After wait, north Modesto restaurant-bar opens with craft beer from around world
One of Modesto’s longest brewing — in more ways than one — restaurants is finally about to debut.
After almost three years of planning and building, The Brass Tap is ready to serve up the suds and more in northwest Modesto. The new craft beer bar and restaurant, part of a national chain based out of Florida, opens Monday across from the Kaiser Permanente hospital on Dale Road.
This is the first The Brass Tap location in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, with the closest nearby sites in Vacaville and Fresno. The company has about 50 locations across the country.
Modesto-based franchisees Rick and Kathy Sousa had a long and winding process to get to opening day that included finding the right spot, overseeing the from-the-ground-up construction and navigating the pandemic and its accompanying slowdowns.
The result is a new 3,200-square-foot space with a contemporary, clean look accented with industrial touches including the exposed 20-foot ceilings. The restaurant has a staff of about 30 to start, and once at full capacity can seat 110. A spacious outdoor patio, with tables and loungers, seats another almost 30.
Beers from Stanislaus County, around globe on tap
But, as the name would suggest, what should put people in those seats is the beer — and lots of it.
The Brass Tap boasts 60 brews on draft and another 40 varieties bottled. That’s some 100 different beers to choose from, as well as a full bar with a selection of wine and specialty craft cocktails.
Rick Sousa said the concept is all about the craft brews, and about half those come from California breweries. You’ll recognize valley originals as well including Turlock’s Dust Bowl, Ceres’ Blaker and Oakdale’s Grains of Virtue.
“Kathy and I all the way through this process tried to pick local businesses, from contractors to the breweries,” Sousa said. “There are some really good products locally.”
The impressive array of taps (which, despite the name, aren’t solid brass but do look brassy) behind the restaurant’s 30-foot bar also includes European beers and some barrel-aged varieties for the connoisseurs which top out at a hefty 15.2% ABV.
You can even get yourself a pint from the world’s oldest brewery, the German beer Weihenstephaner, which was founded in 1040 AD.
Sousa said the franchise is meticulous about having the right glasses for each drink, so pours will be from 8 ounces to 20 ounces depending on the style of beer. Prices are $5 to $11 per glass, and you can pick your own flight of four if you can’t decide on one.
Full kitchen, menu at new north Modesto spot
Now, with all this beer you’d better put something in your stomach to soak it all up. So The Brass Tap has a full restaurant and many brew-friendly offerings. Entrees range from a variety of burgers to tacos, sandwiches, salads and fish and chips, which run a reasonable $9 to $15.
The menu also includes a large selection of shareable plates, from sirloin steak nachos to Korean BBQ sliders, fried cheese curds and many more. You’ll find happy hour specials weekdays on cocktails and appetizers, so bring your appetite and come thirsty.
Sousa said he selected the site, across from the Kaiser hospital in the midst of new developments in the Kiernan Business Park, because the neighborhood only has a few full-service restaurants. Most eateries in that part of town are closer to the mall, except for its closest competition the Redwood Cafe, which sits across Bangs Avenue.
Rick Sousa has a long history in the food and beer industries, working in the past at Dust Bowl Brewing Company and before that spending 20 years in food manufacturing. But he and his wife had talked about opening their own place for years.
Still, as with almost everything in the past year, COVID-19 slowed down the progress on their dreams considerably. At the start of the pandemic last March, Sousa said almost all worked ceased on site for three months. Then, when construction came back on line, there were many supply and other delays.
Construction was completed in December, but Sousa said they took their time opening to wait until some local pandemic safety restrictions had been lifted and indoor dining was again allowed in the county. Now, some 33 months later, it’s almost all behind them.
“It took some time, but this location ended up being very much worthwhile,” Sousa said. “We were waiting for the right opportunity to come along, and when it did and the timing met it just worked.”
The Brass Tap, at 4500 Dale Road in Modesto, opens Monday, April 26. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. For more information call 209-567-2075 or visit www.brasstapbeerbar.com/Modesto.
