Lefty's Grill and Right Mind Brewing

It’s always fun to discover a new “good beer stop.” During a recent weekend in Blacksburg, I was searching online for a place to have dinner and found a listing for Lefty’s Main Street Grill. Reading further I learned that Lefty’s was also home to Right Mind Brewing. It sounded like someplace we should check out.

This was the opening weekend for VA Tech football, and there was an obvious post game crowd at the restaurant. We had a short delay waiting to be seated, but frankly it was less than I expected. I’ve since learned that Lefty’s accepts reservations, so we may go that route in the future. We began our visit, as usual, by looking over the beer menu. There were five house beers listed, as well as a large selection of drafts and bottles from other breweries. There’s definitely something for everyone.

I was disappointed to see that the Right Mind Mosaic IPA was crossed off the menu, as that’s my usual go-to style. However, I was also pleased to see Right Mind brews a Scottish Ale, Tommy Dinkus 80 Schilling Scottish Ale. I ordered a pint of that, and Colleen opted for Right Mind's Emerald City Saison. We also ordered an appetizer of the house-made Guacamole, served with chips and salsa.

We enjoyed our appetizer while looking over the extensive menu. Lefty’s offers a variety of food options, from sandwiches and burgers, soups and salads, to full dinner entrees. For the early birds, they also have a breakfast menu. (Huevos rancheros and pancakes!)

My Scottish Ale was quite well done. It had a nice balance of slightly sweet caramel and bready, toasted notes. A slightly nutty malt flavor lingered in the finish. Moderately bodied, and just 4.6% ABV, it was easy enough to enjoy a second pint, even after a long day in the sun watching football. Colleen gave her Saison high marks as well, and ranked it favorable to some of her favorites.

We both opted to order from the sandwich section of the menu. Colleen selected the Lefty's BLT; bacon, lettuce, tomato, monterey jack cheese and pesto mayo on grilled sourdough bread. I went with the Spicy Pimento Grilled Cheese. This version of the classic is made with homemade spicy pimento cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle chips on grilled sourdough bread. I also selected the "add bacon" option for my sandwich. I found the addition of the fried pickle chip to be an unusual, but welcome twist. The platters were served with mildly spiced fries. Both sandwiches were well-stuffed and flavorful.

Despite the crowd, the service was attentive and friendly. We found the food, and the beer, to be very enjoyable. Lefty’s Main Street Grill and Right Mind Brewing are no secret to Blacksburg locals. How this stop failed to come up on our radar on previous visits escapes me. However, I am sure that going forward this will become a regular dining and drinking venue for us when visiting Blacksburg.