Pub potato steals the show at downtown watering hole Just Tap'd
I truly enjoy secret little places you have to know about to find. Just Tap'd's new dining area is in the basement of the popular downtown watering hole, but it's easy to miss the sign pointing to the right when you enter the front door. If you are in-the-know, you'll find the stairs leading down to one of the most charming dining spaces in town.
Between the brick-built walls are several wooden slab tables and rustic decor. You order at the back, where a friendly face will give you the rundown on what they offer. Nothing is super fancy -- it's basically bar food done well.
Their pizzas seem to be the headliner, with signs describing what you should expect from a thin-crusted Neopolitan pizza, but the scene stealer for me was the pub potato.
I chose mine with prosciutto and cheddar for only $6 and it will be what I order from now on. The jacket was crusty with salt, the inside fluffy and already mixed with the meat and cheese. All I had to do was scarf it down with pleasure.
If you would rather design your own, pay $4 for the potato and add your choice of Italian sausage, bacon, coppa or pepperoni for another $1.50 each; beer cheese for an extra $1.25; and veggies such as artichokes or caramelized onion for 50 cents each.
The Fully Loaded potato sounds a little too loaded -- with beer cheese, butter, sour cream, bacon and caramelized onion -- but for only $6.50, I';ll try it next time.
We chose two pizzas: the classic Margharita for $9 and the spicy Fire for $11. Both would probably be great with beer on tap, but even the Calabrian peppers on the Fire didn't make me swoon. The honey-lager bratwurst dog for $8 was the same way for me -- it was good, even without the recommended sauerkraut, but that baked potato spoiled me.
We really enjoyed the brown ale-brushed pretzel sticks with cheese and mustard for $6.50. Crunchy on the outside and doughy soft on the inside, these big boys come three to an order. The cheese was just OK but the German-style mustard was delightful.
The charcuterie board for $10 for was generous but lacked panache. Maybe with a nice glass of red wine it would sparkle a little more, but by itself the shaved meats like prosciutto and coppa couldn't make up for the plainness of the mozzarella and cheddar. The same goes for the hummus; it's just a little too plain to meet the high bar set by the atmosphere.
Next time a group I'm in needs a place to meet, eat and drink, I'll suggest the Cellar at Just Tap'd. It's still getting its footing in some areas, but overall it's a swell time.
Just Tap'd Cellar
Address: 488 First St., Macon
Phone: 478-599-9951
Website: www.justtapd.com
Hours: 2-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, noon-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-8 p.m. Sunday
Payment: Cash, credit
Smoking: No
Alcohol: Yes
Kids Menu: No
Noise Level: Low
Health Rating: 100
Price range: $5-$15
Rating: 3 stars
This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 1:16 PM with the headline "Pub potato steals the show at downtown watering hole Just Tap'd ."