377 Brewery – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Could have.  Would have.  Should have.  These are perhaps the three saddest statements a coach can utter about the team he or she leads.   Essentially, that coach is saying “we’re not good enough,” “having potential is not enough” and “moral victories don’t count.”  In 1987, Jim Mora, coach of the perpetually woeful New Orleans Saints addressed the media after a close loss to the San Franciso 49ers.  “Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve,” he declared, “I’m tired of saying “could’ve..”  His fiery diatribe lit a fire under his Saints which proceeded to go on a nine game winning streak.

Could have.  Would have.  Should have.  These are sad statements, too, for restaurant owners whose chef or wait staff have an off day.  Sure, it happens, but the very best restaurants–those whose guests return strive to minimize–or eliminate off days.  They realize it only takes one bad day to lose a potential loyal guest.  Not all guests are forgiving.  Many will weaponize social media to vent against that restaurant.  They’ll dissuade friends and colleagues from visiting.  I’ve always contended that no restaurateur or chef sets out to serve bad food, but sometimes it does happen.

I try not to let Gil’s Thrilling… become a bully pulpit against things I don’t like and I’ll never disparage anyone for having a bad day– especially in the mean-spirit manner so prevalent on the blogosphere.  So, in my review of the 377 Brewery I will share what we didn’t like and how it can be made right.  I won’t call the chef any names nor will I wish foul things befall that chef.  For those of you who believe I “never say anything mean” about a restaurant, this is about as close as it gets.  No name-calling.  No mean-spirited venting.  My hope is that my feedback will be seen as constructive and in the spirit of trying to improve what can be a very good product.

First, a little background about the 377 Brewery.  The Brewery’s website indicates “The 377 is defined by it’s tribute to Kirtland AFB and all of the valued service it has provided to Albuquerque, NM and the surrounding areas!”  Indeed, 377 is the numerical designation of Kirtland’s 377th Air Base Wing.  Most tenant units on base also bear the 377 designation.  The Brewery may not be directly associated with Kirtland, but both of the owner’s parents served in the Air Force.  As such walls are festooned with shadow boxes housing the United States flag as well as other Air Force memorabilia.  As an Air Force retiree, it made me very proud.

The 377 Brewery is located on Yale just north of Gibson.  It’s in relatively close proximity to Kirtland, but closer still to the Sunport and to both the University of New Mexico (UNM) and the Central New Mexico Community College (CNM).  Also in close proximity are a number of hotels.  With such a potential guest draw, it behoves the Brewery to serve great food in addition to its award-winning adult libations and fun ambiance.  In terms of ambiance, the Brewery looks like an unfinished project with exposed duct work and insulation on the ceiling and lots of unframed wood on the walls.  It’s got two patios, one facing East and the other facing West.

For those of us who would visit a brewery for the food (and no, that’s not like buying Playboy for the articles),  377 Brewery has a scratch kitchen (a kitchen in which the cook prepares all the food from scratch).  Normally that’s an implied promise for good food.  The menu does have some compelling offerings and one of my former Kirtland colleagues gives the 377 Brewery an Air Force two thumbs-up.  For our inaugural visit, we were joined by our friend Linda Johansen, a fellow gastronome whose opinion on food I trust more than just about anyone else’s.

So, what prompted the “would have, could have, should have” diatribe with which I started this review?  Those three terms pretty much define and describe my entree, a smothered tortilla burger (green chile cheeseburger wrapped in a flour tortilla, smothered with red or green chile (I had both), topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and French fries.  Seriously, it’s a burger that could have been great.  It should have been great!  Only one thing prevented it from being great, but it’s the one thing that matters most on any burger.  The beef patty was incinerated–nearly charcoal-like.  There was nary any hint of moistness.  I should have, could have and would have sent it back, but with only one enthusiastic  server trying to take care of a roomful of guests, it would have taken more time than we wanted to invest.

My Kim doesn’t particularly like burgers so she ordered a chicken salad (mixed greens, Mandarin oranges, craisins, tomatoes, chicken drizzled with a raspberry vinaigrette) that isn’t on the menu.  This salad, too, could have been great…if only the chicken wasn’t so dry and leathery.  There’s no doubt the commonality among every item we ordered is proteins overdone to the point of a New Mexico summer dryness.  It’s something a scratch kitchen can and should fix!

There you have it–the closest you’ll read on Gil’s Thrilling… to a mean-spirited review.  There’s no malice toward the 377 Brewery.  To the contrary, I look forward to returning someday to determine if our inaugural visit was an anomaly.  I suspect it was.

377 Brewery
2027 Yale, S.E.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
(505) 916-0331
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 9 June 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET:
REVIEW #1401