Red Star Craft House in the Exton Square Mall
By David Jones
Exton Mall has a new destination restaurant and it’s worth the trip.
Red Star Craft House has opened for business with what they are calling a “soft” opening. This basically means they don’t have the full menu yet and they are still working out some kinks.
Since I’ve been highlighting and visiting a lot of pubs and brew houses this year we decided to check it out Tuesday evening. I called and made a reservation mid-afternoon and I’m glad I did. When we arrived there were more than a few people waiting for tables.
The first thing you notice is they have totally revamped the old Houlihan’s that formerly occupied this space. The second thing you notice is this place is LOUD. Now, I’m no fan of noisy places but this place works anyway.
There’s a vibrant bar scene and lots of TVs around the entire restaurant. Expect to see people walking about as you’re eating. That being said, this is a big place and it’s a little less noisy once you get through to the dining area past the bar.
There’s also a quick stop room you can walk right into that opens to the mall, if you just want a quick lunch while you’re shopping. Once the weather breaks in Spring they will also offer outdoor dining.
The seating is very comfortable. They have a full array of tables, booths and high bar tables. All are very nice and the décor works as a friendly brew pub.
The rough-hewn walls are also a nice touch. Well, this place highlights the craft brews and there is no mistaking that when you walk in and see the wall of draft levers. They advertise over 150 beer selections when you count bottles, drafts and casks. They are not to that point yet, but suffice it to say, they have more than enough choices.
Tuesday night they were working from a slightly restricted menu, but they do have the full and regular menu at the tables so you can see what they will offer once they are totally up and running.I’m told the full opening will take place just before New Year’s Day.
The main difference I saw on the menu was more entrees. At this point they focus more on sandwiches, pizza and other pub-type food.
The staff were on their toes. Our server was Tanner. He was well-prepared and good at his job. He made suggestions that we followed and were very pleasing.
Tanner’s first suggestion was the Cheese Steak Dumplings ($9). Although he was a little over the top talking about how people are coming just for this dish and talking about it all over town, I have to say it’s a nice little starter. There are five little dumplings filled with cheese steak just as the name implies.
There are a couple nice sauces sprinkled around the plate that top off the dish just right. Lin got a Tuna Tartare Salad for her main course ($13). It was very good and a generous portion. I went with Shrimp and Grits, which also included Andouille sausage ($21). I like this entrée a lot and wouldn’t hesitate to get it again.
Getting to the beer, I started with a Founders Breakfast Stout, which is one of my favorites. It’s dark and rich with complex notes of chocolate and coffee ($6). This one comes from the great state of Colorado.
As with all brew houses of this nature, you get different sizes depending on the alcohol level of the drink you order. This one checks in at 8.6% and comes in a 10 oz. snifter.
I also tried a Riverhorse Oatmeal Stout from New Jersey ($9). This one has 6.3% alcohol and comes in a pint glass. Although it’s not nearly as dark and rich as the Founders, it is quite good, with just a hint of oatmeal on the finish.
They do not have all of the selections they intend to offer, but there’s something here for everyone with a nice emphasis on local breweries like Victory and Sly Fox to name just a couple.
They also offer a nice wine selection, though I thought the price per glass was just a little too high. Lin got a Hope Vineyards Shiraz in the 4 oz. glass and it was still $8. The 7 oz. version goes for $14. This is more than I want to pay for a glass of Shiraz and I would say they should have more than one choice, with at least one less than $10. They could easily offer a Yellow Tail Shiraz for $6 or even $7 per glass and still enjoy a 500% mark up.
Our overall impression of the new entry to the Exton Mall is, ‘thank goodness!’ What a joy to finally have a place at Exton where you can sit down and have a nice meal, enjoy friends and family and have a brew in the mix.
Our server, Tanner, told us the general manager trained with Bobby Flay of the Food Network. I didn’t verify that, but the manager came around twice while we were there and he was very attentive.
While our total tab with a 20% tip came to $82, you can eat a lot cheaper than that if you want. I suspect you can also go a lot higher as well.
We’re looking forward to a return visit.
