how much has beer affected your restaurant habits?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Sam_Frank, Jan 6, 2013.

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  1. Sam_Frank

    Sam_Frank Initiate (0) Nov 29, 2012 California

    don't drink while go out to eat...

    does not compute
     
    2beerdogs likes this.
  2. BeastLU

    BeastLU Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2012 Virginia

    My Woman and I are wine snobs as wells as beer snobs. I have learned not to expect great beer from great restaurants. Although sometimes there is a great surprise.
     
  3. greyghost86

    greyghost86 Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2012 Delaware

    I like to try and find a place with decent beer selection first, but locally there isn't a whole lot and what there is tends to be overcrowded (a good reason for more places) and I'm not much for waiting. Tend to get a better selection at home!!!!
     
  4. Jonada

    Jonada Savant (1,162) May 23, 2012 New Jersey
    Trader

    The beer selection doesn't really effect my choice in restaurants all that much. If it's a toss up between a couple different places, the beer list will usually serve as a tie breaker, but when I'm choosing a restaurant, it's more about the food than the drink.

    One thing I have noticed is that if I'm having a meal at a more casual place, with a limited selection (insert some national chain restaurant here), I'm a lot less likely to order a beer at all, knowing that I can go and drink something much better when I get home.
     
  5. WassailWilly

    WassailWilly Initiate (0) Sep 8, 2007 New York

    Not only do I enjoy good beer if I eat out I abhor going to my local place and having more open taps than full ones where good beer can be sold ! I have politely informed the owner of this on a few different occasions.. So far still hit or miss... Hard to sell beer you dont have......
     
  6. taez555

    taez555 Initiate (0) Dec 9, 2002 Vermont

    I find the threads about people complaining about restaurants not serving good beer to be funny, since I only go to brewpubs or good beer bars to eat.

    Beerfly/Places, or whatever it's called now, is the first place I check when traveling to a new location.
     
  7. VncentLIFE

    VncentLIFE Initiate (0) Feb 16, 2011 North Carolina

    I love cooking, so not all that much. I usually dont go out for food anymore. When I do, I go to Bull City Burger and Brewery and Top of the Hill Brewery.
     
  8. 2beerdogs

    2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (4,878) Jan 31, 2005 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I agree with you on the limited offerings for most Mexican places, but I can tolerate a Corona with the old lime/salt routine. I know, I know, beer purists are shaking their heads, but for Mexican it works.

    But as to OP's original question: Yes, beer selection is a factor for us about 25% of the time. Luckily we have some good offerings in our area. I don't always have to imbibe with my meals.:wink:
     
  9. Sam_Frank

    Sam_Frank Initiate (0) Nov 29, 2012 California

    I guess where it becomes a problem is when you're talking about more specific, international cuisines. we have plenty of good restaurants and brewpubs with good beer, but you'll be hard pressed to find Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Mexican, Indian etc.. with a good selection. most of the really good International places to eat are hole in the walls, owned by people who barely speak English. they're not as likely to be hip to craft beer as trendy "fusion" places or whatever

    byob would be fantastic. I love Thai food, just don't always want to have a Tiger
     
  10. teamwiggum

    teamwiggum Pooh-Bah (1,950) Nov 30, 2008 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I usually don't have more than 1 beer while out at dinner so I don't give it any thought. As long as the food is good I can handle a PBR or a Corona if necessary.
    And besides, a good beer selection doesn't make having a good beer a lock. Ordered a Ranger IPA the other night and it wasn't anywhere near fresh.
     
  11. jmgrub

    jmgrub Initiate (0) Nov 20, 2010 California

    Not a whole lot. I know not many will agree with this, but I think food and beer served together diminish one another. I don't need beer when I'm eating, and I don't need anything but crackers or chips when I'm drinking beer.
     
  12. Aichelberger

    Aichelberger Pooh-Bah (1,618) Oct 9, 2004 Maryland
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I'd always choose a place with better beer over better food, but I don't always get to decide. Fortunately, some of our more favorite places are finally "getting it" in terms of an expanded tap list and better bottle selection. Let's hope it's a trend that continues.
     
  13. JuniperJesus

    JuniperJesus Zealot (741) Feb 26, 2011 Illinois

    I usually don't notice the beers I drink at the restaurants I go to because I'm usually focused on the half-naked women serving me.
     
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  14. PatriotsRule

    PatriotsRule Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2012 Massachusetts

    I don't get beer at a restaurant unless they serve dank brews.
     
  15. NickMunford

    NickMunford Pooh-Bah (2,094) Oct 2, 2006 Wyoming
    Pooh-Bah Society

    A good beer selection does influence where my wife and I decide to go out to eat. At the moment, we're fortunate enough to live in a city with several good beer conscious restaurants.
     
  16. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,441) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I go to restaurants when I'm feeling too ltired, lazy, or busy to cook—or when the restaurant serves a cuisine I couldn't easily and competently replicate at home. If they have a good beer selection, all the better. But this factor doesn't have any impact on where I choose to eat out.

    I'm far more swayed by whether the restaurant has items on the menu that my 6-year-old is likely to enjoy.

    If I want a great beer, I'll eat at home. There's always something delicious awaiting me, just a few steps away.
     
  17. cbeer88

    cbeer88 Initiate (0) Sep 5, 2007 Massachusetts

    I feel like today, the answer is not all that much. 3-5 years ago things were very different. Nowadays you can almost bank on any restaurant that serves decent dinner food to carry at least a few craft taps. I've seen very few exceptions to that in the last year, aside from authentic ethnic locations and chain restuarants. If you go to a bistro/burger/Americana style restaurant that doesn't have good beer nowadays, you probably don't want to eat their food either.

    A few years ago, yeah, it was a much bigger impact though. I can imagine that other areas of the country are still like Boston was 5 years ago.
     
  18. KYGunner

    KYGunner Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2012 Kentucky

    Try living in Dry county where beer isn't sold at all. I would drive over an hour to Huntington WV just for a restaurant that had beer. Didn't care what type!
     
  19. BigCheese

    BigCheese Initiate (0) Jul 4, 2009 Massachusetts

    Its expensive. Does that compute?
     
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  20. njhopspop

    njhopspop Initiate (0) Oct 17, 2010 New Jersey

    I tend to roll with the situation. It's not the end of the world if I go out to dinner and can't have a good craft beer. Like someone else said, my kids play more of a role in restaurant selection than the beer menu. Often times we go to places that don't even serve alcohol. But we do make our fair share of trips to Uno's too. :sunglasses:
     
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