The Brewerie At Union Station

The Brewerie At Union StationThe Brewerie At Union Station
The Brewerie At Union StationThe Brewerie At Union Station
Brewery, Eatery, Beer-to-go

123 West 14th Street
Erie, Pennsylvania, 16505
United States

(814) 454-2200 | map
brewerie.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.58
Beers:
26
Ratings:
107
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.55
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
44
pDev:
16.06%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Fezfreak:
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Reviewed by Fezfreak from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +21.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Visited for lunch on a weekday earlier this month. The building is mind blowing! They don't build 'em like that anymore - which is one of the reasons it still stands, while other, more recent ones fall apart.

As per the routine, I had a few samples from their roster - but with an eye firmly planted on the IPA, in this case - the Hop Ness Monster. Sure enough, the IPA won out, and before long I was quaffing down the fine, hoppy nectar and enjoying every bit of it.

They had just opened for lunch and so the bartender was stuck doing a lot of ancillary things but the service did not suffer. In fact, I'm gonna go against the grain of previous reviews and say my service was great.

My food, a Union Burger with American Cheese, arrived hot and was delicious! (Unfortunate update: I no longer eat meat, pork or poultry in restaurants unless it is local and grass fed) Up to this point I was a rather road-weathered musician in need of sustenance, and I'm happy to report that the Brewerie at Union Station fulfilled all my lunchtime needs!

By the way, once inside and seated at the bar (where the train station's newsstand once was), I couldn't help but try and imagine what it must have been like back in the 1930s and 40s, when there were trains running day and night, with bustling crowds of people coming and going.

I will definitely go back (actually, an attempt was made to return, but it was a Sunday - when they are closed).
Aug 29, 2009
More User Ratings:
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Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

4.11/5  rDev +15.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.5
Big old train station made over into a brewery, with a really good themed ambiance. Lots of seating at the bar and plenty of waited tables. Good food menu and quality sandwiches, and pretty diverse beer list for all in house taps.
Mar 25, 2023
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Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Very cool location inside the old train station, incorporating a ton of features from it's passenger rail days. Tons of space with a pretty good food menu. Dripping with ambience.Good service, decent brews. Lots of memorabilia from Erie's Old breweries. Too cool.
Feb 10, 2023
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Reviewed by Blogjackets from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +22.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Very cool building with railroad theme. There was an art show while we visited so the vibe was great. Beers were very good. A better selection of drafts would be great, but there were plenty of bottles available too. Would definitely visit again if in Erie.
Sep 12, 2022
 
Rated: 3.79 by nater919 from New York

Jul 22, 2018
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Reviewed by BeerDave007 from Pennsylvania

2.06/5  rDev -42%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5
Absolutely horrible. Apparently, if there’s a wedding reception going on, the kitchen only serves the wedding party and they ignore the restaurant. We waited 45 minutes and had no food to speak of. We asked our waitress for some chips because we had been waiting for so long, and she promptly went and sat at the bar and ignored our request. The Rail Weisen was horrible, the wait staff was horrible, there is no manager running the place, everyone on staff just sits around and does nothing. We eventually had to walk out, not one person asked us how our visit was for thanked us for coming or said good night. We should have known when there was no place to park and it took a while for waitress to even come to our table for a drink order. With so many brewpubs in the area to pick from, there’s just no reason to suffer a place so poorly managed.
Jul 08, 2018
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Reviewed by CabbageA19 from Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.75
Love the historic building!!!!!!!!!
Food average
Beer usually has quite a bit to be desired.
Historical issues with brewers not concerned with cleanliness leading to ehhh beer
Jan 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.59 by Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

Nov 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.32 by heddar33 from Pennsylvania

Jun 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.78 by Chackman151 from Arizona

May 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.49 by Craft_Imperial from Pennsylvania

Jul 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.21 by AJmon13 from Ohio

Jul 13, 2016
 
Rated: 2.9 by yergermeister from Pennsylvania

May 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by McMatt7 from Pennsylvania

Apr 20, 2015
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Reviewed by J455K from Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +13.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.75
I loved this place. Great house beers plus lots of other locals and food was great. Service was a little slow But it was st patricks day and crowded so I can excuse it a bit. Over all a great place to stop.
Mar 14, 2015
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Reviewed by madnismo from Florida

2.75/5  rDev -22.5%
Good local beers and nice place, BUT the service was terrible and rude. We only asked her 3 questions which she didnt know the answers to, but every time she would roll her eyes and say YUUUP... also we had to ask for glassware..
Sep 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.44 by BigRizz62 from Maryland

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Shandycan from Pennsylvania

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by jdh5113 from Pennsylvania

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Sebz33 from Pennsylvania

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by HoppyBastard1 from Pennsylvania

Jun 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by bcgeiman from Maryland

Apr 17, 2014
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Reviewed by PittBeerGirl from Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 3 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Atmosphere- This is a really cool place. A brewpub that is the old Union Train Station in Erie. Do you know how many beautiful places like this (i.e. Detroit and Buffalo) are sitting abandoned and rotting? What an awesome way to preserve a piece of history. Once you enter the lobby the main dining room is to the left with all kinds of cool old train station stuff. In warmer weather they also open the upstairs back patio up which was the old boarding station. There is no train stop here anymore-but only a chain link fence separates you and freight trains flying by.

Quality and selection- The beer wasn't really impressive. Kind of disappointing given the atmosphere. Their beer isn't BAD or anything-its just really lackluster. Fortunately, they do have a number of guest taps from other local/regional breweries and some are hard to find. I believe I had Voodoo cowbell after sampling all of Union Stations offerings.

Food- We had a variety of appetizers and the food was really good. No complaints.

Service- The bartender was very nice and helpful. She also pointed us to the top floor so we could check out the old boarding area.

Overall- This is definitely worth a stop-but mainly because its a brewery in a historical building that is very well maintained.
Dec 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by tommyguz from Pennsylvania

Oct 29, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by sliverX from S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

Oct 08, 2013
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Reviewed by apr3940 from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +18.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
Great atmosphere with a lot of history. Always enjoyed going and talking with the crew about the beer, and the industry. Great location in Erie, and easy walk from downtown. When you go, make sure to try the seasonal beer on tap. Definitely a stop in Erie if and when you go through.
Jul 28, 2013
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Reviewed by SudsTerkel from Colorado

3.95/5  rDev +11.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I hit TB@US will in Erie while visiting relatives. I used to live there and I was impressed with what lengths the proprietors of this establishment did to utilize the street level space of the former New York Central Passenger station, which laid dormant and neglected during the AMTRAK years.

The beer? Well executed on all fronts. I had the Hopness Monster IPA which came from a fresh keg upon my arrival. It's a true British style and was a welcome and rich drinking experience. I also opted for the Amber which provided a nice balance after the hops blast of the IPA.

For eats, I opted for the Cobb Salad, which was generous and competently prepared. The service was a little spotty; it looked like they had several large graduation parties to serve but overall it was okay.

I wouldn't hesitate to return on my next visit; this establishment is a real plus for Erie which suffers from a plethora of lookalike chain eateries and just plain crummy bars offering little more than the "yellow fizzy stuff."
Jul 02, 2013
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Reviewed by DWolf from Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Housed in an old train station, the atmosphere is unique. It's both cool and cold (as in cavernous). It depends on where you are seated, in other words. The servers and service and the food really make this place. They were quite friendly and accommodating of our kids who we had in tow. If you're hungry, go here. If you're looking for some delicious craft beer ... eh. The Brewerie beers are average at best. After a few of their beers, we stuck with the guest taps. And, now I need to write about thirty more words. So, in sum, food and service good. Beer lacking. Oh, it was very reasonable in price I thought.
Mar 05, 2012
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Reviewed by gws187 from Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -24.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
The Brewerie is a nice place with a good atmosphere and has a pretty cool interior. They also offer a large amount of specials, which is the only reason why I went there; the night we went the beers were $2 each once you purchased a $5 glass. The beers that I tried were all very sub-par and tasted like somebody's first homebrew. All of the people I was with enjoyed the beers and food, but they also enjoy Coors Light and McDonalds. I plan to avoid this place in the future but if my friends really want to go I would go along, just because the beer is inexpensive. They do have a good selection of bottles, but they are rather pricey.
Dec 22, 2010
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Reviewed by mtnbikerpa from Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -17.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3
The atmosphere is the best part about this brewpub. Tall ceilings, woodwork, stonework atmosphere can not be beat. I am sorry but it goes downhill from here. I have tried a number of their beers both at the brewpub and at brewfest. I am sorry but most are sub-par. They just miss the mark. The menu is limited and okay at best. Service is just okay. I don't mean to slam the place, I just wish their beers were a little more noteworthy. The thing is they have guest taps that often include Sprague Farm brews which are great beers. The 3 berry weis is my favorite Brewerie beer.
Aug 29, 2010
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Reviewed by beergod1 from Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I have only been there 2 times...both "Special Event's" I had great time's there, but disappointing too.

The Home Brew there was average to below average, the ryepa was really good, but the other 8 beers I tried were all....ehhh. A couple beers at an international beer fest I went too, I didn't want to finish, and left them at the bar. the food was ok the beer was ok. Atmosphere blew me away and will give it another try. I hope service will be better then other reviews in here.

I don't like giving below average scores on any place I visit, so I will be back with an update...hopefully soon. Cheers
Nov 27, 2009
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Reviewed by cooncat from Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -24.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5 | food: 2.5
I've been to BrewErie many, many times, for fests, as well as for dining. All my fest experiences have been very positive ones. Unfortunately, all my dining experiences have been negative ones.

The atmosphere may be one of the best things going for the BrewErie. Located in an old railroad train station, it has an interesting and quaint ambience. The facility is fairly clean, and many improvements have been incorporated since operations first began.

Quality of the food is just average, imho. On more than one occasion, food was brought to our table, which had to be taken back to the kitchen to be warmed up. If you are looking for cuisine which will 'knock your socks off', this isn't the place. Mostly, you'll find the menu palatable, if you get it warm, and in a timely manner.

Service has been a disappointment. Every time I've been to BrewErie with friends for a dinner, we've had to wait a l-o-n-g time before ever getting waited on. One time we became so disgusted, we all just up and walked out. Even after you are waited on, be prepared for a long wait for your order. Better order some of their appetizers if you are hungry, since you'll be waiting for the main course. Seriously, a couple times I wanted to stand up and shout "HEY, what does it take to get waited on in this place?" Hope your experience won't be as bad.

I'd put the selection of food at or just below average. As a vegetarian, I usually had to make up a meal ordering from appetizers and side orders. The rest of the menu is pretty standard 'pub-grub'.

The food, when you get it, IF it is warm, will be decent enough. You probably won't be rolling your eyes and savoring each mouthful, but you won't get anything 'god-awful' either. Portion size is, compared to other 'brew pubs' I've patronized, smaller.

All that said, prices are reasonable, but given local competition, I don't think they could raise prices and expect to have a steady clientele.

This was a painful review for me to make, as I would have much preferred for it to have been much more positive. I can only report on what I have experience in the approximate 5 or 6 times I've attempted to dine there. (ymmv)
Aug 01, 2009
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Reviewed by tosshin from Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I have only been here once, but I was really impressed by this brewpub. The building is amazing! There is a great ambiance in here.

They have all their standard brews on tap, as well as some brewpub exclusives which are pretty good. I had a very interesting Belgian style here when I stopped by.

Their service is great, my glass was never empty, and the waitress stopped by frequently to make sure that we had everything that we needed.

Their menu had some really interesting items in it. It seemed like they tried to incorporate a lot of their beer in the cooking process which was neat. Unfortunately it only ended up being average. I was not wowed by any means, but it was alright. I would order here again.
Mar 09, 2009
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Reviewed by Sleepisforthewik from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
I went to the Brewerie this past Saturday night. The live music was pretty good, everything seemed to orderly. This is my second time visiting there (I went there last in early October) and the service this night was good, much better than it was the last time I went there. The waitress was very attentive and knew their on tap beers well enough that my friend (who drinks macros mostly) paired him up with something on tap that he would like (their blonde ale). As for their selection, it seems to rotate with their bottles as well as their own on tap beers. My friend and I both ordered appetizers (starting an evening of drinking) and they were pretty tasty. As for the price I think it was reasonable for the service and quality of food as well as the beer.
Jan 13, 2009
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Reviewed by armock from New York

2.98/5  rDev -16.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3
I found this brewpub on the beer mapping project. I saw that I could make it on my way to NY on my drive from TX so I took a small detour in Erie. Stopped in on a Saturday around five looked like it was just before their dinner rush as there where only four or five other small groups so far. I have to say that his place looks really cool the converted train station feel goes over very well. Straight back from the front doors you can see their small brewery setup. Our service was good the waitress had all of their beer memorized and was very kind and quick with our drinks and food. The selection wasn't all that great from what I'm used to they had six of their beers on tap then a handfull of beers from PA in bottles. I go ahead and get their sampler of their six current beers for $8 and my wife gets a pint for $5 a little pricey to me for brewpub beer. All of the beers that I tried had a weird ashy flavor to the after taste to them I would have to say its the yeast they're using because their Hefe was pretty decent and would use a different yeast. The food was pretty average we ordered some cheese burgers that were ok. Overall I don't think I would go out of my way to come back to this place the beer wasn't very good and the food was just average.
Dec 23, 2008
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Reviewed by Kolsch from Pennsylvania

3.34/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Visited Friday night right around happy hour. Place was busy but not packed.

Being an old train station, I really like the ambience of the place as it had a real 1920's feeling to it. The horseshoe bar was spread across 2 different rooms with high vaulted rotunda ceilings.

The bartenders were great as they gave samples of all the house beers. I am glad I did get samples, as they did not have even one that was worth getting a whole glass of. They ran the range from IPA, Brown Ale, Blonde, Belgian Wit and oddly enough a Raspberry Pale Ale. The style's of all the beers were way off, very watery and little flavor. The best was probably the Belgian Wit and that is being kind. Thankfully they did have guest beers on tap and bottle, so all was not lost.

They also have a pretty neat outdoor area where the trains still in come in. You can sit up there to hang out and they even had a Bocce Ball court set up. Very nice!

Did not eat there, but would like to try the food next time. I would definitely recommend checking the place out just for the atmosphere alone. Just stick with the quest beers.
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EDIT...Recent visit on 5.22.09 warranted an update on the beers. It seems the beers brewed on premises have gotten better. I tried the re-formulated IPA and it was very good, so good I had two. My wife had the 3 berry hefe and it too was very tasty. I did sample the regular hefe and it was on the thin side with no flavor, so they still got some work to do. But this is encouraging.
Jul 20, 2008
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Reviewed by fireqc from Canada (QC)

2.4/5  rDev -32.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 1.5
What a bad dream when I went to this brewpub last summer (august 2008)!!

The beer sample was not very surprising and the food... Oh my god, atomics (Fremen said!!)!! I was take a reuben sandwish but beurk... Fries not cooked, bread ... ?!?!? My girlfriend take just a salad! How could you miss a salad? Even if you're a child at 8 years old you'll do better! The salad, a kind of vinegar with some peices of lettuce!!!

The sampler, was ... (prefer to not say a word)! The service? The guy who served us seem to not know much about beers and he felt "lassy"! I don't care if the guy go outside sometimes to smoke Marijuana but if you planned to go there (because you have no choice) hide the eyes of your child!

One more bad thing is the cleanliness! If you look at the berwery, you'll see the floor and the tank completly dirty. Imagine, you brew ales with [...] on the floor and over the tank! I'm not sure if you'll like it.

Was my first and last time, bad experience (I've pictures if you don't trust me!)...

FIRE....
Feb 19, 2008
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Reviewed by Morey from Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
The best thing about this Brewerie is that it is located in an old train station (hence the name). The atmosphere is very nice. The food is definitely good too. However, I was not impressed with the Brewerie's own beers. They all tasted a bit like grapes to me. Almost as if they where part wine. On my second visit, I drank a Fat Dog Stout (Stoudt's), a Golden Monkey (Victory), and a Railbender (Erie Brewing Co.). I'd recommend going with the other local Pa beers, for a better drinking experience.
Jan 27, 2008
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Reviewed by MagnusJager from New York

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 2.5
Went here with my wife last Saturday 11/17. Managed to fall right between their two sessions of European beer fest. Had I know I would have probably planned on staying in town but with a 2 hour drive ahead of me that was a no go. Instead we had dinner and I had a couple of beers.

The setting is awesome, an old rail station with all the original charm. We had our meal in the main entrance area around 5pm. They got us seats right away with no issues. They where conscientious of the fact that the doors would be open a lot with the people coming for the beer fest and did their best to seat us away from the traffic and doors. We both got the special of the day, a stuffed pork chop with chorizo stuffing. As a bit of a pepper head I was disappointed that it did not have more spice to it. My wife liked the porkchop, but here mashed potatoes where cold, mine where a little warmer than room temp.

With my meal I had the 1 specialty beer which was marked to celebrate their 1 year anniversary. I'm not sure the style, but I'm guessing a porter, or mild. It was dark but kind of thin on body. It was not bad, but it did not have much body, or malt flavor.

After dinner I decided to try the IPA, Hopness Monster. With a name like that I was expecting something along the lines of the NY Neighbor to the East Southern Tier Brewing's IPA. Again I found the beer low in body, and in this case not living up to the name, being on the low end of hop bitterness and flavor for an IPA.

What I suspect is some learning curve for a new Brew Pub. Nothing was bad, but there is room to grow. I will probably visit here next time I am in the area or passing through. I see some potential, but it seems like they may be suffering from a bit of hesitancy to push the envelope on either the food or the beer. If you set the bar high with names like Hopness Monster, and don't come through it is disappointing.

In summary "ambition without risk". This is common with new brew pubs, as they test the waters, and the brewers gain skill and confidence in their abilities. I expect that the next time I come around probably a few months out it will most likely be better with time.
Nov 26, 2007
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Reviewed by MaltyGoodness from Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +18.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
What a cool atmosphere in the old train station, as it was largely left alone and includes all of the original features of the train station. There was some cool blues band playing and everyone in our group found it to be very relaxing and quite unique.

The menu had a nice variety and everyone enjoyed the food that they got. They had some nice beers on tap, although not a wide variety of styles. The beers that I samples were tasty, although nothing that really stood out. They did have 2 "guest" taps and offer bottles from quite a few other PA breweries.

I got the chance to meet the brewer / co-owner and recieved a nice tour of the facilities. He was more than willing to hang out and chat about brewing with me and was very open about his process and his recipies.

Overall, it was a great experience even for those in our party that could care less about beer. I would certainly patronize this place again if I ever find myself up this way again. I would recommed it to anyone visiting Erie who is looking for some fresh pints or a quality meal.
May 27, 2007
The Brewerie At Union Station in Erie, PA
Brewery rating: 3.58 out of 5 with 107 ratings