With a daughter in her last year of high school and her oldest brother quickly following her out of the nest, my family has taking more road trips, exploring our neighborhood and places that we want to see one last time before the eldest child heads off to college.
Athens is lucky to have several family-friendly places that let the adults unwind, while the kids have a great time.
Recently, we went to Little Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road, Athens. It’s along the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway spur that goes to University Estates, so we walked from West Side, cutting through West State Park. Along the way leading to the brewery were posts with bright bulbs strung between them and signs with arrows, I assume pointing to different plants being grown to make Little Fish’s craft beers and meals. Then we found the brewery’s outdoor area and saw families and kids taking advantage of the sunny, warm weather.
At that point, I was in love. I enjoy outdoor seating as you’re able to feel a light breeze and take in outdoor views while enjoying a meal. Despite being University Estates being on the hillside across the road from the brewery, it doesn’t feel like you’re in the city, it feels almost like you’re somewhere isolated or having a meal in the backyard with friends.
Since moving to Athens in 2021, I’ve wanted to come to Little Fish because of James Beard-nominated Executive Chef Becky Clark. While Clark now works with Little Fish in an advisory role, her imprint is clearly on the staff and menu. Regionally sourced, seasonal cuisine is expertly crafted here. Normal things, like pickles and pimento cheese, are elevated to something special.
The prices range from $5-$6 for starters to up to $26 for pizzas.
We were a little hungry, so we ordered mostly starters — the pimento cheese (a southern and Appalachian staple), the olives, pickled vegetables and chimichurri sweet potato fries. Our dessert fans ordered the creme brûlée.
During our meal, several members of the friendly wait staff frequently checked on us.
During visits to other breweries, I noticed the vats were in an area inaccessible to the public, like customers weren’t allowed to enjoy the fact that they were at a beer-making facility. Little Fish is set up so it feels like the customers are part of the process, surrounded by beers in their various stages.
Little Fish offers a wide variety of its own craft beers, as well as mixed drinks, wines and non-alcoholic drinks. The beers can be ordered in a flight — small servings of a variety of beers — or by the glass or growler. Wine can be ordered by the glass or by the bottle. Some of these wine bottles cost up to $64.
My daughter noted the unusual names of Little Fish’s craft beer, such as Dirt Cred and Ridge Runner Lil’ Harvey’s, and suggested I try Dear Science — a hazy Indian Pale Ale. It was one of the smoothest hazy IPAs I’ve ever had. But we came for the food, not the beer. Another trip is definitely being planned.
While Little Fish is a brewery, it is also a culinary experience. They use of regional and local products to create a unique cuisine that feels like next-level Appalachian — reminiscent of home, but better.
The pimento cheese was topped with a bread-and-butter pickle and served with regular Saltine crackers. Use the cheese with the sweet potato fries. Its better than with the Saltines. The cheese has a bit of a heft to it, not watered down.
The pickled vegetables included two types of pickles — bread and butter and regular dill — and a variety of root vegetables and cauliflower. The kids ate these rather quickly, as they did the olives, which have pits.
The sweet potato fries were served hot and crisp, right out of the fryer. The chimichurri sauce, which had a bit of a bite because of the cilantro, was expertly countered by a garlic aioli.
Everyone’s favorite part of the meal was desert — Earl Gray creme brûlée topped with caramelized sugar and a candied orange garnish. The creme brûlée was smooth and rich. The Earl Gray tea added a subtle flavor, just enough to distinguish it from the usual dessert. The sugar gave it just a little bit of a crunch. We all tried the candied orange, which gave the dessert a hint of citrus.
We talked about the meal the entire walk home. While some of the menu items we tried seemed simple, they were flavorful and fresh. They showed the staff has a passion for food that sometimes gets lost while mass producing food. We can’t wait until Mother Nature and our schedule allows us to visit again.
Little Fish is open from noon-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, noon-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.
For information, visit https://littlefishbrewing.com/ .
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