A Review of the Mash House Brewery and Chop House in Fayetteville, NC

My husband Bill and I are in the process of moving from Fayetteville, Ga., to the Fayetteville, N.C. area. We just took a trip to Fayetteville, N.C., to look for a new home. We were successful in finding a house, so we celebrated with a nice dinner at The Mash House Brewery and Chop House. I made reservations for the evening of March 15 at 7 p.m. using OpenTable.com, an online restaurant reservation service.

First impressions

This was my first visit to The Mash House, though Bill had been there before while on business at Fort Bragg. Indeed, as we walked into the restaurant, I could easily see that it's a local favorite with military types. At 7 p.m., the dining room was bustling with energy. A very friendly hostess showed us to a table, which was covered in butcher paper. Three crayons sat in a shot glass, along with our server's name, Ti. Ti approached us after we had been sitting for just a few minutes and was very eager to take our drink order.

Since I had never been to The Mash House and I really enjoy tasting beers, I ordered "The Mondo Mash," which is a flight of the nine beers The Mash House makes on its premises served in four-ounce glasses. Our waitress seemed taken aback when I matter-of-factly stated that I wouldn't be driving. Bill ordered a glass of the seasonal brew, which happened to be a schwarzbier. While we were waiting for the beer to arrive, another server brought us some delicious herb bread and butter, along with two glasses of water with lemon.

The menu

Our waitress, Ti, was careful to tell us that everything at The Mash House is made on site, so if there was something we wanted changed, we could just make a request. The Mash House specializes in steaks, though plenty of other options are available, ranging from pasta dishes to fish to sausages. That being said, vegetarians might have to get creative to find something on the menu for them. This restaurant really caters to carnivores!

Since beef is what The Mash House is known for and it was my first time visiting, I opted for the 12-ounce Rib-Eye, which came with a salad and a side dish of my choosing ($21.99). Bill ordered the 8-ounce filet ($21.99), which also came with a salad and a side. We both specified Caesar salads, though we could have had a mixed green salad. We also had a nice array of side dishes to choose from. Ordinarily, I probably would have had mashed potatoes with my steak, but I was intrigued by the macaroni and cheese and asked Ti if it was any good. Her reply? An enthusiastic "Yes Ma'am!" Bill chose steak fries to accompany his filet.

The beer

While we waited for our food to arrive, I enjoyed The Mondo Mash. Because it consisted of nine beers, Ti very helpfully made me a "map" to let me know what I was drinking. There was a hefeweizen, a schwarzbier, a stout, a porter, a blonde, an Irish red, an India Pale Ale and two fruit beers - strawberry and peach. I enjoyed every single one of the beers in the flight, though I did like some better than others.

I think my favorite of all of the beers was the brown porter, which was delightfully complex and flavorful with elements of chocolate and caramel. My least favorite was the blonde. That's not to say I didn't like it, I just found it less interesting than the other beers offered. Ti made a face when I told her I liked the porter best. I think she was partial to the fruit beers, which I have to agree were tasty and refreshing.

The food

I was very pleased with my steak, which was cooked to a perfect medium temperature and seasoned beautifully. And Ti definitely did not lie about the macaroni and cheese. I certainly didn't need the carbs or the calories, but that macaroni and cheese was heavenly. As much as I love macaroni and cheese, I probably would have been happy just eating that for dinner! It was rich enough that I couldn't finish the steak and Ti graciously boxed it up for me. Bill was equally pleased with his meal.

"Vodka brews"

For some reason, Ti seemed to get a kick out of watching me enjoy the beer. Instead of trying to get me to order dessert, she brought me a few tastes of "vodka brews," which were basically cocktails made with real Jolly Rancher candies and vodka. To be honest, they were a bit sweet for my liking and I'm not a fan of drinking beer before liquor (never sicker). But if you like fruit "martinis," the vodka brews are probably a good bet. I'll stick with the beer, thanks!

The damage

We mentioned that we were staying at a hotel which, for some reason, entitled us to a 15 percent discount. All told, our meal at The Mash House cost a very reasonable $58. Naturally, we rewarded Ti with a very generous tip in addition to the cost of the meal.

Other observations

The Mash House offers beer served six different ways. You can have it by the pint, the "half yard," the pitcher, the hopper (a mini keg), the Mini Mash (choose a flight of any four beers on tap) or the Mondo Mash.

Because I had the Mondo Mash, I had occasion to visit the restroom several times. I found it very clean, well lit and well stocked.

Overall

Bill and I really enjoyed our meal at The Mash House. I have a feeling we'll be visiting again once we're permanently relocated in the Fayetteville, N.C., area.

Sources

The Mash House official Web site: www.themashhouse.com

www.opentable.com