A perfect Sunday sesh. If you’re looking for something away from the crowded streets and beaches, Black Rock is the ideal spot. We met some friends here at mid-day and it wasn’t overly hectic, which was just what we wanted for a quiet afternoon drink. We managed to get a table out front in the sunshine for the 5 of us. Being a first timer, the waiter explained the style of food served as well their home brewed beer selection. I wasn’t expecting a brewery to have a tapas style menu so was a bit surprised when he said the menu was based around all shared plates.
If your unsure on what beer to order, their tasting wheel is the perfect option. It has four of their regular brews plus a specialty beer, which are all of a generous pour.
FOOD
We went with the waiter’s suggestion and ordered a variety of tasting plates to share. Their menu is surprising quite healthy with a variety of different salads like their Quinoa Salad with fennel and pistachio and their Trigo Y Nueces (cous cous salad), both of which we went with. We also ordered their mushroom crocchettes, cured meat and warm olives. The plate of cured meat I found extremely salty and could only eat one piece, which is a shame because I love my cured meats!
With inspiration from the Argentinian regions, the salads were full of flavour. This is something I could have eaten the whole plate of. The combination of veggies works beautifully with the light texture of the quinoa.
The crocchettes were a bit different than I’m used to; however still jam packed with flavor with a combination of different mushrooms. The flavour was unique but worked for me and had just the right amount of salt sprinkled on top.
ATMOSPHERE
The building that occupies True South use to be an old auto garage, which has now been converted into the restaurant, brewery, function space and bar we see today. They have keep the industrial feel with an open concept, exposed ceiling pipes, white walls and hints of metal decor throughout.
True South holds brewery tours every Saturday afternoon for $20, which is a great way to spend the afternoon. Even if you aren’t a big beer drinker like me, it’s still interesting to learn how the beer is made and then you can kick around after for a few drinks and some delicious tapas.
If you make your way upstairs, you’ll find yourself in their beautiful airy function space. It’s not overly large, but would be perfect for smaller functions and weddings. There’s a large balcony terrace out front which boasts the perfect view of the bay and the sun setting. I would love to see the type of functions they host here as it’s a beautiful space with breathtaking views.
SERVICE
This was probably the only downfall of our experience. The waiter that was serving us didn’t really seem like he wanted to be there or serve us. He seemed almost cocky when he spoke, which was a bit off putting. We ordered our food and drinks, and within 10 minutes food started to roll out. One of my biggest pet peeves is when a waiter doesn’t write down orders since most times something is forgotten or not ordered properly. This order was no exception, we never received our olives that we ordered which was a bit disappointing.
