Exale Taproom

Whole Beast at Exale Taproom - Review - Walthamstow - London - The Infatuation

"Whole Beast is a ‘live fire nose-to-tail concept’, which translates to platters piled high with meats, like a Tudor-era king has just won a multi-day siege. Smoked sausage links hide beneath hulking smoked pork shoulders and mutton (smoked, is there any other way?) is stuffed into tacos. Dishes can be hit and miss—the smoked plum ice cream is a low point for dairy—but this meaty BBQ residency fits right in at Exale Taproom, a brewery located on a Walthamstow industrial estate. The big benches out front is our favourite place to sit. On sunny weekends, locals, Blackhorse Beer Mile participants, and families fill seats quickly and linger. Stick to the smoked chicken smothered in a bitter burnt peri peri, deep-fried pig head pot pie, crinkle-cut fries with all the dips, and a few Skoosh beers from the taproom, and you’ll have a good time here. Food Rundown Corn “Grits” & Cheese Taco’s A mush of slightly sweet, slightly salty things that made us feel like a teething baby. Some contrasting texture is needed. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Smoked Mutton Shoulder Taco’s The mutton is tender but there’s not much more going on with this taco. It’s fine, but we wouldn’t get it again. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Cucumbers, GGG & Whipped Tofu Dressing, Chilli Crisp, Furikake The G&T can move aside, this is our new favourite way to consume cucumbers. The whipped tofu has become saucy and almost mayo-like, and the chilli crisp balances out the creaminess. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Deep Fried Pigs Head Nduja & Scamorza Pot Pie, Hot Honey Danger: this is not in fact a pot pie. Instead it’s deep-fried pot pie-type filling—soft, smoky pigs’ head and ‘nduja and creamy scamorza. It’s the size and shape as a pasty, and decadent and delicious. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna ½ Smoked Chicken, Burnt Peri Peri If this is only half the chicken, we want to see what kind of superhero-mutant hybrid the whole bird is. Generous portion aside, the meat is juicy and completely covered in a saucy, slightly bitter peri peri sauce. A must-order. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna Smoked Plum Ripple Ice Cream Icy and unpleasantly smoky—stick to a Magnum on the way home. photo credit: Sinéad Cranna" - Sinéad Cranna