Jon With had been in the restaurant business a long time and could see the coming of craft beers.
“I was telling my friends in the bar business, ‘Craft beers are the next big thing,’ ” said With, of Elgin, co-owner of Gammon Coach House in Batavia. “You could see people were taking to craft beer, not the yellow fizzy.”
With opened Gammon Coach House in the historic building with the idea to mix craft beer and comfort food. “I wanted us to be a neighborhood place, tucked back away,” he said. “The low ceilings made it feel more like a European pub, warm and inviting.”
Seven years ago, when Gammon Coach House opened, patrons needed to be educated about craft beers, With said. “It was rather odd for us in the beginning when people would ask for Miller Lite, and we would say we don’t have it. We carry a Pilsner all the time, but we had to direct them, ‘Here, try this beer.’ We make a conscious effort to do different sizes, so if you want to try five, six or seven kinds of beer in a smaller container.”
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With 14 craft beers on tap and 12 bottled beers from Allagash White to Schlafly Coffee Stout, fans of IPAs and full-bodied quaffs will find something they like. If people dislike their drink, there’s no charge. “We’re old-fashioned that way,” With said.
And then there’s the grub. When breakfast is offered on the weekends, the Gammon garbage omelet is very popular. “A four-egg monster with everything we’ve got … includes potato,” reads the menu.
But the No. 1 item is the Gammon BYOBurger. “Everyone has a specialty burger. Why not let people just build it?” With said.
If you take care of your customer, neighbor and market, they’ll take care of you and still keep coming back, With said. “If you take money out of the community, you should put money back into it,” he said.
Pricing: Weekend breakfast specials from $7.99 for French toast to $10.99 for the Gammon garbage omelet. Daily specials from the $5 Gammon burger on Mondays to the $20.99 full slab of Gammon barbecue St. Louis-style ribs. Appetizers from $7.99 for mini calzones to $9.99 for Anchor Bar Buffalo-style wings. Soup from $2.99 for soup of the day to $6.49 for a bowl of chili. Salads from $5.99 for Gammon house salad to $10.99 for chicken Caesar salad. Pizza for $10.99 from Buffalo-style pizza to white pizza. Sandwiches from $7.99 for Gammon grilled cheese to $10.99 for brisket. Kids’ meals for $5.99 from chicken tenders to pasta with red sauce. Dessert from $5.99 for bread pudding to $6.99 for pies. Wine, spirits, beer.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Gammon Coach House is at 3 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. Call 630-482-3663 or go to www.gammoncoachhouse.com.
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.