Dining review: Strap Tank Brewing Company is soberingly delicious
Fish and chips are available at Strap Tank Brewing Company on Tuesday. The brewery is located in Springville and offers a full menu.
Rustic decor lines the walls of Strap Tank Brewing Company in Springville.
Steak Tacos and Steak Taco Salad from Strap Tank Brewing Company.
Rustic decor is part of the charm at Strap Tank Brewing Company.
Steak Tacos are available at Strap Tank Brewing Company.
Rustic decor is part of the charm of Strap Tank Brewing Company.
Fish and chips are available at Strap Tank Brewing Company.
The Steak Taco Salad is shown at Strap Tank Brewing Company in Springville.
Steak Tacos at Strap Tank Brewing Company.
Fish and chips at Strap Tank Brewing Company.
It may seem strange for a food reviewer who does not drink to voluntarily review a brewery.
But Strap Tank Brewing Company is a unique case for a number of reasons. It is not only the first craft brewery in Utah County, but it’s not even in the cosmopolitan metropolis that is Provo in 2017. It’s in Springville, Provo’s rural neighbor on the southern border.
Strap Tank also has the distinguishing feature of being a full-menu restaurant — a fact that, combined with my presupposition that I may not be the only non-drinker in its surrounding area curious about the food at the pioneering establishment, led me to believe my perspective might not be unwelcome to local readers.
So with nothing to say about the one menu item that makes it especially unique in Utah County, I am nevertheless pleased to be able to say: Strap Tank is the brewery that offers so much delicious food, even the designated drivers will go home happy.
Having a delicious menu doesn’t seem necessary for a place that focuses on drinks, but in this county, it just may be the smartest insurance policy. If you’re expecting passable mozzarella sticks and sloppy onion rings, you’ve come to the wrong pub. The menu items my group tried were extraordinarily tasty.
Our meal started out with the bacon-jalapeno-wrapped cheesy bread, which is what mozzarella sticks are like in heaven. They somehow manage to be spicy but not unbearable, succulent but not overly greasy.
The jalapenos were crispy and gave just the right punch to the cheese, and when the server offered to take the last bite away (it had been sitting alone on its original plate), I momentarily panicked, like a mother bear seeing her cub about to be taken away, when she had just planned to save the last bite of her cub to take home because she didn’t want its joyous life to ever end.
Speaking of servers, all the staff and servers that we interacted with were exceptionally friendly and accommodating. They contribute to an atmosphere of fun that permeates the space.
Another factor to that sense of enjoyment is the space itself. Decorated with vintage motorcycle garb, the place is not dissimilar to a Harley-Davidson joint, which may not be an accident, its namesake being the 1907 Strap Tank Harley-Davidson “power-cycle” (an early name for motorcycle).
But back to the food.
We had the ribeye steak, which was an excellent cut of meat that took up half a plate it was so big. It was served with mashed potatoes (or French fries) and green beans.
The green beans had some asparagus mixed in, which was an excellent choice, and they were sauteed in, I guess it was butter, in just the right amounts.
That’s the thing about the menu items at Strap Tank: They aren’t necessarily elaborate or gimmicky. They are simple, delicious food, prepared with deep care and skill. It’s an offering that the fictional character Ron Swanson from TV’s “Parks and Recreation” would absolutely appreciate.
The mashed potatoes were similarly successful — they even had bits of potato skin in the finished product that make for a more-than-agreeable texture.
We also went for the appropriately named Strap Tank Burger, which has a half-pound of beef delivered on fine grilled buns and served with sauces, lettuce, onions, tomatoes and pickle all on the side.
It also comes with French fries, which can be substituted for sweet potato fries or a green salad (scoff!), or, for one more dollar, baked beans or onion rings. We went with the onion rings, and they were just right: no slipping apart, just the right taste.
And although I may be a square when it comes to alcohol, I didn’t want to miss the root beer, which is not brewed onsite but is still from Utah — with a name like Brigham’s Brew, how could it not be local? The root beer is served in a tall, frosty mug, which made it taste even better.
So if anyone was wondering whether a brewery would be successful in Utah County, I think I know Strap Tank’s secret winning strategy: Don’t just be the best brewery, be one of the best places to eat, period.
STRAP TANK BREWING COMPANY
Where: 1750 W. 596 South, Springville
Prices: $6-$25
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays
Info: (385) 325-0262, straptankbrewery.com