From the outside, Fairfax’s Split Rock Tap & Wheel (“A place to lose your bearings”) looks the same as it always has: bikes, parts, jerseys—business as usual. But once inside the 2,500-square-foot space, four picnic tables fill the front room that used to house helmets, gloves and gear. A mix of gray, blue and orange metal chairs lines the expansive bar that sits at the back end of the space. A chalkboard denotes the food and beer offerings that include pizzas, sandwiches and salads.
The menu has a Mediterranean slant and sticks with beer-friendly options. Ten-inch, thin-crust pizzas with clever cycling-centric names like the Rut (cheese), the Drop (pepperoni) and the Switchback (topped with prosciutto and arugula) are all priced between $9 and $13. A handful of calzones are also available and can be customized with the pizza-topping offerings. Look for the Drift, prepared with mozzarella and fresh basil, a meat version entitled the Tail Whip, and the Endo for vegetarians.
Beer also figures prominently in the large, open, concrete-floored space. The brew selection sticks with mostly California producers and with 12 taps there is plenty to choose from. Recently, Santa Rosa’s Henhouse brews were on tap, along with a NZ IPA from Faction Brewing Company in Alameda and even an Ace Space Bloody Orange cider from Sebastopol’s California Cider Co.
This something-for-everyone concept (did I mention that bike rentals and repairs are offered while customers eat?) is already attracting families, out-of-towners and, of course, the cycling crowd.
Split Rock Tap & Wheel at Fairfax Cyclery, 2020 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax. 415.721.7644. splitrocktapandwheel.com.
