I finally made it to Monk's Kettle last night. I'd passed by it a bunch of times, and it really didn't seem like the type of place I'd like. Beer snobbery is definitely on the rise, and a trendy new Belgian bar on 16th St. certainly does not seem like the kind of place that would stymie that stereotype, but I had a really good time, despite a communication meltdown with those I was supposed to meet there.

Here's my Yelp review:

It's very rare that I get excited about all aspects of a place, and Monk's Kettle last night was one of those rare occasions.

Looking over the beer list, I was very happy to see a large range of beers available. Too often a beer bar will have tons of Belgians but little else. Belgians tend to be a bit to thick and strong for my taste, so the range of American microbrews and other options was very welcome. Our bartender was very helpful, and after I told him a bit about what I liked, he gave two recommendations that I ended up loving.

We didn't have dinner, though I did have the giant pretzel with cheddar ale sauce and house ground mustard, which were both fantastic.

The service was also excellent. The bartender was spot-on with his recommendations and was very helpful in general. He didn't know a few details about the food and admitted as much immediately, which was refreshing.

I honestly didn't expect to like this place much, but I was definitely blown away, and I eagerly look forward to returning soon.

FWIW, I got there just before 7 on a Wednesday night. when I arrived, there was one table left, and the whole back bar was empty, but half an hour later, all seats in the place were occupied. Looks like 6:30 is probably a perfect time to arrive if you have a few people in tow.