RESTAURANT REVIEW – Have you ever wished for an adult-friendly pizza place with a plethora of beers and wines on tap? Have you wanted a pizza & beer but didn't want to hear kids running all over the place beating on arcade games and screaming for more quarters? Well the Tap House in Madera just might be the place you've longed for.
There are always twelve beers and three wines on tap from several of the local breweries and wineries like Drakes Brewing, Riley's Brewing, Sierra Nevada, Tioga Sequoia Brewing and San Joaquin Winery. In the refrigerator was another dozen bottled beers and even more wines. Beers runs from $4.00 to $7.00 a glass. Now the beer selections are mostly local beers or other common beers that can be found in many other pubs. I believe in time their selections will broaden to rarer and more exotic beers.
To go with the beers and wines are an assortment of hand-crafted pizzas and salads. The pizzas come in only one size (11 inches) and on a thin crust. But the toppings are fresh and plentiful. I ordered the Carnivore (all meat) pizza which could have used a second sprinkling of cheese to keep all the toppings in place on the pie, but other than that was very tasty. Their regular price for a one topping pizza is $9.99 and 50 cents per extra topping. They also offer three different sauces and five specialty pizzas.
I did notice a problem with their specialty pizza menu. The pie I purchased was $13.99 but if I would have ordered the one topping build-your-own pizza and added the other five toppings, the pizza would have only cost me $12.49. I brought this to the attention of the owner and he said he would look into it. He didn't offer to refund my $1.50, but that is OK. He probably didn't think of that while we were on the phone.
When you come into the restaurant you will forget that this was once a Subway Deli. The focal point for the restaurant is the tap wall in the middle of the restaurant with about ten tables inside and six more outside. Of course you can also cozy up to the bar to be closer to the beer-master.
While enjoying your pizza and beer you can watch sports matches on the two large screen televisions on the west wall and another two behind the taps. The Tap House say they have bought the full cable sports package so there shouldn't be a televised game you can't watch. I couldn't think of a better place to watch a game with beer on tap and great pizza a plenty.
The owners, Dustin and Traci Franklin, are new to operating a restaurant. This venture was started by the husband and wife who share a passion for craft beer and good food. Opening a restaurant has always been a dream of Dustin’s after completing his military service in the U.S Navy. He and his wife felt compelled to make their investment in Madera, Dustin’s hometown where he graduated from Madera High School in 2005.
They are going to make a few mistakes in the beginning, but once you have seen what they have put into making this old Subway a first class beer & pizza pub, you will see that they have put their heart and soul, and a lot of money, into making this a success.
My pizza was tasty, could it have been better for the price? Yes, but I am sure the Franklin's are tweaking the operation every day until they get it perfect. Will I be back? Heck yes, I plan on bring my wife this weekend. But not my kids, because while they do have a kids menu and say they are family friendly, this is a place for adults. Not every place in the world needs to be kid friendly. Some times adults need a kid-break. This is a great date-night location.
They are open to serve lunch and dinner during the hours of 11 am to 10 pm on Monday –Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights they stay open until 12 am and Sunday, 9 am to 10 pm, closed on Tuesdays. The Tap House also offer bottle service to go for their selections of beer and wine.
Dustin and Traci want to contribute to the progress of growing Madera into a vibrant community. Their goal is to serve award-winning beer, specialty wine and hand-crafted pizza in a warm casual setting. All I can think of saying is, welcome home Franklin family, and thank you for creating such an awesome place for the people of Madera to enjoy.
