Lockport Brewery: A traditional spin on tacos

Whether it’s two of a kind or opposites that attract, these items at brewpubs and winery restaurants are perfectly paired.

Lockport Brewery: Traditional Spin

Alex Horn knows tacos. The Lockport Brewery chef previously worked at Canton taco shop Street Side, which closed last year, and he brought the chorizo taco recipe with him.  

While the Bolivar brewery offers a plate of three mix-and-match beef, grilled chicken with chipotle crema or spicy chorizo tacos ($9), Horn recommends the latter. “The one a lot of people step out of their element to try is the chorizo,” he says. 

Horn adapted his chorizo taco recipe for the brewpub while maintaining signature Mexican flavors. He swapped out a corn salsa for fajita-style red onions and green peppers cooked on the flattop with the Mexican sausage, which delivers a medium heat. “It comes across with all these Mexican spices of different chili peppers,” Horn says. “You get a lot of chili powder, a little ancho or cayenne. … Then with the fresh veggies sauteed right on it — so good.”

In place of a Mexican Chihuahua cheese, his Lockport version includes a spin on classic Monterey Jack, a bold habanero jack cheese — an Amish-made cheese with diced habaneros. “It has a great flavor and a good amount of heat while still being approachable,” Horn says. He serves it in a flour tortilla topped with cilantro.

Though it may not seem like the obvious choice, he suggests ordering it with the Big Debbie chocolate stout ($6.25), made with dark chocolate malt and lactose. “[It’s] reminiscent of Little Debbie snacks from childhood but a fun, flavorful adult version,” Horn says. He explains the pork and dark beer mingle nicely, and the sweet-and-spicy creates a taste similar to mole, a spicy Mexican chocolate sauce. “Those two things harmonize with each other well,” he says.

Dine on the surprising pair inside the industrial yet cozy brewery or out on the wooden patio, complete with warm lighting and heaters.

“People have that familiarity,” Horn says, “but they get to try something new, maybe get a little out of their element.”

Craving more? Buffalo cauliflower wings, $10, and Tart at Heart blackberry sour, $6, carryout and curbside pickup available, 330-874-6037, 10748 Wilkshire Blvd. NE, Bolivar, lockportbeer.com