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Living on the southern portion of Bellevue has its perks, one of those being quick access to some of the East Side’s fine restaurants. I’ve already done a review for Mr. Brews’ Taphouse during ‘the normal times’, but we returned this weekend following reopening to see how this comfortable neighborhood beer house adjusted to what may very well become the new normal. A short drive took us to a place we had missed for the duration of our lockdown, and though we had been able to order food from them for most of it, it didn’t replace the feeling of sitting down at one of their tables. My husband and I had high ambitions of visiting another restaurant, but given that we are financially constrained, it seemed wisest to go somewhere we knew we loved already that would be kind to our pockets. I was trying to put a rough day of depression behind me, and in truest fashion, going out to eat felt like it might be the only cure. Some good beer, some fried food, and I normally found my mood highly improved. This remained true on our arrival to Mr. Brews’ Taphouse that Friday. The scene upon entering was a scene I imagine will play out across America as more and more states reopen. The tables were nicely spaced out, leaving plenty of room between groups of customers. The patrons at the bar allowed space between each party in what appeared to be instinct only. All waitresses wore masks, and all menus sat at a cleaning station where those waitresses cleaned them before and after they were given to patrons. It felt safe, and right now, that safety is as important as being able to just sit down and have a glass of beer with a few friends again. We are all feeling the fatigue associated with the lockdown orders. There is comfort at the bar and the hightop table when a cold glass lands with a plate of cheese curds and onion rings. It did wonders for me that evening. We have ate here before, so I won’t bore you with a repeat of my previous review on location. Know that I had the best onion rings of my life there that night, crunchy and with minimal onion slippage. Know that they offer Impossible burgers now if you’re vegetarian or just looking for a healthier alternative with your ice cold beer. Everything I have ever ate here is good. You can take a look at our original review here at this link.
If you are still afraid to go into a restaurant, they offer takeout and delivery amid their current protocols to keep their customers and staff safe, but I do suggest you visit if you’re in the Green Bay area. This is a moment in time where supporting local business is more important than ever. Restaurants are hurting bad after the time they were forced to close their dining rooms. You can help by purchasing gift cards for later visits, or in the case of Mr. Brews’ Taphouse, buying a glass growler for five dollars and filling it for the cost of the beer they list on their menu. My husband and I can’t go every week, but we can certainly stop in for a refill of a growler when we would otherwise be picking up a case of beer from a big box grocery store. It’s a good deal, and it tastes just as good as draft. The tone around Green Bay’s restaurants continues to be one of acceptance and patience. Patrons and employees alike follow the guidelines in place as if on instinct now, and it is creating a space of comfort inside these dining rooms that we all sorely need right now. Thanks again to Mr. Brews’ Taphouse for a wonderful meal and thoughtful consideration of the times we are all living in. You are a shelter in the storm right now, as all good restaurants are. The comfort of a warm meal and a cold drink can’t be understated. I will continue to seek them out in Green Bay and almost certainly find what I found here and at the Redwood Inn: patient people protecting and comforting each other.
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Originally Posted February 21, 2020 in the Archive It’s been a long while since I wrote a review for another local joint here in Green Bay. I’ve got to admit that my stomach has been on the absolute fuckin fritz for much of the new year, but we’re on the mend. After my first appointment here in Wisconsin, my husband and I went on a little adventure together that landed us at Anduzzi’s sports bar over by Lambeau Field. We’ve been by it more than a few times during our other many adventures in town, and never made the decision to stop in. With little snow showers falling outside, we stopped into the warm and cozy sports bar during happy hour. It was a blessing in disguise that it was also Friday. Most of the restaurants in the area do Friday fish fries year round, and Anduzzi’s was no exception. They proudly displayed their fish fry selection on the board just within the interest along with their happy hour specials. We sat down with eager bellies, and we had one of the nicest waitresses yet again.
The quality of service out here remains a mystery to me after almost two years of indifferent wait staff in Delaware, but I can’t take it for granted. It means a lot to be looked after and guided through a menu in a new place when we have questions, treated as if we aren’t a bother at all. We make sure to tip heavy whenever we receive this above average treatment, and it’s going to remain that way probably every time we go out in this city if our more recent outings are any indicator.
Their happy hour specials included buy one get one on tap beers, which of course includes the state’s beloved Spotted Cow. Rob and I get a Spotted Cow everywhere we go to start the meal, and with this buy one get one out there, we were able to branch out to other local beers for the second round. I tried Gumball Head from Three Floyds Brewing Company as my second, which was an American Pale Wheat. It came through a little hoppier than I am used to with wheat beers, but it was not unpleasant. The food cannot be forgotten either. The offerings are mostly what one would expect of a sports bar, including my personal favorite: Spinach Artichoke dip. Doesn’t matter where I go or where I get it, Spinach artichoke dip doesn’t disappoint. This one was particularly creamy with large pieces of artichoke hearts dispersed among the general body of the dip. They were pleasant bites when they appeared on your chip after the initial dunk. This was also my first experience with the traditional friday fish fry in the area. Perch is generally the featured fish, but most places will have a second type to choose from which ranges from cod to haddock to bass. Since I had never had fried perch before, I chose this option. It held up well to the frying process, and the cornmeal-esque coating remained crispy even into the next day’s leftovers. During Packers season, this place is absolutely insane. They set up a tent in their front parking lot to extend the amount of space available for patrons, and while we did not go in during our first Packers game, I could tell that it was full as we went by. When the season returns, maybe we’ll make the trip out that way to try it out for ourselves among a crowd. Anduzzi’s has several locations in the Green Bay area, not just this central location near Lambeau. If you’re on the East side or up in the Howard area, you don’t have to drive all the way to the field. Pay them a visit on a Friday to enjoy their fish fry, or stop in any day during the week before six for a lovely happy hour. Originally Posted February 25, 2020 in the Archive It was a welcome Saturday evening that led us down the road and into Mr. Brews Taphouse in Bellevue. We knew we wanted to go out, but we didn’t know what we wanted exactly. I’ve still got a bit of an aversion to taking much of a drive before or after dinner with the way my stomach has been lately, but I remembered a little burger joint that I’ve seen on my way to and from work the last few weeks. We decided on Mr. Brews Taphouse, and off we went. The most striking feature of the actual restaurant is the massive tap that they have behind the bar, hence the name. There’s something for everyone back there, even if the bar list appears to favor hoppier beers. We took more time choosing our beer than deciding on what we wanted to eat since there was so much to choose from-- fifty-nine different choices according to their website. I appreciated the options when I’m normally the person that orders a Spotted Cow without even looking at the beer list. They rotate out their beers as the seasons go on, and you can look forward to what they will have available by viewing the back of their beer menus. Most exciting to me was that a company from my college town, Destihl, would have a beer on the menu soon. The actual selection only changes by a handful of beers each time a rotation comes by the looks of it, but that’s okay. If they have customer favorites, they obviously have to keep those on the menu. |
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