Opening an airport restaurant on the "wrong" side of the security gates would seem like an uphill battle. How many outbound travelers, anxious to get to their flights, would be in the mood to sit down for a meal and a drink? Moreover, there are plenty of competing eateries on the other side of the security maze.
Yet the new DuClaw Brewing Co., a 108-seat restaurant that sits next to Southwest Airlines' ticket counters in Baltimore- Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, has a flying start. Recently, at lunch, it was thriving. There was a 20-minute wait for a table. There were a few seats at the bar, where I settled in. Not bad for a restaurant that opened about a week ago.
This lively restaurant is an open space that offers views of the Southwest ticket counters. Sitting at the handsome wood bar watching the line of passengers shuffle toward the ticket counters was strangely satisfying.
The space, formerly occupied by the Italian restaurant Baci, is noisy. The music is loud. There are a couple of flat-screen televisions tucked in the back for semi-secluded viewing and about half a dozen booths on the side of the restaurant behind an attractive trellis.
The bustling atmosphere of the place reminded me of the Oyster Bar in New York's Grand Central Station. People were on the move, going places. The excitement of travel, which these days is a scarce commodity, was in the air. Sadly, though, there were no oysters.
The restaurant, I was told, is a partnership between DuClaw, which operates local brewpubs, and Aero Services Group, which operates airport restaurants, including Zona Mexicana at BWI.
Being a fan of craft beers, I ordered a sampler of their suds: six short glasses of six different DuClaw brews for $10. The selections that day were Kangaroo Love, a light golden lager; Misfit Red amber ale; Bare Ass Blonde blonde ale; Alchemy oatmeal stout; Venom Pale Ale; and Black Jack Stout. My favorites were the Venom, with its big, hoppy notes, and Black Jack Stout, which had a distinctive espresso tang.
As many brewpubs do these days, DuClaw provides drinkers with a "score sheet," a place mat with the names, descriptions and resting places for each of the six brews. It is helpful, because when you are traveling through different styles of beer, it is easy to get lost.
Scanning the list of appetizers - nachos, wings, calamari and chicken tenders - the one that caught my fancy was the fried green tomatoes ($7.99). Boursin cheese was sandwiched between slices of green tomato, and then it was fried and served with mozzarella sauce over a bed of mixed greens. I grow tomatoes in my garden and figured that green tomatoes taste the same in February as they do in August.
I was right. The green tomatoes had more texture than flavor, and the cheese was creamy. The marinara sauce was too sweet for me, but the bed of mixed greens, often overlooked in dishes like this, was first-rate.
For me, a brewpub means burgers, and the basic brewhouse burger ($7.99) was a pleasing piece of ground meat. The burger patty was square, which was surprising. Maybe this is a trend in burger geometry. It was moist and meaty. I asked for medium rare, which to me means red in the middle, but these days most all burgers are cooked through, as this one was. The burger roll, an important part of the burger experience, was pleasing.
There are more serious entrees offered here, ones that, as the menu states, require "utensils." Examples of those would include chicken breast with pasta ($15.99) and rockfish dipped in a tempura made with Venom Pale Ale ($12.99). There are also seven different types of salad, ranging from $3 for a small strawberry salad to $9 for grilled-chicken salad. The restaurant also serves a breakfast menu - burritos, wraps, fruit and yogurt - starting at 7 in the morning.
Service at the bar was quick and friendly. Travelers talk to each other, especially those sitting at the bar. I chatted with a fellow from Frederick who had a three-hour wait for a flight to Las Vegas. Sitting next to me was an airport worker who had stopped by for a quick lunch.
As long as the planes are flying, this place seems likely to be bustling.
Overall, this new brewpub seems like a convenient place to grab a bite and a beer, and then go on your merry way. It also seems like a smart spot to meet arriving passengers. It certainly has more ambience than the baggage claim.
Venue info: DuClaw Brewing Company
Where: BWI next to Southwest Airlines ticket counters
Contact: 410-850-4846
Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Credit Cards: Master Card, Visa, Discover, AMEX Appetizers: $2.99-$10
Entrees: $7.99-$15.99
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