Boyfriend Ken and I tried to go a few days after the grand opening and found it full up. (This ended up being okay as we went to Lake Street Tavern, which had good food and a nice selection of craft beer). I finally made it out again last Saturday and it the place was still jam packed! If not for a reservation for my Meet Up group, I couldn't have gotten in.So, is it worth the wait? In a word, yes.
The space: Yep, it's cozy. There's a little fireplace, darkly colored furniture, a short bar with the requisite stools and of course tables and chairs. Ryan, one of the owners, took our Meet Up group to the back, where the magic happens. A LOT of magic happens in a small space! Magic like....
The beers: There were seven beers on tap on Saturday and I got to sample 5 of them: After Christmas Ale, 1908, Ed's Brown, American Pale and Train Hopper. My personal favorites were the After Christmas and 1908. The After Christmas is an excellent winter ale with many of the usual winter spices (allspice, cinnamon and ginger) but also with a lovely taste of honey. The 1908 is a smoked wheat beer and absolutely delicious! Malty, well balanced and not too smoky...wonderful! All of the beers were quite good though, so you should have no problem finding a favorite.
The service: The service was impeccable. Our waitress took our orders on little slips of paper and knew our names right away. Glasses were never empty very long and the waitstaff seemed genuinely happy to be there (rare these days).
All in all, this was well worth the wait! More beers are coming out all the time, so hitch up the wagon and get up to South Lyon. Cheers!
