How to order a beer at a National chain restaurant

[1977Brewer]

Angels sing when I find Saint Arnold on tap. Most decent chains here at least have Shiner, but they charge import/premium prices for it.

 

[Yooper]

Angels sing when I find Saint Arnold on tap. Most decent chains here at least have Shiner, but they charge import/premium prices for it.

I don't even ask down here- because Shiner Bock is all I see. So we mostly buy bottles at HEB, unless we go to Specs, and drink some of the homebrew I brought with me. Truly, we do get better beer at home!

 

[1977Brewer]

My town is finally getting an HEB. Well, the town 5 miles down the road is. My wife is stoked for produce, I'm stoked for the beer aisle.

 

[vincentAlpha]

Walking into a chain restaurant (this is a generalization) and having high expectations of the beer list and the server's knowledge of all of their beers is a bit like buying a 12 pack of Budweiser and being surprised it doesn't taste as good as Heady Topper (or insert your favorite beer here and let's forgo all of the anti-Heady Topper comments). Just know where you are going and set your expectations to meet that. And be polite.

I was polite and she was nice enough, I listened to her explain what they had and made my choice without getting snarky; for all I know it was her first day on the job so I give people the benefit of the doubt.

Again, the place was not of my choosing but I see it as if I asked what kind of red/white wine they had. IPretty sure a server anywhere could rattle off the few different styles they keep in house or could at least recognise the difference between the two; so I would have figured a server could do the same thing with beer which more often than not is the case I've run into when you go to smaller places. I wouldn't say I was having high expectations of their knowledge, It isn't like I was asking for tasting notes or anything, I only do that in a proper brewpub where the staff actually knows or knows who to ask.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

Pffft....Beer snobs. When I go out with my friends for some burgers and haha's. You damn right I'm ordering a bud, coors, PBR, or whatever other see-through piss I can get my hands on. If I want a good beer with a good meal, I'll eat at home.

 

[philipCT]

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

Awesome list - but what's with the fancy plastic cover? The places I haunt have grimy xeroxed beer lists all wrinkled and folded (but with 52 taps!)

 

[vincentAlpha]

Pffft....Beer snobs. When I go out with my friends for some burgers and haha's. You damn right I'm ordering a bud, coors, PBR, or whatever other see-through piss I can get my hands on. If I want a good beer with a good meal, I'll eat at home.

Eh, I'm not super concerned, I just like trying new things so when I hear something on the beer menu I've not had before I'll give it a shot. If all I can get is a BMC beer I'm not gonna cry over it, still better then Pepsi/Coke.

 

[zcfbhxzhg]

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.

 

[Menhir]

I'm a beer snob and don't apologize for it. I've been saying life is too short to drink cheap beer long before it started showing up on tee shirts. I always ask "What craft beers do you have on draft or in a bottle?". I'd rather order coffee, tea or a soft drink than consume some watery swill from the mega brewers. I have noted with great pleasure that more and more local restaurants are adding locally brewed craft beers on tap.

 

[Clonefan94]

I'm a beer snob and don't apologize for it. I've been saying life is too short to drink cheap beer long before it started showing up on tee shirts. I always ask "What craft beers do you have on draft or in a bottle?". I'd rather order coffee, tea or a soft drink than consume some watery swill from the mega brewers. I have noted with great pleasure that more and more local restaurants are adding locally brewed craft beers on tap.

This isn't a knock on your post just something it reminded me of. The line, "life is too short to drink cheap beer." Really makes me cringe. I had that said to me one time by a guy who saw me drinking a Miller Lite. Asks how I can drink that **** and spots off the line. Then proceeded to hold up his bottle of Carona with pride.

Beer snobs are one thing, but that, IMO, is a whole new level.

I was drinking the miller lite because it was hot out and had my daughter's softball game to go to right after.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Grossy]

A beer snob is someone who loves great beer and refrains from drinking cheap swill.

A jerk is someone who goes around and sticks their opinion in everyone's face whether they ask for their opinion or not.

I am a beer snob.

 

[Yooper]

I'm a beer snob and don't apologize for it. I've been saying life is too short to drink cheap beer long before it started showing up on tee shirts. I always ask "What craft beers do you have on draft or in a bottle?". I'd rather order coffee, tea or a soft drink than consume some watery swill from the mega brewers. I have noted with great pleasure that more and more local restaurants are adding locally brewed craft beers on tap.

I'm not obnoxious about it- but since I don't consume sugar or artificial sweeteners, I don't drink soda at all. I will drink water, a mixed drink without sugar (like a Beefeater martini, or a Beefeater & club soda), or even unsweetened ice tea. But I sure do prefer beer!

It's not that I'm hating on BMC- it's just that I don't want to spend my money on something I won't enjoy. I really would rather have water than something I don't like very much. I recognize that many others enjoy BMC for whatever the reason- hot days, tastes good with pizza, etc. I just don't.

 

[DNKDUKE]

Awesome list - but what's with the fancy plastic cover? The places I haunt have grimy xeroxed beer lists all wrinkled and folded (but with 52 taps!)

Looks like my haunt is more upscale than yours...(nose in the air)

 

[DNKDUKE]

Angels sing when I find Saint Arnold on tap. Most decent chains here at least have Shiner, but they charge import/premium prices for it.

same thing when I find Duvel on tap...

 

[Jhoss]

I will have no. 4...Dirtwolf....LORDY, LORDY!!!

 

[azazel1024]

Fortunately around here there is generally at least Yuengling and Sam Adams (generally BL and at a seasonal) along side the usual 3-4 "big ones".

That said I basically never eat at chain places, other than I think for a work function or two. The local variety where I am is huge and generally good to excellent. Plenty of good regional or small national places to that often have pretty good bottle variety even if their taps are relatively limited to the big 3 and maybe just Yuengling and Sam Adams.

I actually ate at a whole in the wall Pizza joint in Orlando a few weeks ago and was suprised they had Yuengling that far south. Dumpy place where you had to wonder if anyone washed their hands, but the pizza was really good, really cheap and they had at least something drinkable if not great (which after 10hrs of running around Universal with 3 kids under 7 is all that really matters at that point). Also chairs. Its suprising how much something like a chair can make everything else better

 

[amcclai7]

Fortunately around here there is generally at least Yuengling and Sam Adams (generally BL and at a seasonal) along side the usual 3-4 "big ones".

That said I basically never eat at chain places, other than I think for a work function or two. The local variety where I am is huge and generally good to excellent. Plenty of good regional or small national places to that often have pretty good bottle variety even if their taps are relatively limited to the big 3 and maybe just Yuengling and Sam Adams.

I actually ate at a whole in the wall Pizza joint in Orlando a few weeks ago and was suprised they had Yuengling that far south. Dumpy place where you had to wonder if anyone washed their hands, but the pizza was really good, really cheap and they had at least something drinkable if not great (which after 10hrs of running around Universal with 3 kids under 7 is all that really matters at that point). Also chairs. Its suprising how much something like a chair can make everything else better

Yuengling has a plant in Florida now. I agree. When I first saw this post I was like, "Then don't eat at Applebee's. I avoid places like that like the plague.

 

[Grossy]

Yuengling has a plant in Florida now. I agree. When I first saw this post I was like, "Then don't eat at Applebee's. I avoid places like that like the plague.

There are a lot of reasons why you can end up at an Applebee's, lunch meeting, invitation from friends, are just two that come to mind.

 

[SnakeRidge]

A beer snob knows what good beer is, a jerk tells you what good beer is.

 

[DromJohn]

While the hostess seats the family, I excuse myself to the bar to peruse the taps.

Exactly, and I will inform the bartender with my choice with "I will be ordering Named beer from my server." Usually the beer is waiting at the server station by the time the server gets there.

 

[Yooper]

There are a lot of reasons why you can end up at an Applebee's, lunch meeting, invitation from friends, are just two that come to mind.

Yes, that's what always happens to me. We don't even have chain restaurants where I live (either in S. Texas in the winter, or in the UP in the spring-fall) but when I visit family, they claim their kids will only go to Applebees or Chuck e Cheese. Since Chuck E Cheese isn't even an option, we meet at Applebees. It's worth it, to sit and visit with my nephews, sister-in-law, etc.

They get sugared up with some sort of raspberry ice tea and BBQ things (lots of sugar there, too), while we visit and enjoy each other. Until we recently lost my dad, that was very typical, and we did that as often as we could when we visited.

Even if it wasn't Applebees, it certainly wasn't a brewpub/gastro pub. It was something like that (like Olive Garden or a local favorite) and it was so worth it!