Freight Kitchen and Tap

Earlier this spring I had the day off and a growling stomach. I decided to head out to Woodstock to check out Neel Sengupta's Freight Kitchen and Tap. With little traffic during the day, I made it up there from Decatur in less than 30 minutes. I was delighted to see the cute downtown area and even more excited to try out the great food and drinks. First the restaurant is full of ambiance. Located in an old train depot, you are able to walk through the large doors, and across the original wood floors. The inside is at the same time modern and rustic. You can really get a feel for what it might have looked like back in the day, but more than appreciate the cool bar, and cozy nooks for guest dining.

Then you peruse the menu, the culinary team of Chef Kyle Shankman and Bar Manager Chris Pease have developed tastes that appeal to everyone, but are far from ordinary. The beer list got my attention as I was able to choose from a great selection of rotating local and regional draughts as well as some favorite and unusual bottles.

For lunch the appetizers such as house made pickles, pimento cheese, and poutine caught my eye. We were wooed by the soup a hearty pork and green chile bowl that melted in your mouth. According to the menu and my taste buds, the pork was roasted 8 hours! The flavors were set off with citrus sour cream a perfect way to start our meal. For the main course we sampled two of the sandwiches. I couldn't resist the "Stake" sandwich a rich filet of beef sliced and served on a warm baguette with grilled tomato and blue cheese dressing. We also had to try the burger (a measure of any good restaurant). We opted for the "Steam Engine" basted in BBQ sauce and topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, swiss and cheddar; paired with the sweet potato fries it was a hit.

Overall Freight delivers in flavorful food, unique drinks and charm. I cannot wait to head back up to Woodstock to enjoy the dinner menu and take on some of their house cocktails!