When a food writer is relieved of her orthodontia, it calls for a burger and popcorn. Luckily, Rebel Kettle Brewing serves both. On this particular Monday in May, the weather on the shaded patio called for a good long sit. There was almost no crowd, despite the noon hour, and so we had our choice of tables and arguably the best waitress on the block.

My first order of business was to order a short Working Glass Hero, a light, wheaty ale that went down smooth as silk. Were I not needed at afternoon appointments, I might’ve come close to knocking out a sixer. As it was, an eight-ounce glass was just enough to wash down the Cajun Burger. But before my burger could arrive, I was surprised with popcorn. I’d only been to Rebel Kettle once before, and so I’d forgotten about their complimentary spiced popcorn—the second item on my braces-free celebration-food wish list. And what a treat it was.

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My Cajun Burger was a large medium-well patty served with grilled shrimp, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, and thinly-sliced onion. Aside from the shrimp, I’m not entirely sure what made this Cajun, but the shrimp was fresh, large, and flavorful, so I’m willing to forgive the name. The burger was presented in a fashion fit for photographing and tasted as good as it looked—though next time I’ll ask if they can cook it medium-rare. While burgers here come with house-made chips, I ordered hand cut fries instead. They were potato perfection, and they were still good when toasted for breakfast the next day.

My friend ordered a Shrimp Po’boy, and while she too intended to order fries, we benefitted from her lapse. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by chips a lot lately, and I’m grateful these fell under that umbrella. They were almost twice as thick as paper, but not any thicker, and crunch-crunch-crunchy, with just the right amount of spices. I’m often hesitant to order a shrimp po’boy out of concern the shrimp will be of the salad size, but that fear was totally unwarranted. Just look at those shrimp—they truly deserve the title “jumbo.” My friend, a Gulf Cost native, told me Rebel Kettle must be in good with a supplier, as these tasted fresh-caught. I couldn’t agree more. Truly delicious remoulade sauce topped the shrimp to create a mouth-watering sandwich.
Though I didn’t save room for dessert, I’m happy to say Rebel Kettle had quite a list of Loblolly Creamery flavors available, including Cookies and Cream and the famous Salted Caramel.

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When our waitress brought the check, she also brought a bag of popcorn in honor of the day. Cheery and attentive, she was an exemplary server.

Love beer? Love burgers? Love shrimp? Love good customer service? Hit up Rebel Kettle and sit a spell.

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