Beer is king at Batavia's Gammon Coach House
Looking to expand your beer knowledge? Head out to Batavia, where Gammon Coach House's extensive menu and reasonable prices make it good place to find the craft brew for you.
Motif: The spot features a bar area with small tables, flat-screen TVs tuned to sports and a large cooler showing off the impressive bottled beer selection. Gammon is larger than it looks, with a dining area tucked to the side. The space features dark wood tables and plush green chairs, plus two more TVs. Gammon House gets a rustic feel from the wood walls, which are lightly decorated by beer ads and posters promoting upcoming events. When the weather is nice, the large patio is the place to be. Crowds pack the umbrella-topped tables, and the lights strung around the metal fencing provide cheerful illumination.
Crowd: Gammon was nearly full when we arrived at 7 p.m. on a Saturday, mostly populated by couples and small groups in their 30s to 50s. Dress is very casual, with shorts and T-shirts welcome.
Service: The bar seemed poorly prepared for the crowd when we visited. While our server was friendly, polite and apologized for the long waits, the staff seemed stressed.
Food: Gammon's menu largely sticks to bar food standards like wings, pizza, and chips and dips. If you're looking for heartier fare, the bar also serves daily entree specials like homemade meatloaf Thursday or Friday fish fry.
Our server had gushed that everything on the menu was good, but we were disappointed with the quesadillas we ordered. They were filled with cubed chicken, cheese and pico de gallo. While the tortillas were crispy, and the salsa had good flavor, the fillings were unevenly distributed. We wish we'd gone with the server's other recommendation of the spinach dip or a side of the delicious-looking sweet potato fries.
Liquid consumption: Beer is king at Gammon Coach House, with an extensive selection of microbrews available in draft and bottle form, including rarely seen brews from local favorites like Three Floyds and Bell's. Novices who don't know the difference between a Saison and an IPA, and beer lovers looking for particular flavors, can take advantage of the menu descriptions that provide loads of detail on what each beer tastes like. The three sizes of pours available for drafts also provide great utility to drinkers. Know what you like? Order a regular pour. If you're not sure how you'll feel about something new or want to try a few things, you can go for a small or medium draft.
Parking: There's a small free lot and plenty of street parking is available nearby.
Overall: Whether you're watching a game at the bar or enjoying some sun on the patio, Gammon Coach House is a nice spot to try a new beer or two.
Gammon Coach House
3 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia, (630) 482-3663, <a href="http://gammoncoachhouse.com">gammoncoachhouse.com</a>
<b>Hours: </b>11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday