Bottoms Up! Three Cheers for Belle Isle Brewery in Oklahoma City

Located in the bottom of 50 Penn Place, Belle Isle Brewery is a favorite for business people, college students, and families alike.

Belle Isle Brewery is what its name implies-it serves its own beers and ale, brewed in-house. They brew beers in the German style. They brew a porter, an amber ale, and a wheat ale, among others. I've sampled all of them, and my favorite was Belle's Blonde. However, you should check them out for yourself-a single simple is free, or you can try five (the four plus the beer of the week) for $2.25.

Belle Isle Brewery also serves a variety of foods including brick-oven pizzas, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and enchiladas. Their hamburgers are one of the best things on the menus, and they come any way imaginable. If you like curry, they serve a great curry chicken salad (cold) with seasonal fruit. One of my favorite foods at Belle Isle Brewery is their beer muffins-though they don't list them on the menu, they'll serve you one for 75 cents each. They are slightly sweet and served with a delicious sweet butter.

The atmosphere at Belle Isle Brewery is laidback; it's a cross between a pub and a sport's bar, though with a bit more class. Usually, a television is running, set to a sporting event, and music is going in the background-it can get pretty noisy inside (though they also have outside seating for nice days). The servers are generally friendly and prompt. I don't think I've ever had to wait more than ten minutes for my food, and my drink is always filled up.

From business lunches to families enjoying an evening out together, Belle Isle Brewery invites a variety of people. College students and families love the great prices; they are in the range of a Chili's or Bennigan's. Also, since it is located in the bottom of 50 Penn Place, it's a great place for lunch for the offices above. And for those who just can't leave the work behind, they offer free WiFi in both the bar and the restaurant.