To begin with, we ordered a round of beers. The beer at Firestone Walker is, in my opinion, the best beer anywhere. Just this past week they were named ‘Champion Mid-Size Brewery & Brewmaster’ at the 2012 World Beer Cup for the fourth time since 2004. So the fact that the beer was fresh and cold from the tap, direct from the factory less than 100 yards away, made it taste even better. The DBA, 805, and Velvet Merlin were our favorites.
There's a different menu special every night, and this night was fried chicken night. Other nights they have steak, shrimp, fish, carne asada, and other spcieals. I decided to go for the fried chicken special.
Now, I've been to a number of fried chicken restaurants back East in Amish country that base their entire concept around their fried chicken, and this beat them all hands down. The chicken breast was juicy and crunchy with an almost Panko-like breading, not greasy at all. The mashed potatoes and gravy were superb, and the cole slaw was slivered and tasted wonderful. My father, who ordered the same dish as me, ordered a second serving of cole slaw for himself after he cleared his plate.
We ordered the kids macaroni and cheese for my daughter. The serving size was ample for a kids meal, and the taste was really good and hearty, with the cheddar cheese stringing out with each bite. She had a lot of help finishing her plate from the rest of us.
Other dishes ordered included a curry chicken salad for Audrey and a steak for my Father in Law, both of which were reported as delicious as well. We finished the meal with a complimentary birthday ice cream cake. The staff didn't sing for me, which is a plus in my book.
If you've ever had a truly awesome reastaurant moment when the cold beer, good food, and cool environment all line up in zen-like perfection, this was one of those times. Turning 40 could never be a good thing, but for 90 minutes I forgot about my troubles. The Taproom is now my official favorite restaurant in Paso Robles.
The staff was friendly and attentive and I would give the entire experience a perfect 10. Not bad for only being open for a couple months.
Just another reason to LOVE living on the California Central Coast.
Written by Chris Johns.
