Beer flights and Oktoberfest options at Summits in Snellville

As football season arrives, Summit’s in Snellville is one of the better football options because of the beer, the food, the screens. Summits will put every NFL game up on Sundays. Their menus are seasonal, a base menu plus extras for the occasion, and as we’re smack in the middle of October, Oktoberfest options are available currently.

This is not the only eatery with Oktoberfest options in the region. Red Robin, in the Shoppes (formerly the Avenue) has an Oktoberfest burger, if you like that kind of thing. But Summit’s tends to provide both unique beers this time of year (for example, a plentiful supply of German wheat, or wit, beers), food options you don’t get any other time (a lot of sausage, or brat, options), on top of the seasonal football.

One thing I didn’t know they provided were beer flights. This is a pre-selected set of 5 or 6 beers, starting around 10 dollars, that present a range of options to the drinker. The serving size is usually smaller, about half a normal serving per beer. Summit’s has three beer flights at this time, a light to dark flight ($10), an IPA flight ($15), and a high gravity beer (high alcohol content) flight ($25). In the photo above is the light to dark flight, which I had while watching football one Saturday. I recommend this flight. It’s not expensive, in bar terms, for the beers you get. The taste and flavor contrasts are worth the trouble.

Summits Wayside Tavern
3334 Stone Mountain Highway
Snellville, GA 30078
(770) 736-1333

 

Melton’s App and Tap, Decatur GA

It’s a nice looking bar in a town full of nice looking bars, but one with a casual air, not as high strung as the bars along Ponce de Leon. With 16 taps of good beer, all described on a blackboard above and to the side of the bar, you can drink well here, and the food is entirely respectable.

I had an Italian beef sandwich when I came, more than enough food for a pub. I like the place, wood and brick walls combine nicely to create a soothing atmosphere.

Melton’s App and Tap
2500 N Decatur Road
Decatur, GA 30033
(404) 634-9112

 

Max McGee’s, Decatur GA

Max Mc Gee’s is an Irish pub on Sycamore Street, the “Wall of Restaurants” just south of the Marta Station in Decatur. It is a pretty upscale affair, with a good beer selection, pleasant staff, and it turns out, more than decent pub grub.

In terms of an “Irishness scale”, this pub is no more or less Irish than the others in this city inhabiting this genre. About 80% of the food could be found in any nice pub. Perhaps a fifth of the dishes have an English or Irish cast to them. Various pies, sausages, and other tidbits speak of the Islands, but probably not to the extent to transport anyone to a virtual Dublin.

Mussels, quite good. Tasty broth.

Fish and chips.

Very good corned beef in this sandwich.

But speaking of what we tried, the mussels were in a good tasting broth, worth dipping. The breaded fish in the fish and chips was dry, and tasty. The serving was large. My daughter perhaps ate a third of it. The corned beef in the sandwich we had was tender and fatty, a bit reminiscent of the brisket at Heirloom BBQ on a good day. The meats we touched were impressive, worth savoring.

In terms of location, the restaurant is to the far side of the Square Pub and can be missed.

Max Mc Gee’s
111 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 377-8050

 

The Square Pub, Decatur GA

The Square Pub is along what I call the Decatur “Wall of Restaurants”, a row of eateries just south of the Marta Station near Church Street. It’s a pretty pub with a good beer selection, and an emphasis on the use of (New Mexican) green chiles. You can find them in quesos, on burgers, and in enchiladas.

Turkey Burger with side.

green chile chicken enchiladas.

It is an easy place to get into, with plenty of casual pub fare. In the couple times I’ve dropped by here, staff have been really good. Since many of the highly regarded pubs in this area have lines out the door, being able to stretch a little and talk to a neighbor in less than a shout might appeal.

The Square Pub
115 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 844-4010

 

The short rib burger at Summit’s in Snellville

Summit’s in Snellville has had a specialty burger menu for some time, a large one. And this burger, the short rib burger, has been available for months now. The burger has a fancier name, that of the meat supplier (NY city based, if I recall) and I ordered the burger on a whim.

Short rib burger at Summits.

I was very pleasantly surprised, the flavor and quality of the meat in the range of folks who claim “best burger in town” status. If there were such a competition and Summit’s were to enter it, they wouldn’t be embarrassed one bit.

 

Dinner at the Local Republic, Lawrenceville GA

I’ve already reviewed the Local Republic, but I hadn’t gone to the LR for dinner so far. I corrected that. It’s as nice at dinner as it is at lunch, but more crowded and a little louder. If you want parking on the weekends, try to arrive before 7pm. It’s always a bit tough to park around Lawrenceville Square.

Lamb burger

Jerk Chicken

Hummus plate, along with crawfish sliders.

If you’re within a 30-45 minute drive of Lawrenceville Square, just go sometime. This is one of the best, and most ambitious eateries in the area.

Atlanta

 

Froghead Grill, Clinton MS

It’s one thing to have a good, easy to access bar and grill alongside an Interstate. It’s yet another to have one with local ownership, an original menu, and above average food. That’s what Clinton MS has, just off exit 36 on I-20, in the Froghead Grill. Yes, you can find bar staples such as burger and quesadillas here, but it’s the Cajun touches that stand out to me. The gumbo? One of the better I’ve had. There was no need to add any spice to that mix of sausage and crawfish. The burgers are oversized and juicy. The burger choices in general are creative (they have a version of SpongeBob’s Crabby Patty), and feature interesting bread on the bun.

Good gumbos are hard to find, and this is a good one.

If you’re a foodie, and tired of the chain scene, this is a stop on the way to Louisiana or Texas to mark down and find time to enjoy. I did. It was well worth it.

Froghead Grill
121 Clinton Center Drive
Clinton, MS 39056
(601) 924-0725

Jackson

 

Beer glass promotions at Summits in Snellville, and more.

Summits often uses their twitter account (@SummitsSnell) to announce promotional events. These can be seasonal menus, or at times, promotional items. One I’ve not taken much advantage of are beer glass promotions.

I did manage Summit's Abita glass. It's a good looking and nicely weighted pint glass.

To note, they have another this Valentines. If you buy a Lindemann’s Framboise Lambic, you’ll get to take home the glass, while supplies last.

Over the weekend was the Atlanta winter beer festival. Coming up this March 31st is a smaller beer festival in Suwanee, the Suwanee Beer Festival. There will be a home brewing contest, over 120 beers to sample, over 40 breweries represented. If you enjoy regional festivals, this is one to consider.

 

Oyster Barn, Lilburn GA

It’s a Cheers like bar and eatery on Beaver Ruin Road, near Lawrenceville Highway. The rusty brown paint and red brick of the building is hard to miss as you’re traveling east, commuting home. If it were just a bar, I probably wouldn’t have cared, but beer and seafood is an entirely different story and made it worth a stop.

On Wednesday they have half price oysters, and I managed three dozen before I shifted to a salad and some of their clam chowder.

Also on Wednesdays, they do trivia. Clientele are friendly, as were the bartenders. If you’re looking for a neighborhood bar in the Lilburn area, this one qualifies. Two thumbs up from this food fan.

Oyster Barn
411 Beaver Ruin Road NW
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 925-4069

 

Burger month and more at Summits in Snellville

Summits these days has a Twitter account, and a couple things they’ve been talking about are that September is burger month. Further, they are celebrating their 18th year in business from the 19th through the 24th with special kegs.

So this blurb doesn’t appear without food, the photo below is one of their special burgers, the Tower of London burger.

Tower of London burger