When the locally-adored Kensington restaurant and craft-brew bar known as the
Memphis Taproom was last in the news, back in March 2010, it was due to a truly unfortunate circumstance involving restrictive state alcohol laws and the perennially unpopular Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Responding to an anonymous tipster, the
PLCB raided the Taproom--along with West Philly bar
Local 44, and the
Resurrection Ale House in Graduate Hospital, all of which are owned by Brendan Hartranft and his wife, Leigh Maida--for serving beers that hadn't been officially registered with the commonwealth.
And while the Memphis Taproom is once again finding itself the subject of media attention, this time the news is considerably happier: In an attempt to build its local profile by providing a bar experience that's unique to the neighborhood, the Taproom has constructed an outdoor
beer garden in its next-door lot. The garden features white oak tables and an atmosphere that Hartranft describes as "a mini block party." Outdoor stereo speakers will soon be added to the mix, and eventually a projection TV will show sports at night.
But the garden's best feature is almost certainly the food truck that will be permanently parked in the lot. According to Hartranft, the truck will do double duty as both a gourmet hot dog cart (all dogs cost $5.00) and a bar serving nothing but craft beers in aluminum cans (
Sly Fox;
21st Amendment;
Oskar Blues).
And while the Taproom's new addition didn't exactly come cheap (the total cost was around $135,000), "we're adding another anchor to a neighborhood that desperately needs as many anchors as it can get," Hartranft says.
The beer garden's grand opening took place this past weekend, and it's currently open for business Mon-Thu 4-10pm, Fri 4pm-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, and Sun noon-10pm.
Source: Brendan Hartranft, Memphis Taproom
Writer: Dan Eldridge
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