41 N. State St.
Westerville, OH 43081
614.891.2337
website
A truly two-toned experience, this business is a twofer: the Uptown Deli & Brew storefront provides a quaint little sandwich shop with real estate right on the main row of downtown Westerville, while in the back, Temperance Row Brewing Co. brings a giant craft beer bar, complete with enormous patio that has to be one of the best in the city. Westerville benefits from such amazing and unique little businesses that come from big city traffic to a small-town feel, and this combined business is the perfect example of how to do it right.
The shop generally goes with the deli theme, so most of the best food is the kinds of sandwiches you’d expect from such a place. The best things to try:
- Smoked Salmon Sandwich: Don’t let the size fool you, this baby is huge. And very smokey, probably best like a good New York Lox, with something like cole slaw that moderates it a little bit.
- Chicken Salad Wrap: Yeah, it’s as big as it looks. Tackle this whole monster at your own peril! The key is in the texture, the diced chicken and veggies mixture is just so fine without being a big bite to chew. Best with that nice pasta salad to counteract the relatively mild flavor with a nice pungent deli fave.
- Roast Beef: Roast beef, sharp cheddar and some of the horseradish sauce. Served with some peppers to warm it up.
- Giant Pretzel: The magic of the thing is the beer cheese, and you get a ton of it! Easy to tear off and dip, and unlike the average pretzel, without mass amounts of salt.
Temperance Row’s own beers tend toward the mild and flavorful. Some I like:
- Summer Wheat: A kind of citrusy taste without too much heft. With lemon it definitely comes off a bit like lemonade, with orange it’s more like the wheat beers you’re used to. I recommend the latter.
- Watermelon Shandy: Served with a big slice of watermelon no less. As it should be, the flavor of that fruit is delicate, not overdone or sweetened to a bore.
- Magpie Nut Brown Ale: A deft hand designed this one, which retains the hazelnut, slightly sticky sweetness but at a reasonable 5.5% ABV.
- Oktoberfest: Ready this special time of the year and served in a special giant mug! I’ve always loved the crispness of this brew.
- Scofflaw Scottish Ale: High on the malty end of brews, but still a pretty smooth drink.
The ambiance of the place fits in perfectly with Westerville. A stout little front-end operation with a small deli stand and some chairs, and a funny, prohibition-like theme that’s become more popular for cocktail lounges around the Midwest. The back bar and patio space is inviting on a warm day especially when they open up that garage door and let the light in.
Prices are good, the staff is very friendly, and there’s a lot of reasons to want to hang around and enjoy yourself.
Recommendations
- The brewery does have a set of flights if you want to try a few at once.
- Best on a warm day, because the back patio is spacious and the other parts of the bar can be kind of crowded.
- Consider the sandwiches for lunch, this isn’t just a place to drink.
Another Food Critic 