BDB Rating 84
We had a nice group for our visit to Gentle Giant whom were equally excited to try their barbecue and their beer. This is a small brewery so they only had 6 beers available on tap. They offer flights of 4 at a higher price ($14) than we see at most breweries and a flight holder which certainly wasn't constructed to hold their tasting glasses. Yet they do allow you to taste any of the 6 beers before selecting a flight or full pour. Overall we thought their beer was average - nothing bad yet nothing spectacular. Paleolithic Pilsner was crisp and clean, while TPorterdactyl was our group's favorite (fyi we like the names)...a middle of the road porter which you wouldn't mind drinking any day of the week. The IPA and dbl were serviceable while the Smoke Peach Wheat and Watermelon Gose were simply ok. No one is a huge fan of these styles and these beers were not going to win us over.
Now on to the food, it was very good. We were very happy with the large variety of items we ordered. The portions were generous and overall tasty. However being served in aluminum take-out containers was a bit strange and not very appealing. We all agreed that Gentle Giant's bbq was better than the other joint in town. And we highly recommend the Buffalo Nuggets (cauliflower in buffalo sauce with shredded cheese).
The staff was attentive and the large picnic tables were great for our group. We also liked the gaming system and dartboard/large jenga area to keep folks entertained while others were finishing their beers. But something about the buildout and decor just seemed disjointed. Not a big deal but the place wasn't finished with a common theme; rustic, modern, contemporary, antique....it was more of a mishmosh.
Overall this is a good place to visit with a hungry group who wants to support a local craft brewery.
