3725 Presidential Dr.
Beavercreek, OH 45324
937.956.5216
website
Dayton’s newest brewpub, The Wandering Griffin has sprung up in a former bar chain location in Beavercreek. This bar makes use of a unique space to give it sort of a deconstructed feel; heavy wood tables and furnishings, a low-lit bar and dramatic lighting give way to a bar that favors creative culinary ideas and a wide variety of beers, both made in-house and produced across Dayton and all of Ohio. The Wandering Griffin is here to celebrate not just Gem City, but all of Ohio and the surrounding region, where many great kinds of beer are worth note and where brewers often collaborate to make a better beer.
The menu here is definitely pub grub, and appropriate for the suburbs, this is a spot where the food is every bit as important as the beer. Some of the things I tried:
- Griffin Burger: Cooked to order, an 8-ounce beef burger with the classic ingredients. Topped with bacon, veggies and the works. A sturdy, tasty burger.
- Mac and Cheese: A mac and cheese made first with rotini and then topped with a few ingredients to your taste.
- Pretzels: Extra thick pretzels served with a thick cheese dip and, if you like it, a spicy brown mustard. A great appetizer, though very heavy. Another option is pretzels with heavy beer cheese, so thick it’s worth topping with whatever else you order.
- Pork Belly Grilled Cheese: This grilled masterpiece has five kinds of cheese and a slow-roasted pork belly. This one is a bit oily but still pretty good!
But what’s really worth trying is the beer. The spot has been openly welcome to collaborating around the area to celebrate Dayton’s larger beer scene. While they don’t have in-house brews available yet (updates on that will pop up in the future on the Another Food Critic Facebook page) they promise to change this before too long.
The restaurant price points are pretty good. One thing to note, service here takes a bit longer than normal; on two visits I found a lot of lag time; drinks took awhile, checks also took awhile. Once things got going, the food came about on time. As another guest pointed out, though, this bar is a suburban brewery — it’s intended to be a place where you hang out for awhile, take take your time. So sit back and enjoy the place, the food is worth the wait.
All in all, a pretty good start for what looks to be one of the next great Beavercreek hangouts. I hope to see more at this place.
Recommendations
- The bar half of the restaurant has plenty of TVs and is more of a sports bar feel. The brewery half is a bit more of a restaurant.
- This isn’t just an evening destination either; there is a coffee bar as well.
- The extensive beer menu has a lot of choices from all over the Dayton area.
Another Food Critic 