The Bitter Half: Giddy Up Burgers & Greens: You can't go wrong with beer and burgers on the patio
In case you missed the memo, or just don’t get to Ballard/Fremont as often as you should, maybe it’s time to take a trip. Opened last August, Giddy Up Burgers & Greens is a pretty damn solid representation of how to present quality local food & beer in a welcoming atmosphere.
We were recently invited to Giddy Up in order to check out their new covered patio and enjoy a sampling from the menu – warm collard greens, salads, fries, and of course their signature burgers. Now, as a vegetarian I’m not able to offer you a full tantalizing description of the glory that is the OMG (Onion, Mushroom, Gruyere) burger, but being a former meat-eater I was slightly regretting my decision. Add in the Kickin’ Fried Chicken (pickled fried chicken with buffalo sauce and pickled jalapeno), and the Acropolis (beef & lamb burger with feta, arugula balsamic salad, and pickled onions), and you have yourself a problem. A tasty, tasty burger problem. We have been to Giddy Up before, so I know they also offer a solid homemade veggie burger made with white beans and quinoa, and the extensive salad bar is stocked with seasonal vegetables including things like dandelions, squash, nettles, and kale.
Owner & general manager Paul Mendez, and executive chef Esteban De Castro, don’t want you to get too comfortable with the menu. They offer at least a couple of burger specials – some will make it onto the permanent menu, others won’t, but there will always be something new to try and the menu will be constantly evolving.
All that being said, being a beer blog we don’t talk food that often, so when we do you know the beer selection has to be worth the trip. And it is. At least 8 IPAs were on tap from Crux to Reuben’s to Bale Breaker, along with a Chuckanut Kolsh, Boneyard Red Ale, and seasonal offerings from Stoup, Fremont, and Lagunitas. This is not a homogenized beer selection.
Giddy Up has also been hosting a weekly Craft Burger + Beer Tour series which highlights breweries from around the northwest and California. Coming up on June 6th, 17 breweries will converge on Giddy Up for the inaugural Ballard Burger & Beer Bash. Sounds like a good time to take a drive to Ballard – just come hungry.
We were recently invited to Giddy Up in order to check out their new covered patio and enjoy a sampling from the menu – warm collard greens, salads, fries, and of course their signature burgers. Now, as a vegetarian I’m not able to offer you a full tantalizing description of the glory that is the OMG (Onion, Mushroom, Gruyere) burger, but being a former meat-eater I was slightly regretting my decision. Add in the Kickin’ Fried Chicken (pickled fried chicken with buffalo sauce and pickled jalapeno), and the Acropolis (beef & lamb burger with feta, arugula balsamic salad, and pickled onions), and you have yourself a problem. A tasty, tasty burger problem. We have been to Giddy Up before, so I know they also offer a solid homemade veggie burger made with white beans and quinoa, and the extensive salad bar is stocked with seasonal vegetables including things like dandelions, squash, nettles, and kale.
Owner & general manager Paul Mendez, and executive chef Esteban De Castro, don’t want you to get too comfortable with the menu. They offer at least a couple of burger specials – some will make it onto the permanent menu, others won’t, but there will always be something new to try and the menu will be constantly evolving.
All that being said, being a beer blog we don’t talk food that often, so when we do you know the beer selection has to be worth the trip. And it is. At least 8 IPAs were on tap from Crux to Reuben’s to Bale Breaker, along with a Chuckanut Kolsh, Boneyard Red Ale, and seasonal offerings from Stoup, Fremont, and Lagunitas. This is not a homogenized beer selection.
Giddy Up has also been hosting a weekly Craft Burger + Beer Tour series which highlights breweries from around the northwest and California. Coming up on June 6th, 17 breweries will converge on Giddy Up for the inaugural Ballard Burger & Beer Bash. Sounds like a good time to take a drive to Ballard – just come hungry.
N.W. Beer Guide