Rural Routes brings rustic brewpub fare to Leduc
Rustic decor, an inspired menu and plenty of beer options make for a winning combination
Craft breweries are popping up all over Alberta these days, with dozens in Edmonton and Calgary and many more in smaller centres such as Lethbridge. Last fall, Leduc got in the game with Rural Routes Brewing Co. (RRBC), taking on the ambitious dual role of brewery and restaurant.
We made the trip out there on a recent weekend and found the pleasant, brick-faced brew pub in a strip mall off 50th Street, Leduc’s main drag. Inside, Rural Routes’ modern-rustic decor is in keeping with its name — chunky wood tabletops, metal chairs and corrugated metal along the bar. There are lots of nice windows (mostly looking out on a parking lot) and a blackboard wall with a cool chalk infographic explaining their brewing process. Branded swag — trucker hats and T-shirts — are on display and for sale.
There’s a patio too, carved off from the parking lot by metal barriers.
The restaurant was quiet for a Saturday night, with a couple of tables seated indoors and out, but that may have been thanks to the finally-summer weather, encouraging folks to get outside rather than out for dinner.
The menu is what you might expect at a brew pub, but enhanced by interesting preparations and locally sourced ingredients. The chalkboard lists suppliers in Edmonton (Meuwly’s, The Cheese Factory, Alternate Route Coffee) and Leduc (Local Meats, Prestigio Bakery). Bonus points for the local art hanging on the wall, with artists’ names and prices attached.
If burgers are your thing (and really, who doesn’t crave a burger with a beer?) there are plenty to choose from here. There’s the original, with house-ground local beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and mayo ($17) for purists. For the more adventurous, there’s The Pierogi, which includes deep-fried pierogis, fried sausage, caramelized onion and sour cream ($24). The Wee Heavy adds a scotch egg (that’s an egg wrapped in sausage), Irish stout cheddar and arugula to the burger ($25).
We tried both of the novelty burgers, and while they were tasty they were extremely messy to eat. Both were stacked ridiculously high, which made biting into them a challenge. And the burger patties seemed to be made smash-style, without binders or seasoning to hold the patty together. Let’s just say there’s a reason they serve these on a metal tray, with a knife and fork alongside. The brioche bun was delicious, and held up well under the pressure of all those toppings. The fries were also great, and plentiful.
The lamb burger ($17) — made with local lamb, goat cheese, prosciutto, bruschetta, arugula and lemon aioli — was a yummy combination and much easier to handle. We also tried the fried cauliflower sandwich ($15), which came on the same
wonderful brioche bun, with curried cauliflower, arugula, garlic mayo, pickled shallots and pickled cucumber. The homemade pickles were a brilliant addition and the cauliflower was good, but again, extremely messy. Instead of a single chunk or slice of cauliflower, the sandwich was made up of four or five deepfried florets, which fell out of the sandwich as soon as I picked it up. The Caesar salad that came alongside was generous, with just the right amount of dressing and lots of fresh Parmesan.
All the burgers and sandwiches can be had with fries, soup or one of two salads — Caesar or arugula. Full-sized versions of the salads are also available. In addition to the heftier burgers, there’s a veggie burger, a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and a brisket sandwich available.
The website version of the menu lists a few non-sandwich dinners like mussels and fries, pappardelle and meatballs, and chicken and waffles, but those have been taken off the menu for the summer, our server explained.
There are some smaller, snacksized offerings if dinner isn’t in your plans, including wings, a charcuterie board, and a scotch egg.
We tried some deep-fried mushrooms ($8), which were disappointingly heavy on the fried and light on the mushroom. The soft pretzel with creamy beer mustard was tasty enough but had swelled into more of a crunchy bun than a traditional pretzel shape, without the expected chewiness.
The whipped ricotta with peach jam and sourdough ($11) was much more successful, with delicious, herb-buttered sourdough toast, homemade-tasting peach jam and creamy ricotta.
Of course we tried the beer as well, sampling a flight of four of RRBC’S lighter brews ($9) — a pineapple lager, a witbier, a lavender saison and a radler. An English brown ale and a milk stout were also available, along with some guest rotating taps from Town Square Brewing in Edmonton, Common Crown in Calgary and Apex in Edson. There’s also a surprisingly nice (but fairly expensive) selection of wines available, plus cocktails.
It’s encouraging to see brew pubs continuing their spread to smaller centres, particularly when they pay as much attention to their food and decor as their beer. Hopefully, folks in Leduc will continue to support this one, along with a new contingent of Edmonton visitors.