Pipeline Craft Taps & Kitchen — Restaurant in Mount Shasta

While siteseeing around the Mt. Shasta area, my wife and I were hungry after a nice day of hiking. We did some quick research and were pointed to the Pipeline Craft Taps & Kitchen. It was a Saturday evening on Labor Day weekend… we thought, “hey, lets give it a shot”. It was around 6:30PM… When we walked in the nice hostess told it would be around a 30 min wait (the place was busy and hopping!). We agreed to have our name on the waitlist. She then said, there might be 2 places at the bar if you don’t mind eating there.

We were hungry and eyeing the various entrees being eaten around the tables. We went for it.

It was a great decision!

First, the bartender Chris was quick to see if we wanted anything to drink. I asked for the beer menu and one appeared quickly. I eyed a nice IPA but my wife wasn’t sure which if the many she might like. We asked Chris if PCT did a beer flight. He said, sure and pointed to some 4 oz glasses. We decided to try the first 4 on the list (not scientific, but they did look close to my wife’s taste). I also ordered a pint of the RPM Pale Ale. Chris served all the ales up quickly (while juggling the many other customers). As far as the beers, all were great (IMHO). My wife favored 2 - a Blond Ale and a Chico Crystal Wheat. My RPM hit the spot - we were both happy.

The best was yet to come.

We looked over the menu and decided on a Heirloom tomato and Burrata salad as our appetizer. My wife went for the Seared Ahi Bowl and I ordered what appeared to be a favorite - the Pipeline Classis burger.

The Tomato and Burrata arrived first. It looked incredible. Various tomato wedges and halved cherrys, a nice piece of Burrata cheese in the middle with Arugula on top. The entire salad dusted with pistachio nuts. We dove in. Both of us were immediately delighted in how delicious it was. The dressing was light, tangy with a bit of sweetness. The Burrata and tomatoes were perfect and the Arugula added a nice bitterness. If we hadn’t already ordered our entrees we would have ordered another salad and feasted!!!

When we finished the salad (it was more than generous but we finished far too quickly ;-), our entrees arrived.

The Seared Ahi salad looked amazing - could have been on a cover of a cooking magazine. The Pipeline Classic burger with shoestring fries around it looked good - like a burger.

But, the magic was what was inside. Everyone in a while you come across a flattop chef that knows how to cook a burger. PCT has one! The burger patty was nicely crisped on the outside with that slightly crunchy texture and the inside was juicy and a little above medium. The melted cheddar chesse was generous and the slice of tomato that covered the bottom of the bun just right. The “PCT Sauce” was more umami and a little tangy but not overwhelming. My wife and I both agreed this was one of the better burgers we have ever had in a restaurant/pub. It was great. Simply great.

The Seared Ahi was also spot on. The Ahi was nicely seared on the outside and sushi grade on the inside. The dressing they provide has a good balance of wasabi, sesame oil, sweetness and tang. It fit the tuna and the rest of the salad perfectly. Mixing all the ingredients in the salad (rice, red cabbage, onions, arugula, shredded carrots, etc.) together with the tasty dressing and pieces of ahi tuna was not only fun but delicious.

By the time we were done with all the fine food - we were stuffed but sooo happy and glad we came to PCT.

On our next visit - we will surely make PCT our main go to for dinner.

BTW, the only reason I took one star off Atmosphere was due to the fact the restaurant was a bit “busy”. It’s a long but somewhat narrow place and all the chatter and happy diners can be heard. If you want quiet and candles, fine somewhere else. If you want fun and...

Update: December 10, 2021 We returned for 2nds! We had such a good experience last night that we wanted a repeat.

I switched it up a tad and ordered the Chicken Tortilla Soup. I wanted to keep it a bit lighter as I wasn't as famished as I was after Wednesday's hike day. It was absolutely delicious and if you're worried that it's not a big enough bowl for the price--it's a big enough bowl. You can basically scoop the soup with the tortilla chips. The broth has the perfect amount of spicy kick to it. The half avocado on top is a great way to counter the heat of it.

We ordered and split the Beet Salad, but this time we subbed the goat cheese for feta to make the husband happy. I still scored myself the deep fried goat cheese puck. =) (We also learned from Wiki that some feta in Greece is a mix of feta and goat cheese so that sent us into rolls of laughter.)

Husband didn't even bother looking at the menu. He loved that Chicken Caprese Sandwich so much the night before he went for it again.

Tonight we got a booth and it's the little things that make a difference... the booth sits high up, but they put in a foot rest which is totally wonderful for us shorter people.

I truly like the ambiance in this restaurant and the service is fantastic.

Oh! And one more thing. I learned that the chicken tenders under appetizer are different than the chicken that is in the Southern Fried Chicken sandwich. The chicken is sourced from different places and the appetizer one has more of an orange chicken flavor to it. Our server, Jessica, was very detailed in her explanation and this distinction helped me decide to choose the soup instead.

First Visit: December 9, 2021 We set out on our hike today thinking that dinner would end in burgers. But we sidetracked just a bit and had chicken sandwiches, which are kinda like a burger… :)

Shared a Beet Salad. Heads up, if you don’t like goat cheese they sprinkle it with goat cheese in addition to the deep fried goat cheese puck. Husband can’t stand goat cheese so he had to meticulously pick them off. Meanwhile, I just dug right in and ate it all. Beets and salad are all fantastic. They automatically split it into two bowls for us (all I said was “sharing a salad”) and no up charge. Much. Appreciated.

I had the Southern Fried Chicken. Oh sooooo good. The jalapeño aioli that I asked they put on the side almost all of it ended up in my sandwich. Totally hit the spot.

David had Chicken Caprese Sandwich which was very much totally him. I tried it, but it’s not my thing. Mozzarella tasted good, but I’m glad it was not a night we decided to share.

Go for the side winder fries over regular fries!

Our server, Jennifer, gets two thumbs up. (She didn’t know about the goat cheese, but she was still a great server to have. Friendly. Efficient. Was quick and sincere in her apology about the goat cheese. I liked her. Thank...

Beware of your bill and up charges. I’ve been here about 5 times now. Prices are high for a small burger with fries ($30 without any drink) but I’ve taken friends here as I like the food and atmosphere. However, at this point there is a good chance I won’t be back.

Every time I’ve been here (except once when someone else paid), it feels like I’ve been nickeled and dimed for things that were not up front on the menu or were the opposite of what I was told when I asked an employee.

For example, my first visit here they upcharged all 8 of us a few dollars each for duck fat fries after we asked if anything comes with the burgers and waitress gave us several options, one of which was duck fat fries (with no mention of up charges, nor does the menu have the info). They wouldn’t honor her word, so We all paid the extra.

Another time, I was charged for a gluten free bun despite being told it was the same price as the regular bun before ordering. When I told the waitress she agreed it should be free but did nothing to reverse the charge. (It’s nice that they have gluten free bun tho)

Last week, a friend and I each ordered the same burger at the new Redding location but they each were a few dollars extra when the bill came. We showed the waitress the menu price and she said “oh the menu is wrong, the bill has the correct price.” We asked a few ways kindly but she wouldn’t honor the menu price we expected to pay when we ordered. She assured us new menus were being printed tomorrow. A week later and their menu (paper) still reflects the incorrect prices.

Tonight, a friend and I ordered 2 full meals and drinks. We spit them so we could have some of each and we were charged several dollar split fees without our knowing it. We hadn’t even asked for an extra plate.

It’s the little things that add up to create a customer experience and sentiment. I’m tired of leaving with a bad taste in my mouth and feeling like I’m supporting a business that’s all about the money. It also Seems like each time I go I’m liking the food less because of it. Sadly, I likely won’t be back or recommending pipe line anymore.

I didn’t order any drink and just my small burger and fries was $30 with tip. Same for my friends salad....