A Wine and Beer Lounge Experience!

Back in August we got together with 3 other couples for an evening out.  Irv and Martha had tried a relatively new place in Farragut Tennessee and after checking out the menu, that’s where we decided to meet!

This is 'Mind Yer Ps and Qs in the Renaissance Center which is located on the south side of Kingston Pike in Farragut. (US Hwy. 11) It’s in the same center with Restaurant Linderhof, the only German restaurant of note in the Knoxville area.  There is a little outdoor seating but the primary focus in indoors… I learned that this establishment opened in the Fall of 2014.  I’m surprised that it took us so long to ‘discover it’!

The inside of Mind Yer Ps and Qs is a bit industrial with both high and low tables available for patrons.  In the top photo you can see an array of beer taps…24 in total!  The dining/drinking space is wide open and without any obvious design attempt to deaden the sound of animated conversation, I suspect that it could become a bit loud… This was a Wednesday night and while customers steadily came in for a few libations, there were plenty of tables still open.

As the website states, “Our wine selection offers an experience you can’t find anywhere else.”  They are the first wine lounge in Knoxville to offer wine on tap.   In addition to wine on tap, Mind Yer Ps and Qs has more than 25 carefully selected by-the-glass wines.  “Wine ology” flights like the one shown above are offered.  This is a good way to learn about wines…and to find out what you like and what you don’t like.

 

If I counted correctly, there are 38 wines listed in the on-line listing.  Laurie ordered one of the wine flights listed on the ‘wine menu’.  This was the Keg Wine Flight. ($12.00) They included the ‘Old Soul’ Chardonnay, OZV Zinfandel, the Milbrandt Cabernet Sauvignon and a Malbec that I can’t read and which isn’t listed on the internet menu.  She was very happy with her choices!  I’m not much of a wine drinker but I did have a glass of the Old Soul Chardonnay and it was very nice indeed. ($7.00)

Another member of our group went for a flight of some very imaginative beers… She really liked 2 of them but the other 2 not so much.  Still, this was an opportunity to try different brews and that is the objective.

The light amber colored brew is called Victory Sour Monkey.  As per the information on the menu, this brew is “A Sour that hits you right in the cheeks, but give it time…As the initial lemon smack settles it is quite enjoyable.” 

I love the names that micro brewers come up with.  In addition to Sour Monkey, my favorite names from the menu include Highland Lost Cove, Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter, Parallel 49 Salty Scot and Fat Bottom Lychee Weiss.

Of course you can’t drink and not snack on something… Mind Yer Ps and Qs has a “Small Plate” Menu for its guests to graze through.  One member of our group had the Benton’s Hot Dog Sliders.  These are Benton’s hot dogs served on pretzel rolls covered in beer cheese and served with a side of salsa and a pickle.  These sliders got 2 thumbs up!

Laurie and I love Benton’s Hot Dogs.  Unfortunately Benton’s only sells them in frozen packs of 25…far too many for us to use at home in a reasonable period of time… Benton’s hams, bacon a prosciutto are famous and are found on menus in fine restaurants all over the USA. (Website: http://bentonscountryhams2.com/)

I ordered a couple of appetizers for the table.  This was the Beer Cheese with pretzel bits for dipping. ($6.95) It was OK but not great and I felt that for the price another ounce of beer cheese was in order.  The pretzel bites were nice and fresh.

Two of this particular appetizer were ordered by our group.  This is the Buffalo Chicken Dip, a hearty dip with that buffalo wing spice flavor, served with chips. ($7.49) Shredded chicken mixed right in with the sauce just kicked this dish right over the top!  It was a major winner!  We’d order this again at any opportunity… We did have to ask for a few more chips.

Other appetizer style small plates on the menu include Chips and Salsa, a Cheese Board and a Hummus Plate with pita bread, celery, carrots and chili oil to pop it up a bit.

Different styles of beer are served in differently shaped glasses.  We only captured 3 of them in our photos.  Of course Guinness actually requires bars and restaurants to serve their brew in their glass! 

The middle photo is of my glass of “Loose Caboose” beer.  The happy hour price was $4.00 per glass.  As with wine, my range of taste when it comes to beer is limited…  The fact is that that I usually stick to Miller Lite or Corona.  However, I really did like this beer…and it didn’t seem to give me that ‘full’ feeling that most beers do.

The taps at Mind Yer Ps and Qs frequently rotate through a selection of beers in all styles and craft.  These include seasonal offerings, ales, stouts, pilsners, and high gravity brews to name a few.  

  

I was hungry so I ordered the Roast Beef and Chipotle Jack Cheese Panini. ($8.95) This sandwich/Panini comes with roast beef and chipotle jack cheese topped with arugula salad and house made horseradish spread.  The chips were included.  I was disappointed in the sandwich.  It was OK but it was bland.  I couldn’t taste any of the spice or heat that one might expect from chipotle jack cheese or horseradish spread.

Two other sandwiches on the menu include a Turkey, Apple and Brie combination and P’sQ’s Caprese Panini.  

Laurie went a different route.  This is the Chupacabra Flatbread. ($7.95) The flatbread is topped with goat cheese, crispy sausage, roasted red onion, arugula and a Siracha drizzle.  IT WAS NOT BLAND!  It was so hot that I was surprised that Laurie ate the whole thing… She liked it a lot and said that once she started eating it, she couldn’t stop!

There are 2 other flat bread offerings on the menu.  There is the Three Star Flatbread with bell peppers and pulled pork and the Yuppie Flatbread, which is basically a salad on flatbread.  The final item on the small plate menu is the Piggy Mac…mac ‘n cheese with pulled pork, Benton’s bacon pieces and ‘shine sauce’. 

This was our happy little group as we readied to close out our evening.  Our server…who was also one of the 2 women who own Mind Yer Ps and Qs took the photo.  From left to right: Irv, Martha, Laurie, yours truly, Paul and Jill.

We all had a great time!  

The owner/server really knew her beer and wine offerings and she spent a lot of time helping us with our selections.  Despite any critical comments I made above regarding the food, our overall impression of Mind Yer Ps and Qs was very positive.  The next time I’m ordering the Benton’s Hot Dog Sliders… We definitely will return!

Mind Yer Ps and Qs is located at 12744 Kingston Pike (US Hwy. 11) in Knoxville Tennessee. (Geographically it is actually west of Farragut) They are open daily.  Phone: 865-288-7827.  Website: http://mindyerpsandqs.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for an evening out!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave