The @beersplaining boys took a trip up to Sacramento for the day. The reason for the trip I will get into later but you know if we’re going to Sac, some beer is on the menu. The only question is what breweries will we hit this time.
Usually, a trip to Sac also means a stop at Bawk! by Urban Roots If you don’t know what this is, you have to check it out. This place has some of the best Nashville hot chicken you will find in CA. And because its “by Urban Roots Brewery & Smokehouse”, you know they have good beer options.
This time, however, @hoppyhippo wanted some BBQ. So we shifted over to Urban Roots. The beer selection was solid, as always, with options from lager, IPA, Hazy IPA and a great barrel aged stout.
Hoppy opted for the Hazy (of course) and I went West Coast (naturally). For our meal options, Hoppy got the brisket french dip and I got the chili cheese fries.
Hoppy couldn’t speak highly enough of the french dip. The melted cheese and caramelized onions (that were actually caramelized) mixed so well with the beef and au jus, and the horseradish added the perfect little kick.
For me, those chili cheese fries were fire! The beef in the chili was smoky and tasty, and the chili had a great little spicy kick. The fries were cooked to the perfect cr]ispiness to stand up to the thick chili. Combined with the West Coast IPA, it was the perfect start to our trip.
From there, it was a quick stop at the hotel and then a walk to the newest joint in town, @mattiegrovesbrewing . This place took over the spot that Old Stump used to occupy. At first, the dark interior was a bit off-putting, but as we enjoyed the offerings, it started to feel like an old Irish-style pub. Here, again, the offerings were solid. I particularly enjoyed the Pretty Boy Floyd. The two pub dogs were quite the mix. One barked at us when we entered and was a bit aggressive. The other (husky) was friendly, quiet and just walked around making sure everyone was having fun. I think the decor could lean a bit more into the Irish pub feel but overall its a place I’ll visit again.
After that, it was a quick walk (in the wrong direction) to Hoptology Beer Lab + Kitchen. This is a new joint from the folks over at Knee Deep. The menu and beer offerings were outstanding (although it wasn’t easy to tell what the guest beers were on the menu). The mixed drink offerings also looked interesting so it may be a place we need to visit with some friends who aren’t as much into beer.
While at the bar, we made conversation (‘cause were friendly guys!) with the bartender and a patron or two. The topic of conversation was our event for the evening and what brought us to Sac; Bone, Thugs and Harmony live Ace of Spades. We visited this venue a few months ago to see @zzward live and enjoyed the vibe and the energy so when Hoppy asked if I wanted to go, I said “Sure!”
When we got there, we checked in with our new pal to see about VIP seats. Unfortunately, the upstairs was closed off for renovations so we stuck with our floor “seats” (the venue is standing room only, for the most part but that doesn’t hurt the vibe at all.). Even standing at the far back we had a great view of the stage.
Unfortunately, the event didn’t live up to the hype. Between the delay of the opening act (45 minutes after scheduled start), the vocal mix being off, and the lack of energy from the crowd, things just didn’t jive. Even Hoppy, who is a much bigger rap fan, was ready to leave after they played “Waterfall.” This won’t stop us from seeing shows there.
The next day, our time was limited so we had to narrow our focus. Since they opened, I hadn’t been to @shredbrewing so we voted to head there (again, in the wrong direction). Shred occupies the old space where Around the Horn brewing used to be. They haven’t made a lot of changes, but when we got there, the side room with two Lay-Z-Boy style chairs called out to us. We were there for well over an hour and it felt like we were hanging out in one of our own houses. We both got flights (hazy flight for Hoppy, West Coast Flight for me) and took our time. Highlight of the day for me was Nose Deep. We picked up a couple of 4-packs each and, with that, called it a trip.
Overall, another fun Sac trip. I strongly recommend Urban Roots, beer and BBQ, look forward to seeing how Mattie Groves grows and will say, hands down, Slice is quickly earning a place in our top breweries in CA.
#cheers