trailhead brewing co

we were presented a rather extensive menu and a list of available brews. i started with the missouri brownaleto have with food. i prefer darker beer over the light stuff - actually have very little liking for anything very acidic like a wies or pilsner so i tend to gravitate towards the stouts and use ipas with bitter hops as my version of a light beer. the missouri brownalewas actually a bit disappointing to me - usually browns have a bit of sweetness that i didn't find here. i'm sure plenty will like it though.

we go here because we like much of the food. i wouldn't say i love the beers. i drink the blondealebecause it is usually sufficient if not at times flat or stale. at least in comparison to the downtown brewery and the ones my wife and i frequent in seattle. hard acts to follow but... i also find the bartenders not as friendly as other places but this seems to be the norm in this area. the staff should spend a week. in chicago where they are all talkative friendly and sociable. the young servers annoyed my wife but hey they are cheap i bet.


-----22 jan, 2012-----

good food but i don't get people that say their beer is good. it's often flat and generic compared to other places. i like their servers but their bartenders are rather rude and consistently disinterested.

it's not just about the food.... i had never been here before, but took my parents and brother, who came from out of town, based on a couple of recommendations. my father ordered a redaleand my brother ordered a dark ale, they both got red ales. the server proceeded to argue that they weren't the same beer, only to be proven wrong by the bartender. the service was borderline slow and unfriendly, but the food was otherwise good. i had a spicy hot prime rib sandwich, and rarely do i get a truly spicy dish when i order one, and it had good flavor as well.

good beer, ok food. come here for the beer, not the food. the food is simply ok, but, but the fresh beer is excellent! i've pretty much had most every brew they've tried over the past 10+ years. the seasonal pumpkin beer is great, as it the trailhead red and stout. the riverboat raspberry is ok, but usually tastes just a bit off. their palealeisn't so good, but everything else is worth a pull if you like fresh beer

good place for dinner and a beer. trialhead consistently has great food, good service and excellent beer. i reccomend starting out with theiralebattered onion rings, served with jalapeño ranch dressing, and an amber ale. so far the only thing i have had at trailhead that was disappointing is the fried calamari, which was quite unremarkable.

try the pumpkin ale. trailhead is one of my favorite places to take people when they are visiting st. louis from out of town. it is also a fun place to hit for happy hour during the week, although it can be a bit crowded.

first and foremost they have two of my favorite consumables in the area. the crab and artichoke dip appetizer served with fried pita bread is one of the best appetizers you'll ever get. i have yet to have someone try it and disagree. but by far the best item trailhead produces is their fall seasonal beer, the pumpkin ale. i'll go so far as to say it's my favorite beer against all others i've ever tried. they usually carry this pumpkinalefrom the first of october until sometime in december. while i always enjoyed the idea of a pumpkin beer everything i had tried prior to trailhead just didn't make the cut. their pumpkinaleis smooth drinking and finishes with a slight aftertaste that will remind you of pumpkin pie.

all-in-all their food and beverage selection is of good value and excellent taste. of their beer selection i also like the red amberaleand the missouri brown dark ale. most of their food is can't-miss, but my favorite meal is the caribbean "jerk" burger (sans pineapple) with onion rings (huge) substituted for the fries and served with a side of their jalapeño ranch dressing. other items that deserve mention is the spicy chicken wings (they have some kick), deep fried shrimp stuffed jalapeños, italian sausage & pepperoni pizza, seafood bisque (go for the bowl), and the center cut pork loin medallions.