Stagecoach Saloon at Hubbel House (Mantorville, MN)

Stagecoach Saloon @ Hubbel House

6/29/12

After touring Mantorville Brewing Co (MBC), I felt a need for a draft of the local brew and walked a block to the Stagecoach Saloon inside of the Hubbel House in historic downtown Mantorville.  

The place was full on a Friday night--the bar and a line for the main dining room.  The popularity was in anticipation of the Old Tyme Days happening on Saturday and Sunday.  I should have waited for the Saturday tour of MBC, but tonight was my only option.  Another time for Old Tyme Days.  Mantorville's twelve block downtown is a nationally recognized historic place, which is easy to see with a short stroll, but I think the walking tour with explanations would give a better feel for the history.

Stagecoach Amber Ale at Stagecoach Saloon

I sat at the bar and ordered a Stagecoach Amber Ale.  From the tour, Mantorville Brewing has been doing some maintenance and was a bit behind in the brewing, so the amber was the only MBC on tap.  Sadly, I was looking for the Smoked Porter--next time.  Chilled glass, which the haze can be seen slightly in the photo.  Perfectly fine draft, but it didn't live up to my expectations from the sample at the brewery.  For my second draft, I tested the bar with a beer I know a bit beer--Alaskan Amber.  In both cases, it didn't seem that the beer was 100%.

Pleasantly surprised, there were several veggie options on the menu--including a veggie burger substitute, a portabella mushroom club with fries and a veggie lasagna.  I went for the shroom sandwich with grilled peppers and onions.  In the dim light of the bar, the portabella was so thick I briefly panicked that they brought me a burger by accident. Good sandwich, though the fries needed ketchup--a personal criteria that fries should be good enough without a condiment of any type, whether or not I chose to dip.   In retrospect, I maybe should have tried the wild rice plate--maybe next time.

The Stagecoach Saloon is clearly not a beer bar, but they aren't trying to be.  It's a good hotel watering hole that's serving the folks that are more interested in old west re-enactments than the six taps at the bar.  My purpose for a local pint was to get a fresh, perfectly served draft of MBC beer.  Unfortunately, I will have to keep searching to give their beer a proper tasting.