Beer Nutz pours forth generous eats

Beer aficionados can whet their appetite and more at Beer Nutz Bottle Shop and Grille.

The vast selections of beer available reminded us of the kid in a candy store scenario of being overwhelmed with choices -- and excitement. But, hey, the Lunch Bunch was visiting for an entirely different reason, so we kept our thirsts in check and instead perused the menu.

Beer Nutz is housed along Freeport Road in O'Hara at a location which formerly featured a Chinese restaurant and most recently a CC's Pizza. Inside we discovered an open and bright room with bar tables and stools. But, if you venture toward the back, you will find a separate room with regular tables and chairs more suitable for dining.

Throughout both rooms, you will find flat-screen TVs on the walls, a dart board, video games and even a shelf with board games.

The building also houses a beer distributor, where you can buy cases of beer -- and the bottle shop, where you can purchase individual bottles of beer.

The Hummus Platter ($8.99) was a colorful platter with a large scoop of hummus, feta cheese crumbles, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, quartered tomatoes and flat pita bread wedges. This was a first time order for some in our crew, and they felt a sense of adventure at tasting hummus -- which is nothing to be afraid of -- it's smashed chickpeas with mild spices, and it makes a terrific dip to scoop up with pita wedges.

The Beer-Battered Fish Sandwich ($7.99) was awesome. A light and crispy batter coated a thick fillet of cod on an open-face kaiser roll. We never got to the roll because we were busy making our way through the 1-pound of fish that comprised the sandwich. A generous serving of hot, fresh-cut, golden brown fries also came with our sandwich.

There are burgers and then there is the California Burger ($7.99). A juicy hamburger, done to your preference, is covered with melted provolone cheese and a slice of pineapple. The burger is quite large, served on a soft bun with lettuce, tomato and pickle. The pineapple was slighted grilled and gave the hamburger that exotic island flavor. A large serving of fries is included.

The Grilled Salmon Pita Wrap ($8.99) was so generous with its fish portion, it was impossible to pick up and eat. The salmon was nicely grilled and still moist in the center, and provided the makings for two meals. Our fresh-cut fries that were crispy on the outside disappeared from the plate quickly.

Compiled by Rebecca Killian, Sis Reola and guests. Meals are paid for by the Valley News Dispatch and are unrelated to advertising.

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Beer Nutz Bottle Shoppe and Grille