Similar to the nearby One Barrel Brewing, the recently opened Next Door Brewing is a perfect fit for the Atwood neighborhood in which it resides. In this particular case, the restaurant and bar seems like it was designed for the hipsters and young families (yes, high chairs are available) who likely will frequent it.
Let’s talk about the beer first. Besides the guest taps–one from Karben4 and the other from House of Brews–Next Door has four beers available, though more are on the way. The Sevex is a stock ale, and it does have “an intense hop flavor” as per its description. I would describe the Les as a good, mild ale that pairs well with food. Lastly, the Wisconsin Pale Ale was quite bitter, and I didn’t try the Wilbur, which is a cream ale.
While the beers didn’t wow me, the food did. First up is the corn dog ($7.50), which ain’t your standard carnival corn dog. This one used Usinger’s Bavarian wiener, which was awesome, and it’s dipped in a corn batter mixed with beer. I can’t believe I’m raving about a corn dog, but I am. Another tasty appetizer was the chicken pate ($7). It’s not as rich as duck or goose pate, obviously, but it was still quite flavorful. Make sure to mix in the gelatin layer on top as you spread the pate on the bread.
The patty in the Atwood Burger ($10) had a nice thickness to it because it was made with beer-soaked rye bread mixed in. I liked that it was served on a Stalzy’s Challah bun. Meanwhile, I adored the 72 Hour Beef Shank ($14.50). Like the pate, this dish is not meant for conservative eaters. The beef is salty, full of gristle–both qualities I enjoy–and supremely tender as it’s braised in beer for three days. The side of root vegetable mash was creamy and delicious, especially as it soaked up the juice from the meat.
The restaurant was out of several entrees during opening weekend, which is understandable, so I couldn’t try as many items as I wanted. The only disappointment of the meal was the fish fritters ($6), made of whitefish and completely dry and tasteless, even with the accompanying aioli.
The interior includes communal tables and high tops, making the dining side appear to be more of a hangout than simply a restaurant. Our server was really nice, which helped mask the slow service–our drinks took nearly 10 minutes to be brought out, and the food took 20–as can be expected in the first few days of a restaurant’s birth.
Next Door Brewing is open every day for lunch and dinner, with happy hour daily. It has a parking lot adjacent to the building.
See more photos in our Flickr album.
Some parting thoughts: Apparently it’s not much of a destination for the breakfast crowd, as the cafe was once open at 8 a.m. Tuesday to Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday, but now it opens at 10 a.m. those days. Also, the staff makes a big fuss if you try to pay with a credit card for any tab less than $20. At least there’s an ATM on site.
