Fox River Brewing Company
When you’re fishing, have you ever seen a blue bobber? You never actually see a blue colored bobber tied to the end of a line. It’s always a little red and white sphere that dips below the surface of the water to tell you the fish is about to get away with your worm. The only place I’ve seen a blue bobber is on the side of a beer bottle. It happens to be one of the few beers Lindsay and I can enjoy together as she lacks the taste for Scottish stouts. This fruity ale, however, is brewed locally at the Fox River Brewery and Restaurant. We finally got to sit down and eat some of their food along with it.
In A Bite
Ambiance: Industrial Brewery
Music: Top Pop
Service: Friendly but distracted
Price: $$
Food Style: Mixed American
What to Order: Beer Cheese Burger with a Red Bobber Ale
Go Again?: Yes
The Whole Plate
The Fox River Brewery and Restaurant is the only full service restaurant at the food court of the Fox River Mall. If you want seats quickly, avoid the weekend. Actually, just avoid the mall altogether on the weekend. We went on a Saturday and it was pretty packed. Thankfully the restaurant is quite large despite giving the vibes of an upscale fishing shack. There’s outdoor seating I’m sure is great in the summer to hear the latest teen gossip as they head towards their inner sanctum.
We thankfully got seat pretty quickly. The table had brown paper as the “tablecloth” and a bucket of crayons. I immediately started drawing because I am still a child. The waitress made no comment on my poorly drawn pineapple or our upside down games of hangman while she took our order. She was cordial but clearly distracted by the sheer volume of people in her area. Our drinks came on time but the food was a touch slow. I blame Lindsay.
I ordered the Beer Cheese Burger. This is Wisconsin’s pride and joy, the two things that run through our veins. Although I didn’t get to choose, my patty was nicely cooked to medium just as I like. It was as thick as a hockey puck on center ice. The beef itself was well seasoned and full of juicy flavor. The rich beer cheese was slathered thick atop the burger but was not as melty as I thought it would be. However, in combo with crispy bacon, the burger, and pretzel bun, it warmed my belly on a cold, fall afternoon as I savored every bite. I washed it down with the raspberry ale, the Red Bobber. I know I said Blu Bobber was the way to go but that was the old me. I discovered the Red Bobber and it catches more fish so to speak. Why stray from the classic anyways? Lindsay liked it as well so really they’re both winners.
Although she liked the ale, Lindsay was not so fortunate with her entree of choice. She ordered a personal margherita pizza. I persuaded her to get the marg as we’d never been there before and it’d be a good tell of the rest of their pizza. I regret my persuasion. Essential marg pizza breaks down to fresh and flavorful tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on a thin crust. They got the crust! They got the crust. Tomatoes were so under flavored, Lindsay asked for marinera (which came cold). I DON’T EVEN REMEMBER THE MOZZARELLA. The chiffonade of basil looked old.
Despite my hesitation for a long while, I’ve come around to the Brew Company as a restaurant and not just a good brewery. It’s got a casual atmosphere, decent grub, and good drinks for all to enjoy. While there are nobler reasons to unite around a table and spend quality time together, sometimes that’s all you need.
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