Gordon biersch

Anyone ever been to gordon biersch, going for diner what's good

ive been to the one in San Francisco and to one in the RTP airport. Typical bar food. nothing to write home about.

Are any of there beers any good or should I order something else?

abrew2u said:

Are any of there beers any good or should I order something else?

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I went to the one in Kansas City and I ordered a flight of their beers. They really weren't that great. They weren't terrible, but I definitely wouldn't order any of them again.

The beers aren't bad but they aren't anything unique or spectacular. Just basic beer styles done in a straightforward manner. I find the food far better than average bar slop. I don't know, maybe some of you have bars with superior food in your neighborhood. I also think the menus differ from place to place. I like the lobster mac and cheese and the crabcake sandwich but I haven't been disappointed by anything I've eaten there.

I personally have not been able to visit the restaurant yet but their bock beers are great if you like a clean, proper beer that really demonstrates the beauty of a good malt bill. My personal favorite is the Maibock, it has just enough hop bitterness to clean the palate but really comes through with that warm rich Munich malt character that makes German style lagers so desirable. I would highly recommend picking up a six pack of their beer sometime because it's not quite the envelope pusher like some of the beers that the craft industry is know for but they make a very commendable straight laced lager that I think sets them apart from a lot of the industry.

I used to enjoy GB, but lately, both the beer they offer and service has been horrible. The only beer I would drink was their Czech Pilz and they have removed it from the rotation. Also, the staff is clueless. Never ask them a beer question, they have no idea of anything. I don't expect much, but they are known for beer and should have some information on them.

Just because it's a chain doesn't mean it's no good. I think their German lagers are very good. Try something yellow like the Dortmunder (excellent) or Kolsch, or a helles if they have one, those are their best ones, very clean and malty and well lagered. The dark lagers are great too. The hefe isn't bad either.

they have killer garlic fries and make a good marzen.

dmtaylor said:

Just because it's a chain doesn't mean it's no good. I think their German lagers are very good. Try something yellow like the Dortmunder (excellent) or Kolsch, or a helles if they have one, those are their best ones, very clean and malty and well lagered. The dark lagers are great too. The hefe isn't bad either.

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I think the problem is the brewer, not the chain. Fairly new, the last brewer left and opened his own brewery. No Kolsch or helles on tap. A festbier, dampfbeir, Vienna, etc. The lineup is just different now with the new guy.

Our club went to the Baltimore location a while back and the brewer there seemed rather.... lax? Each location is responsible for it's own beer, and the brewer seems to have wide latitude. I was not impressed. Nothing wrong with the beers as I recall, but nothing special either.
I would expect they could vary widely between locations.

jleiii said:

Our club went to the Baltimore location a while back and the brewer there seemed rather.... lax? Each location is responsible for it's own beer, and the brewer seems to have wide latitude. I was not impressed. Nothing wrong with the beers as I recall, but nothing special either.
I would expect they could vary widely between locations.

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I have 2 nearby and they can be very different. I've heard one location has much better city water so that could be a factor.

The beers are not bad. Good classic styles and I do enjoy the "limited" flip top beers. However the San Jose brewery is just 20 min north so that probably helps with getting it fresh. Never really been a fan of the food at our local restaurant, it can vary night to night.