The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille

The Drafting Room Taproom and GrilleThe Drafting Room Taproom and Grille
The Drafting Room Taproom and GrilleThe Drafting Room Taproom and Grille
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

635 N Pottstown Pike
Exton, Pennsylvania, 19341-1677
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.38
Reviews:
60
Ratings:
72
pDev:
6.16%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by mgbickel:
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Reviewed by mgbickel from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Stopped by here in conjunction with a visit to Ron's. You can enter through the dining area or the bar. I stayed in the pub area, which houses a few tables and a "Z" shaped bar. There are a few TVs showing local sports and a touch screen game at the far end.

They offer a lot of bottled beer which is in coolers behind the bar. They have a number of beers on tap which are explained in great detail in the menu. They seem to have a nice variety of locals, domestic craft, and imports. I decided to go with a Brooklyn Cookie Jar Porter.

The bartenders were both knowledgeable and attentive.

This is a very cool place to grab a beer. It looks like they keep things up to date and get some hard to find brews on tap. I will stop in here next time in am in the area for sure!
Mar 15, 2010
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Oct 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by garuda from Pennsylvania

Oct 09, 2013
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Reviewed by KenDog

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I've been stopping here a few times a month for 2+ years while on business travel. The food is usually very good, although I've had a couple of "misses," but nothing worthy of discouraging a visit. I'm a beer lover, but a novice w.r.t. styles and nuances. As such, I've appreciated the staff's knowledge and willingness to explain subtleties and to provide samples. The selection rotates rapidly, but they do have a large list of usual suspects. Worth the visit if you are in the area.
Aug 09, 2012
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Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

3.94/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Stopped here today for the first time for the Fresh Hop Festival. Not too sure why an establishment would wait nearly 2 months to serve fresh hop beers, but I was in the area so that didn't deter me.

Atmosphere: Located in a strip mall, the left side has a pretty decent sized dining room and the right side has a fairly small curvy bar with a few high top tables along the right wall. The bar side is fairly cramped and the event today made it busy enough to accentuate that fact. There were about 4-6 outdoor tables in the front which were a real bonus on an unseasonably warm day like today. The major drawback was that they face a small and busy strip mall parking lot, but I'm still glad that outdoor seating was available.

Quality and Selection: Other than a couple of the "special" kegs being tapped today, most of the list was fairly standard for the area. Still lots of good regional choices, but it seems like the taps wouldn't be good enough to draw people with more than a 20 minute drive to this place. At least not with so many other comparable or superior spots in other nearby neighborhoods.

Service: I didn't really stay very long and didn't eat any food, so I can't give the most in depth review of the service. The waitress who approached me at the outside table was friendly and attentive though. I couldn't really gauge her beer knowledge but I'd be surprised if it was high.

Food: The menu looked very tasty and the prices were OK. A bunch of regular customers at the Station Taproom in Downingtown raved about the food here so I'm thinking that is probably the main draw of the Drafting Room.
Nov 26, 2011
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Reviewed by SFLpunk from Vermont

4.18/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited 10.1.11 with some friends who live in the area, came highly recommended for a place for pints. We went here after Victory's brewpub.

A simple pub feel, in a strip-mall sort of place. But I could tell from one glance at their glass-fronted coolers that this was a winning beer place. Tap list was fairly short, but saw some good Weyerbacher and others on there. Bottle list caught my eye and I ordered a Russian River Redemption. It was served with a stemmed glass, nice, but it wasn't too clean (lots of finger prints/smudges). That's ok, I just quickly polished it with my napkin and went to work. While I was drinking and talked I noticed a few beers in the coolers that weren't on the menu so I took a walk up to the bar, read the chalk boards, talked to the bartender and perused the cooler doors, selection a Troegs Perpetual IPA ($11/22oz). It was served with a cold footed cocktail-like glass, which I forewent in preference to the stemmed glass from before (I hate frozen glassware).

Good service (didn't test their knowledge but they were very attentive and friendly!), and a damn fine selection of regional beers and Russian Rivers (Consecratiom, Damnation, Redemption, Supplication and Sanctification - $13-$22/375mL). Fair prices too, that goes a long way with me!
Oct 03, 2011
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Reviewed by bigfnjoe from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
Came here as a changeup from Victory, which is where I usually go when I'm in the Downingtown area. The bar area is really tiny, with maybe only ten seats at the bar. I felt a little cramped. But I'm not here for atmosphere: I'm here for beer. And The Drafting Room didn't disappoint. They had a couple of brand spanking new Sierra Nevada Beer Camps on tap, which I ordered one of each of and really liked. There were about 14 taps in all, with one on cask as well. The main draw is the three coolers jam packed full of beer, with a lot of Belgians in there. They had a bunch of Russian River sours, but were pricey at 22 bucks for a small bottle. The food was excellent. I had a chicken Caesar salad that was delicious. The bartenders were friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely going to be coming back here agian.
Jul 17, 2011
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Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I'm a recent convert to The Drafting Room as it is about an hour from my house. Their Hopfest on 2011-03-12 was the draw.

The barroom is reasonably sized and there is a big dining area. It's in a strip mall so it isn't as impressive as say the Full Sail brew pub perched over the Columbia River Gorge! I sat at the bar.

There aren't a ton of taps but each one was a winner on this day, including Hopslam, Green Flash Imperial IPA, Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger. The bottle list is impressive and they are on display in coolers behind the bar. 50% discount for takeout bottles except those marked with an asterisk. I got a mixed sixer to go.

Even though it was very hectic for the Hopfest, service was very knowledgeable and friendly. Big props for this.

I had a very nice meal; well prepared and served quickly and piping hot. Tasty.

Stop in if you can.
Mar 13, 2011
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Reviewed by hopheadz from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
My wife and I were frequent guests of The Drafting Room's Spring House location and were very upset when they closed their doors last year after a decade in business. I can't believe it took us almost a year to make it out to Exton, but with two kids, and the travel time involved, we just couldn't find the time.

Since we had a rare afternoon together with just the 2 old; our 6 year old was in school, we wanted to do something. What a great idea she had when she suggested we go to The Drafting Room for lunch! We both had a hankering for nachos, and theirs are by far the best. You can taste that everything is homemade, from the refried beans, to the salsa and the chips that are fried in house. And the eye appeal is second to none. Over the years of going to the Spring House location, I have seen many heads turn when my nachos made their way across the dining room. And todays' didn't disappoint.

They were full when we got there, a little after 1, and we were seated promptly. I had to take in the very nice and large beer, scotch and wine menu before ordering a beer, so I started with a water. Our waitress, I think her name was Nicole, was prompt, courteous and obviously very knowledgable. I settled on a Troeg's Nugget Nectar, one of my favorite beers. It tasted much bettter than one that I had last week. When talking with the owner Howard Weintraub, he informed me that the beer had spent less than 1 week on its' journey from the brewery to the bar. That is freshness! You can tell that The Drafting Room has a special relationship with the folks at Troeg's!

Besides the nachos, I ordered a cup of mushroom soup. It was the best mushroom soup that I've ever had. I am not necessarily a mushroom person but I would order that every time. I also ordered the BBQ brisket sandwich with smoked cheddar, which was also very good.

All in all, I highly recommend this place. If you from the Philly area and find yourself in King of Prussia, it is well worth the extra 15 mins on the turnpike. Skip the mall food and restaurants and head over to The Drafting Room. You'll be glad you did!
Feb 25, 2011
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Reviewed by HoppyJoe328 from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
The Drafting Room is true one stop shopping.

On one side, its a restaurant, that does a great lunch.On the other side, its a bar/pub with an excellent tap and bottle list.

Atmosphere is as good as you can get for a beer bar in a strip mall. The menu is great and the dining room is a cut above pub food.

Service and quality are both great. The servers are friendly, but the beer knowledge varies.

Tap and bottle selection is excellent! When we were there they had a Troegs cask conditioned Hopback Amber Ale that is very near to beer perfection.

We're going to add this to our frequent visit list.
Dec 21, 2010
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Reviewed by BARFLYB from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped by here for a west coast brewery promotion, been here once before. It's kinda a hike for me but I did it in the name of BEER.

Looks very similiar to the now defunct TDR in springhouse, in feel, decor, and setup. There is a hostess station up front leading into a dining room area to the left, more dining to the right and a bar area going down two steps. It's a classy beer bar.

Good up keep on this place very inviting and crowded, at least the bar area, it's quite small and packed to the gills. The service bar station seemed to be overrun with patrons so I guess speed on drink delivery is hindered. I would love to come here when it's dead. Clean glasses, clean (great) beer, clean floors, Bathroom was alright.

Service was speedy to a point, even on a very busy night, my dranks came with ease. Server was pleasant. The bar was offering tastes of 06, 09 double bastards which she quickly grabbed.

A very respectable collection here in the not so philly suburbs. A great bottle list that I did not have time to look at because of the insane tap list. I had supplication, sculpin, oggi's hop juice a captains sig off a firkin and a lil sumpin sumpin.

Food was really good, I liked the execution but portions were small as shit. Did it ever occur to these bars that if they gave some more food out portion wise that I would drink a bunch more beer, it's not rocket science. The chesse did hit the spot though.

I like this place, I wish it was closer.
Sep 04, 2010
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Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
I entered a review for this place a few weeks ago but it was lost in one of the site crashes so here we go again.

I never really heard of this place until recently but decided to make the trip out there from Philly because of an impressive tap list.

My wife and I went there for dinner but waited in the bar area until our table was ready. The bar area is small but has plenty of seating. The bar is L shaped with few stools but there is a small island that has ample seating as well as high top tables in the back. Behind the bar there are about four or five coolers filled with bottles and on the side wall there is a chalkboard with specials and draft list. The restaurant section is very nice looking but still casual.

The service was very friendly and knowledgeable but there must have been something going on in the kitchen because it took at least 30 minutes for each course to arrive. Although it took this long for each course the food was still at the correct temperature and our server was very hospitable.

The quality of the food and beer at this establishment are excellent. They have everything from very casual gastro pub food to full entrees. Also, the selection was very impressive. They had a very large bottle selection, broken down by country and about 12 taps. Some of the beers available were Lost Abbey Angel's Share, Port High Tide Fresh Hop and Cask conditioned Nugget Nectar all on draft!

Overall I had a great time here and am looking forward to returning many times.
Nov 24, 2009
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Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Drafting Room doesn't look like much from the outside, just another pub in a strip mall. This is a great spot though. I've visited several times in the last couple of weeks because I've been spending so much time in the area.

As you enter a very nice looking bar area is off to the left. I didn't spend any time here, but it looks comfortabe and welcoming enough. The dining area is okay, but nothing out of the ordinary. Everything seems clean and well kept.

The first time we stopped was for a late dinner on a monday night. There was a couple of people in the bar and we were one of two tables. Despite this, the service was prompt and friendly. I was very impressed because often times a slow retaurant means slow service. The food was quite good and a cut above typical pub grub. The draft selection was pretty stellar. I've had a tough time making my mind up because they have so much to offer. The beer highlight of my visits was Brooklyn's Sorachi Ace, a single hopped saison that I had never heard of. The bottle list was extensive, but I didn't look at it closely.

Great spot overall, I just wish it was closer to home.
Aug 18, 2009
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Reviewed by AltBock from Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -11%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
The Exton Drafting Room is located on the north bound side of Pottstown Pike. If you're approaching this place from the south, then you have to do one of those jug handles. Luckily there's one at the next intersection on Marchwood Road. This Drafting Room is located in a small plaza on the far left side. There's not much in this small plaza. I believe there is an insurance salesman, a floral shop, and a bank. There are 4 doors to this place, but only 3 of these doors will let you gain entry in the Drafting Room. The 2 on the far left are for the dining room and the door that has the big sign pointing to it will lead you into the bar area. The door next to this door will lead you into their utility closet. Why they have an outdoor door to the utility closet is beyond me. The bar area to this Drafting room is relatively small. The bar area houses a curved wooden bar that can sit up to about 15 customers, a few tables by the window, a tiny sit down bar in the middle, and some flat screen TVs along the walls. Also in the bar area is a large chalkboard on the right side of the wall. This is where they list all of their draft selections. I didn't get a real good look at their dining room, but from what I saw, it was classic looking and it reminded me a little bit of the one in Spring House but smaller of course.

I don't have any gripes with the service here. The bartender that I had knew their beers, they knew how to properly pour the beer, and they were always there when I needed another beer. There's really not much more you can ask for from a good beer bar. I guess they could hand out free beer and free food, but that's more like a dream than real life.

This is one of those places where instead of handing you a food menu with pages, they hand you a board with a white piece of paper on it. I guess that means that they have a rotating menu and not a stale everyday menu. I know I have to stop comparing this place to the one in Spring House, but I feel that I must. They basically had the same food choices here as the other Drafting Room. On that day, I wasn't all that hungry, so I opted for the goat cheese salad. The salad was made with spring mix lettuce and topped with walnuts and a big brick of goat cheese. I enjoyed this salad. There was more than enough goat cheese to go around.

Now for their beer selection! They have a total of 14 different rotating craft and imports on tap, one cask, and well over 100 different craft and imported bottles. The day I was there, their taps consisted of Jever, Left hand Polestar, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Stoudt's Fest, Victory's St. Boisterous, Ommegang Witte, Heavy Seas Red Sky, Duck Rabbit Brown Ale, Flying Fish Dubbel, TDR 14th, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sly Fox O' Riley's Stout, Amstel Light (for the masses), Lindeman's Pomme, and Sly Fox's 113 on cask. For the bottles, they were mostly the brewery's flagship beers with maybe a seasonal or an uncommon beer here and there. As an example, they had Brooklyn's Local Two and Bell's Hop Slam.

In the end, the Exton Drafting Room can make for a great place to just sit down and sip on a fine craft beer. I know that nobody cares, but I like the Drafting Room in Spring House better. That's because it's closer to me and I they have a bigger and better tap selection. They don't have the bottle selection there, but their tap selection makes up for it. Even with those facts, I would still come back here.
Jul 07, 2009
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Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

4.13/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Drafting Room has it all.

On one side, its a restaurant, that does a great brunch and is awesome for dinner and lunch as well. On the other side, its a bar/pub with an excellent tap and bottle list. When its warm out you can sit outside on the limited seats out in front.

Atmosphere is as good as it gets for what is essentially a strip mall beer bar. The menu is great and the dining room is a cut above pub food.

Service and quality are both great. Bartenders are friendly although the beer knowledge varies.

Tap and bottle selection is excellent! Its PA so you can also get all those great bottles to go!!!

I love this place and go there whenever I am down in the area visiting family.
May 13, 2009
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Reviewed by mhatters from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
A local, and a great local. Small bar with a good-sized dining room attached. Bar menu is good, dining room is superb. 10-12 taps and one beer engine, typically run 4-5 standard beers and the rest rotate. Monthly themed menu of taps (IPA, Stouts, etc.) make it a great place to indulge. Good bottle selection and storage - both 12 and 22 oz. Staff is tremendous, well versed, attentive, and professional. No BS - they are great. Beers are fresh, and kegs go quick. They do beer events on a monthly basis or so, which are fun and relaxed.
Apr 19, 2009
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Reviewed by psurandy from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
This place has been on my list of places to get to and last night was my first visit. My girlfriend and I went for a nice dinner and will definitely be back in the future. We started out with the Belgian beer and cheese fondu which was outstanding and could have been enough for a party of 4. As far as beers go, I had a Racer X from the cask and she had Anchor's Christmas Ale and both were fresh and delicious. My entree, pork tenderloin with a pomme lambic reduction, was amazing. My girlfriend had the gumbo which was delicious and very spicy. We ended the night with the East End winter warmer which I can't recall the name of but was also great. The draft list was very good, but seemed heavy with IPA's and then some winter warmers, a stout and a porter. It would have been nice to have a good pilsner or some sort of lager to have with dinner, but if I really wanted it I could have ordered from the bottle list. Atmosphere was very nice, but nothing really stood out for me. Candles were on the tables so it could be a bit romantic, but by no means a couples only type of place. There was a good mix of people there.

The beer was great, but the food is what will get me to come back. As other people have said, there are many great beer establishments in the area, so to stand out the food needs to be on par with the great beers and the drafting room satisfies both of these conditions.
Jan 04, 2009
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Reviewed by madmanjf from New York

3.6/5  rDev -17.8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I stopped off to kill time here on my way to Victory Fall Fest.

I gave this place a low score on atmosphere. At the risk of sounding mean, it just didn't have anything distinctive to it. It resembeled a no-name place that you'd expect to see attached to a Days Inn or something equivalent.

The beer selection was nice. They had approximately 16 tap lines of all micro/craft beer along with a beer engine. My disappointment with the tap lines was unique to me. I'm from upstate NY and most/all of the beer available on tap is readily available by me. So I wasn't intrigued by anything I couldn't get back home. I was hoping to see something I can't get in NY but that just wasn't the case. Something from Erie or Bells would've been nice to see. Instead I saw a lot of NY beers instead of PA-Locals (with the exception of Troegs)

The bottle selection was impressive. They had three floor-to-ceiling coolers with glass doors behind the bar; with ~ 85% dedicated to bottles. It was something you'd expect to see at a really good micro-brew distributor store not at a bar. So this was nice to see and very unique.

I had a burger like I usually do in most places. It was reasonably priced, and a really tastey aged-cheddar on it and was served on a hard roll.

Given the other beer bars in the area that I dind't get to, I probably wouldn't return here without checking out the competition first.
Sep 28, 2008
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Reviewed by Biscuit033 from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I go here almost ever Sunday and occasionally after work during the week. All of my experiences have been during mostly off peak hours in the bar area.

The bar area is small but I never feel too crowded. It can get smoky but nothing that has caused me to leave. The staff from the managers on down are friendly and knowledgeable. The beers that they get there are always top notch and move much quicker than anywhere else I have seen. It is almost a new tap list everytime I get in there. The price are great and you can order pints or 10oz. which is something that I look for a bar to offer so I can try a couple of beers in a sitting.

The food is also really good. There is a brunch buffet offered on Sunday morning/midday that seems great but I have yet go for it. I have had the Cream chipped beef of biscuits with potatoes that I can never finish, roast beef sandwhich that was well better than par for the course, and the open face portabello sandwhich is by far my favorite. The staff has also gone out of there way to make my 2 year old daughter feel welcome when she was in there with me.

I can't say that I have ever had a bad experience here.
Jul 09, 2008
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Reviewed by DarkerTheBetter from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The layout of the building is nice and compartmentalized. On the right, you have the bar which is pretty well cut off from the fancier restaurants half. The bar is an L shape nestled into a corner touting some nice taps. The cooler behind the bar is in plain sight and offers again some nice selections. One of my favorite parts of the bar is a little half wall with a thin strip of counter top running down it for people to hang out and enjoy their beer. It really says, "Come here and drink!" Maybe I'm over thinking it, but it made an impression on me. The restaurant half is unremarkable, but it's quite spacious and often quite.

The beer list screams SEPA! Sweet. The bottles cover a wider region, but after you see the tap list, you won't even consider the bottles. The list is up on a chalkboard that is quite easy to read. Someone with a little artistic ability must work here. This also lists the big beers available in bottles. Just so much of this place encourages the consumer to enjoy themselves.

The food is all right when it comes to bar sandwiches, but their resturant meals and specials are really quite wonderful. I had a lamb dish from the special menu that blew my mind. Every time we've come, dinner has been great, but as I mentioned, their bar sandwiches are just so-so.

The servers are quick and the bartenders are extremely educated, but not snooty at all. The professionalism and ability to get information to the consumer is duly noted.

I wish I lived a little closer. This is clearly one of the better places to drink in the greater Philly area.
Apr 24, 2008
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Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.53/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
At long last, I had occasion to visit the drafting room.

Located right off of hiway 100, just before you get to the turnpike, yet another outstanding beer bar in a bizarre location. This place is located in a small strip mall, just off of hiway 100. You have to want to visit this place, as the traffic flies by on hiway 100 right here.

The atmosphere at this place is hard to describe and is clearly not it's best feature. There is a very sterile, industrial feel to the drafting room. As one walks in, there is a wrap around bar with a few tables and chairs in front of you. Most of the dining area is off to the left, up a couple of steps. In any event, I spent my time in the bar area, which even on Sunday was pretty crowded by 3:00 in the afternoon. It's a pretty comfortable place, with 4 or 5 flat screen TV's over the bar for watching various sporting events.

The TDR had something like 16 beers on tap and the quality was impressive. At least on this day, it included the Maharaja, Nugget Nectar, Heresy and Hop Devil on cask. Very, very nice.

Service was odd. The young lady serving me was very friendly and pleasant, but she seemed very distracted much of the time as well. Also, she had this annoying habit of taking my order, and then puttering off to go do something else for 5 or 10 minutes. Nevertheless, she was pleasant, polite and relatively attentive the entire time I was there.

As for food, got the ceaser salad and for what it was, it was very, very good. Ingredients were fresh and the ceaser dressing very good.

All in all, was impressed with the Drafting Room and would undoubtedly be a regular if such existed in Baltimore. However, when I compare it to Capones, Quotations, TJ's, TND's and some of the other better beer bars in the area, I have to say I'll continue to take my money elsewhere. Competition in this part of SEPA is very, very stiff indeed.

7/6/09 update:

For whatever reason, I find myself going here more and more often, as I've come to enjoy and appreciate TDR all the more. While the atmosphere hasn't changed a great deal, I've come to appreciate the low key, relaxed vibe. Also, the service here is now so good, it's nearly bewlidering. Not only is it fast and efficient, but on one occasion the bar tender lent me a growler so I could bring home some breakfast stout that was on tap. Also, the attentive and knowledgable young lady who frequently serves me, on one occasion gifted me with a bottle of beer for an upcoming BA event I was attending in Baltimore. It was a beer not available in Maryland, and she wanted me to share it with the folks at the gathering (Heather, you're the best!).

What more can I say. This place is exceptional and just seems to get better and better. Food also continues to be quite good here. What's not to like? I just wish it were closer to my home.
Mar 30, 2008
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Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
A really terrific beer bar in Exton.

The atmosphere is nice but nothing special. The place can get pretty smoky.

The beer selection is quite good, and only pales in comparison to the bigger selections at some really outstanding beer bars in the area (TJ's, Teresa's Next Door). This is, however, the only place I have seen Three Floyds Dreadnaught and Stone XI (bottles only) and one of the few places with Hop Slam in bottles (they also have a keg they are holding for something special). Only about a dozen taps, which is again very nice but we spoiled Chesco types are used to 24 or so.

Service is knowledgeable and friendly. Not everyone is a beer geek (or aficionado or expert or whatever noun you would use as a compliment) but Heather and Sean are, and most everyone else knows a fair bit.

The food here is consistently excellent. From the chicken quesadillas to the sandwiches and even the entrees, you will find good stuff. Phyllo-wrapped cheesesteak, crab and corn cakes and the brisket are some of my favorites.

Only 20 minutes from our house but rarely on the route to or from anywhere we go so we're not here as often as we might be. But we always enjoy stopping in when we can.

HV
Feb 18, 2008
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Reviewed by ColForbinBC from New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
My first trip to the Drafting Room was for the Victory/Heavyweight release party. Went back there recently for on a non event weekend night to get a real feel for the place. And I must say, a very high quality bar with an excellent rotating tap selection and a large cooler of bottles proudly displayed in the small bar area. Bartenders know what they are doing and had a tidbit or a suggestion for everything they brought over.

Food was pretty solid, with a pretty extensive menu.

Only negative was that smoking was allowed in the bar, and given its size, its can be a little much.

This place is highly recommended for a visit.
Feb 09, 2008
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Reviewed by NJpadreFan from New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
The Drafting Room- Exton

My wife and I showed up for the Heavyweight/ Victory fest. Got here in about an hour. Easily got seats but the place filled up quickly afterward. We were here at 11:45am.
Anyway, Excellent tap selection, excellent bottle selection. My portabella sandwich was very good, my wife's turkey burger was mediocre. The waitress did a fantastic job even though see had to deal with a packed room! Much farther from me than the Spring House establishment but just as good if not better. A definite spot to hit if you're nearby.
Jan 08, 2008
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
I went down to the Drafting Room in Exton w/ BitterBeerFace and Mughugger for the Baltic Thunder release. Walking in the bar side noticed the draft tower and beer cooler prominently displayed in a somewhat small eating/bar area.

The selection is pretty darn good, with a plethora of local beer -Victory had several beers featured that day and the menu is even divided by locals and Countries for ease of ordering. The service was pretty good considering the crowd the Baltic Thunder release brought to the place. We were checked on frequently and everyone was friendly. A member of management even replaced a dish when asking if everything met our satisfaction.

I found the food to be just above average since some items were great and others were ordinary. The atmosphere is better than average for dining and bar atmosphere w/ nice decor and some of the big beers were displayed on the mantle to get your attention. I enjoyed the cheese plate shared and the flight offerings very much.It was fun to meet many other BA's like: Phatz, gottajiboo2, Beer Island, etc. also. I am sure I will be back to the Drafting Room.

edit-I have visited the Drafting Room several times since I continue to be impressed with the commitment to craft beer - ex. West Coast Beer night and brunch brought harder to find stuff like Pliny and Racer X, SN Chico IPA.
Jan 07, 2008
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Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
I've been going to the Drafting Room in Exton for a little over a year now, and at no time have I ever been disappointed in the least. With a great and always changing variety of microbrews on tap and a great bottle list, it's almost impossible to not find something that appeals to everyone. The staff, especially those in the bar area know their stuff, and after a few trips, they begin to know you as well.

The bar area seems a little on the small side, but usually it isn't too hard to find a seat, and there is sufficient standing room. Only downside to the bar is that smoking is allowed, but the dining area is smoke free, so it's not that bad.

As far as the food goes, whether it be lunch, dinner, or just a snack, they've got a wide variety of fantastic items; from nachos and wings, to burgers and sandwiches, to fondue, to steaks and seafood dishes. Their daily specials are always unique and delicious, and their happy hour prices are very reasonable.
Dec 31, 2007
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Reviewed by gwong from New York

4.58/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
Went here as part of a Philadelphia region bar trip on a Saturday in the mid-afternoon. Sitting at the bar, the service was great with knowledgeable staff who know their beer and are friendly. They have a wonderful, varied selection on tap as well as a good collection of bottles that can be drank on the premise or taken home at a discount. The prices are reasonable - four beers and a four sample flight came out to less than $30. The only drawback would be the smoking but we were at the bar and it was to be expected. Smoking aside, the atmosphere is great and is well worth the trip.
Dec 05, 2007
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Reviewed by mfhlucky13 from Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
The Drafting Room is one of my favorites. The beer menu was great before most places in this local thought of having a beer menu. The food is great too. They have excellent dinner specials on the weekends and their rotating taps always have something good to offer. Today I had a Dupont Moinette (blonde) and the time before, Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise both on tap. Watch their website for their monthly beer styles. This month is Brown Ale. Check this place out, you won't be disappointed. If you like dessert get the peanut butter pie.
Nov 17, 2007
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Reviewed by shertz from Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Went here with fellow BA's Phatz and HombreWing after the Brew Club trash pickup. The day was planned weeks before to be here for the One Final Victory for Heavyweight and the release of Baltic Thunder. However, due to the bottling issues it was postponed for another day. In any case, we decided to make the trip anyways and I'm glad we did. Started with a pint of Pliny the Elder and then went to Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale. Both spectacular and fresh. Nice full bottle list to compliment the nice draft list. Had a bowl of Chicken Gumbo for $4.50 that was very tasty and spicy. The only problem I had with the place was the smoke at the bar so we sat in the dining room. The service was as perfect as you can find. Waitress was cute and very attentative and seemed interested in our beer talk. The manager stopped by and chatted for close to an hour eventhough he was quite busy. He even gave us a sample of the Baltic Thunder, wow, awesome beer. I wish this place was closer because I would probably live there. It certainly was worth the drive and very convenient to I76.

Cheers,
Scott
Oct 21, 2007
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Reviewed by mymrnngjckt from Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I have frequented this place a few times. Each time is a better experience than the prior. The draft selection has always been phenomenal. The last time I was there they had, Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise, Rogue 10,000, Allgash Curieux & Weyerbacher Muse all on draft. The bottle selection is equally impressive. The staff has been top notch. Both times there I sat at the bar and the bartenders were attentive and knew their beer. They even offered samples before I tried them. The food is also superb. The salads and sandwiches I had both times were amazing.

I really recocmend this place to any one passing by.
Jul 25, 2007
The Drafting Room Taproom and Grille in Exton, PA
Place rating: 4.38 out of 5 with 72 ratings