Atlantic City is not really known as a city for craft beer enthusiasts. There are a couple spots to grab a craft beer in AC that have been around for some time, but given the recent renaissance of the craft beer scene in America, the bar and restaurant owners of Atlantic City are realizing the need for quality beers to pair with their outstanding menus. The newest casino in Atlantic City – Revel – houses one of the most interesting beer bars that I have visited. Mussel Bar by Robert Wiedmaier draws inspiration from an old-world Belgian Roadhouse, serving beer, mussels, and frites paired up with some of the best beers from around the world.
Casino bars need to be able to handle large volume; Mussel Bar has ample seating whether you want to grab a quick drink at the bar or have a evening out with your friends.
The decor of the restaurant has a modern feel to it without being too trendy. One of the most talked about pieces was Rob Wiedmaier’s chopper hanging from the ceiling.
Another cool piece design feature are the bottle chandeliers throughout the restaurant. This is something that would be seen at a lot of the roadhouses in Belgium.
Aside from a great ambiance, Mussel Bar features a wide variety of beer from around the world. With over 30 taps and 100 bottles there is a brew here for everyone.
Manager Wes Cahill took us down to the depths of the casino to show us the travel path of all the beer lines. Four levels below the restaurant and two elevators later we were at the cold boxes that hold all of the beer for Mussel Bar.
After walking around the interior it was time to sit down for a few beers and (of course) some mussels. We started off with the Antigoon. Brewed by Brouwerij De Musketiers specifically for Mussel Bar, Antigoon is a Belgian Pale Ale coming in at 6.7% abv and full of flavor. They move about four kegs of this brew a week, so you know it’s not one to pass up. A history lesson on Antigoon can be found here.
With a fresh Belgian beer to coat the palate it was time to move onto Mussel Bar’s claim to fame: Mussels. We started with an order of the cave-aged gruyere, fingerling potatoes, and panchetta in a gremolota garlic leek broth.
The second order of mussels was the Mediterranean with merguez sausage, goat cheese, cilantro, and harissi aioli in a smoky tomato broth.
You can’t have mussels without a proper side. Every order of mussels comes with a plate of pommes frites and a trio of sauces to dip them in.
Before we continue on this epic food journey we had to grab another beer to wash down the amazing mussels. I decided to go for the always great and ever tasty Saison Dupont from Brasserie Dupont.
Aside from an array of mussels there are some amazing sandwiches and dishes available on the menu at Mussel Bar. Here we have the Kobe beef burger with smoked mozzarella, BBQ tomato jam, and arugula tossed in balsamic vinaigrette on a brioche bun which is made in house.
After having all this amazing food we found there was room for one more item: An ale-brined turkey sandwich with smoked bacon, beer braised onions, and honey mustard on the house brioche roll. It was an awesome meal-ender.
If your find yourself on the boardwalks of Atlantic City take a stroll down to the Revel and check out Mussel Bar. It is a necessary stop for any beer lover. The food is fantastic, the environment is awesome, and the beer selection is like none other in the area. Thanks to the gang at Mussel Bar for the great hospitality – a return trip in the near future is most certainly in order.
-Brian