Free State Fireside Imperial Pils

Just a little Tasting Note at Present Magazine about one of Free State's Seasonal offerings...
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Local Burger

Local Burger is the kind of place that makes you feel good about yourself and your food. The meats are locally raised, so you know where your food is coming from, and they put special emphasis on organic, gluten-free, and vegan ingredients. It's conscious eating. You know you're going to be making good choices right when you walk into the door, and then it pays off by being tasty to boot.

We each had a combo meal - the Elk Burger with Rainbow Slaw, and the Veggie Burger with the Progressive Potatoes. The grass-fed elk, raised in Winchester, made for a tender and lean burger which was proclaimed to be "succulent." ( I know, I rolled my eyes after he said it, too.) The slaw was dairy free but lightly tossed in a creamy dressing which had a hint of coconut. It was unusual and delicious. My veggie burger was exactly the way I like it - a crisp exterior with actual pieces of actual vegetables inside. The flavor was awesome and it wasn't weighed down by a ton of filler - it was freshly made and really good.

They have Boulevard Beer and several organic beers by the bottle, as well as regional and local wines. The menu includes fresh juices, smoothies, soups, and even local hot dogs, which have to be worth a trip back all by themselves.

Local Burger
714 Vermont in Lawrence, KS
785*856*7827

mon-sat 11am - 9pm
sun 11am - 8pm

The Free-est State

We're full in to college basketball season now, so our season tickets give us lots of opportunities to dine in Lawrence before games. I love going up to Lawrence to eat. It's a whole untapped resource of yummy things right down I-70.
The bad thing about eating in Lawrence is that I have my favorites and I find it hard to deviate from those. Sometimes you just get a craving for the sweet salsa or the mushroom empanadas at La Familia and nothing else will do. And sometimes you're in the mood for a Wheat State beer and some Cheddar Ale Soup, and you just have to go to Free State. I'm really never not in the mood for their Cheddar Ale Soup.
I've had bad service at Free State before, but I've never had a bad meal. I like their daily specials and I feel like they do a great job of updating the menu on a pretty regular basis. Wednesday night the special was a Ad Astra Ale-battered chile relleno stuffed with three different cheeses, served with beans and rice. The chile relleno was lightly battered and not at all overcooked. The sauce was sharp and flavorful and it was especially good with the Saison beer. My butternut ravioli had a cream sauce, a dollop of pesto, and was sprinkled with dried cranberries; the toasted focaccia slice was perfect for sopping up the rest of the sauce.
Our dining companions had the Fish & Chips (you can never go wrong with their Fish & Chips, mainly because they have awesome fries) and the Hot Pastrami Baguette, served with a mixed greens salad.

Free State Brewing Company
636 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS
785*843*4555