Uncle Tucker's Wood Fired Pizza and Brew Haus

I was not expecting very much out of this brewpub, and boy was I ever pleasantly suprised. All aspects of this restaurant were excellent. Let's start with the beer, since after all, we ARE beer advocates. There were 6 to choose from when I was there: 1) Golden Ale 2) Scottish Export 3) Pale Ale 4) Blonde Bombshell Wheat Barleywine 5) Chocolate Covered Cherry Stout 6) Bohemian Pilsner. I tried the Pale Ale, Stout, and Barleywine. Please see my individual reviews if you're interested.

Most pizza places do NOT know how to make a good pizza. Uncle Tucker's is not one of those places. They have a brick oven, fired by wood. This is truly the way pizza is supposed to be made, and when you try a wood fired pizza, you will understand. Excellent high quality. I split the "Pizza Con Funghi" with my girlfriend. It featured 4 different mushrooms (portabello, shiitake, oyster, and button) with a cheese blend. I could have eaten 2, 2 & 1/2 of these pizzas just by myself. Outstanding.

Also on the menu: 14 different pizza offerings, 18 burgers/subs/sandwiches, ribs, lasagna, spaghetti, and the most amazing dessert I have had in quite a while: "liquid chocolate cake." It was a small chocolate cake baked in a crust, and the center of the cake was left liquified. The whole thing is then taken out of the oven, dumped upside-down on your plate, and oozes everywhere. A chocolate lovers delight.

Service was friendly & prompt, and knowledgeable about the beers, which is always nice. The atmosphere is great - the restaurant is located in a cellar - complete with brick walls and floor, and old wood beams for the ceiling. Appropriately lit and very attractive to look at.

Lastly, Uncle Tucker's is a great value. Mon-Fri happy hour beers (5pm to 6pm, except for fri, which goes until 7pm) are only $1 each, including the barleywine! Cant beat that.

Uncle Tucker's Wood Fired Pizza and Brew Haus comes highly recommended. If you're travelling on interstate 68, you must stop. Just take exit 46 - it's super easy to find, right off the highway.

Service:
Walked in thirsty and had to wait 10 minutes before we finally got our Sampler. Our watress was attentive once she got going,and corrected an accidental overcharge on our $1 pints.

Beer:
A Golden Lager, a Hefe, an Irish Red, a Scotch Ale,a Pale Ale, and the Double Expresso Stout were on tap and each was a good example of their style. None of the 6 knocked my sock off, but each had a distinct quality. I preferred the Pale and my wife picked the Hefe for our full pints. (Reviewed individually). The Lager was refreshing with good body and decent malt/hops balance. The Scotch had a hint of smoke and a definite candy-sugar taste. The Irish was mostly malty with a hint of cherry. The stout was the most inviting but conflicted with our food. It had the coffee thing going on but I could see all the way through it. The last three mentioned seemed a bit thin in general, but the taste were all distinct and with style parameters.

Food:
The house specialty is the wood-fired pizza which was light and disappeared quickly, and comes with some original combinations of toppings. We split a single house salad which hardly left room for beer and pizza, it covered 2 plates. Lettuce, green peppers, red onion, carrot, and tomato - enourmous. I prefer NY-style pizza, but the local pie was worth the price.

Overall, I enjoyed my visit and will consider stopping every time I pass by on I-68. It's right on the side of the road.

$1 pints after 9 on Thursday. We walked in at 8:45. That's what I call good beer kharma.

I visit this place at least a few times a year when I venture back to Cumberland and have to say it is one of the few places I must spend some time in. They are the only brewery in town, and the first to operate in Cumberland since the closing of The Cumberland Brewering Company and The Queen City Brewery in the 1970's. This place is best in the summer. They have an outdoor seating area that overlooks the mountains. In winter, the inside is very cozy. Very pubish in atmosphere, with exposed brick walls and stone floor. The beer selection is good. The best is their brown ale. Very much like Newcastle. If you ever venture east or west on I-68, definitely stop in and have a pint. Never tried the food, but it looked very good.

Nice place with good atmosphere. In old barn. Cool in summer, and warm and inviting in winter. Pizza is wood fired and has a great roasted smokey flavor. Beer is tasty, though somewhat lacking in body and mouthfeel. Varieties range from light lagers, pale ales, dark porters and a stout. Worth a try.