The Fort George Brewery and Public House in Astoria really doesnt need an introduction any longer. Its signature brews can be purchased both on tap at local restaurants as well as on store shelves, and the brewerys renovated, historic location overlooking the Columbia River has become a tourist destination.

While I have dined at Fort George a few times over the years, I had not paid the brewery a visit since it opened its upstairs dining space last summer, which has a different menu than the downstairs pub. I was admittedly most excited about one of the signature elements of the upstairs dining space: wood-fired pizza. Since the menu upstairs differs from the menu downstairs, I thought it only fair that I consider and sample the menu on both floors in order to give a complete review. Lots of food to discuss, so lets dig right in, shall we?

Upstairs

Im always a sucker for a good hummus platter, and the one offered here fit the bill nicely with flatbread, cucumbers, feta cheese and Kalamata olives. For my taste I could have used a bit more tahini (a paste made from hulled and ground sesame seeds) in the hummus, or a bit more punch in general, but the consistency was perfect. Combined with the other offerings on the plate, it was an above-average appetizer.

A Caesar salad with organic romaine, asiago Romano, and house-made dressing and croutons was surprising but tasty. I say surprising because the Caesar dressing was extraordinarily garlicky and heavily infused with lemon. Now, I love garlic and I appreciate the spiciness of it in its raw form, and I love lemon, too, but the combination of spicy and sour was a bit too overwhelming. While I might have liked it in small doses, my taste buds quickly tired of it. I will say, however, that the salad was helped tremendously by the slightly sweet house-made croutons, as well as the mellow saltiness of the cheese.

Above all, I was extremely impressed with the pizza. A traditionalist at heart, I chose the pepperoni with fontina, mozzarella and provolone. The crust is usually the most important part of pizza for me, and the crust here lived up to my expectations with a rich, yeasty flavor and the perfect amount of crunch. The red sauce was to my liking as well, perhaps Americanized with a bit of sweetness to cut the acerbic tomato. A veritable blanket of pepperoni was covering the top, and the edges of each pepperoni round were pleasantly crisp from the oven. Paired with a beer from the wide variety of signature brews, its a pretty unbeatable combo.

Meanwhile, downstairs

My favorite pub appetizer at Fort George is a sausage sampler platter with four varieties of sausage, a smattering of cheeses, flatbread and caraway mustard dipping sauce. While the sausage selections often rotate and change, my favorite of those I sampled, unsurprisingly, was a French garlic sausage infused with white wine. Combined with the sweet and spicy mustard sauce, it is utterly sensational.

A falafel was quite good as well, with garbanzo bean patties served on flatbread with organic greens, beefsteak tomatoes, onions, tzatziki, and a lemon tahini vinaigrette. There was no vinaigrette on mine, that I could tell, and I thought the tzatziki sauce was a bit bland. The bean patties, though, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, were delicately spiced and the flatbread was thick and savory, making it, overall, very tasty.

I thought the burger, a third-pound of natural chuck with romaine, tomatoes, onion, aioli, Tillamook cheese and applewood-smoked bacon was somewhat average certainly better than many burgers Ive had locally but with room for improvement. I requested the burger to be cooked to medium, and it was, but the burger patty seemed dry, and it lacked m flavor. Im not sure what accounts for the dry texture, but it should be an easy fix, just as it would be simple to add a bit more flavor to the burger patty.

I cannot conclude a review of Fort George without at least mentioning the beer, which is truly second to none. My companions and I ordered the sampler platter, which must have had nearly a dozen selections. My personal favorites are the Divinity (with a light, fruity taste) and both the Quick Wit and the Sunrise.

Overall, I think Fort George is an excellent dining-out choice for many reasons a lot of which have to do with the atmosphere and the beer but the food deserves equal merit.

Above all, I was extremely impressed with the pizza … Paired with a beer from the wide variety of signature brews, its a pretty unbeatable combo.

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Fort George Brewery and Public House

Overall stars: Three

1483 Duane St.

Astoria, OR 97103

503-325-7468

www.fortgeorgebrewery.com

Hours: Pub (downstairs): 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday. Upstairs hours: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4:30 pm to 11 p.m. Friday; and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Prices: Entrée prices top out at $13.95; pizzas range from $13.50 to $24.

Atmosphere: The cool, casual atmosphere of Fort George is one of the most important aspects of its charm. The downstairs pub capitalizes on the repurposed historic space, plus rich wood tables, fun barstools fashioned from old wine barrels, and a large patio with outdoor seating. Meanwhile, the upstairs feels a bit more modern and contemporary, with concrete floors and sleek, light wood tables, plus an expansive bar and live music area, not to mention an incredible view of the Columbia River.

Service: Our server was accommodating and friendly, and the food arrived quickly, despite the fact that the restaurant was busy.

Alternative options: There are plenty of vegetarian options, including the falafel, veggie pizza and calzones, and a few meal-sized salads.

Drinks: Coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, hard cider and the ever-popular Fort George signature brews.