The Lodge has been in downtown Boca Raton for almost a year now but I have never had the chance to visit it.  I’ve read from their website that they have a really good selection of beer and they rotate their taps constantly.  Well a couple Saturdays ago I decided to take the trip down there for lunch and see what the place was all about.

Just south of Palmetto Park Rd. on Federal Hwy. the Lodge really doesn’t jump out at you unless you know what you are looking for.  Surrounded by upscale stores and restaurants it just blends in with everything else.  But once you walk in you really don’t realize you are in Boca Raton anymore.  You walk in to a cozy wood paneled room with the bar.  There is a large chalk board on the wall, that I think is actually made from the wall, that has the specials, tap list and upcoming events.  The place feels like a hunter’s lodge minus the animal heads on the wall.

I sat at the bar where there were two TVs showing college football games with a few other folks.  I was greeted quickly by the bartender, Shenandoah, and given a beer and food menu.  The beer menu is very well laid out.  It gives the name of the beer along with the brewer, location of the brewery and information about each beer.  Great information for someone that may not know about a certain beer and wants to try something different.  I opted for Magic Hat #9 as it is brand spanking new to our area and figured why not give the draft the first try.  The food menu was your typical bar fair that you would expect and that was exactly what I was in the mood for.  I ordered a cheese steak sandwich on Texas toast.  I know some of my family in friends in Philly would curse this, and I was skeptical, but is was actually quite good.

I saw on their menu that they had Sierra Nevada Estate on tap and asked for one of those but they were all out.  But another employee quickly brought me an Acme Pale Ale that he thought I would like instead.  The staff is quite knowledgeable on their beer and are completely willing to help out with your decision making.

From what I hear they get pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights, Saturdays are ladies nights, but they only sell beer and wine.  So I don’t think you would have to worry about bad company on nights.  I intend on taking my friends there one night in the near future.

All around I really enjoyed the Lodge.  It’s in a good neighborhood with plenty of parking.  The beer selection is great and most brews are around $5 to $6.  Some rare or seasonals may be a little more.  The straight forward bar food is good and filling.  The service is top notch and it is just a bar with a great vibe.

If you are in Boca and want a good beer, good food in a good environment head over to the Lodge and you will get all of those.

The Lodge
200 South Federal Highway
Boca Raton, FL 33432
561-392-5003
http://www.thelodgeboca.com/