Auburn Ale House

Just noticed Michael got in the picture...at least he's cute!

A few weeks ago Michael was a groomsman in his college friend's wedding in Lake Tahoe (check out the post on my other blog). We stopped had dinner with his sisters and brother-in-law since we would be passing by and have not seen them in awhile. For her birthday last year, we had brunch at awesome little place and wanted to go back again, the Auburn Ale House.

Auburn is small gold rush town about 40 minutes from Sacramento. Old Town has been restored, giving a nice Gold Rush era feel. We have only explore the brewery and a few shops, but plan on checking more of the historic places out soon (Michel promised me a Gold Country camping trip before the summer ends).

Auburn Ale House opened in 2007 in Old Town. The decor theme is mix between Gold Rush California and Nostalgic American. Interesting mix of Americana. It was founded by Brian and Lisa Ford, who hoped to create a family-friendly destination that would both standout culinary and compliment the history of the building. They wanted to go beyond the old standard of basic burgers and pizza---and trust me they did.

When we went last year for brunch, not much on the direct menu was vegan. However, they were more than happy to accommodate me. They made me sourdough toast with no butter, fresh fruit, and homefries with veggies. And not to mention the bottomless mimosas...

This time I ordered Barley Burger with no cheese or aioli. I love barley burgers and I hardly ever see them in restaurants, so I was very happy. Cooked perfectly and loved the sweet roasted red pepper on it.

Michael got the Alehouse Reuben, as usual whenever he sees it on the menu. He said it was great too.

Ok, now for the beer...

I got the American River Pale Ale First (and so did the brother-in-law). A classic IPA that smells very citrus-y. This will go well with almost anything. "Highly drinkable" as they describe it.

Michael got the Old Town Brown, I am not sure I agree with calling it a "Session Ale" as the website describes. It was slightly mild for brown ale, but not enough that the word "session" ever came to my mind. Loved the balanced malty chocolate flavor.

He started drinking it before I got a pic...

His sister got Gold Country Pilsner, she said it was good and very drinkable. I loved the straw color.

And, we grabbed a growler of American River as a present for the bride and groom, and one of Fool's Gold Ale for us. We bought a bottle of this last time and loved it. It reminds me of hoppy Oregon beers. Lovely rich gold color and pretty strong (7.8%) for a pale ale. Nothing not to love.

We LOVE this place. I love history of the area. The staff is very friendly (our waitress, without hesitation, brought a few samples so we could decided what to get in the growlers). The atmosphere and decor are warm and inviting (who doesn't love a pin-up girl their beer?). And the beers are amazing.  You HAVE to try this place. Take a trip out the Gold Country and have a delicious craft beer on the way, serious worth the trip.