I will readily admit I’m not a craft beer aficionado. Give me a Michelob Ultra and a glass of ice and I’m good to go when it comes to drinking a beer. Beer drinkers of all types just cringed when I said I drink my beer “on the rocks.” What can I say, I like my brewski cold.
Craft beer joints are popping up all over and they’re attracting fans in record numbers. More and more micro breweries are cranking out small batches of speciality beers with unique flavors, higher ABVs and restaurants are being built to capitalize on the surge in craft beer popularity.
One such place is Tap 42 Craft Beer Bar + Kitchen which just opened their second location in Boca Raton. The original Tap 42 is still serving cold drafts in Fort Lauderdale. Located in Boca Center (not Town Center Mall) next to Brio Italian and across from Rocco’s Tacos, Tap 42 has only been open since July 11th and has quickly become a thriving hot-spot. Which considering the history of the restaurants that occupied that space over the years, is a good thing!
I will admit that I stopped into Tap 42 a couple of times for a beer, or two, while waiting for our table to be ready at Rocco’s on Taco Tuesday. It wasn’t until last night that I stopped in for dinner.
Monday night is Tap 42’s $5 Burger Night and the placed was packed with only a few seats left at the bar and all the tables full when I got there around 8:30pm. Being by myself, I snagged a seat at the inside bar – you can sit in or out, at the bar or at tables, and ordered up a beer, an appetizer and a burger.
First up was the Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews – rich, creamy, so good I wish there were more.
The burger was a good size and cooked to my well done liking. Even at the regular menu price of $13.50 it’s a good deal, but for $5 it’s a steal!
Ok, my only complaint… and I knew from the very beginning the burger was going to come out served this way, but I sucked it up for the sake of a photo. I absolutely hate. Make that HATE, being served on a tray. RACKS Downtown Eatery + Tavern in Mizner Park in Boca Raton serves their burgers on the same metal trays as Tap 42 and I always request that mine be served on a plate instead.
Granted I get the fact that it’s cool to look at and it’s a trendy way to serve bar food, but I don’t really want to be eating dinner off a half-sheet pan. On top of that, the french fries were served in a stainless steel bowl that instantly reminded me of a dog bowl. As each fry came out of the bowl, I kept thinking to myself, “there has to be a better way to serve these than making the guest feel like they’re being fed like a dog.”
Next time, Tap 42… I’m going for a plate minus the dog bowl. Notice I said “next time.” Yeah, I’ll be back.
UPDATE: August, 24, 2015
Hit Tap 42 up again for $5 Burger Night on Monday. Asked for my burger to be put on a plate instead of the half-sheet pan. The results are below. Much better in my opinion!
Find more of my #foodporn photos on my South Florida Food Finds Instagram at @soflafoodfinds and on my own personal Instagram at @scottsanfilippo.