Family Dining in Marin: Iron Springs Pub and Brewery

Families looking for a great place to dine in Fairfax owe it to themselves to check out Iron Springs Pub and Brewery. Located in the Fair-Anselmo Plaza shopping center just outside downtown Fairfax, it's a fantastic place to grab a bite to eat and maybe even a house-brewed beer (for mom and dad, of course).

Iron Springs offers an assortment of well-conceived pub fare, like burgers (including a house-made veggie burger), sandwiches, salads, and "Big Plates" with offerings ranging from roast chicken to Mayan poc chuc. The kids' menu offers the usual suspects, most of which can be accompanied with fries, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, or sliced cucumbers and baby carrots.

On our last visit, the pub was literally crawling with families enjoying a lunch together. Kids get the usual coloring paper and crayons, and there's even a bookshelf in the corner that has a nice selection of books for both children and grownups. It's a place that encourages you to relax and hang out.

My son ordered the most interesting thing off the kids' menu, pasta with Hobbs applewood smoked bacon and broccoli, which was definitely a cut above your typical kids' menu noodles with butter and cheese. My daughter opted for the safer quesadilla, but I was proud that she choose broccoli as the side over French fries!

My husband didn't want to share his dark-ale-braised pulled pork sandwich (but he did, eventually), and my BLT featured more of that good bacon on a brioche roll.

This is our new go-to place to refuel after a day on Mt. Tam or on the trails in West Marin. On last lunch there was pre-hike, so we opted to forgo beer, but the children had some of Iron Springs' house-made root beer. They usually offer several different house-made sodas—ask your server what they're pouring that day.

Iron Springs Pub is located at 765 Center Boulevard in Fairfax. They're open from noon to 11 pm Wednesday through Sunday, 4 to 11 pm Tuesday, and 4 to 10:30 pm on Monday. For more information, visit www.ironspringspub.com or call (415) 485-1005.