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The 12 South district is the nightlife equivalent of finding $20 in a seldom-used jacket: It's a pleasant surprise, yet makes you wonder, "Why did I forget this was here?"
Perhaps one of the most underrated stops within the neighborhoody oasis is the 12th South Taproom & Grill. The Taproom sometimes gets lost among its high-profile neighbors, such as the solid yet trendy Mirror and the frequently meat-and-cheese market that is Mafioaza's.
The Taproom opened in 2006 under the guidance of Will and Christy Shuff and chef Hernan Borda as the area's beer hang. Since then, the space has evolved into a low-pressure yet high-quality spot for adventurous yet familiar food and an exceptional suds selection.
The "low-pressure" idea comes from the wholly "non-corporate" way the Taproom presents itself. From the hand-painted sign hovering over the spacious patio area, to the Hatch Show Print posters covering the northernmost wall, to the various microbrew stickers plastered above the taps and cooler behind the bar, you get the sense of a venue bound and determined to do things its own way, and you can come along for the ride if you like. No neon, no bar-height tables from giant energy drink companies, no scantily clad standees with upcoming auto racing schedules.
The Taproom features close to 30 taps with one unique feature - not a single "mass market" brew to be found on draught. Oh, sure, you can get the usual fizzy yellow beer suspects in bottles, but keg space is reserved for things like the current New Belgium offerings (right now, Fat Tire, Skinny Dip and 1554), the Yazoo line and scarce favorites like Dale's Pale Ale, Brooklyn Lager and Highland Gaelic Ale.
Highlights of their bottled offerings include a big stretch of the Samuel Smith brews and half a dozen different Rogue 22-ounce bombers, and an excellent run of high-gravity beers.
When you break the menu down into its prime components, you see that they do very few different kinds of things, but then tend to do them very differently. It's really adventurous bar food. You don't often find ceviche on a beer joint menu.
Highlights include the Salmon BLT (salmon filet, bacon, mayo, tomato), the Black-n-Bleu Burger (their standard outstanding burger with melted bleu cheese), the Special line of quesadillas (chicken, shrimp or ribeye) and the entire line of tacos (featuring pork loin, tilapia and ribeye).
For budget- and/or meat-conscious, the sides, which include grilled veggies and a pasta salad, provide another layer of flexibility. Between these and the hummus offerings, yes, even vegans will be pleased . . . or at least mollified.
The Taproom's tiny stage features an eclectic mix of blues, jazz and country programmed there, with regulars including the Gypsy Hombres and bassist Viktor Krauss (of Lyle Lovett's Large Band fame) taking the stage. The only drawback is you can't get away from the music because of the room's openness, so be prepared to sit as far away as you can (or outside if you can find a space) if you wish to carry on a conversation.
Summed up, the 12th South Taproom & Grill is a scaled-up beer room perfect for something a little out of the ordinary, an unexpected find you didn't even realize you were looking for.
The insider tip:
Some people might feel it a tragedy to attempt to mix Guinness with anything other than Harp for the ultra-traditional Black & Tan. But the Taproom has a set of out-of-the-ordinary specialties they create with Guinness as the base, including the Black Tire (Guinness plus Fat Tire), the Grimace (with Scrimshaw pilsner), the Stroker Ace (adding Highland Gaelic Ale) and the I.N.M.T. (with Terrapin Rye Ale . . . you'll have to ask about the acronym yourself.)
