Got beer? If you're in the Towne Lake area of Woodstock, you've got plenty. The recent opening of the third Summits Wayside Tavern brings a vast selection of brewskis, both bottled and on tap, that will make picking just one or two a serious challenge.
The newest Summits takes over a former steakhouse that has been transformed to give it more of a lodge look — lots of brick and 182 flags flapping from the ceiling. Along with the other Summits in Snellville and Cumming, this new spot reserved a serious amount of space for the beers. There are 150 on draft and 700 in the bottle. To help you keep track of your favorites, sign up for the restaurant's Passport Club, which gives you a free meal on your birthday and keeps tabs on the beers you've tried. Prices range from $3.29 to $99.99 (We are not making this up!)."The whole idea is to give customers the ultimate in choices," said owner Andy Klubock. "But we consider our food as the headliner; alcohol is the supporting cast."
Made for taste
Klubock, a self-trained chef and adventurous diner, came up with the extensive menu. Most dishes are made from scratch, including the corned beef, or brought in from top purveyors (the pastrami is flown in from New York). The chicken tenders and grouper are hand-breaded. And everything comes in a super-size portion.Diners will find the usual pub fare — nachos, wings of varying degrees of heat, onion rings, cheese fries and chicken tenders — as well as a few savory bites, such as fried calamari tossed with pepperoncini; fried noodle wrappers stuffed with crab meat and cream cheese; and skewers of beef in a Thai and citrus marinade. Other starter options include fajitas, quesadillas, salads, chili, shrimp and corn chowder. The ahi tuna entree is covered in pepper and served atop a bed of saffron brown rice with a wasabi dipping sauce. Fish and chips come with beer-battered grouper and jalapeño coleslaw. Grouper also comes with a chipotle butter sauce. There's also a stir-fry and burger list that includes a bison burger and a Kobe beef hot dog. Sandwiches are filled with chicken, steak, corned beef, pastrami and grouper.
Crab lovers will want to be in the house on Wednesdays, when the all-you-can-eat crab legs special is $19.99. On Thursdays and Fridays, diners will find a special roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce and an au jus dip. There's also an emphasis on various cuisines during different months: July is sausage month; September is all about burgers; October focuses on German dishes; and December brings an array of items based on ingredients from the Pacific Northwest.
From the bar
Along with the beer, the bar stocks 20 wines, all available by the glass. There's also a selection of 100 vodkas and a full cocktail menu.• Signature dish: If he had to pick, owner Andy Klubock would go with the corned beef. "We sell hundreds of pounds of it, and we make it from scratch."
• Entree prices: $6.99-$14.99
• Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Sundays
• Reservations: On weekends only
• Credit cards: Yes
• Web site: www.summits-online.com
