Bucks County’s first and only brewery restaurant has a diverse selection of nine hand-crafted beers. The menu incorporates beer into its selections, which include pasta and lite-fare items.
By: Anthony Accardo
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Buckingham Mountain Brewery |
LAHASKA, Pa. Buckingham Mountain Brewery is Bucks County’s first and only brewery restaurant. Located atop a beautiful slope just across Route 202 from the Midway Fire Company, it also happens to be just a stone’s throw away from the quaint country shops, restaurants and lodging of Peddlers Village in Lahaska.
Owner and Brewmaster Ed McGowen, along with brother Steve McGowen, are responsible for brewing all the beers and running the restaurant. The interior greets guests with three large stainless steel brewing tanks. As you move into the bar area, larger-than-life murals from the classic 1950’s John Wayne movie The Quiet Man create an Irish pub-like beer drinker’s oasis. The spacious bar area also houses smaller brew tanks and hanging half-gallon glass jugs called growlers, designed to be filled with your choice of beer and taken home for $16 and $8 for each refill.
A long, straight stairway leads to the upstairs dining room decorated with still more Bill Harris murals. The additional artwork is tied to the restaurant’s beer theme. One mural suggests drinking Wolf Rocks (one of the brewery’s signature beers) or something bad will happen.
The upstairs dining room is sparsely decorated with twisted vines, which are lighted along the windows, wicker baskets and dried flowers. Many large windows, each garnished with its own candle, overlook the impressive Buck County hillside.
The interesting and diverse selections of nine hand-crafted beers at Buckingham Mountain Brewery were the highlight of our visit. They ranged from a refreshing Autumn Amber Light to a dark and complex Pighouse Porter. All beers are $2.75 for a 10-oz. pour and $4 for a pint. I suggest starting off with the sampler, where you can choose any four brews, poured in five-oz. portions, for $5.50.
One of my favorites was the Hoppy Trails Pale Ale, Buckingham Mountain’s version of an IPA, that is light in body and has a wonderful bitter hop-kicked flavor. Another interesting brew was the Hermit Albert’s Pale Ale, named after a hermit who once lived on Buckingham Mountain. This is another light-bodied crisp beer that does not forsake flavor.
For those who like a strong seasonal beer, there is the Fall Down Fest; Buckingham Mountains version of an Octoberfest. This beautifully amber-colored beer packs a punch with a lofty 9.2 percent alcohol. Another strong beer is the deeply colored Ed’s Red, made with two-row malt and five varieties of caramel malt. It has a smooth, almost sweet taste, but is deceiving at 8.8 percent alcohol.
The Brewery signature beer seems to be the Wolf Rocks Amber Ale, a delicious copper-colored and hoppy ale made from two-row malt, caramel malts, Cascade and Saaz hops.
The menu at the Buckingham Mountain Brewing is traditional pub fare with a nice range of choices. An under-twelve section for the kids, an interesting pasta section and lite-fare items are offered as well.
The chef incorporates beer into his menu, although on the two occasions I sampled his fare, the beer flavors were faintly noticeable. Hermit Albert Steamed Clams ($8.25) were tasty; however, I expected more flavor from the Pale Ale and the dish was mostly garlic and butter.
Another flavorful appetizer is Buckingham Mountain Wings ($6.25) served in your choice of hot sauce or Grannie B’s BBQ. We chose Grannie B, which we learned was chef Tom Dimson’s grandmother’s recipe and proved to be quite good.
Mountain Onion Soup ($3.95), their twist on the traditional French Onion Soup, was well prepared and very good. Chicken Quesadillas ($6.95) were mostly cheese with a touch of pico de gallo.
Entrées ranged from very good to disappointing. A Filet Mignon ($17.95) served with a beer-infused demi glace was very tasty, but I was disappointed to find only a dribble of demi glace.
The Wild Game special ($15.95), which was nicely described by our server as a boar chop, lamb sausage and venison, sounded wonderful. When it arrived, we were hard pressed to find anything that resembled a boar chop. The fact that the venison and the questionable boar chop were overcooked didn’t help matters either. The Crabcake entrée ($15.95) was a very good, not-too-much-filler version served with traditional sauces. All entrées are served with either rice or potatoes and steamed zucchini and squash.
Desserts are not made at the restaurant and rank as your typical store-bought desserts.
The service at the Buckingham Mountain Brewery is pleasant and accommodating. The bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable on all the beers. During our two visits, the service had a few brief lapses, but overall, for this style of restaurant, it was good. Our server wisely made up for our disappointment in the Wild Game entrée by buying us dessert.
The next time you find yourself strolling about Peddler’s Village or Rice’s Market for a long day of shopping, end your day at Buckingham Mountain Brewery for a refreshing brew. You won’t be disappointed.