Pillagers Pub

[hollyking]

Last night was my trip to Pillagers Pub. I arrived, made my way to a table and was pleasantly surprised when sea_gaagii came over and joined me. I guess posting my plans worked.

I tried a pint of the Rauchbier and found it to be very good. The aroma and flavor of smoke was an accent to the flavor of the beer and not overpowering. Traditional Rauchbier is made using malt that is smoked with beechwood. I've had a few stinkers that seemed to just add liquid smoke to the beer, but Baron's version was not one of them.

see_gaagii ordered a flight of the Three Skulls Ales and we tried them together. We both agreed that the Three Skulls Amber didn't have much flavor and quickly disappeared next to the other beers. My favorite was the Black Bonney Porter and I found the Hop the Plank IPA to be an IPA I could drink.

We were joined by PL, a coworker of mine. He also enjoyed the Rauchbier. He tried a few of the German style beers brewed by Baron but from what I picked up he preferred the Rauch. I had to leave to pick up hollyqueen so missed his opinion of the beer he drank. My full review of the Rauchbier will be in a later post. Probably my next one.

A few people warned me away from Pillagers Pub and I have to wonder why. I guess that the place has changed since their visits. The food was the average stuff I find at every bar around here. The atmosphere was better than the average bars I've visited in the area.

They had the music too loud as I had to raise my voice to talk to people at the same table, but that's a common failure in places I've visited all across the country. There's nothing wrong with music but why do they always turn it up so high? If there was dancing or a live act I would expect the music to be louder. Otherwise it should be part of the background.

I have to give high marks to the staff. The woman working the bar was helpful, friendly and knowlegeable about what they had for sale. She went above and beyond the call to replace the keg when I ordered a growler so I would get a full bottle from a fresh keg instead of the dregs of one and the top of another.

While Pillagers isn't my ideal pub it is a good one I will visit again when I'm in the area.

The next stop will be 7pm on Thursday at Über. After that I'll be working my way through my Washington Beer Lovers (WABL) passport. The plan is to visit two or three places each month.

Comments

[rhonan.livejournal.com]

Too bad I was away from LJ all yesterday due to Cisco Finals Fun. Think we crossed paths, as I was at Pillagers myself last night. I never miss half price growler night. I like the rauchbier myslef, though I'm more likely to have the schwartzbier.

The reason Pillagers got a bit of a bad name is that they were really rough when they opened. The owner brews beer, but had never run a pub before. The staff the started out with looked good on paper, but were completely clueless. Fortunately, they got a bar tender who knew how to run a decent pub, and made him bar manager. The clowns have been replaced with people who know how to give decent service. Now, if they could just get an actual kitchen in there. Their kitchen is a convection oven and a crock pot.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

I was lucky last night. I didn't even know about 1/2 price growlers. The benefits of clean living I guess. ;)

That makes sense. A lot of places have rough starts.

[ragnorokt.livejournal.com]

I guess they were out of the roggenbier then...

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

You know I plumb forgot about it. I guess I need to go back again! ;)

[ragnorokt.livejournal.com]

Well you will have to let me know how it is once you do. Say did I tell you I am doing a smoked wheat beer right now? I basically did a standard American Wheat, but substituted two pounds of cherrywood smoked malt for some of the malted barley.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

I did ask about the Dampfbier but they didn't have an idea when it might be available again.

No. Sounds like something I need to try. ;)

[ragnorokt.livejournal.com]

Well it will go in a box when we get that going.

[hollyking.livejournal.com]

Most certainly! Something like the Back in Black Stout Fest?

[seattlejo.livejournal.com]

You know, i went when the first opened, the music was too loud, the service was shitty and the room uncomfortably moist. I think a comparison to sweaty pirate balls may have been made.

Per Bob's comment it sounds like service has gotten better, maybe I'll give them another try.