How to order a beer at a National chain restaurant

How to order a beer at a National chain restaurant

You all know the drill.

"Hello, what beers do you have on tap?"
"We have Bud Light, Coors Light, Bud Ice, ..... "

Next restaurant. Lets try a different approach.

"Hello, besides Budweiser, Miller, or Coors, what do you have on tap?"
"We have Shock Top, and Blue Moon."

"Thank you, I'll have a Gin and Tonic."

 

We are pretty lucky (?) around here, that most places have BBC. Usually Boston Lager and Seasonal. So, I guess for me it goes something like this......

What Sam Adams you have on draft?

Boston Lager and some other one.

I'll take the Sam Seasonal....

We only have the Boston Lager and Cold Snap

Ill take be Cold Snap... In a tall

 

Here's the drill once I learn they do have something decent.

"Do you serve your beers in a chilled glasses?"

"Yes, we do!"

"Then can you make sure mine is not served in a chilled glass?"

"You mean a WARM glass?" (while looking at me as if I just arrived from outer space)

"Yep, that's what I want."

"Uh, yeah, I guess we can do that."


(At one chain restaurant I was at recently, the waitress insisted that all their glasses were frosted, and they didn't have any that were not chilled. She said, "if you just let the beer sit for a few minutes before drinking it will warm up some." I ordered a soda.)

 

Best way to avoid the problem is don't go to the chain restaurants. The food is usually not that great ether so why bother.

 

I let them tell me, even though I'm not looking for the typical BMC. I'm not a dick about it and if they don't have what I want, then I just don't drink. It's not a big deal to me.

 

Mostly agree.

Had this exact same situation happen just last night.

My wife and I usually go to gastropubs, bier haus, tap house, or craft pubs, when we go out to eat. We think beer selection and quality is just as important and the food.

My pops came to town for the weekend (he lives 300 miles away, so don't get to see him all that often), so we decided to go out for dinner. My dad is the "lets see if there is a coupon in the entertainment book" kind of restaurant selector.
We always try to get him to go to our places, but he flat out gets grumpy and refuses.

We usually split the difference and end up at chains like lone star outback applebees etc. is the food selection bland? Yes. Is the beer selection sub standard? Yes. Is it worth putting up with this to see my dad? Yes.

These places have their time and place.

 

True--to some extent. In the 'burbs where I live there aren't many local eateries, mostly chains. But there are certain menu items at some of those chains that are quite good. You have to know what to look for.

Just because a place is "local" doesn't guarantee better food. It's hit and miss everywhere.

But I think restaurants are generally starting to add more craft beers. Sure, some of the big chains are tied to their contracts with InBev and the like, but I'm seeing more selection at others.

 

I actually prefer cold beer, crazy huh?

Around here it always comes down to Sam Adams, and the wait staff never knows which one it is. I would compare it to playing Russian Roulette with 5 bullets instead of 1, but I always go for it anyway. I love Sam Adams, just not the Boston Lager, so if i get the seasonal I'm happy. More and more though, I just order some unsweet tea and forget about it.

 

Exactly.

Ask nicely, and then move on.

 

One good thing about Texas. If I find myself eating where only BMC products are available, there is a 99% chance they'll have Shiner Bock as well and I can drink that.

 

I think the only chain we visit is atzlapan or whatever it's called because SWMBO likes margaritas and salsa. At least they carry negro modelo.

 

I find that I can put the beer snob on the shelf it I'm thirsty enough. Miller Lite pairs well with a lot of food. Shiner Bock and a good burger? Yes please.

 

Most places herr hace at least sam Adams on tap. If a place really doesn't have anything but bmc, and im dying for a beer, I'll just take whatever. Most of the time, if this is the case, I'll just wait until I'm home to drink.

I think a lot of places are catching on though. Theres a fosters grill here that has sours and quads. I think places are starting to see the benefits of having good beer available.

 

if I know we're going to a restaurant, I'll go there a few weeks ahead of time and brew up 2-3 different brews so I know they'll have something I will like.

 

About 15 years ago I was really into Hefes.

I went to a sports bar and asked what wheat beers they had. The waitress thought I was from another planet. Her response, with a smart-arse tone was 'Wheat Beer!?! What exactly is a wheat beer?'

I said never mind and got a Amber Bock...

She then proceeded to go behind the bar and have a laugh with her fellow barmaids at my request...

I bet the same waitress is at the same bar, with the same beer selection as 15 years ago.

I also bet the waitress still doesn't know what a wheat beer is...

 

I just order iced tea at chain joints.

 

Start with Sam Adams or Yuengling

Next Dos Equis, Modelo, Simpatico, etc. At least they have a little more flavor.

Move on to regular BUD.

Move to water with lemon, or an unsweetened iced tea.

 

Or you could do what I do and always order water.












(Okay... Technically that's not true. I order water like 70% of the time, order wine like 20% of the time, and beer like 10% of the time. Although I drink way more beer than wine at home, I drink more wine than beer at restaurants. In particular Italian restaurants.).

 

Places around here have gotten better about having at least a beer or two worth ordering. But if in the OP's situation, I order water. It makes a the point a little firmer than switching to liquor that I won't be ordering swill or anything else they can make money off my ordering.

 

Agreed.

The best beer I ever had -- after years of homebrewing, myself -- was a pitcher of Bud Light with my granddad shortly before he passed.

 

I guess we're lucky living in SoCal. There's almost always something worth drinking on tap. The only exceptions would be Chinese and Mexican restaurants, though I will admit to putting away my fair share of Tsingtao and Dos Equis Amber. When it comes right down to it I'm just not that picky. Even a mediocre beer tastes better than a sugary soda or old iced tea to me.

 

We are pretty lucky here in NWI as the "Local" brewery is 3 Floyds. Granted, most restaurants are serving Gumballhead or Alpha King but I REALLY like the latter.

Every now and then a small 12-tap down the road gets a keg of Zombie Dust...the regulars know because it is the only time they use the generic black tap handle with a red Solo cup over it like it is a blown keg. Even then, it likely lasts 2-3 days.

In OK, I would order Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in a warm glass...preferably straight out of the dishwasher.

 

Yea out here there isn't much in the way of selection unless you head to a proper pub. That being said I'd sooner drink a BMC product then Pepsi or Coke, least SOME of the sugar in a BMC product comes from something other then high fructose corn syrup

 

Ugh had dinner at Olive Garden & the menu said ask about our local draft & bottle selection, so I did & the server came back with Goose Island 312 now i'm glad they at least had that, but I live in Oklahoma & Chicago is hardly local. It says Chicago right on the label....

Call me picky but if you are going to put ask about our local beer selection on your menu, maybe you should have one.....

-End of rant

 

Well said.

 

"The best beer I ever had -- after years of homebrewing, myself -- was a pitcher of Bud Light with my granddad shortly before he passed."


Best statement I've read about BMC beers. Well said.

 

Can I get an Amen?

Don't like what they serve? Why do you go?

 

Italian restaurants are the absolute worst for beer selection. Usually you get 3 choices. Peroni, Peroni, or Peroni.

 

I don't mind most chain restaurants. I've have just as good luck with most of them as the "local joint".

What I hate is when you ask for their beer selection and the waitress rattles off a couple of BMC beers and then vaguely mentions "Some other stuff".

Ok, do you know what is on your food menu? Yes? Then why not know what kinds of beers you have?

No? Then why not have LIST of beers you have so you don't have to be bothered to remember them???

I swear they all act like beer is a commodity item! Must be learned behaviour...

 

Luckily in NH, most chain restaurants at least have Harpoon, Red Hook, Sam, or Shipyard on Tap. There is ALWAYS BMC but luckily you'll get two decent beers worth ordering. As it sounds like the lot does, if there isn't anything worth drinking, Water it is!


Cheers

 

If all they have is BMC, I just get the tallest Bud Light possible and ask for a handful of olives in there.

Beer and appetizer in one shot.

By the time I've eaten about 40 olives, I know I should stop drinking... and not just because they are trying to carry me out for spitting at toddlers.

 

I used to tend bar at a place that had all these fancy stuffed olives. I mean we had them because the bartenders stuffed them, not because they came that way. Man, the servers we had would descend on the garnish tray and clear it out if you didn't keep after them. I used to hide around the corner and come out like "MOOOOVE Cows!!" Didn't make a lot of friends there.

 

And actually on topic, the Red Lobster in Charleston (can see it from 26, right in front of the movie theater) used to have a tap they called "Red Claw" which we discovered was actually Bass. This was about 2000-2001 or so and it was pretty cheap during happy hour. Me and my friends would pile into the bar and eat those cheese biscuts and drink Red Claw like it was our job. The bartenders were always so amused, because they never had 'regulars' in there.

 

I'd rather get the "we have BMC" speech than the waitress at a pub with 35 taps that only knows three classifications of beer: IPA, whatever management is pushing, and everything else.

 

I've been getting lucky ordering SA Rebel IPA lately. A lot of places are carrying it. It's a pretty good option in some of the chains.

 

I avoid chains like the plague. I frequent places that have beer menus like this...

 

While the hostess seats the family, I excuse myself to the bar to peruse the taps. Nine times out of ten, the wait staff has no idea what is on tap. Their manager made them write it down, but they have no idea. Saves headaches at the table. More than once, I've informed the wait staff what they do or don't have on tap.

 

The ether is to distract you from the cost.

 

That response might have made sense for eating at chains as recently as a decade ago, but in the internet age, I don't accept it any more.

If you have yelp, you can find a good non-chain restaurant. You can find it quickly, and you can find it using your phone.

Now, I'm not some sort of "anti-chain-restaurant" guy. I do eat at chains sometimes. And yes, local joints are hit or miss -- if you pick them randomly. But you don't have to pick them randomly.

 

All of my favorite locals are BYOB. This is a really good thing for me, I don't have to pay the markup OR order from their menu. Al I gotta do is ask them for a glass.