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Tap Room
Sometimes good beer and good food demand pausing a roadtrip. The Sierra Blanca and Rio Grande (the breweries merged) Tap Room in Ruidoso serves some of New Mexico's best craft beer with great food and friendly service. I had to try several, and bought a couple cases of beer to take home.
Sometimes a great beer sampling opportunity requires pausing a road trip even longer as one must wait around or explore on foot to sober up before continuing the journey. I have test tools for that. :)
Faraday Cage BAR-B-Q
There is no mobile phone or data signal inside this restaurant, in spite of there being a good signal outside. Arnold's interior decorator decided to use corrugated steel as paneling on the walls and ceiling. The lack of connection made this a horrible place to get any work done. I quickly ate my lunch and left.
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| The paneling is a bit too attenuating.. |
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| The food is a bit too pedestrian. |
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| The penalty is a bit too severe. |
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| The pork is a bit too fresh. |
Bricktown Brewery
After a long rainy day of exploring and driving, I arrived in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I quickly found Bricktown Brewery on Garrison Avenue. I ordered a sampler flight of their "local beer" to discover that they claimed many of the beers are from Oklahoma. Being just over the border from Oklahoma, I think that they must be made locally. A little research revealed that Bricktown Brewery is based in Oklahoma City, and the 'Bricktown" name refers to an Oklahoma City entertainment district. My waitress, wearing a "DRINK LOCAL" shirt, confirms that the beers aren't local; that they are made in Oklahoma City. When I questioned how they can promote themselves as "local", she shrugged and walked away. I enjoyed their Old King Kolsch, but didn't care for most of the beers. Their "Truckburger" -- a blend of ground beef and bacon -- was excellent. However, their deceptive advertising turned my experience sour.
Don't call yourself local if you're not local. And if you're going to be deceptive in your logo, don't put "if you can’t trust a logo well then America is in worse shape than any of us could have imagined" on your website. You may be local in Oklahoma City, but don't call yourself local in Arkansas.
Large Drink
When I ordered a large drink, I expected to get something that would fit in the car. I was wrong. It doesn't.
Big D's BBQ
Big D's! There's no better former gas station at which to eat an awesome bone-in rib sandwich while listening to Clarence Carter belt out Love Me With a Feeling from loudspeakers propped up on chairs.
