I entered Trolley 5's "name our beer" contest and got invited to their soft opening/media preview night tonight.
They've taken over a third of Melrose's old location and turned it into a three floor restaurant and beer brewing extravaganza. The front of the building opens right up on the main floor so even though you didn't get a seat on the small patio, most of the main floor will have a patio/open air sort of feeling.
The basement, which they call their tap room has a more intimate approach. There's a horseshoe shaped bar, a line of booths on one wall, and a couple of bar-height tables for groups of 8. The ceilings are low, the lighting is dark, and the only music you hear is from the main floor.
I tried their three beers that they had on tap. It was my first time trying a white IPA and it was an excellent mix of styles. The service was excellent as the staff were very attentive at making sure we had some of the free samples and that our glasses were full.
So far so good Trolley 5.