Arrived at 12:05 PM
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Appetizers to Table at 12:22 PM
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Entrees to Table at 12:52 PM
ALE’S KITCHEN | Ale’s Kitchen, located inside the Straight to Ale Brewery, is one of the main attractions to the up-and-coming Campus 805, a newly popular entertainment venue right in the heart of Huntsville. Since the restaurant is located inside of the brewery, the genre of food is pretty standard “bar food” such as burgers, wings, ribs, tacos, etc.
We were so interested to see the interior of the recently renovated school and we were not disappointed! Straight to Ale has made great use of the space, with a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating as well as a full bar that spans the length of the room.
Appetizers
Bacon Wrapped Pretzel Bites - $9.50
"Bite sized pretzel pieces wrapped in bacon with honey Sriracha drizzle. Bro-jo beer cheese dip." (menu description)
We really enjoyed both appetizers we ordered. The pretzel bites were very unique and flavorful. Sort of like inside-out pig-in-a-blankets, they were great when paired with the smooth beer cheese that was served on the side!
Meatloaf Balls - $9.50
"Crispy fried homestyle Angus meatloaf balls with house made tomato chutney." (menu description)
The meatloaf balls had a delightfully crunchy crumb coating, making you want to eat more and more. On top of a phenomenal exterior texture, the meat inside was seasoned and cooked well and the chutney on the side lent an interesting, complimentary flavor to the dish.
The Detective
It was a sunny Saturday-eve and we had decided to go to Ale’s Kitchen. It’s a small restaurant inside a popular brewery here in Huntsville, Straight to Ale. The atmosphere was lively and busy, with all tables full of happy customers. We waited about 5 minutes and then were seated. I was thankful to get out of the office for a bit and the big windows in Ale’s Kitchen made the day better.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Bistro Burger - $12.75
"Thick cut bacon, cheddar, kosher pickles, crispy buttermilk onion straws, and our signature Bistro sauce."
The group ordered Fried Meatloaf Balls and Bacon Wrapped Pretzel Bites for our appetizers. Those both were very good and flavorful! Reading the menu was mouthwatering and I finally decided on the Bistro Burger. Thick cheddar cheese, bacon, pickles, and fried onions… It also had their signature bistro sauce which I thought was delicious! The burger was juicy and the flavors mixed well. The bread was a little too toasted on the edges making them hard, but other than that this burger was AWESOME.
Mr. Clearwater
It was a very delightful afternoon today at Ale’s Kitchen. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the birds were singing, and Donald Trump was our president. We walked into a packed house, but then, out of nowhere, a bartender came from out behind the bar to reassure us that we’d be seated promptly. The bartender pulled all of the strings and got us onto a perfect long high-top table in the corner. 5/5 Service IMHO
WHAT HE ATE:
The Hamburghini - $14.75
Topped with cheddar, bacon, pulled pork, bro-jo BBQ sauce, fried egg, crispy onion straws, and our signature Bistro sauce.
I always seem to graze jussssst enough on the apps to where I’m completely full by the time I get my main piece. By the time that my crispy ribs were to me, I got a to-go box and packed the remainder of my main course away for later. Anyway… the meatloaf app was delish. Not as good as my mom’s meatloaf, but still 5/5 for that. The bacon cheese pretzel app was great as well. I give the place overall 4.75/5. I also got half of The Hamburghini. I previously thought that 1892 had the best burger in town, but Ale’s Kitchen changed my mind about that. This burger is the best I’ve had in Huntsville! 🙂 Ale’s Kitchen is def one of the best spots in Huntsville.
The Hipster
Ale’s Kitchen was pretty busy at noon-time when we arrived. We waited for about 2-4 minutes before getting seated with our group of eight. Because it was busy, it made it a little hard to hear everyone and the other end of the table did not really talk to the other end because of it. We were served our drinks and appetizers promptly and then waited for our food to arrive for over half hour. Our waitress was prompt otherwise and good at her job.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Szechuan BBQ Wings and Fries
1 lb. of fresh wings with a side of fresh cut fries served with house ranch or tarragon blue cheese (Szechuan BBQ - 7spice blend, Asian-BBQ drizzle)
I ordered the Szechuan BBQ Wings and Fries. It came with eight wings and a seven spice Asian-BBQ drizzle on top. The meat was a little tough and the sauce was not my favorite, yet I still enjoyed eating it. The presentation of it was really good as well. The fries were great, not to thick and the perfect amount of salty. Overall I was satisfied with my meal.
Judge J.
Ale’s Kitchen definitely has a cool location! The newly converted S.R. Butler High School has a laid-back vibe and plenty of options on tap to choose from. We arrived during a busy Friday afternoon and managed to grab a large table in the corner of the room. It took a little bit for the waitress to hand us our mens but that is to be expected around lunch-time.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Chargrill Chicken Club - $11.75
Herb-marinated, sous-vide grilled chicken, thick cut bacon, local Humble Heart Farms Tuscan Goat Cheese, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and house-made honey mustard.
My chicken club was nice and a good option for lunch. They had grilled the chicken breast well and had provided plenty of bacon to top it off. I was not a huge fan of the honey mustard, but in saying so, I’ve never been a big fan of sauces. Overall, a great place to dine if you are looking for a low-key atmosphere and menu.
Strings O'Shaughnessy
If I was a beer connoisseur Straight to Ale would definitely be a favorite of mine, as they have many local brews to accompany the well-above-average bar food. This was definitely a positive experience overall, as the only downsides were that it felt like the food took a little to long to come out and the meatball appetizer wasn’t my favorite (see below).
WHAT HE ATE:
El Diablo Burger - $10.75
Pepper Jack cheese, grilled onions & jalapenos, Jalapeno verde sauce, sriracha, crispy tortilla strips, and a cooling smooth avocado sauce
The atmosphere at Straight to Ale is about what you’d expect when it comes to a local brewery. The food however, was better than you would typically expect at a local brewery. As far as the appetizers go, the bacon-wrapped pretzel appetizer was delicious, but I found the fried meatballs to be rather bland. My entree was the El Diablo Burger was topped with grilled onions, jalapenos, pepper jack cheese and tortilla strips (I opted out of the extra sauces). I personally found the slimy consistency of the grilled onions to be a little off-putting, but flavor wise the burger had a lot going for it.
The Boss
I hadn’t been to Straight to Ale (or even Campus 805) before today. It seemed like a pretty cool place and probably really comes alive during the summer, judging from all of the outdoor seating and games they had on the patio of the restaurant. Since we visited in January, there weren’t many people outside at all, leaving the place looking a little lonely. The parking lot was pretty packed, though, and when we walked into the restaurant, we could see that it must be good. It took us a few minutes to find a table to seat all of us, but we were soon comfortable, ready to peruse the menus. The restaurant was pretty loud and it was difficult to have a conversation with the person sitting across from or next to you, and impossible to talk with someone farther away than that.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Jerk Chicken Tacos - $8.75
Soft tacos with Jerk marinated chargrilled chicken thighs, spicy slaw, queso blanco, creamy avocado sauce, crispy tortilla strips, spicy jerk sauce, cilantro garnish.
From the menu description, these tacos sounded like my ideal entree. I <3 tacos. And I wasn’t let down by these. The slaw was, indeed, spicy, but not too hot. The only thing I didn’t care for on the tacos was the “avocado sauce” which seemed to me to be store-bought, pre-made guacamole squeezed out of a tube. The french fries were thick and a little boring (nothing really special about them), but not bad.
