| House of Brews |
| Written by Kayla` OConnell |
| Wednesday, 13 July 2011 23:47 |
 Whether you're a New Yorker that lives in Midtown or a tourist who wants to feel like a midtown New Yorker, House of Brews is here to fulfill your needs. With two midtown locations (302 W51st and 363 W46th) House of Brews is offering something that can be hard for the untrained eye to spot in Times Square, a "local" hangout. Walking into House of Brews you may first notice the surplus of TV's that make any game accessible, yet somehow without making this seem like a drunk ex-athlete hang out. The atmosphere is classic, warm and inviting. This is a place you could have a beer after work, pre-game with your friends or just old-fashioned hang out for hours with a 96oz beer bong. General Manager Rachel Lieberknecht is excited about getting the word about House of Brews out to more resident New Yorkers. With a variety of specials and Happy Hour deals like 2 for 1 Stella's on Tuesday's, 2 for 1 Yuenglings on Wednesday's and $5 appetizers on Thursday's, it would seem that she is clearly trying to cater to her local crowd and create a "neighborhood feel". She's certainly successful on that count, House of Brews feels like a bar you could find anywhere on the east coast, with that "everybody knows your name" approach. The bartender talks to you like he's known you his whole life and can probably pick out your favorite beer after garnering a few bits of information. Time seems to slow down to a normal pace at House of Brews and you won't sit for long without conversation from fellow laid-back New Yorkers. You might even feel removed enough from the fast-paced, cement stomping, New York lifestyle to make some new friends! While House of Brews may be a local-feel, friendly bar, don't let its homeyness deceive you. What makes this a New York bar, is the extensive, bordering on excessively variegated beer list and creatively engineered pub menu. While House of Brews certainly offers your run of the mill pub food, (nachos, wings, burgers and the like), they also have an Executive Chef that crafts interesting, crowd pleasing dishes. When I stopped in on a thursday afternoon there were numerous guests hungrily enjoying the chef's special that day "Slow Roasted Cranberry BBQ Ribs". It was also recommended by a few regulars who noticed me pouring over the menu that I try the lobster ravioli and of course, shepard's pie. The menu at House of Brews is crowd pleasing to be sure but it ultimately pales in comparison to Lieberknecht's expertly crafted beer menu. The beer menu at House of Brews requires a passport. With 100 beers from all over the world, you're bound to find something you love, or fall in love with something new. If you can't decide, for $8 you can choose any four draft beers and really give your pallet a trip with a beer flight. If you decide to become a regular, you'll be happy to know you can never get tired of Lieberknecht's menu because she consistently rotates 4 beers, bringing in rarities and favorites long enough for everyone to have a try. If her regulars love one of the rotating beers enough, she just may add it to her permanent menu. House of Brews is without a doubt a local's bar. With unheard of specials and menus that include old favorites as well as new twists, you can't go wrong here. Bring your out-of-towner's here to make them feel at home and when they leave, you'll be happy to come back yourself. For more articles like House of Brews, please visit the Gourmet/Wine & Spirits Section of TimesSquare.com |
