Andrew Main

Review of Manayunk Brewery and Restauran...

I've been by the building a million times but I ne...

I've been by the building a million times but I never actually knew what it was. I always assumed it was a defunct business and not open any longer. Still, we tried it for lunch yesterday and to my surprise, not only was it open, but there were also a considerable amount of people inside!

The first thing I noticed was that they have a sushi chef on staff. I've never been to a brew pub that had sushi. The next thing I noticed was that they also had wood-fired pizza.

I always take a restaurant with that many options as being a bad sign. Some of the best restaurants I have been to have featured only a handful of options. Having more than that can sometimes be a little overwhelming.

Let's just say it was Sunday afternoon and Saturday night had been long and eventful. So, I was in the mood for a big, messy sandwich. When I saw the brisket sandwich my mind was made. I also got one of their house beers, the El Rio.

The beer was great. A more complex take on mexican beers like Corona or Tecate. I would definitely get it again.

Unfortunately, my sandwich was lacking. Maybe it's just me, but I want my smoked brisket to have multiple levels of flavor. Beyond the smokiness of the meat, I'd love some sort of spice from a dry rub or a sauce. This had neither. It came topped with jack cheese and a "Sriracha Slaw". The cheese was nice, but there was absolutely no spice from the slaw. I almost feel like they didn't include it when they prepared my food. Oh well, I was starving and didn't feel like complaining. The brioche bun was amazing and the sandwich together was all pretty good.

Their house made chips are excellent. Very crunchy and tossed in a spice blend similar to Old Bay. Sandwiches and burgers also come with house pickles. Although I'm not a huge fan of pickles, I have to say these were great!

My dad got a wood fired pizza. The serving size was quite generous and he was quite full so he passed on a piece to me. I immediately regretted my decision. The pizza was awesome! The crust was of perfect consistency and the toppings were great. He went with the po'boy and added chicken. The amount of chicken was generous and the chipolte ranch sauce was just right.

I definitely want to check this place out again!