Rock Bottom. Love it? Hate it?

[TxBuck]

I hate them for the fact that they had like 10 tables at the Great American Beer Festival. I asked them why they could have so many tables while Dogfish Head and other great breweries only got one. They said because they serve different varieties of beers at each location. That's complete bull****! However I have had one or two beers of theirs that I really enjoyed. I think one of them was a nitrogen oatmeal stout.

It's another chain that I always give a shot when I'm in different cities because you never know when you find that one great brew. I've come across more poor to average Rock Bottom sites than good but you never know because each hires a head brewer who has the freedom to independently brew whatever. I've enjoyed RBs in Seattle, Denver, and Phoenix but can't really recommend them because I don't know if the same brewer is there now as when I tried out.

I agree with Jared, RB's should limit their tables to their best efforts. RB's extra show with average beer's aren't good advertisement, they just diminish the rest.

 

[budbo]

Went to the one in Colorado Springs with Oompa Loompa.. it was decent food (appetizer sampler), the beer was OK. I liked the Wheat here (tad too much ginger easily overcome by an orange slice). I went back today, tried a dinner it was pretty good, the bartender was a homebrewer and after talking HB he hooked me up with a free sampler of all the beer.. It was average, nothing to write home about, but they had a few decent beers.

 

[paulvp]

+1 for MPLS location. Pretty decent beer, not as good as the other chain around here, Granite City, but pretty good stuff.

 

[perversatile]

Their location in Campbell (the pruneyard) leaves something to be desired. Just...meh.

 

[Milhouse]

WOOT! Free IPA tonight at the Rock Bottom in Colorado Springs!

 

[Neal Boortz]

Not impressed, but if it is the only place in town, I'll drink there.

 

[tdavisii]

I dont remember their food and only tried one of their beers. It was an IPA that was exceptional. If i remember they dont always have ipa and it was the brewers special recipe or some crap like that. It was in indianapolis.

 

[RiverSwillBeer]

The brewmaster for the one by Downers Grove in Illinois has apparently won some awards. I really like some of his stuff.

 

[kbrewer1]

The one in in the Arlington, VA area wasn't bad the times I have went. My girlfriend and I both enjoyed the food and I liked most of the beers, at least in comparison to the other brewpubs in the area, and certainly more than the "craft restaurant beers" that are sold in some places.

Since I have to commute into the area for grad school, it will be a definite place for me to go and study/relax while I'm there.

 

[Rick500]

I ate at one in an airport... somewhere... don't remember the city. I was on a layover on my way to London.

I don't remember the beers, so I guess they weren't great. I had fish & chips, though, and they were nothing short of awesome. Breaded, fried salmon.

I'm almost sorry to say, but it was better than any fish & chips I had in the UK while I was there (and I had some good fish on that trip).

 

[eschatz]

Food was good. Beer was hitting at about rock bottom... all puns intended