Atomic Grinder Sandwich, Atomic Ale Brewery, Richland, WA

For you Left Coasters, a grinder is a sub sandwich. The name came from the Italian-American immigrants who worked on the Northeast shipyards during WW II grinding rivets off of warships.

The Atomic Grinder that I have in front of me is a solid sandwich. The heated sandwich comes stacked with pepperoni, Canadian bacon, mozzarella and smoked provolone. Throw on garlic and tomato sauces, romaine lettuce, red onion, and fresh Roma tomatoes and you have a hefty sandwich. The plate also comes with a juicy jalapeño, a very delicious red potato soup, and chips. I've deconstructed the grinder for your viewing.

Atomic Grinder

Biting into the reconstructed grinder you get a nice crunch of the toasted bread along with all that good Canadian bacon and pepperoni. With a mouthful of chewy goodness, you appreciate the medley of flavors: deli meat, spicy tomato sauce, and piquant onion. Add a nibble of jalapeño and you get a bit of southwest heat to your northeast grinder.

The plate also came with a flavorsome creamy soup of red potatoes, topped with fresh shredded parmesan and herbs. The soup, with some toasted garlic bread, would be a good meal on its own.

I decided for my brew to try the Reactor Core Red Ale. With a medium body and relatively low hoppiness, the ale went well with Atomic's grinder. With the lower hop character, the ale had a sweet and delightfully malty taste to it.

Where are the car hops and roller skates?

Atomic Ale Brewery is popular with the locals. It is located in a former A&W drive-in, where roller skating servers once swerved gracefully with a smile and a burger (I remember fondly drinking a different kind of "beer" in another A&W of my youth). And that would be cool: A biergarten where roller skating servers bring brewpub grub to car sitting patrons. I can imagine it now...


Monday – Thursday: 11:00–10:00
Friday – Saturday:11:00–11:00
Sunday: 11:00–8:00

1015 Lee Blvd., Richland, WA

509-946-5465

http://www.atomicalebrewpub.com/