--Plato
I went to Iron Hill Brewery on one of the first nice days of the year. I had been walking for most of the day and I wanted to sit in the sunshine and the warmth while I tried some of their famous beers. Things did not start out well.
It never ceases to amaze me that people who work in restaurants are still flummoxed by the idea that someone may want a table just for them. The hostess made it quite clear that she did not want to give up one of her precious outside tables for me, so she asked me to sit at the outside bar.
Now, that doesn't sound too bad, does it? Except that the bar was in the shade, it faced a brick wall with only March Madness on the TV to look at (I genuinely could not care less), and I was the only one sitting at the bar. To pile on the insults, the bartender was also in charge of the bar inside which was packed. I saw her to order and to pay my bill. So much for customer care. To say that I was irked is putting it mildly. I was there, however, and I did not feel like going somewhere else so I stayed.
The beer arrived like this and was just plopped down in front of me. Luckily, I know enough about beer that I could figure out the order in which to drink them.
Danny Dortmunder is a very nice lager that I could enjoy a full pint of. For a beer as light as it is, it had an enormous amount of taste without being too overbearing.
Philly Phavorite is an IPA that was not my favorite at first, but grew on me as I sipped it. It has a bit of pine finish that put me off as I prefer to look at trees, not drink them. As I continued to sample it, however, the strong pine mellowed a bit and I enjoyed it more than I would have guessed. Not one that I would choose again, but if you like a medium IPA, this may be right up your alley.
Homestead was my favorite. It reminded me of the best beers I have drunk in Belgium, which is a high compliment. It starts off a bit on the citrus side, but finishes with a spicy touch that I really enjoyed. I debated staying and having a pint of this, but decided against it as the service by this time had really annoyed me.
Russian Imperial Stout was incredibly good. Filled with a chocolate and espresso taste, I loved how this one hit my tongue. Stouts are a bit rich and thick for me to drink a pint at a time, but I loved this one and it was the perfect finish to my flight.
The food menu is pretty much what you would expect. I didn't find anything unusual or novel, but the items they had all appeared to be well thought out. I settled for the fish tacos that were quite good. The fish was not too breaded and not too oily and the batter had a lovely little kick to it.
Check out that slice of lime, however, I was shocked that whoever was in charge of sending out food would allow something like that to leave the kitchen. It was so withered and dry that I could not get any juice at all from it.
And, that is Iron Hill Brewery in a nutshell. The beers are very good and the food is certainly passable. But, the details are missing and the service needs an overhaul. I'm concerned that as one of the oldest breweries in a state now known for them, Iron Hill is resting on its laurels a bit. Either that, or it has so many locations that if one is not up to snuff, it doesn't really matter.
I would consider coming back because the beer is so good. However, I will not consider this one of the go-to breweries to visit.
Iron Hill Brewery
620 Justison Street, Wilmington
147 East Main Street, Newark
19815 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach
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