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Review: Red Brick Station - Tony Vacek (April 1998)
The Red Brick Station in White Marsh is one of the newest BrewPub’s in the area and your traveling brewer shook off the dust in his travel log and headed there for a review. I found the station physical lay out to be very well done. I was pleased to be greeted with quick and friendly service as soon as I entered. I was then given a choice of seating in the bar area or the dining area. I chose to be seated in the dining area rather than the bar for this review to allow my full attention to be given to the food and beer being offered. The establishment was clean and well lit throughout. I was impressed with the speed at which tables were cleared of dirty dishes when a patron left.While I was there I noticed not only the tables being cleaned by the traditional busboys but in most cases a second table cleaning by another individual who was not involved in removing the dirty dishes. Now to the beers at hand. They offer several beers that are crafted in their brewery. You may decide to purchase one beer or a sampling of all their beers served in smaller quantities.
I started with their Avenue Ale which is a golden ale. This is not their light offering but I would imagine what you could consider the mainstream offering. I found it to have a nice golden color with a flavorful and refreshing taste. It was served in a decent glass that had the right feel to go along with the beer being offered. The only part of this offering that did not meet with my approval was the alcohol content. I was expecting a slightly stronger beer than this. Don’ t misunderstand it was good and was relaxing but I felt that if the alcohol content had been slightly higher it would have been a truly noteworthy beer.
The second beer that I sampled was the Spooners Stout. Now I once owned some land in an area of Harford County known as Spooner’s Creek so I knew that I had to try this beer. The beer was served chilled in the same style of glass as the first beer. The initial response to seeing the Stout was one of awe. The beer was perfectly colored with a nice frothy head of small bubbles. The aroma was pleasing and lead to the anticipation of tasting a great beer. The first taste was delicious I believe that they did hit the taste of the stout pretty much on target. Now once again I have to remark that although the taste and aroma were right on target I was once again let down by the alcoholic content of the stout. It left a slight watery aftertaste that a slightly stronger version would not have.
The other offerings that I passed up this trip were the Red Brick Red Ale and the Honeygo Lite Ale. All their beers are made with the same yeast. All in all the beers were tasteful and somewhat to style with a very good appearance when served. The only down point I could find was the alcohol content of the beers tasted. Appeal to the masses may be part of the explanation by the brewers for the lower alcohol content than I believe each style needed to complete its goal. As a homebrewer this detail would cause me warn my friends in search of real beer that although it was close it was slightly weaker than it should have been. So fellow beer lovers let me know of your feelings on the servings at the Station. Do you agree or have I been too harsh in my judging?
The second part of the experience at the Station was the food. If you leave here hungry something is wrong with you. I started with the nacho chips and was presented with a plate of chips with all the fixings on it that would have easily fed four as an appetizer. It was great! The chips were of several varieties and made a very appealing visual effect. They appear to have been laid on the plate and then some cheese applied and this was baked. This left the chips crisp and not plastered to the plate and soggy from the toppings. The toppings were good and if anything were only a little light for the number of chips on the plate. They were still plenty for an appetizer. There were just enough hot peppers in the toppings to give a great taste without overpowering heat. I’m sure if you wanted a stronger version this kitchen could easily satisfy the request.
My selection for my main course was the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. This was served piping hot with a generous supply of French fries. The Philly was great all the flavors were mingling to perfection. The size was just right for a healthy lunch. I found the fries to be a little on the skimpy side; I do prefer somewhat larger fries. The other dish we got was the Brickhouse burger which came with hot sauce and sautéed onions. It was huge and delicious. To sum up the good food portion. The food is great, the portions more than adequate and lastly served good and hot. The Chef and the kitchen staff can take a bow on this one for they truly deserve it!! Finally the price. Well, I found the overall bill to be very reasonable for the food and drink that I received.
