Alburtis Tavern and Lodge, Tavern Trivia, Pub Food & Beer Pairings
Anyone looking for a friendly neighborhood pub “Where Good Friends and Good Food Meet” will not be disappointed in the Alburtis Tavern and Lodge.
The railroad that brought business and prosperity to the sleepy town of Alburtis in the early 1900s runs across the street reminding diners that where they now sit was once home to The American House. Unfortunately, that original structure built in 1876 was destroyed by fire in 1895. Rebuilt with brick that same year, The American House quickly became a popular stop for railroad employees and today, with 12 completely renovated rooms, is the only remaining historical hotel in Alburtis.
Owners Hope and Terry Bender opened the Alburtis Tavern in November 2013 and have concentrated all of their ambitions here since their other popular restaurant, The Buckeye Tavern, was lost to fire last year. The buzzing atmosphere is nice and the crowd is very similar to that of The Buckeye.
Tom and I drove out to Alburtis after a round of golf on a crisp fall day and the Tavern was warm and welcoming. We were in the mood for some comfort food and that is exactly what we found. The rustic atmosphere created by clean wooden tables and floors as well as hanging lanterns and railroad paraphernalia is pleasant.
Coupled with a friendly server named Amy and a beer for each of us, we settled into tasting two soups – Tom ordered the Jambalaya Soup which was the soup of the day. This spicy rich soup was chock-a-block with sausage, shrimp, veggies and rice with just the right zip. My Cheddar Ale soup was creamy hot and delicious, again with a little savory kick to whet the tastebuds. Both soups were perfect starters in the cool weather and very generous to boot.
There are 20 plus appetizers listed on the menu that include Nachos, Fried Banana Peppers, Wings and Buffalo Chicken Dip to name a few. These are in addition to five soups and eight salads. I really wanted to try Grandma’s Pierogies that are hand-stuffed with potato and cheese then sauteed with butter and onions but opted for a Crisp American House Salad instead. The salad was fresh and chilled with tomatoes, cucumbers, red cabbage, carrots, onions and croutons with a tasty honey mustard dressing.
The menu offers everything from burgers, sandwiches, flatbreads, quesadillas and wraps to full entrees including Hand-Cut Angus Filet grilled to order and an 8-ounce skirt steak, marinated in teriyaki, which I understand is a pub favorite. There was also a 12-ounce Delmonico on special that night. Tom decided to have the Jagerschnitzel – pounded pork loin, breaded, fried and smothered with rich mushroom gravy. This was the epitome of comfort food with a portion large enough to feed a family of four!
I had the Pot Pie, which I enjoyed very much. Again, the portion was very large with a casserole full of creamy chicken, potatoes, corn, peas and carrots all topped with a flakey crust. I took half of this meal home… it was even better the next day for lunch. There were three other specials added to the menu that night; Alburtis Pot Roast, Scallop and Tuna Scampi and Hawaiian Chicken which only added to the eclectic choices available here.
As is customary for me, I simply had to try dessert. I chose the Funnel Cake Fries. As I was sipping my coffee, a huge plate of aromatic, freshly-made Funnel Cake morsels was nearing my table making everyone around us take notice. This dessert was not only massive but delicious – the cakes were drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauces and sprinkled with powdered sugar. I loved my dessert but, again there was enough for the entire dining room. Since, this fried dessert would never be as good the next day, I shared some of this dish with the table of 10 sitting next to us and received 20 thumbs up!
The main dining room seats about 40 people with about 12 at the bar. The back dining room seats about 60 and I can attest that this popular spot fills up pretty fast.
The Benders are in the middle of major construction at The Alburtis Tavern and Lodge. The adjacent building is being connected to the main structure where there will be a banquet hall and where they will host Dinner Shows that were so popular at The Buckeye Tavern. This space will have a second bar area and be able to accommodate overflow seating on busy nights.
I shared some of this dish with the table of 10 sitting next to us and received 20 thumbs up!
The Alburtis Tavern is located at 106 South Main Street in Alburtis and is open seven day a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is just the place if you are in the mood for hearty pub fare in friendly, welcoming surroundings. Give it a try! There are a lot of things going on at The Alburtis Tavern like Wing Day Tuesday and Wednesday Fiesta Night featuring many of your favorite Mexican dishes. Call 610.928.0404 or log onto alburtistavern.com for complete menu and other information.
Tavern Trivia
Jalapeno Poppers – The state pepper of Texas, Jalapeños have flown in space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Astronaut Sherwood “Woody” Spring grew the peppers and sent them on board with William B. Lenoir who later wrote in the mission logs, “Tell Woody the jalapeños are outstanding.”
Onion Rings – According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest onion ever grown weighed 10 lbs. 14 oz. and was grown in England.
Nachos – Although nachos were first created at the Victory Club restaurant in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, a school in Kansas holds the record for the largest plate of nachos in the world. According to Mobile Cuisine, the gigantic platter weighed a whopping 4,689 pounds and 2,200 of those pounds were nacho cheese alone.
Mozzarella Sticks – The first documented practice of breading cheese and frying it in oil dates back to Medieval, France, when a basic recipe for fried muenster cheese appeared in a guidebook for maintaining a Parisian household, written to teach French women how to be good wives.
Pierogies – According to mobilecusine.com, the largest edible pierogie weighted in at 92 lbs. and was made during Pierogie Fest in Whiting, Indiana.
Wings – According to the National Chicken Council’s 2015 Wing Report, it was predicted that 1.25 billion wings would be consumed during the 2015 Super Bowl. To put that into perspective, 1.25 billion wings would circle the Grand Canyon 120 times.
Sliders – White Castle is the oldest burger chain in America. It was started in 1921 by Walter A. Anderson and E.W. Ingram who sold their burgers for 5 cents apiece.
Pub Food & Beer Pairings
Written by Lenora Dannelke & Amy Hines
Beer brings so much to a table of appetizers and pub fare. Flavors that encompass bitterness, hoppiness, maltiness, and sourness, as well as caramel notes, enable beers to match, complement—or contrast—the taste of food in limitless ways.
The sheer over-abundance of both domestic products and imported brands can overwhelm someone trying to figure out what to drink with appetizers or dinner. There’s really just a few basic types of beer—there’s Belgian style, German style, wheat beers, Scottish, British, porters, stouts, and IPAs—and once you’re familiar with those, you can read any label and have a pretty good idea of what you’re in store for.
IPA proved to be the most versatile junk-food beer overall.
Recommended pairings that appear on menus also assist budding beer aficionados in learning how to marry flavors. If you want to be prepared before you head out for a bite to eat, consider these recommendations:
Sliders:
Sliders are classic bar food that you can make tastier by adding cheeses and sauces. You don’t have to pair them with a mass-produced light lager. Try a nice bold, crisp IPA from a good craft brewery. It pairs well because the bitterness of an IPA cuts through the fat of a burger.
Spicy Chicken Wings, Nachos or Jalapeno Poppers:
White ales and white beers, especially ones made with coriander and bitter orange peel, do a great job cutting through the spiciness instead of watering it down.
Salads:
Wheat beers, German and Belgian, work well. But if you are looking at something like a Waldorf or a Cobb salad, try brown ales, because they go well with nuts and heavy cheese.
Bar Snacks and Junk Food:
You might be surprised, but a bit of classic pairing advice actually applies to junk food, too. Things that work with cheese-flavored food, such as IPA and stout, also taste good with cheesy snacks. Beers like stout or a Belgian dubbel, will elevate your barbecue chips. Potato chips have a delicate crunch that doesn’t want a heavy beer. While not great with everything, IPA proved to be the most versatile junk-food beer overall. It’s a good palate cleanser and can handle lighter and coarser textures.
Photography by Ryan Hulvat
