Ozone’s offers fresh takes on favorites

Rarely do I see photos from local eateries on social media that I find enticing, but Ozone’s Brewhouse piques my interest all the time. Whoever is taking the pictures over there does a great job of making the food look absolutely mouthwatering.

My friends and I visited on a Sunday right when it opened (11 a.m.). There was a large group already there, watching some sort of sports game, which I learned is a regular occurrence — especially soccer. Ozone’s brews its own beer, or “liquid art,” as they refer to it, so I started with a half pour of the Forward Grind stout, which made for a delicious appetizer.

The previous day had been the tapping of the Black Roses barrel-aged imperial stout, so the specials menu was filled with options highlighting the notes of the beer. I was seriously tempted by the tempeh BLT on the regular menu since I haven’t seen one of those in years, but I ultimately had to get the burger off the specials menu because I just can’t say no to fried goat cheese.

The burger was topped not only with a square of that fried goat cheese, but also raspberry-bacon jam, arugula, beer mustard and aioli on a brioche bun. The meat itself was seared in the Black Roses stout. The combination of flavors and textures was excellent, the creamy goat cheese and earthy arugula contrasting with the caramelized meat and the sweet, savory jam.

The fries ($3 upcharge) left a little to be desired, so next time I’ll probably just opt for the free chips, but the burger didn’t need anything extra anyway. It had everything you could want.

Ozone’s kitchen is in a food truck adjacent to the main taproom — the two are connected by a large, covered patio. It’s impressive the variety that the chefs can produce out of a truck. In a place where a lot of menus contain a lot of the same things, Ozone’s is a great spot to try a new take on something familiar.