Journalist reviews local craft brewery

The Mad Duck provides a casual dining experience while dishing out exceptional meals. The rustic interior makes the restaurant very unique. Burgers, tacos, salads, and seafood are just a handful of the many options featured on the menu. Their main location is located on the cross streets of Chestnut and Shaw, as well as a smaller location at Herndon and Willow.

My adventures took me to the front doors of the Chestnut and Shaw location. When I arrived, joyful ladies greeted at the entrance and then escorted me to the back. Matt Jones gave me a tour of the Brewery area, showed me the different vats and walked me through the process of how they formulate their highly popular craft beer.

Afterwards, they invited me to tour the kitchen. The cleanliness of the facility, as well as the fresh ingredients, left me very impressed.

I started out with an appetizer, the deviled eggs. On the side were some fresh celery and carrot sticks with hummus. The deviled eggs came topped with little crumbles of bacon, which was a nice addition.

Subsequently, one of the chefs brought out three different tacos. The Opulence Short Rib Taco, the Grilled Fish Taco and the Baja Fish Taco. They all tasted very unique because of the different sauces and salsas they topped them with.

I enjoyed each one, however, my favorite was the Baja Fish Taco. The fish was perfectly fried, with a crisp breading and tender meat that melted in my mouth. This taco was also topped with avocado, pico, coleslaw and a special aioli sauce all wrapped in a warm, flour tortilla. It was one of the best fish tacos I have ever had the privilege to eat.

Following the tacos, a server brought the Chef’s Pub Burger, one of their most popular menu options. The burger consists of a unique half beef and half pork patty, crispy jalapeños, creamy brie cheese, peppered butcher cut bacon, jalapeño jam, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Assistant Chef Gage Freeman explained to me that the jalapeño jam is what sets apart this burger different from the others.

I was expecting the burger to be very spicy, and I personally do not like spicy food at all. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it was not spicy at all. The dish, in my opinion, is fantastic.

One of my favorite things about the restaurant is that all the employees were very hospitable. Multiple staff members asked me if they could help me with anything, and happily explained the dishes to me. The staff joked around with each other and were all smiling, showing a healthy workplace culture.

Overall, I was very impressed by the Mad Duck. However, if you’re expecting a quiet spot to eat you, will not find that here. Expect very large crowds after an event at Save Mart Center. If you’re looking for a fun place to go with your friends, this is the place to be.

For more food reviews, read Slice of India brings spice and comfort. For another article, read Sister to Sister program flourishes under Katie Reneau.

This author can be reached via @logan6300 and via email: Logan Lewis.

Slideshow below includes images from the Mad Duck.

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