South Rims Wine & Beer Garage
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On our first night staying in Williams we decided to walk into the center of town and find a nice place to eat. Since we were escaping the heat of Phoenix we also wanted to be able to sit outside and enjoy the weather. After seeing how great the menu was and that they had patio seating we chose to go to the South Rims Wine and Beer Garage.
The South Rims Wine and Beer Garage is located on the eastern end of Williams and is just outside the busier central area a few blocks to the west. Like many of the restaurants in the area, it’s on the famous Route 66 that travels directly through Williams. We got there before sundown and got a nice seat outside.
We started out with some drinks. Michelle got a wine flight of chardonnay, pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, and sabine rose. Taylor was happy to see that they have one of his favorite beers on tap: the cherry vanilla porter called Piehole Porter from the nearby Historic Brewery.
For an appetizer we ordered the pretzel bread with beer cheese. This came out in a large basket with four large pretzel rolls and a bowl of cheese. The rolls were delicious, warm, brushed with butter, and sprinkled with salt. The beer cheese was fantastic with its slight bitterness from the beer and saltiness.
For our entrees Michelle got the puttanesca. The pasta is soft and seems like it's actual fresh pasta. The sauce is very garlicky, the fresh basil is very nice, and the acidity of the capers really comes through. Taylor got the AZ cheesesteak with a side of mac and cheese. The cheesesteak was overflowing and the cheese was oozing everywhere. It had to be eaten with a fork and knife. The mix of peppers, mushrooms, red onion, and pepperoncinis was great. The pepperoncinis break through the creaminess in a subtle way. The steak was very tender and cooked perfectly. The mac and cheese was good and very cheesy.
We enjoyed the food here so much that we stopped by again a few days later. There were some other items on the menu we really wanted to try out, too.
This time Taylor got a beer flight with a white chocolate ale, Big Blue Van blueberry wheat ale, the local seasonal sour beer, and Hooley stout. They were all very good, but his favorite is still the Piehole Porter. Michelle got the wine she liked best from the previous visit, the chardonnay.
We couldn’t decide between the Irish nachos or the crab cakes for a starter, so we got both. The crab cakes were lightly fried and very creamy. The chipotle ranch added a nice kick and the basil complimented it well. The Irish nachos by themselves could be a meal. The fries were covered with the beer cheese, green onions, jalapenos, bacon, and the best part was the chorizo marinated beef tips. These nachos were amazing, and we just wish we had had room to finish them.
This time we both wanted burgers. Taylor chose the South Rim burger and, after having the Irish nachos, decided to get grilled vegetables for his side. The burger was perfectly cooked and came with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Taylor only wishes he would have remembered to add bacon to it. Michelle got the Hawaiian burger and got grilled vegetables as well on the side. Her burger was topped with provolone cheese, pineapple, bacon, and was covered in a teriyaki glaze. It was delicious and quite messy from all the sauce.
Everything we ate from the South Rims Wine and Beer Garage was fantastic. We just wish we could have tried a few of the other entrees like the caprese sandwich. Next time we’ll also make sure to not order two appetizers since there was just too much food.
Google Maps Link: South Rims Wine & Beer Garage
