Restaurant Review: Gordon Biersch

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Kelly

Full Disclosure: I paid for this meal with my own money and the opinions are completely my own.

Breweries seem to be a go-to choice for dinner choices whether I am dinning in town, or in a new city. I guess that type of food just usually appeals to me, and they usually have a pretty large and diverse menu so there is usually something that I will like. This time, we found Gordon Biersch which is a brewery that has several different locations across the country. It just opened last Spring so it is something new since we were here last year which is always exciting!

The menu was a little bit more upscale than I’d say that of a typical brewery restaurant – but in a good way. In addition to hamburgers and sandwiches they also had steaks and fish.

To drink, I had a San Francisco Lemonade which is Skyy Citrus vodka, fresh lemonade and cranberry. It was delicious without being too sweet. Very refreshing.

To start, we ordered the Blue Crab and Artichoke Dip as an appetizer. It was a larger portion than both of us anticipated….but we finished a good portion of it anyways. It was that good. It looked like it was going to be very creamy and rich – like the kind of food that you eat two bites and you can’t eat anymore – but it wasn’t. It was rich and cheesy, but not overwhelming. Of course the icing on the cake was the perfectly warm and toasted crostini that it was served with.

For my entree, I had the FestBier Filet (one of their specials) which was an 8oz filet served with blue cheese butter, garlic mashed potatoes, and vegetables. It was pretty good – but I think after the amazing appetizer it was a bit of a letdown. The steak was well cooked, but not anything special and the mashed potatoes and veggies were pretty standard as well. Nothing wrong with them, jut not as spectacular as the appetizer.

Overall, the meal as good and filling, and the service was good as well. Even though I didn’t love my steak, it didn’t make me regret going there for dinner. I definitely think this restaurant and brewery is a good addition to the city and especially the Fourth Street Live area where it is located.

Taste: A-, the appetizer was amazing but the entree was just average.
Cost: A-, since the food was a little bit higher end than a typical brewery restaurant the price was a little higher as well. Not too bad, but a little bit higher than the quality.

Would I go there again? I’m not sure. I think I’d go back for the crab and artichoke dip, but I’m not sure if I’d go back for a whole meal.