Black Star Co Op Pub and Brewery really proves the coop model works

It was later in the evening and the place we wanted to try was closed.  The hours on their website were wrong.  That seems to be a problem with many restaurants in town.  Luckily for us Black Star Pub and Brewery was open and I'm happy to say I really loved this place.  Pub food, good beer, pleasant surroundings, did I mention good beer?

We started out trying a few of their beers an Elba and a darker beer which name escapes me.  Also tried a Hubris that night as it was new and the bartender kind of pushed it.  Steph liked the Elba.  It was light and crisp with just enough hops and a hint of citrus.  Very refreshing.  The dark beer was nice and malty with a strong hops.  I just love those beers that taste like a big glass of Roman Meal bread.  I didn't try the Hubris until after dinner but I'll mention it now.  The big deal about this beer is the way they hop it.  The hops are picked at a farm in Washington state and immediately shipping to Black Star where they add them to the waiting beer.  It adds several extra flavors to the beer and I'll have to say it was a really good pint.  So far I'm very impressed by Black Star but the real test will come when I get my old friend Chris down here again and have him do some tastings.

On to the food.  I had a burger and Steph had the pulled pork sandwich.  I'll tell you right now that both of these were awesome.  Totally.  They cooked the burger medium rare and it was nice, thick and juicy.  The meat was fresh and I may have heard it moo once just before I took the first bite.  It really tasted that fresh.  The fries were good too.  They had a nice seasoning on them and were also hot and fresh.  Steph loved the pulled pork sandwich, especially the sweet bun it came on.  Everything was just nice and balanced.  You could tell they put some thought and love into their food.  Steph didn't eat her slaw so I finished that off too.  It was a tangy slaw that would have gone very well with the pork but I ate it with the burger.  A little more vinegar than I'm used to but again it was supposed to be eaten with the pulled pork sandwich which makes perfect sense.

They have counter service to order and get beers but they'll bring out the food to your table.  And forget about leaving a tip, they won't take your money.  And they won't take it with a smile.  It's nice to see a place that keeps that part of the restaurant world real.  I've gotten so tired of the tip jar at the counter and bad service around this town but I'll always give credit where it's due and Black Star Coop does have great service along with great beer and great food.  Give them a try sometime and you might even invest in the company.

Cheers!