I first read about a new Butte County brewery in an Enterprise-Record article from 6 February. A new brewery close by was intriguing enough, but when its location was the old Western Pacific depot in Oroville the value proposition further increased for me.
The brewery and restaurant are appropriately named Western Pacific Brewing & Dining.
Last Saturday my partner Keith and our pals John & Cathy Maretti headed over for dinner to put it to the test. John is an accomplished home brewer so his opinions carry extra weight.
Im happy to say that the beer did not disappoint. John, Keith, and I all ordered the IPA and liked it plenty. John also got a taster of the Pale Ale, which he enjoyed. Cathy ordered the stout but it was not yet on tap so she opted for a glass of wine instead.
An amusing service miscue was occasioned by the request for wine but it was simply funny, not fatal.
.. KEITH, JOHN, AND CATHY ARE THIRSTY
.. NO MORE PHOTOS, WE WANT BEER!
The menu is a mix of the usual pub fare with some higher priced entrees of the surf-and-turf variety. The three guys in our party all had sandwiches which were quite tasty and Cathy had a nice plate of prime rib. Prices were reasonable.
To see the menu, take a look at the restaurants blog and scroll down.
If youre wondering as to whether lots of trains went by the answer is yes. This is the Union Pacifics second mainline over the Sierras after all. But dont be concerned about noise. Youre mostly aware of the trains by their sight, not by their sound.
Perhaps its no accident that the building is well protected from the sound of trains. I mentioned our dinner to Donny Lieberman, president of Sunseri Construction. He told me that in the 70s he worked on the original project to convert the building from railroad use to a restaurant.
Its easy to get to Western Pacific from Chico. Exit 70 at Montgomery in Oroville, go through downtown to Oliver Street, turn right and continue two short blocks.
Take a drive over to Oroville for the trains and the beer. Its well worth it.
Useful links:
– Western Pacific Brewing & Dinings blog/website
– Driving directions from Chico
.. EAST SIDE OF OLD TRAIN STATION
