Food service upgrades the Casual Pint's Northshore location | Grub Scout

My general rule is to not cover an establishment that primarily focuses on beer or wine unless it offers a food menu substantial enough to justify my stopping in. For the longest time, none of The Casual Pint’s East Tennessee locations served food. Now many of them do, which is what prompted me and The Grub Spouse to drop in on Independence Day, no less, to check out the munchables at the local chain’s Northshore site.

The two-page menu lays out a decent selection of traditional pub-grub favorites, starting with items such as a chicken quesadilla, pretzels with beer cheese, and hummus with flatbread. There are also three variation of their beer-battered and curly Sidewinders fries. My nose sniffed out the Southwest egg rolls ($12), deep-fried egg-roll shells filled with chicken, cheese, black beans, corn and jalapeños. The description reminded me somewhat of Sullivan’s Chimi Rollers, which I used to order frequently at that particular restaurant.

There are several flatbread options from which to choose, including chicken bacon ranch, spicy Thai, basil pesto chicken, Buffalo, pepperoni, caprese and the Tex-Mex Twist, which features chicken and Boom Boom sauce. The Spouse ordered the BBQ ($12), a classic pizza recipe involving chicken and barbecue sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, bacon, onion and jalapeños.

Other menu sections include wraps and salads (four varieties of each) as well as both bone-in and boneless chicken wings. I gravitated toward the sandwiches, which include all-beef hotdogs, a chicken sandwich, three burger iterations and several brats. And that’s what finally grabbed me — the German brat ($14) specifically. It’s a beer-marinated bratwurst topped with sauerkraut and whole-grain mustard and served on a pretzel bun.

By the way, each item on the menu is accompanied by a graphic icon that suggests a beer pairing by category (light and refreshing, hoppy, fruit and spice, dark and roasted, malty). Of course, I started off my meal with a selection from the taps; they have 22 local and national labels flowing most days. (I didn’t stick with any of the pairing suggestions; I’m a hoppy person all the way.) We settled in at a table in the main bar area, which is similar in appearance to the interior of most every other Casual Pint location I’ve been to.

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For some reason, the so-called appetizer came out at the same time as the flatbread, and the brat didn’t show up until several minutes later. However, we adapted to the order of service and took each item on as it arrived.

The Southwest egg rolls were a decent intro to the meal. The shells were hot and crispy and the blend of filling ingredients definitely suggested a south-of-the-border dining experience. To me, it didn’t quite measure up to my opinion of Sullivan’s Chimi Rollers, but I had no complaints.

The German brat and the flatbread each held its own. I specifically appreciated the soft pretzel roll cradling the plump bratwurst link, and if you like sauerkraut (as I do), you should approve of the kraut (and mustard) flavors accenting this sausage. I had chosen the bacon and sour cream potato salad as my side (over Italian pasta salad, potato chips, chips and salsa, or a side salad), and I have to say it was possibly the strongest single dish of the evening. The potato consistency was perfect, and the inclusion of these nontraditional ingredients made it stand out.

I actually liked the flatbread a little more than the brat. The crust was thin but not crispy, and the blend of chicken, cheese, barbecue sauce, bacon and onions made for a satisfying pizza treat.

This was not my first visit to that Casual Pint location; I have a specific cohort of friends I’ve gathered there with many times in the past. And while I might not go back for the food alone, I can say it’s nice to have serviceable grub options to accompany my suds without necessarily having to order from Soccer Taco next door. The Casual Pint’s regular customers should definitely consider their food service to be an upgrade.

The Casual Pint of Northshore

Food: 3.75

Service: 3.75

Atmosphere: 3.75

Overall: 3.75

Address: 2045 Thunderhead Road

Phone: 865-248-3151

Beer service only

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays