one we ate at was just east of Philly in Maple Shade, NJ.
After a warm, okay HOT car ride to the pub, we got in. The temp was icy. I loved it. Nothing like a blast of cold air on a hot day. We were promptly dealt with by the hostess that informed us that if we wanted to sit in the bar area, that we could choose any of the twenty or so tables (or get up to the bar). We chose the high tables, which allowed us to see the TVs with golf (of all sports) on. The restaurant itself, is very large and in total, I would say that there are about 50-60 tables in this place. However, the dining area is much more intimate and quieter than where we sat.
Upon sitting down, our waitress gave us our menus which we perused and felt really indecisive about! The selection is very nice for a brewpub and all over the shop with variety. Of course the regulars are present (wings, burgers, etc.). Before we get into the food, let's remember why this place was suggested to me.... the beer!
The beers range from a light beer to the diesel fuel "Second Rising" a double IPA using strictly Japanese hops @ 8.5% ABV (all are made in-house). As most of you know, you can tell which I preferred. They also have many different beers such as a couple Belgian-styled ales, amber ales, porters, etc. This pub has more beers on offer than I have ever seen in a brewpub. Top notch drinks and they're affordable as well. I opted for the Seasonal Sampler tray, which is roughly two pints broken up into eight glasses. You can also do the Traditional Sampler (which consists of the beers which are always available). Matty got the traditional and Nicole was into the light beer (after all, she was driving!).
Now, when drinking diesel fuel and other beers it's usually wise to put something something down to line that stomach! We opted for a unique starter that I hadn't seen before. A fusion cooking of sorts. Everyone knows egg rolls, you know the free things that come with Chinese food? Well, these ones are like none other. The three types that they have on the menu are: Oktoberfest Egg Rolls (which have bits of bratwurst, sauerkraut, cheddar, monterey jack, green onion and are served with a stone ground mustard sauce), Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls (Monterey jack, grated carrot, celery served with buffalo sauce and bleu cheese dressing), and finally Cheesteak Egg Rolls (fried onion, American cheese, matchstick potatoes served with ketchup and a cream horseradish dipping sauce). Because Nicole didn't like the Oktoberfest, I didn't try the Cheesesteak one. However, that was due to Matt and I bargaining over the last Buffalo Chicken one (that was left over). I liked the rolls, the Oktoberfest one was really good. The mustard was an excellent touch and out of the two I tried, the best. The Buffalo one needed something more. I think that the sauce should have been present inside the roll-- or adding real bleu cheese instead of jack would have given it more "pop." Nonetheless, I wouldn't refuse either if offered again. Next time, I would just get the Cheesesteak one (which I will fairly soon-- when I get "Down the shore," like they say).
Their mains are salmon, tuna, steaks, meatloaf and pot pies. Burgers and Pizzas are also present as they should be. They also have a large selection of huge salads. Iron Hill even offers a gluten free menu for those that cannot eat wheat. All the main courses (not pizzas or burgers) hover around the $15 range. Not bad for an establishment like this, and their price point is dead on. The pizzas range from $10-15 and the burgers are all around ten bucks.
If memory serves correctly, Nicole ordered a salad, which was nicely presented and was very fresh looking. Matty and I needed something with more "teeth" and something that would stick to our guts. Both of us opted for burgers. The burgers are a manly, half pound of Angus beef. Lovely! I ordered mine rare (which is a good sign-- only places that are confident you won't get sick will do this) with sharp cheddar. I loved it. Matty didn't enjoy his as much, but he didn't specify how he wanted it cooked. Mine was juice with meat-- meaning that my roll was almost soaked through with that bloody goodness (sorry, didn't mean to freak any of you out by using that analogy). Frankly, it was the best burger that I've had in quite some time-- actually since the diner in North Vale (an earlier post).
After roughly two hours and four beers, it was time to move on and back into the inferno. If you're in the Philly, Newark or Wilmington areas and like beer, I recommend this place highly. It's would also be a great spot to catch a game-- although leave your Mets hats at home (unless you go to one of the Delaware locations). Don't fret if some of your friends dislike beer, they alo have a fully stocked top-shelf bar and I am sure they know how to use it.
Total for three of us and drinks came out to be in the $80 range. Not bad. Next installment will touch on an "Irish" pub, also in Southern New Jersey. Happy chomping!
Iron Hill Brewery- Maple Shade, NJ
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