Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant

There are ostensibly other reasons besides beer to visit Gordon Biersch: The room is sleekly attractive, with a shiny brewery behind glass walls. The staff is accommodating and the largely professional clientele energetic - perhaps an understatement on Friday afternoons, when the Brickell office buildings empty out. And the 320-seat restaurant (including 90 patio seats) serves a wide variety of decent fare. Still, downtown Miami's only microbrewery impresses most with its smooth lagers: Golden Export is a lightly hopped pilsner with a dry finish; Marzen is a smooth, auburn-colored lager; and Hefeweizen is a yeasty and equally tasty unfiltered wheat beer. The place also has bar-food favorites such as Kobe beef sliders, served on house-made rolls along with a Kosher dill pickle, mustard sauce, and a side of fried onion strings ($10.95.) Then there are Southwest egg rolls - featuring pulled chicken, black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, and pepper jack cheese - accompanied by a roasted jalapeño ranch dipping sauce ($8.95.) In the mood for pizza? GB has eight, plus a make-your-own option, all under $12.25. Pasta or chicken your fix? Get 'em together with house specialty fire-roasted chicken and fettuccine with sun-dried tomatoes in a pesto cream sauce ($15.95.) No matter how you slice it, you'll get your fill at this New American filling station.