Moontime’s Falafel Burger
Like any long-term relationship, although they can enjoy their time alone, they are often best when paired together. They are not your traditional couple, but the two are frequently found together, supporting and complimenting each other, showing you just how great their relationship is. And while you may believe this post is about to embark on a love story about Jane and her wonderful John, it is about the bond between food and beer that I am speaking of.
I mean, come on, the only thing I get sentimental about is when a brewery decides to discontinue a beer that I love. I’m talking to you, Firestone Walker. A tear is still brought to my eye when I think about you discontinuing my all time favorite Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA.
While writing this post I decided to not include any breweries in Coeur D’ Alene, who also have dining options. I did this because this post is more about food than beer. And while a brewery may offer food their goal is one thing, to produce great beer. So in lieu of that, I have gathered up seven locations in Coeur D’ Alene who have tasty food as well as a stellar beer selection, giving you excellent examples of the unbreakable bond between food and beer.
Mackenzie River Pizza
Mackenzie River Pizza
You are probably wondering what this Montana based chain is doing in Idaho, but the word is out about Mackenzie River and the demand for their pizza is high. So they have expanded over recent years to Idaho, Washington, North and South Dakota, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. A location in Las Vegas Nevada is soon on the way as well!
You’re definitely going to want to order pizza while you are here. It is what they are known for because they do it well. The Sequoia is my favorite, a pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, and mozzarella. I also recommend the Greenhorn wrap, a wrap full of veggies, cheese, and pesto mayo, if you are looking for something other than pizza. The beer menu is a collection of Northwestern beers and I suggest going with the Driftboat Amber, Makenzie River’s signature beer. The Driftboat is brewed by Great Northern Brewery located in Whitefish Montana, with the exception of the states east of the Mississippi. It’s a pleasing amber ale that pairs up nicely with your meal.
Mackenzie River Pizza is located at 405 W Canfield Ave Coeur D’ Alene Idaho
Taphouse Unchained
Taphouse Unchained
If you like bikes, or maybe you like to pretend you are riding a bike at all times, Taphouse Unchained is for you. The restaurant is decorated with bikes, bike parts and bar stools that resemble unicycles. Note to anyone who becomes wobbly while drinking, it may be best to pick a traditional table and seat over the seats at the bar. Although they are affixed to the floor they do require a bit of balance even when sober.
The food menu offers classic pub fare of appetizers, soups, salad, burgers, sandwiches and pizza all with the implication that beer will be joining your meal. I ordered the Turkey Bacon Club, a shaved turkey breast pairing up with thick cut bacon and basil mayo. Sides offered are of fries, or for people who like to pretend they eat healthily, you can order quinoa salad or fresh cut fruit. Obviously, I did not order the ladder.
The beer selection is impressive and each time I have visited they carry one of my dear favorites, the African Amber from Mac & Jack Brewery. There are 24 taps to choose from, mostly of Northwest breweries as well as a full liquor bar. If you are in the mood for a margarita, apparently there is a bike located in the bar that will power the blender to make your margarita. Nothing like burning off a few calories before drinking, am I right?
Taphouse Unchained is located in the heart of downtown Coeur D’ Alene near the resort, in The Shops at 210 E Sherman Ave. There is street parking or you can use the large city parking lot located near the resort with 2 hours free parking. The outside patio is also dog-friendly.
Crafted Tap House + Kitchen
Crafted Tap House + Kitchen
Do you want to know what overwhelming is? It’s Crafted’s beer list. We all know I drink a lot of beer but when I saw this beer list for the first time I caved under the pressure of having to pick a beer. This caving happened again with my second visit. To the untrained eye it probably looked like I didn’t know what kind of beer I wanted to order but in reality, it was I didn’t know where to start as there were so many on the list that I wanted to have. With 50 beers on the tap list, I assume the beertenders are familiar with the wide eyes of their customers as they read the list. I, fortunately, know enough about my beer preferences that I asked the beertender for the hoppiest beer they had and was handed a beer that perfectly matched my description.
This former muffler shop converted into a taphouse/restaurant is usually packed with patrons. And rightfully so as in addition to their enormous beer list, their food menu is chalked full of tasty selections paired up with hilarious names describing the delectable food choices. They have upper scale pub food, like The Berkshire, a cheesy pasta with cajun chicken and asparagus, pictured above, which is sinfully delightful. I also have enjoyed their B-I-Double-G-I-E, a bacon burger with all the toppings you could imagine, that will satisfy all your burger needs.
Crafted Tap House + Kitchen is located at 523 Sherman Ave. There is a small parking lot located in the back as well as street parking. The outside patio is dog-friendly.
Moontime in Coeur D’ Alene & The Porch in Hayden
These sister restaurants are both worth a stop. They also have a few more sisters in Spokane Washington: The Elk, The Two Seven and Geno’s. The first thing you are going to want to do after getting yourself a beer is to order yourself the roasted garlic and onion bread. Be sure to splurge by adding the melted Gorgonzola on top. You will not be disappointed. Well maybe with the exception of your breath. Just make sure your companion also eats the bread and you are all set!
Their menu is full of delightfulness and worthy of multiple visits. I recommend the Cranberry Salad (The Porch location), The Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich (found at both locations), the Falafel Burger (Moontime Location) and the Swimming Angel Thai dish (both locations). Lastly, if you are ordering a plate that offers a side, get the corn pasta. It.Is.Dyn-O-mite. The Moon Unit desert is also worth putting in your face. It is a chocolate brownie with ice cream and chocolate sauce drizzled on top. You can wipe the drool off your face now.
The Sante Fe Chicken Sandwich with corn pasta
What I love most about Moontime and The Porch is that in addition to their mouth-watering food selection they also have a perfect selection of Northwest beers. I can always count on them to have my beloved Mac & Jacks African Amber on tap. This dry hopped unfiltered beer has all the great characteristics of a red ale but is punched up with hops. You will never find this beer bottled because Mac & Jack is a keg only brewery, so when you see it, you get it.
Moontime is located at 1602 East Sherman #116 with street, side lot and back lot parking. The Porch is located at 1658 East Miles Ave next to the Hayden Lake Country Club in Hayden. You may have to arm wrestle some golf carts drivers for a parking place as they often come in for a quick beverage.
Capone’s World Famous Tommy’s Pastrami
Capone’s Pub & Grill
A few years ago Guy Fieri from the Food Network’s Diners, Dives and, Drive Ins put Capone’s Pub & Grill on the map. He stopped in at Capone’s Coeur D’ Alene location, one of their three locations, and learned the ropes as to what makes this pub special.
Menu items include burgers, pizzas and of course the “world famous Tommy’s pastrami”. I am never one to skip anything world famous. So I ordered the pastrami sandwich, which seemed to be the easier of the two things to order, between the entree and the beverage. Now because I am a beer lover, I pick the beer, but there is also a full liquor bar for anyone who doesn’t want a beer. But if you are a non-beer drinker, I think you may be reading the wrong blog post. There are 41 beers to choose from, which gives you a wide selection to find the perfect beer to match your meal.
Capone’s Pub & Grill is located at the following locations: 751 N 4th Street Coeur D Alene, 315 N Ross Point Road, Post Falls and 9520 N Government Way, Hayden.
Filling Station On 5th’s Spicy Cashew Nut Appetizer
Filling Station on 5th
Located off of the main downtown drag is the Filling Station on 5th. It is an intimate location with a bar and bar style tables, but the showstopper is definitely their 25 taps of beer. And if you can’t find a beer that you like, you can request a beer off the attached restaurant’s beer menu, giving you a total of 50 beers to choose from. And of those 50, at the time of my visit, they had an impressive 9 sours on tap.
The food here is fantastic and warrants a stop, even if you don’t like beer. But again, if you don’t like beer, why are you reading this post? I ordered the Sweet And Spicy Cashew appetizer and was delighted with a huge cup of warmed nuts covered in a spicy coating. Nothing like giving a little kick to your traditional bar nuts. I also ordered the traditional adult mac and cheese. The mac and cheese arrived in an adorable mini cast iron pan that was filled with oozy-gooey goodness.
Because I couldn’t help myself, I ordered a flight of beer to go along with my lunch with included 5 tastes of my choosing. In addition to flights, pints and growler fills are available. It is a filling station after all.
The Filling Station On 5th is located at 501 Sherman Ave, behind Collective Kitchen, and they are dog-friendly. The place is pretty small and has been busy every visit I have been there, with me even offering up to share a table with strangers. I didn’t want to deprive them of beer because there was no place to sit.
And there you have it, my beer lover’s guide to dining in Coeur D Alene Idaho. Which place do you want to try?
Like what you read? Pin us to Pinterest
The post A Beer Lover’s Guide To Dining In Coeur D’ Alene Idaho appeared first on .