Siskiyou Cooks + Chefs: Barbecue lunch with friends, family and beer at Etna Brewing Co.
Etna Brewing Co. was our lunch stop after having spent the morning in Etna with friends and family. We worked up an appetite shopping at Etna Farmers Market, Grain Street Bakery, Martin’s Experienced Items, Etna Outfitters and tasting some spirits at the Denny Bar Co.
We seated ourselves, our server greeted us with menus and beers were ordered. From a list of nine beers on tap, we ordered blackberry blondes and Etna pale ales ($5 for pints). Off the "snack" menu we selected chicharrones with charred onion dip ($6). The fried pork was light and airy with a fresh and delightful texture. The onion dip was rich in flavor and a perfect combination to the pork’s pillowiness. Everyone agreed the chicharrones were the best they have ever tasted. Everyone enjoyed their beverages.
Shortly after placing our orders, trays with meats and sides hit the table. Our table ordered the barbecue plates with your choice of two meats and two sides for $17. Plates included smoked pulled pork with peach mustard barbecue, rye whiskey wash honey butter spare ribs and salt & pepper brisket with house made root beer barbecue sauce. We passed around all of the plates and sides and except for the dried out pulled pork all of the meats were a hit. The sauces are carefully curated to compliment the meats and that works well.
Sides we tasted included green and Caesar salads, pimento mac n’ cheese, koji watermelon and barbecue pit beans. They also have sides of fermented cabbage slaw and tots and entree meat hot sausage that we did not try, this time. The salads were crisp and well dressed with their house made dressings. The pimento mac and cheese was rich and cheesy. The koji watermelon was just a good watermelon. None of us tasted much of the umami one would expect from koji. I only had one bite of the beans that were not fully cooked, but the flavor was good. I recommend asking for a taste before you order them to be sure they are properly cooked.
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I ordered the burger that was on the special meal, lettuce, tomato, homemade bread & butter pickles, mayo and cheese served on a toasted bun with a side house salad. I appreciate a toasted bun because it adds extra texture and flavor. Be sure to specify how you want your burger cooked or it will be cooked medium-well which is on the dry side.
All plates are served with house made bread & butter pickles that are tangy and bright. The name for these pickles come from a depression-era staple of pickled cucumbers between two slices of buttered bread. These ingredients were readily available and affordable. You can get white bread with any order if you want to try this sandwich.
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They have a family friendly menu that includes a kid’s menu with a grilled cheese & bologna sandwich ($6) and house made root beer and lemonade.
Etna Brewing Co. is located at 131 Callahan St. ½ block off Main Street. They are open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. :00 Thursday through Monday. They have a Facebook page and a website: Etna Brewing.com.
Lauri Sturdivant is interested in how our friends and families gather around a table sharing meals and telling stories. In this column she shares recipes and stories from people in Siskiyou County, and restaurant reviews from her travels. Read full interviews, find recipes and reviews at TheBillPlate.com.