Monday 24th of November 2008 09:00:21 PM

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So the start of my Eastern Washington Brewery day. My wife and I stopped at Mill Creek. Opps someone forgot to tell them they where still a business selling beer. The beer was half ass at best. The food was no good and I am sure Chef Ramsey would see tons of issues. The service was also lacking this was a place on it’s last leg. The brewery/restaurant has been for sale for 3 years and no takers in a huge wine area. If you have 1.8 million it is yours with a great downtown location. Maybe they need to become a vineyard or something. They have a captive crowd so they could possibly be the best in the area. I was able to try 4 of there brewed beers and they where mediocre at best. The lager was infected and the IPA was lacking the hops for light amber ale. The Oktoberfest was the best of the 4 and it was still just average. This is not one to seek if you are looking for good beer. Just keep on going there are others better and not too far off. Well tick this off the list I will not be back until I hear about a huge change.

Friday 20th of June 2008 04:49:58 PM

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Walla Walla, Washington - a year ago voted the Best Small Town in America.

OK - so wife Persimmon & I decided to take a long weekend look. Also there were several breweries in the immediate area and that made the decision much, much easier.

There's a prison in Walla Walla -- several vineyards (the area is vying for recognition as a premier wine-growing area) -- and (6) breweries, some good, some not so.

Mill Creek falls in the latter category.

Located just off the main street through town, the entrance is surrounded by trees that over-hang the outdoor beer garden. Nice. But inside, it's just another large, pool-table, jukebox saloon where the music is loud, the conversation louder, the service slow and the beer non-descript.

Our afternoon there produced a sampler of two beers of the 4 brewed. They had been "slammed" the week before (don't know who or what slammed 'em) so we tasted their Brew-22, a typical pilsner that won a Silver Medal at the GABF 10 years ago. Perhaps it was better then. And their IPA - the hops kicked in on the back-taste after a long time taking its bearings in my throat. Most of the beer sold their is Bud Lite (what a surprise!) and the also have Sam Adams Lager, Alaskan Amber and Widmer's Hefe on tap.

The place was up for sale a year ago and remains so today. The owner, according to the bartender, has owned 4 bars in the area and she was wondering what he was going to do next - "probably open another."

I would hope that someone reminds him that he lives in the Yakima Valley where the world's hops are grown. Find a brewer who serious about making beer and use the abundant and nearby resources and brew, baby -- brew!

But for now, if you're in this area, take a short 20 minute drive East to Waitsburg and sit in the comfort of family at Laht Neppur. Sip to your heart's content.
A double yum rating for that place.

A skunker for Mill Creek.