Julio Garcia
Google
Rarely have I visited such a revered and “award-winning” gastropub that fell so flat on every facet of its offerings. Thompson Brewing Company (“Thompson”) left me incredibly underwhelmed, especially considering what they charge.
To start, how can a brewery offer a Michelada on their drink menu without a “Mexican-style” lager? One key ingredient in a Michelada is a crisp, light, slightly lime-flavored, or “Mexican-inspired” Pilsner lager as the base. So, before ordering the Michelada, I requested a sample of their homebrewed Pilsner Lager. It was bland and underwhelming — the beginning of a recurring theme. I then asked for a sample of their Blonde, only to find that Thompson doesn’t even offer a standard Blonde Ale. I was left with no choice but to try one of their “sour” offerings, which was decent but not great.
The food menu, however, provided some much-needed hope after a disappointing beer selection. I ordered the San Fran, and my fiancée ordered the Brisket BBQ Fries. Look, I understand the vibe Thompson is going for, but again, they fall flat on execution. Party tables in a harshly fluorescent-lit “back-of-house” brewery don’t invoke any sense of hanging out or eating where “the sausage is made”; rather, they give the impression of a poorly executed attempt at the concept. This setting is quickly juxtaposed by a barely lit rear “outdoor patio”—and barely lit is actually too generous. There’s a SINGLE wall pack that’s supposed to illuminate about 6 to 8 tables situated over turf in the rear parking lot. It does its best, but ultimately leaves patrons in the dark. I will say, though, that service is quick and efficient. Despite the dimly lit and haphazard patio, the food did look delicious, presentable, and quite appealing, offering a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately, that hope quickly faded after the second bite.
The San Fran’s smashed patty is bland and flavorless. The sourdough bread is toasted to perfection but is let down by its stale, lifeless taste. The grilled onions and house sauce did most of the work for this sandwich; the veggies were fresh and crisp. Overall, the San Fran has the potential to be a great, savory sandwich but is ruined by the underwhelming patty and lackluster sourdough bread.
The Brisket BBQ Fries looked incredible! They had a great balance of fries, protein, and garnishes, but once again, all hope was lost after the second bite. The brisket is incredibly bland and flavorless. You get a smoky taste, but there’s no savory seasoning to back it up. The BBQ sauce is far too sweet to pair with brisket. The cheese is decent, and the fries are well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. The dollop of sour cream, which should have helped carry the BBQ and crispy fry flavors, only gets in the way. The sour cream is unsalted and has a more “dairy creamy” taste, which doesn’t complement the brisket or fries at all. A more traditional salted sour cream would have been a better choice to complement and enhance the cheese and what little BBQ flavor the brisket had. Overall, the Brisket BBQ Fries were a huge disappointment that failed to blend or balance the flavors of its elements and ingredients.
As a Riverside resident, it truly hurts me to write this review. I walked into Thompson full of hope, expecting to add another great gastropub to my Inland Empire rotation. But it fell so flat in every way that I found it hard not to give it a 1-star review. I’m genuinely shocked at how underwhelming both the food and beer selection are, especially considering their great reviews. But alas, here we are.
