We recently made a trek through the Joplin and Neosho areas of Southwest Missouri, near the Oklahoma border. Since we were in that neck of the woods, and since we’re always up for adventures, we made the most of the situation and sampled two of our favorite things: beer and breakfast!
In Neosho, we visited Indian Springs Brewing Company, a craft brewery located on the historic town square in a building that dates back to the 1890s. The brewery brews about 10 beers of their own and has a few guest taps from various Missouri breweries. We sampled a flight of four and tried some of our favorite types of beers (stouts, an amber, and a Schwarzbier – German style dark lager). Our favorites were the amber and the German lager and we ended up taking a growler of the amber with us. ISBC also offers food thanks to Briar and Thistle, an eatery next door to the brewery. Sadly, we arrived after the kitchen was closed and didn’t get to try any of the menu, but it included some tasty sounding options including sandwiches, burgers, and classic bar snacks.
While we were in Joplin, we enjoyed a hearty breakfast from The Bruncheonette, a cute and cozy eatery that serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch items. And, I love that this restaurant sources most of the menu from local farms (super important in this time of supply chain crunches). The menu includes all the yummy breakfast foods from benedicts to biscuits and gravy, to brunch favorites like pulled pork pancakes with a beer-infused syrup (I didn’t try, but I was seriously tempted!), and sandwiches (served during lunch), plus cocktails and beer.
We arrived during breakfast and enjoyed the eggs benedict and poutine, along with coffee. I ordered the benedict, since it’s one of my favorite foods and it exceeded my expectations! The hollandaise was creamy and light, and perfectly balanced with the creamy avocado, perfectly poached eggs, and crispy bacon. My husband ordered the poutine, a Canadian staple consisting of fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds, that The Bruncheonette converted to a breakfast dish. Their version of breakfast poutine features a white gravy full of sausage, bacon, and chorizo and it’s topped with shredded cheese and a poached egg. My husband loved it, but couldn’t finish it in one sitting (it was huge portion), but it reheated well in the oven.
This article is part of a series called Everyday Adventures, which is how I document exceptional food and drink, weekend camping trips, or inspiring moments in nature.
Amanda Bretz 