Big Man Eats: Springfield Brewing Company, Springfield, Missouri
Springfield Brewing Company, also known as “Brew Co,” has been a staple of downtown Springfield since it opened in 1997. Their wide selection of in-house craft beers and craft cocktails work with their scratch kitchen that focuses on local ingredients to provide guests with plenty of quality eats and drinks. Dining options include a variety of sandwiches, burgers, salads, and entrees. Olivia and I enjoyed our dinner of comfort food in Brew Co’s warm atmosphere. We can see why they have been making people happy with food and drink for the past two decades.
Rankings: out of 10 (1= Never ordering again 10=Order every time)
Chips, Salsa, Queso: 7.4
Mac ‘n’ Cheese: 8.4
Hot Chicken Sandwich w/Sweet Potato Fries: 8.7
Candy Bar Brown Ale: 8.1
Blood Orange and Cranberry Sour: 5.7
Winter is Coming Double IPA: 8.8
Overall Score of Springfield Brewing Company: 8.5/10
Continue for full, in-depth review.
For the starter, I had the Chips and Salsa with the House Queso option. The chips were very fresh and warm, which was a good sign. The salsa had a nice balance of sweet and smoky flavor, but also was not out of the ordinary. The luxury of house made smoked cheddar fondue is always tasty as the smooth, creamy cheese with the crunchy chip was truly delicious. All together, the starter did its job and was very enjoyable.
As the meals came, the presentation and first looks were impressive. The Mac ‘n’ Cheese with Chicken and the Hot Chicken Sandwich were very different, but good experiences. I was with my girlfriend for the meal, and she is quite the mac ‘n’ cheese snob. On Brew Co’s menu, they claim, “Best in Town.” We both agree it would be hard to beat. There were toppings available for the mac, such as buffalo chicken, smoked pulled pork, and fried cauliflower. We chose to add grilled chicken and I can say that it was worth the upcharge. The shell pasta was cooked just right, and the blend of cheeses were a creamy sauce that brought the dish together.
The Hot Chicken Sandwich was my choice of the night. The sandwich was spicy, smoky, and full of flavor as the toasted brioche bun and pickle all worked well together. While the chicken was spicy, the housemade pickles added a great balance. Actually, the pickles were just really good. I also had the Sweet Potato Fries for the side. Flavor was very good, but they needed to be crispier.
If you are called a brewing company…you better bring the brews. I had three different styles of beer ranging from a Bourbon Aged Brown Ale, Double IPA, and a Kettle Sour.
The limited time Candy Bar Brown Ale had very complimentary flavors of cocoa nibs, toasted coconut, and vanilla. The beer itself was inspired by the classic Mounds bar, and it held up to the inspiration.
Blood Orange Cranberry Squeeze was a Sour Wheat Ale with, you guessed it, blood orange and cranberry. This one had bright flavors and was indeed, sour, but I was not the biggest fan of this one. Nothing wrong with it, just not my preferred style.
My favorite of the night was the Winter is Coming Double IPA. As I looked at their beer menu, the description of tangerine, citrus, and honey with three different types of hops caught my eye. The sweet softness of the honey would add a different profile to the classic IPA, so I gave it a try. This one hit all the rights notes with the balance of hops and tangerine. I would definitely order this again.
Overall, the atmosphere, food, and service were all top notch and we had a great night. On my next trip back to Springy, I will be looking forward to having a meal here again.
