Bar Review: Wasatch Brew Pub Cantina sets the bar high for laid-back lounging
By Amanda Chamberlain
In Utah This Week (see online version)
March 24, 2009
It doesn't take much more than $2 microbrew drafts to make me fall in love with a place. Still, Brew Pub Cantina, located atop Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City, goes above and beyond by offering an ideal kick-back spot in addition to kick-ass deals.
Before I explain the amenities, let's get some background. The Brew Pub Cantina is the private club Wasatch Brew Pub opened within its walls so they could offer a full bar on-site. Wasatch Brew Pub itself, founded in 1986, cooks up full-flavored beers on the premises, making it the first brewery in Park City since Prohibition. And unless you live under a rock, you should recognize the Wasatch brand, as their handcrafted microbrews are found in most stores across the state. Some of their most popular brews are Polygamy Porter ("Why have just one?"), First Amendment Lager, and the 8-percent buzz-bringer, The Devastator.
You can order any and all of the Wasatch beers at the Brew Pub Cantina; one of the perks of sharing digs with a brewery. You can also order from the brewery's full menu, which features fusion pub fare including the zesty Monterey Chicken Sandwich ($9.75) and the mouthwatering and savory Buffalo Burger ($11.25). Washed down with a cold draft, which are $2 on Saturdays, a meal here brings the kind of satisfaction you'd be lucky to find at a five-star restaurant.
And since we were separated from the screaming kids in Wasatch's main restaurant, my companion and I had a relaxed experience enhanced by an easy-going crowd and Beatles soundtrack, all interrupted by nothing. While we ate our meals and drank our $2 Wasatch drafts, we watched some NCAA games on easy-to-see big screens, and people-watched a group of tourists whose faces became increasingly perplexed as the bartender explained Utah liquor laws upon request. After that, we put a few 75-cent rounds into the pool table and shot our Saturday afternoon away.
Besides giving the bank of leather couches a try, there's nothing I would change about my visit to the Brew Pub Cantina. In fact, the next time I have another Saturday afternoon to kill, I'll willingly spend it -- and little money -- at my new favorite Park City hangout.