MORAINE, OHIO

 

Easily one of the best beer bars in the Buckeye State, CHAPPY’S TAP ROOM & GRILLE is located at the Alex Bell Center mall just off Route 75 in the industrial town of Moraine. Just five minutes south of Dayton, this cordial sportsbar not only features great tapped beers, but also the finest large portions of  fried chicken, homemade crabcakes and Cajun-fried or beer-battered shrimp.

 

 

On my first visit, September ’12, my friend Fred and I ordered a full rack of delicious barbecue ribs as we settled into a few terrific tapped beers (fully reviewed in the Beer Index). Sitting at a table in the central bar area (with 20 bar stools, 7 tables and multi-TV’s), we tried the soothingly smooth Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and Urthel Hop-It (an exquisite herbal fruited Belgian IPA) emanating from the rotating selection of tile-walled tap handles.

 

True beer buffs will enjoy the descriptive beer and ale menu, which included 100 bottled microbrews alongside 25 tapped choices. After supper, Fred and I relaxed with the highly impressive Brew Kettle Old 21 Imperial IPA, a vibrant Ohio-brewed full body with bright citric and tropical fruiting, resinous hop-oiled floral illusions and sugary malt sweetness.

 

Ultimately, this brown-and-tan publick house in the middle of a quaint mall certainly deserves plaudits and their attentive bartending staff did an excellent job serving brews and pub grub. Beer enthusiasts of every stripe will be thoroughly pleased.