Best & Worst Brewpubs

[WrongCoastBrewery]

So which are the best and worst you have ever been to?

For me the best has to be Silver City Brewery & Restaurant in Silverdale, WA. Some badass beer that I always look forward to when I venture back to the area.

The worst, for me IMHO, has to be Old Dominion Brewhouse in Washington, DC. Tasteless beer and no real quality that makes me want to go there except its near where I live. Too bad I dont live near the other one.

 

[smakudwn]

Best Schaflys Tap Room in St.Louis Mo
Worst Trailhead Brewery in St.Charles Mo.

 

[mlanoue]

Best: Great Dane in Madison, Wis; Notth Peak in Traverse City, MI

Worst: Taylor Brewing in Lombard, IL.

 

[Airborneguy]

The brewpub in SEATAC airport was horrible!

My personal favorite is Brown's in Troy, NY.

 

[rmedved]

Best - Elysian in Seattle
Worst - BJ's in Seattle

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

Best - Trinity Brewhouse in Providence, RI (Great brews, their black IPA is amazing)
Worst - Beerworks in Boston, MA (boring, flavorless brews)

 

[david_42]

Worst - Rock Bottom in Denver. Apply named.

Best - Get real, I live in Beervana!

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

Worst - Rock Bottom in Denver. Apply named.

Best - Get real, I live in Beervana!

Rock Bottom? Is that a chain? I think I have seen other restaurants in the various places I have lived called that. If it is a chain, that might explain it.

 

[Pappers_]

Rock Bottom? Is that a chain? I think I have seen other restaurants in the various places I have lived called that. If it is a chain, that might explain it.

Yup, its a chain. We have one in downtown Chicago. I don't think they make bad beers, just not great, and its not 'local' in the sense that some of our other brew pubs here are - Piece, Rebel or Flossmoor Station.

 

[Airborneguy]

I went to one of the Rockbottoms in the Denver-area, Westminster, and actually was surprised by how good it was.

 

[jerryalan]

Rock Bottom? Is that a chain? I think I have seen other restaurants in the various places I have lived called that. If it is a chain, that might explain it.

It's a chain. We have one in Minneapolis that makes excellent beer. Most brew their own beer and have some freedom to the beers they create.

 

[jerryalan]

I enjoyed the Thirsty Pagan in Superior, WI. Great beer and pizza.

Worst ever goes to Capitol City Brewing Company in D.C. I've been there three times and it always smells like a dirty dish rag.

 

[JetSmooth]

I enjoyed the Thirsty Pagan in Superior, WI. Great beer and pizza.

Worst ever goes to Capitol City Brewing Company in D.C. I've been there three times and it always smells like a dirty dish rag.

I'm surprised to hear bad things about Cap City. I work up the street and have been there a few times, and the one in Baltimore before they closed up shop. Their Kolsch is great and the RIS is quite good.

Never noticed any cleanliness problems. I have noticed that old water smell in the back hall by the restrooms. Maybe it gets worse with humid days? There's a non-pub in Baltimore that makes me want to retch every time I go in there, so I'm not insensitive to that smell.

 

[j1laskey]

Best - The Moat SmokeHouse and Brewery, North Conway N.H.
WORST - Boston Beer Works, ...like the previous post said boring beers, and not mention terrible patrons

 

[cfonnes]

The Worst: The Herkimer in Minneapolis

The Best: Still searching

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

I was in the area of Bethlehem, PA this weekend and from what I hear there is a good one there called the Brew Station or something along those lines. Nice thing was it had a LHBS next to it in the same small shopping complex.

 

[Touristbob]

The Best: Coddington Brewing Co, Newport RI
The worst: none yet.

 

[rayg]

Best - The Moat SmokeHouse and Brewery, North Conway N.H.
WORST - Boston Beer Works, ...like the previous post said boring beers, and not mention terrible patrons

I've always found at least one good beer at Boston Beer Works, and
they always have one cask-conditioned one as well which I liked.
I think the worst that can be said is that some of their beers are a little
bland to my taste. The place in Cambridge has the opposite problem,
some of their beers are too weird.

Ray

 

[burnunit]

+1 on the Herkimer = bad. i really haven't enjoyed going there.

My two favorites have been Firehouse in Rapid City, SD and Town Hall in Minneapolis.

 

[humann_brewing]

I don't think I could decide on a best between Pizza Port, Russian River and the Ram

The worst would probably be sequoia brewing, very bland beer and really overpriced food for what you get.

 

[jerryalan]

My two favorites have been Firehouse in Rapid City, SD and Town Hall in Minneapolis.

Town Hall is good. I'll be there tomorrow for their Czar Jack Barrel Aged Imperial Stout.

 

[bh10]

Best:
Front Street- Davenport, Ia
Great Dane- Madison, Wi

Worst:
Blue Cat- Rock Island, Il

 

[PirateBrewer]

Rock Bottom? Is that a chain? I think I have seen other restaurants in the various places I have lived called that. If it is a chain, that might explain it.

There's a Rock Bottom in the Ballston Common Mall over in Arlington...on Wednesday their pints are only $1.50 during happy hour actually hah

 

[burnunit]

OH! Also, I highly recommend Moto-I in Minneapolis. It's practically on top of Herkimer, and it's owned by the same guys. Don't let that joint's reputation keep you from checking out Moto-I. Freshly brewed sake is a freaking revelation. It opened my eyes! I can see through time!

 

[MrInternet]

Worst: Taylor Brewing in Lombard, IL.

Yeah, I can't argue with this... might not be *worst* ever, but all their beers taste like they've diluted them about 3:2 with bad tap water. Everything was thin and somewhat bland the only two times I was in there...

BEST: Bell's in Comstock, MI
WORST: Dunno, I go to way more beer bars than brew pubs... don't have much of a frame of reference, and my least favorite ones I don't feel justified calling "WORST", yet...

 

[LaurieGator]

Best: Nimbus Brewery in Tucson, AZ... the menu is small but the brew more than makes up for it.

Worst: I haven't found one I haven't liked yet... I must be really lucky...

 

[bovineblitz]

Best: CBC in Cambridge (obviously)
John Harvard's is pretty solid too though I don't love love it

Worst: Owen O'Leary's in Framingham - never had a beer I liked there (though the fries are very good!)

 

[munche]

Best: Pizza Port Carlsbad; Stone World Brewing and Bistro (does that count? They serve food and beer!)
Worst: Gordon Biersch in Pasadena, CA

 

[ScottD13]

Best: long defunct Longshore Brewing Co - Garden City, NY - I loved their Fishtale Pale Ale
Worst: Barley Creek - Tannersville, PA - Their beers are just nasty.

 

[edkittley]

Best - Steamworks Brewpub - Durango, CO - Great Beer, Great food! The Cajun Boil is the most out of place thing to find in Southwest Colorado, but awesome nonetheless.


Worst - There used to be a brewpub in the Monte Carlo Casino in Vegas, forgot what it was called, but I think the equipment was for show, their beer sucked.

 

[krisagon]

Best: long defunct Longshore Brewing Co - Garden City, NY - I loved their Fishtale Pale Ale
Worst: Barley Creek - Tannersville, PA - Their beers are just nasty.

YES, I was just coming in here to post how gross their beers were!

Best: Iron Hill Brewery - all over the Philly/NJ/Wilmington area.
They won 2 golds at GABF, including for their Russian Imperial Stout which is THE FLIPPIN' BEST one I've ever had!! :fro:

 

[olllllo]

What's the criteria? Just the beer? Because there is a restaurant component and... you know... a pub.

I had the worst service I ever had at a brewpub at Town Hall in Minneapolis.

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

I'm surprised to hear bad things about Cap City. I work up the street and have been there a few times, and the one in Baltimore before they closed up shop. Their Kolsch is great and the RIS is quite good.

Never noticed any cleanliness problems. I have noticed that old water smell in the back hall by the restrooms. Maybe it gets worse with humid days? There's a non-pub in Baltimore that makes me want to retch every time I go in there, so I'm not insensitive to that smell.

I was just there and the place was ok. Their beer is subpar at best.

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

There's a Rock Bottom in the Ballston Common Mall over in Arlington...on Wednesday their pints are only $1.50 during happy hour actually hah

Yeah, but that is mainly a restaurant. I am not even sure they are a "brewpub".

 

[DocHop]

Best: North Fork Brewery - Deming, WA and Boundary Bay Brewery - Bellingham, WA
Worst: Milwaukee Ale House - Milwaukee, WI

 

[remilard]

What's the criteria? Just the beer? Because there is a restaurant component and... you know... a pub.

I had the worst service I ever had at a brewpub at Town Hall in Minneapolis.

Me too, and while the beer was fine (certainly well made), the place is over-hyped.

For best, Aecht Shlenkerla is up there. Beer, food, service, atmosphere, location, history all great.

Domesticwise I tend to like Pelican Pub (possibly the best location, great beer and food), Russian River (need I explain?), Marin (underrated in an area with a lot of fantastic places), and Free State (underrated) a lot.

I'm trying to think of a place with the "worst pub" trifecta. Bad food, bad beer and bad service. That is pretty rare, it is more common to get all three right (and very common to get 1 of the 3 right). Usually they won't stay open if they do everything wrong. Personally my first requirement is that the beer is good, for the general public that is their last requirement so you get a lot of brewpubs with okay or worse beer.

 

[burnunit]

You know, I've also had pretty shaky service at the Town Hall, you're right there. But there's nothing whatsoever wrong with their ales!

Iron Hill in PA! I'd forgotten about them! I had the real ale on the cask, which I just Loved.

 

[eanmcnulty]

I'm taking this to mean brewpub and not brewery with a tap room. If it were brewery with a tap room I would go with Two Brothers outside Chicago in Warrenville, IL.
BEST brewpub: I like the Brewery Creek Inn in Mineral Point, WS. The beer is good, the food is great, the room and the inn are very cool too. The beer is very good, but the selection is basic: four taps, so it is limited. I haven't seen anything very strong there. But I love the place.
WORST brewpub: Stockholm's in Geneva, IL. They must use the same bad strain of yeast in all their beer. It all has the same sour tang, not a weak tang either, a strong wincing sour tang. The food has been very good, but also very bad. Their menu is ambitious, and when they pull it off its great, but often it isn't. I went three times, and I won't be back.

 

[WrongCoastBrewery]

Usually they won't stay open if they do everything wrong. Personally my first requirement is that the beer is good, for the general public that is their last requirement so you get a lot of brewpubs with okay or worse beer.

For most of the general public who drink the Big Beers like BL and Lite, they dont know what a good beer tastes like. I have been to many a brewpub and you always here that one customer who asks for a beer that tastes like brand x. In turn, the servers who just want to turn a quick table and get their tip just push off the cheapest least flavorful beer they have.

 

[LagerLover24]

+1 on Elysian. I plan on brewing a Wise ESB clone. The recipe is on their website.