Good quality food, great beer, friendly service, and exceptional pricing! I would say this is an underrated establishment, probably because it's really out and away from most of the tourist attractions on the edge of Downtown Niagara Falls. (NOTE...Downtown is over near the Whirlpool Bridge, with city hall, tax accountants, the banks, and the post office--where the locals go--and NOT in the mostly tourist areas with the great big buildings and hotels.)
This area of town was super dead being that it was Easter Sunday, but Taps was open and serving great food and beer, most of which they brew right there in the center of the dining room. I can't say what this place would be like if it was full on a night when more people tend to go out, but for 2pm on Easter Sunday, there were a few people enjoying a late lunch and/or a few brews.
On Sundays they have an all-you-can-eat ribs special for a mere $15, which is incredible, considering they are baby back ribs and come with either a spicy or sweet barbecue sauce on top of a heap of french fries. I asked the server, however, whether she thought I should go with the ribs or a burger, and she said she thought the burgers were "dynamite", and probably eats three a week...so I decided to go with a burger. I was super interested in the jalapeno and cheddar burger already, and when that was the one she recommended, it was a no-brainer. My wife opted for the ribs.
Also, being from the States, I had no idea what a poutine was, and since they have them on the menu, I thought I better find out what one is and try it as a side instead of just fries.
My wife and I shared a Taps Red Cream Ale, which had a strong smooth taste without being bitter.
Our food came out promptly, in spite of it being a slow time on a slow day with what looked to be only one server with at least 4-5 tables out on the patio, and a few guests inside as well...but she seemed to be handling everything effortlessly, which is the mark of a great server. My burger was very very well-balanced, with grilled jalapenos and a spicy mayonnaise on it and fresh garnishes and was definitely recommended for a reason. While it was well-done, and I usually like my burgers closer to medium-rare, it was still a very tasty as well as a good-sized burger.
Unfortunately, my burger came out with fries instead of the poutine though, which was remedied several minutes later, but not until I was probably a bit stuffed with the burger. For those unfamiliar, the poutine had large light cheese curds in with fries with gravy poured on top. I'm really not much of a gravy fan, so I suppose this wasn't going to be a hit anyway, but if you are, then you'd probably dig it.
My wife thoroughly enjoyed her ribs, and we both liked the fries...they weren't exceptional in any way, but they were still good fries. They give you a good portion of these, and so she didn't go for a second round, and what's cool is for the price, you don't feel compelled to do so unless you really want more.
Again, this was a great find, with good authentic beer from lagers to porters to ales, and good food as well. This was definitely a great find, and will give you a much more genuine Niagara Falls experience than eating at the multinational corporate chain restaurants in the tourist areas--and it will give you a TON more bang for your buck. This brewery had incredibly low prices for what you got!
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