Steamworks Brewing Co.
Currently listening to “Live Well” by Palace.
With it now being 2018, I have only one New Year's resolution. Okay, I have a couple of them but the most important one is to bring you, the BurgeReader, more hypnotizing burger blogs on a regular basis. The other minor resolutions are to harvest enough egg nog until next winter and lose 15 pounds. Those two clearly cancel each other out but it's my life and I'll ruin it how I damn well please. This particular blog takes me back a few weeks to the lovely Durango, Colorado. Our visit was right before the snow dumped all over the city, but it was brisk enough to wear a jacket and breathe in that sweet, crisp mountain air. Immediately after jumping into the rental car we headed straight to Mesa Verde National Park to explore the ancient cliff dwellings and to find out exactly how these mud people basically wrote Starship's most famous lyric, “We built this city on rocks with holes”. Once we headed back to town, an absolutely necessary stop at Ska Brewing was in order. From the warm and welcoming vibe of the inside, to the scenic view from their top floor, to the early 2000's punk playlist being the soundtrack to every delicious sip of beer, Ska easily became one favorite breweries and I can't wait to come back and visit. Now that I had quenched my thirst, I needed to put some grub in my gut. Keeping the trend alive, we headed over to Steamworks Brewing for a bite to eat and perhaps a sudsy treat or two. Check it out!
Steamworks is quite a large facility, so whether you are here to sit at the lengthy bar and catch the game while tasting some of the newly released brews, or simply just showing up for a horribly planned “surprise” birthday party that someone forgot to make private on Facebook, there is easily enough seating to accommodate. There is also plenty of seating on their patio that overlooks the captivating curves of Mother Nature, which would be a perfect spot to watch the sunset on a cool summer evening. In my opinion, it does feel a bit more like a restaurant than a brewery inside, but that definitely does not stop them from cranking out some righteous suds. The staff was friendly and attentive which made ordering a piece of cake. Although the menu carries a ton of options ranging from soups, salads, and pizza all the way down to New York strip steaks and crab boils, my eyes stopped at the burger section of the menu. Imagine that. I asked our waiter what the most popular burger on the menu was, then I ordered it. I want in. I want that good good. Ladies and gentlemen, here is the Southwest Burger.
The Southwest Burger is a 1/2” lb. grass fed Black Angus Beef patty, chopped hatch green chiles, pepper jack cheese, jalapeño, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato, and garlic pickle chips on a brioche bun. Upon first bite, I had to send it back. Something inside the burg was cold. Like, newly-thawed cold. Not too sure which ingredient it was, but homie don't play that game. Instead of remaking a new burger, they decided to throw it in the microwave and serve it back to me with my previous bite taken out of it. Not off too the best start but life goes on. Other than that little faux pas, it was generally a pretty solid burger. The hatch green chiles combined with the jalapeño and chipotle aioli created a smokey, peppery, spicy uniqueness to the burger that is certain to get your nose to run. The pepper jack cheese also added a bit of a creamy kick that rounded the burger out. The crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, and garlic pickle chips helped bring in that classic backyard cheeseburger feel, which was nicely complimented by the super soft brioche bun. The meat was a little under seasoned for my taste, but the toppings guided this ship into a fair burger battle. For me, the star of the show was the side of fries. These bad boys were fried until golden and crispy and won first place in my Unofficial Ranch Dressing Slam Dunk Contest. Overall, I've had better burgers, but I've definitely had worse. The Southwest Burger scores 3 of 5 burgz.
I THINK I would definitely come back by Steamworks for another beer or four, and possibly even give the ole menu another look. In due time though. I now KNOW Durango is a super special city that deserves way more recognition than it gets. It's a ski haven, a tiny beer mecca, and a fun environment for the whole family. I know it will already be too long before I come back for a visit, but I will do my best to not... dodge Durango... anymore! GET IT? Nevermind.
Steamworks Brewing Co.
801 E 2nd Ave,
Durango, CO 81301
www.steamworksbrewing.com
