Stubborn Mule Restaurant & Brewery — Restaurant in Landrum

Overall, more than worth the time to stop in and enjoy a bite, a good brew, a mixed drink, and some good time with friends or even strangers. With a well set and stocked bar, an active and inventive kitchen, friendly and inviting staff that makes you feel right at home, and plenty of people for company and places to find purchase, this is a wonderful boon to the community of Landrum! Kudos to staff!! Both the management and wait staff. As with any opening there are kinks to work out, but it was handled so gracefully by all involved. Quality and service that are well above what was expected and an atmosphere that welcomes you in. Leiha, Joy, Kat, Ben, Heather and the rest of the staff whose names I was not fortunate enough to catch at the time made an opening night both unforgettable and pleasantly relaxing. Whether you stop in for a drink in the Beer Garden and play a game in the yard, sit down for a meal on the spacious porch and enjoy the outdoors, or take a seat at the bar and converse with other patrons and the bar tenders, this is a must visit for anyone in the area!

Flight 1 1.Black Rose-By far, my personal favorite!!! Surpasses Guinness in its rich dark flavor and calmingly strong pleasant notes. It has a nutty and slightly coffee/chocolate note that rolls pleasantly smoothly across the tongue leaving a somewhat creamy hint on the back end.

2.Landrum Lite-A very light but crisp happy bite from the initial sip. Very much a beer that pairs well with a warm sping or summer day. I would say this propels itself forward as a beer in the "lite" category.

Rosie's Red-As a personal fan of Killian's Red, I would say this is fairly on point if not slightly ahead of it in comparison. The bitter hoppy and malty flavors lend to a smooth and slightly sweetened note on the back end. This would be a great beer for a lazy summer afternoon or after the end of a long autumn afternoon. This beer is designated as a 10% boon to animal non-profits.

4.Fox Hound-The initial taste carries the nice malty bite that is associated with your typical lager, but belies the slightly sweet notes accompanying. A smooth mouth feel that makes one reminiscent of one's first lager at that tender age, stealing away one of your dad's beers.

Flight 2 1.Hogback Haze-As one who does not like IPA's, this holds a special place for me. The initial hoppy bite quickly lend way to gentle but crisp notes of citrus and flower which leaves the palette wanting more. This is a perfect match a warm summer day!

Mule Pull-My experience with pilsners has been somewhat limited. This lends itself to a very subtle and smooth taste. The initial bite is very gentle and rolls well into a lightly bready taste interspersed with very gentle notes of floral herbs on the back end. This is a great beer for those who prefer a gentle flavor.

3.Rail Trail Ale-The taste of wheat is very pronounced and upfront and hangs very prominently on the tastebuds towards the back end of the sip. This is very on par with most classic "American" beers. A great pairing with a hamburger! An all American favorite.

4.Half Ass'd-As one who is not a fan of IPA's, this holds high in my regard. Very hoppy with strong notes of fruit and wheat, this could be enjoyed by any who prefer an IPA. Light but crisp but still possessing a nicely smooth rolling finish into the the lightly tropical flavors.

Roni & Honey pizza-Extra pepperoni and mushrooms added-The dough, and all ingredients, are very well chosen and prepared. The addition of the hot honey definitely lends to a nice added kick to the pepperoni but does not overpower the intended flavor.

Chocolate Stout Cake-Very rich and decadently darkly chocolately. With a smooth and fluffy chocolate mousse on top. Topped with chips of chocolate. This is a chocolate lover's dream come true. The surprising taste of the rich stout slowly spreads across your palette and leaves your tongue waiting for...

First time today: happy we could take our dog. Lunch - smash burger and ALT with bacon, and Flight.

Sensational fries!! Very crispy - they were very hot and I think they have some kind of coating on them.

Burger - Smashburger seems to be a new rage - two beef patties with cheese between. The meat must be fairly well- done for this style of burger. Have not had one before and think this is a good representation of a Smashburger. It has pickles and a nice sauce with a piquant flavor. The was very good - browned inside with butter and butter on top - all heated. We happen to prefer traditional burger, pink in the middle, but I would say theirs is as good as they come.

The ALT - with bacon added, is a BLT on sourdough bread, also browned and crisped with butter plus avocado. Bacon was cooked perfectly - not too fatty and not too stiff - quite tasty. This happens to be my favorite way for a BLT to be prepared.

Also ordered a side salad which was unique: baby spinach, onions and fresh peaches with perhaps a poppy seed dressing. Husband said it was really good.

Oh! The flight of 4 of their brews! How neat! Since it was our first visit and I actually don’t drink, I asked them to choose for my husband.

They served it so attractively and handed us the menu so we could read the descriptions.

Neat idea - and I even quite liked one of them (the seltzer, but don’t want to look at my pictures because I’m afraid all this could disappear while I am searching for the name.

We were there Wednesday as soon as they opened their doors at 11:00, so not many people, but very clean and outdoor area especially for dogs, which I love (Bandy, too!) and the clever names for things is charming. Owner Kelly said their menu is small, but they change fairly often.

Judgment: absolutely great! We noticed crowds there from the first day they opened and heard many friends raving about it. They have a full bar in addition to their own brews.

I would like to close with one of my favorite jokes: a guy was making beer in his bathtub and was pretty proud of it. He sent it to the Ag Office for judgment. Letter came back “ your horse has...

We sat outside in the covered porch area, which was a pleasant setting. It was nice to see most of the staff smiling—so many places we visit have employees who don’t seem happy. Since they represent the establishment, their attitude can make a big difference in the overall experience, regardless of how good the food is. We started with a flight of beers to decide which one to order as a full pour. This took much longer than expected. While I didn’t time it, the wait felt excessive, especially since I watched other customers go to the window, order a beer, and receive it right away. We ordered a pizza and a salad, but the food also took a while to arrive—and we never actually received the salad. Several times, runners came to our table with someone else’s order. Maybe place a number or letter at the edge of the table, or use number stands when orders are placed? I ordered a full pour of Rosie’s Red (I believe that was the name), and again, the wait was longer than expected. The Red was smooth, good, a bit of a different standard Red Ale, a little bit of spice. We finished our pizza but still hadn’t received the salad, so we asked for it to be removed from the order. The server checked with her manager, who approved the removal. When we received the check, it listed Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza, which we hadn’t ordered—but it was only a $0.50 upcharge, so no big deal. To be clear, the food was good, and we will definitely return. This review is more for the establishment to help them work out the kinks. I understand that all newly opened restaurants go through an adjustment period—we’ve opened several ourselves and held employee/family events before soft openings to help smooth out the process. Their beers were great—no MBAT! (Missed Beer Arrival Time). Pizza is on the thinner side, sweeter crust, good sauce, cheese is not the stringy kind, but good. Of course, after we paid the check, the salad finally arrived. The rear lawn area will be great for events, live music, etc. Parking in the front is limited, but there’s plenty of space in the rear lot—just head back there if the...