There’s something comforting about sitting down with a frosty glass of microbrewed beer and good conversation at the end of the day. That must be why Oak Creek Brewery & Grill has been packed for lunch and dinner ever since it opened its doors in 2001. The brewpub serves up wood-fired fare and Sedona-brewed beers in its upstairs space among the sycamores at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. Grab a seat on the open-air deck, at the bar with its stainless-steel beer storage tanks or in the dining room underneath a wood-beamed ceiling.
First things first: You have to choose your beer. Two of our favorites – the hefeweizen and the Forty-Niner Gold Lager – are both award winners and ideal for warm spring weather. The brewery’s thick-cut, beer-battered onion rings are the perfect complement to your beers. The generous portion of rings comes with a side of Southwest ranch dip topped with cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and paprika. The most popular menu item, said our server, is the fish and chips, and it’s this writer’s favorite fish and chips plate in all of northern Arizona. Four large chunks of North Atlantic cod are battered in beer and deep-fried until golden brown. The cod comes with a mound of waffle-cut fries, coleslaw studded with golden raisins and black sesame seeds, tarter sauce and ketchup. The second most popular item on the menu is the barbecue pork ribs, available as a half or full slab. The tender, smoky ribs have just the right amount of sauce (with a little extra served on the side if you really like your barbecue messy) and are accompanied by fries and the aforementioned colorful coleslaw.
When you spot your first name on a menu item at a restaurant (with the correct spelling, I might add), naturally you’re compelled to give it a try. The Caroline and Erika dessert features ice cream cheesecake and a cream cheese filling on an Oreo cookie crust. The large, frozen slice is drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with a sliced strawberry. All I can say is if you’re fortunate enough to see your name on a dessert, you want it to be this one. It’s hard to say what’s more tempting – the local brews or the sweet treats. – Erika Ayn Finch. Photograph by Deb Weinkauff.
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