Great Water's Brewing Company: One of St. Paul's Best Restaurants

While driving through St. Paul, Minnesota, lost as usual, I noted my growling stomach was drowning out the stereo. I was traveling down memory lane, trying to find old family homes of days gone by. But I was now hungry.

Friends of mine had told me of the Great Water's Brewing Company. The Brewery is built in the old Hamm's Beer Building in downtown St. Paul. Don't we all remember the Hamm's beer song from years ago - drum beating in the background! Heck - we even had a Hamm's Beer sign in our basement when I was young - and I still don't know how the lights of the sign made the water appear to be rippling!

Anyway back to the important stuff - lunch! I noted that parking is on the street at meters, which cost me pocket change, and the space was easy to find. After entering the brewery I found out that Great Water's Brewery also offers parking tickets for $5.00 at the Trade Towers parking lot nearby. The hours are good, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. during the week and Saturday, and then open at noon on Sunday. The ambiance is a mix of old and new - you can feel the history of brewers past when entering the bar area! The atmosphere is open and warm, enticing you to order beer/ale, which I did! I chose 'Brown Trout, Brown Ale' - a darker beer, very smooth, and the perfect temperature. The beer menu details the ingredients of each offering and all have fun names, making the choice an experience in itself.

The staff is friendly, and my server directed me to my table. There really was no better place to sit, all tables offer space and a view of the dining area.

Menu selections cover appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and a well rounded kid's meal. I noted that diners were of all ages, students sharing a beer and pizza, while older folks were eating nachos and drinking ale and soft drinks. Dress was business casual to very casual with jeans and t-shirts. There was just enough noise to make it a family friendly place! Children would be able to talk in the way kids tend to do in restaurants - and parents would be able to enjoy sharing the experience. The children's menu offered a variety of choices to please everyone.

I began my meal with a Great Waters Beer Pretzel, served with homemade beer mustard. (I could drink the mustard!) The appetizer menu offered a number of great foods - pork wings, pan seared shrimp and quesadillas to name a few. The beer pretzel was wonderful, the portion generous. I could have made a meal off the appetizer menu alone!

For my main course I chose a Brie and Green Apple Chicken Salad Sandwich which was cool and refreshing. Again the portion was generous, and the texture of the Brie, Apple and Chicken Salad helped place it on my comfort food list! The lunch menu is well rounded as I mentioned above with salads, burgers, sandwiches, and let's not forget the home brewed ale's! There are many to choose from, and the selection changes frequently. The brewery also offers sampler platters of ale for groups, from 8, 10, and 12 samples. What a wonderful start to an evening for friends!

There was no feeling of being rushed during my meal even though the dining room was busy. After lunch I had a cup of coffee, opting out on dessert because my tummy was happy.

I travel often and the Great Water's Brewing Company is on my list for a return visit. The historical site, remodeled atmosphere, micro brewed ale's and wonderful meal selections would bring anyone back again and again.