I wrote about the Granite City chain of brewpub/restaurants in an earlier post over a year ago. I cut a wide swath in that post talking about the Granite City restaurants as a whole. I wanted to share a recent dinner I had there with a couple guys from my dealer in Des Moines.
After we finished up with a meeting, I offered to take the guys out to dinner. A couple of the guys begged off, but a couple of the others said, "Yeah, sure!" We tossed around the names of a couple of places, then settled on the Granite City Brewpub out in Clive (see map). It was a cold night and Granite City has some good comfort food for those long winter nights.
I thought the Granite City in Clive was new as I'd never noticed it before. But I was told by the host who sat us that it had been there for over three years. He asked, "Have you eaten at a Granite City before?"
I said that I'd eaten in a number of them and he looked back at me and said, "Well, we're the best."
They brought out the menu and I didn't even have to open it up. I knew exactly what I wanted - a glass of their Northern Lights lager and the Granite City Meatloaf - a large piece of baked meatloaf that is grilled before serving. The guys were completely impressed that I knew the menu by heart. I said, "Don't be too impressed. I've eaten at a number of Granite City's and the meatloaf is very good."
So good that I talked one of the other guys into getting the same thing. The other guy went with the Honey Rosemary filet mignon. I've had that, too, and it's very good as well.
The one thing about Granite City is that their food is much better than their beer. The beer is OK, at best. But their food is very good and the portions with some of their plates are huge. In fact, there always seems to be TOO MUCH food when it comes out.
And this time was no exception. The slab of meatloaf was easily a pound in weight. It had a side of their garlic-mashed potatoes and handful of their very good onion straws. The only thing that I wish they'd serve with their meatloaf and the mashed potatoes would be a side of brown meat gravy. Still, it's very good.
The other guy who got the meatloaf was happy he got it. "I've never had their meatloaf before. I was sort of surprised you ordered it, but you ordered it with so much conviction that I figured it had to be pretty darn good."
The other guy's Honey Rosemary filet was a little overcooked for his taste, but it was still edible. He said the taste sensation of the honey, rosemary and garlic was wonderful. He also went with the garlic mashed potatoes and he loved them as well.
The one thing about the Granite City brew pubs is that the food is consistently good. They serve too much of it (I couldn't even finish the potatoes or the onion straws) and it always seems to be too filling. Still, Granite City is more of a restaurant that happens to be a brew pub rather than a brew pub that serves some food.
And the one in Clive was very good. I don't know if it's best of the ones I've eaten at, but it's got to be in the top three.
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