Saturday, May 5, 2012

Beer and dinner with the family? No problem...

As a mother of two young children and an active work life (my commute exceeds an hour each way...I know, I know), I don't get out too much. Date nights are important but don't happen as much as we would like. Taking the family out for a meal then becomes the defacto date and if you are like me, and enjoy good beer, you want to find a place that has it all -- food the kids will eat (they are still picky eaters), food the parents will eat and good beer. We are lucky in West Chester to have some great places to go. Each have different things to offer:

Iron Hill...a great place, of course. Food that ranges from good pub food to upscale choices. Love the apps! Their beer choices are excellent and they have as many as 20 of their own brews on tap at a time. The kids love it there, too. There is always something for them to eat, and the atmosphere is really kid friendly.

Four Dogs...a great place in the summer. The kids love sitting outside and so do we. The beer selection is not vast, but you can count on a local craft beer to complement a delicious meal.

Station Taproom...We took the kids just recently and at noon on a Saturday, this intimate spot across from the train station in Downingtown offered several seats to choose from and friendly service. Our kids, like I said, are still rather picky, so the menu choices for them were not as appealing. They did settle on the edamame and hummous and were very happy. I selected the grilled cheese, which was just to die for.

PJ Whelihan's...we just took the family to the new location in West Chester. The old Bennigan's is hardly recognizable. The new place looks like a smaller version of the Downingtown location. It is open and airy and filled with families at the tables and men at the bar. There is a large craft beer selection (I had the Yard's Saison, which I love) and the standard big beer selections. The food was basic bar food, but tasty and it appealed to the whole family. Lots of TVs playing every sport show imaginable was a little distracting for my husband but overall, a good time.

Next up for us has to be Libery Union. I haven't been there yet but need to get there soon.

What other locations are good for a low-key, low-cost family lunch or dinner out (with good beer)?

We are always looking for suggestions!