Heavy Seas' Hugh Sisson is no stranger to brewpubs; he ran his family's tavern, Sisson's, until 1994 when he decided he was more interested in the beer side of things. He started the Clipper City brewery and eventually, Heavy Seas. And now he's back in the brewpub business with the Heavy Seas Ale House.
Situated in the old Tack Factory building on Central Avenue, the pub retains many of the building's rustic attributes, including tons of exposed brick. The main room is spacious, with a long bar, a row of hightop tables, and spacious booths along the windowed front of the building.
After a quick perusal of the well-edited menu, Mr Minx went for the Heavy Seas burger, 8 oz of Creekstone Farms angus beef topped with onions cooked in Heavy Seas Peg Leg stout. The burger was charred on the outside, tender and pink on the inside, with a nice grilled flavor. A fine burger. The accompanying fries, however, were tough and overly-salty.
I had the pork belly brulée and the chopped salad from the appetizer menu. The pork belly was a slab of tender meat about 5" long, 1" wide, with a nearly burnt top layer that had a nice molasses-y flavor. The bit of slaw on the side, comprising fennel, radish and pickle with apple butter was unusual and tasty and surprisingly un-sweet. The chopped salad was also on the tangy side, a nice selection of lettuce, red bell pepper, and red onion combined with sour/salty elements like capers, olives, and feta cheese, dressed with a white balsamic vinaigrette.
Next time, I'd probably be inclined to try something from the entrees menu, which includes a couple of pastas, roast chicken, steak, fish, and a veggie plate, and maybe something from the raw bar.
Heavy Seas Ale House
1300 Bank St.
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 522-0850
Posted on Minxeats.com.
