Beer Bar - Salt Lake City

Best part about traveling is the food.  No discussion there.  And thankfully I had a 13 mile run planned in SLC so there was room to splurge.  Thatcher and I loved planning out all the restaurants we were going to visit in my short trip to Salt Lake City.   Thatcher kept talking about the MOFY BAR THE MOFY BAR (Modern Family) so we stopped in for drinks after dinner Saturday night.  After Saturday, we were so impressed with the drinks and the place--we knew we had to try the food. So, for my last night in Salt Lake City, we decided to have dinner at Beer Bar.  

After doing a little bit of research on the Beer Bar (I knew it had JUST opened) I realized my timing for arriving in SLC was just a little less than perfect.  I landed on April 17th, and the famous owner of this brand new bar/restaurant was posing in the bar on April 16th.  

Who is the owner?  

Ty Burrell,  also known as Phil from Modern Family

Picture from the article- Read the whole article HERE!

*Some of the facts about the Beer Bar are from the article mentioned above, but all opinions are my own.

** Because as much as I wish I could say I was paid, no one paid me to drink beer and eat sausages in SLC

*** If anyone wants to pay me to drink beer in SLC and talk about your beer on this blog,   I can be reached via email Karruda88@gmail.com (A girl can dream... right?)

You walk into a super clean, bright, and fun restaurant.  The seating is mostly picnic/long table, or "german style" i suppose, and the bar is large with fun yellow stools. 

  "Beer Bar, a beer garden-like eatery that serves 150 beers paired up with an array of house-made bratwursts, local breads and Belgian fries. The restaurant, which has high ceilings and long tables and benches to evoke that Bavarian beer hall feel, is next door to the cocktail bar Burrell co-owns with an equally simple name, Bar X." (Page Six, Associated Press)

"“It’s a super simple menu, which is what we wanted from the beginning,” says Burrell, sporting a scruffy beard and glasses. “Basic, but well-made and local. Instead of putting the energy into a lot of elements, making sure you have fewer elements and you are taking the time to make them right.”" (Page Six, Associated Press)

The bartender was super friendly and was happy to recommend a few beers for us.  Day 1: Super busy on a Saturday night-  a really fun crowd and the place was full.  The lines were quick though and we got our beers and found a table.   I got the Dark and Stoutly (A dark and stormy, made with a stout instead of ginger beer), and Thatcher ordered a fun beer that was brewed, a mistake, and then turned into an award winning beer.  Both were delicious but my beer cocktail took the cake. 

  

Day 2:  It was a Monday so while the place was still busy, it was much less packed than Saturday.   We ordered two beers- I got a German style heffeweizen (the Ayinger)  while Thatcher tried some beer on tap I can't remember (great review... right?).  I LOVED my beer it was extra large and had a clovey deliciousness too it. 

 You also get a playing card to take back to your table so the waitress can bring your food over.  You order your food at the left side of the bar, and your drink at the right side of the bar.  No table service, you order your food, grab your beer, and sip away while they make you some tasty food.  Fun alternative to traditional table service. 

"For the menu, the Emmy-winning actor teamed up with Viet Pham, an up-and-coming Salt Lake City chef who was one of Food and Wine magazine’s best new chefs in 2011. Burrell met Pham when he and his wife ate at Forage, Pham’s Salt Lake City restaurant, and were blown away by Pham’s cooking. It turned out that Pham was a fan of Bar X, and the seeds for the future partnership were planted." (Page Six, Associated Press)

They had a bunch of different meat options, with different toppings, in a few different price ranges.  You then pick your sauce for your meat, pick your side, and pick a sauce for your side.

We ordered a turkey sausage and a bison sausage, with lots of fun toppings and sauces.

We also shared a large fry with a garlic aioli and a curry ketchup 

While both were good, the turkey dog was the better of the two.  The fries were AMAZING and the sauces were even better.  We also tried some of their home made mustards which were delicious. 

While the sausages didn't exceed our high expectations, they were both delicious.  And we both agreed the sauces were the best part (Aside from the beer...). 

We loved the atmosphere, the food, and duh- the booze so we will DEFINITELY be back.
I am also really excited to try BAR-X next door, co owned by Ty, and known for their outstanding drinks.