Craftsman Table and Tap, which opened in early January in Middleton, is supposed to have a lot of similarities to its sister restaurant, the ultra-popular Coopers Tavern. Unfortunately, there’s not much family resemblance–yet.
Sure, there’s the gastropub menu and the extensive tap and bottle list, but the food leaves something to be desired.
From the shared plates menu, I had to start with the poutine ($6.99), an appetizer I love at Coopers. Craft Table’s version is topped with braised brisket, but unfortunately it was very sparse on cheese and gravy. In fact, I found myself with many bites of–God forbid–regular fries.
Among the entrees–you can choose from burgers or artisan sandwiches–I tried the pulled brisket sandwich ($9.99) and the Reuben ($9.69). The former just felt too dry–I was really expecting a moist and savory sandwich. The caramelized onions helped but weren’t enough to save the dish.
The Reuben wasn’t any better. The house-cured corned beef was tough, so much so that after each bite, I would end up pulling out an entire strip with my mouth. Corned beef should be fall-apart tender, and this was not.
I washed this meal down with a tasty Ayinger Brau-Weisse Hefeweizen Wheat ($6.50). Whereas Coopers boasts 14 imports out of its 26 draft beers, Craft Table only has 7 of 18. It’s not like I don’t like domestic beers, but I can get them at any bar. That’s what made Coopers (and places like the Malt House) unique.
Craftsman Table and Tap is open at 11 a.m. every day. It doesn’t yet have happy hour, and it hopes to open its upstairs to banquets and private parties in the near future.
P.S. Craftsman originally opened as Craft Table and Tap until another restaurant by the same name cried foul. To all aspiring restaurant owners, especially Food Fight, Inc: always do your research! (Food Fight’s Cadillac Ranch/Cactus Ranch had the same issue.)
