An impromptu lunch stop at Gunk Haus on a recent weekend proved that there really is nothing better than good beer and slow cooked pork piled high on a home made ciabatta roll. (A little cheese on top doesn’t hurt. And a side of fries, well, that’s really nothing to complain about either.)
It was too cool to sit on the deck and admire the Ridge, and the Catskills in the distance, but the bar is a cozy, friendly place to contemplate whether you’ll have the König Ludwig Hefe-Weisse (Bavarian Wheat beer, $7); the the Hofbräu Dunkel (German Dark Lager, $6.50, the Ommegang Rare Vos (Belgian Amber Ale, $6.50) or, perhaps the Doc’s hard cider ($6.50). The beers on tap change, of course, so you might find something else when you go, but that’s part of the fun.
Gunk Haus does not sell flights, but they’re happy to give you a taste before you order. We sampled five draft beers, and all were excellent.
There are a few bottled beers (a Jamaican lager; a gluten-free; and a good old Sam Adams), as well as a selection of beer/cider mixes (hard cider and sweet cherry wine; stout and hard cider, and so on). And, for the wine drinkers in your group, there’s a small but decent selection of reds and whites, including the locals, Awosting White and Warwick Black Dirt Red.
There are some lighter lunch choices, so you don’t have to eat yourself into a stupor with the huge and delicious slow-braised pork in a spicy Hungarian paprika sauce with mushrooms, onions, horseradish sour cream and cheddar cheese——but it was hard to resist. I can certainly tell you that dinner in our household was cancelled that night. Gunk Haus, 387 South St, Highland, NY 12528. Mon., Wed., Thurs., 11AM–9PM; Fri. & Sat., 11AM–9:30PM; Sun. 11AM–8:30PM; Closed Tuesday. (845) 883-0866.