by Bottom Line: Bricktown Brewery in Oklahoma City is a cozy little local chain that offers some good beers on tap and has an extensive menu.
Wrapping up my tour of Oklahoma City from last week, it turns out that the hotel that I booked near downtown was just a few hundred steps from a brewery. I didn’t plan that in advance, but stumbling upon Bricktown Brewery was certainly a pleasant surprise. That is a locally-based chain (billed as Oklahoma’s first craft brewery) that has locations throughout the state as well as in Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and more. They make their own beers and also have a number of selections from other breweries on tap as well. And they have quite an extensive menu.
My wife and I stopped by in the afternoon to try out their beers and we ended up coming back later in the evening for dinner. While perusing what they had on tap, my eyes were drawn immediately to the Bricktown Millie Mcfadden Red Rye Ale, and that was the one I started with. It has a deep, full-bodied richness to it, kind of similar to an IPA but not as heavy. It also has some bitterness, but not too much. Just enough to give it a nice bite. It has some hoppiness and nice caramel flavor and maybe a hint of nuttiness with a very nice finish. This beer has a fullness to it that many reds lack, and I certainly enjoyed it.
Next up was the Bricktown Three Guardsmen IPA. That one was neither too hoppy nor too bitter, but it has the depth you expect from an IPA. There is maybe a hint of fruitiness, but that is in the background. It is full-bodied, but not overly complex or daunting. This is an IPA that those who generally don’t care for IPAs may like. And this was another hit for me and certainly one that I would get on a return trip.
I also noticed the Bluesberry Ale and asked for a taster of that one. I’m generally not a fan of fruit beers but thought that I would take a chance. And I actually rather enjoyed this one. It was not too sweet like many of the fruit beers can be. It was a good ale with a nice hint of blueberry without the fruit overshadowing the other flavors. It was rather refreshing and would be a good Summer beer. I decided not to get a full glass of that, but I could see ordering a pint when I go back.
And with all this good beer, spicy food lovers will want to know if they had anything to pair them with that brought the heat. At dinner time, we got the Dipping Trio which consists of white queso, fresh guacamole, and housemade salsa. The salsa was quite tasty with a heavy dose of cumin, though neither it nor the flavorful guacamole had much heat. The creamy white queso did have a bit of a kick, though, and this appetizer tray definitely got things off to a good start.
Amping up the heat was the Boom Boom Shrimp. That is a common dish these days that has fried shrimp tossed in an Asian-tinged creamy sauce that has mayonnaise, Sriracha, chili sauce, and other ingredients that make it sweet and savory with a kick. I wouldn’t say that this was too hot–above Mild heat and maybe heading to Medium–but it certainly paired well with the beers. It is an appetizer plate, but since it comes with fries, it works quite well as a meal.
Overall, my experience at Bricktown Brewery was quite positive, and I should mention that the waitstaff were very attentive and knowledgeable on the beers they had available. I will certainly return next time I am in OKC, and I’ll also be hoping they decide to put a location here in San Antonio. (Hey Bricktown Brewery, if you want me to scout out a location, let me know.) You can check their website to see if they have a location near you, and if there is one, I highly recommend that you pay it a visit.
Bricktown Brewery Locations: bricktownbrewery.com/locations
