If you’re one of the 32,000 or so that whiz along this area of 300W (so says an old ad for the then free site) there’s a new potential detour on your route, beside the world’s biggest you know who, and that $1.50 dog. I’ve been tracking the development of Engine Room Pub & Bistro ever since Shades Brewing left the spot last year. I’m a sucker for a good gastropub setup after all.
The business is as brand new as they come; the paint’s barely dry. The new owners (the same folks behind Taqueria 27 and several other local restaurants you’ll undoubtedly know) have taken the sprawling centerpiece building at the property and effectively split it into two. As you enter, you’ll be greeted by the imposing brewing tanks left by the former occupants, before first arriving in the well-appointed dining space. Bar seating, high tops, and regular tables make for a well-varied layout. Duck below red velvet drapes to the left, and you’ll be able to access the other part of the build-out, a 21+ bar area. This bit is admittedly still a work in progress. “We’re gonna see how people use it, and take it from there”, a chap tells me as we take a gander.
The perimeter of the build is framed by retractable garage doors. One would imagine they’ll make for plenty of dynamic flow and energy when the Summer patio months arrive (March, I reckon, what with the way the weather is going). The interior remodel is guided by the Engine Block development the restaurant calls home – as far as I know, a revamp of an auto shop way back when. There are flashes of gears, cogs, burnished industrial coppers and bronzes. Thankfully, it stops well short of tiptoeing over the line into steampunk schtick…