Mountain State Brewing Company

Mountain State Brewing CompanyMountain State Brewing Company
Mountain State Brewing CompanyMountain State Brewing Company
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

6690 Sang Run Rd
McHenry, Maryland, 21541
United States

(301) 387-3360 | map
mountainstatebrewing.com

Beers are listed at original location: https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/12365/
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.64
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
17
pDev:
9.62%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.54 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Aug 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3.86 by Boone757 from Virginia

Sep 20, 2019
 
Rated: 3.63 by Fr33man from Maryland

Jul 21, 2019
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Reviewed by Precisiondigital from Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.75
Food menu does not have many options except appetizers and a bunch of pizza. The pizza is craft though and not terribly priced... I went on a Saturday with my kids and it was slammed packed. The wait time wasnt very long... the beer selections is pretty good. They have like 18 beers on the tap... mountain state only has four brews which is a little annoying.. but overall the vibes are good. It's a bit noisy and I wouldn't suggest bringing kids on the weekends. The band is pretty good. The waitresses are trying their best.
Mar 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by reebtaerG from Maryland

Aug 18, 2014
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Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.59/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Been to this place a few times, and as far as a place to go and grab some beer, it's... fine. As far as I know, there's not a lot around, so I take that into consideration.

The atmosphere is fairly laid back, being at a mountain (ski) resort in essentially WVa. When I've been here, it's been to relax and, well, relax. The beer offered here is basically 4 beers from the brewer, perhaps a few guest taps (2 this trip), and a few mostly local bottles. The non-related beer selection was good (not great), but given the limited offerings, was commendable.

To the beers brewed by the place, each I have tried has been just on the good side of average. I can't find many obvious flaws, but nothing wows me. I will say I do think they have improved on this asy mort servest initial impression was slightly below average.

I've always enjoyed the food here, not because it's complex, exotic, or special, but because it delivers at least at the level of expectation, or above.
May 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Gatordaddy from Maryland

Dec 05, 2013
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Reviewed by jmulligan from Maryland

3.08/5  rDev -15.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 2.75
Beers were all just okay. Most notable is that they all just seemed watered down and overly bitter, without the accompanying malt backbone that most beers should have. Perhaps if they used more caramel malt and changed up the hop varieties a little, they could improve their brews.

Flatbread was decent. We got the one with a local goat cheese, artichoke hearts, and spinach. Again though, it was just lacking in anything that made it stand out. It could have used a balsamic drizzle or something.

If you're a real beer lover, honestly, you will just be disappointed with the beers here.
Sep 14, 2013
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Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Driving from Athens, Oh to central Pa on a Sunday afternoon in Feb 2011, we needed to wrap up our weekend with some brewpub food and a pint or two. This establishment was no more than 8 miles off our beaten path and was open.

Mountain State brewing has 2 locations, WV and the western most part of MD, this review is based off of the MD location. We arrived to spacious parking and walked into a very spacious open wood cabin-like bar area. Lots of space, plenty of tables to choose from. The tables were accompanied by both chairs and pieces of sittery that I can only identify as what looked like saw benches/saw horses with padding on the top (fit for 2 people to sit at, kind of like a raised up bench.) It was unique but a little clumsy to sit at when at the bar.

On this occasion, I enjoyed a pint of the oatmeal stout and had a buffalo chicken burrito, not bad. Until today I was unaware of the quirky MD laws that:
1. wont allow for growler fills on a sunday
2. no beer without the purchase of food
3. no beer before 1 p.m.
This establishment made you very, VERY aware of these rules not only verbally but also with signs that were hung up and referred to.

After my food was ordered, I noticed an open fire brick oven. Awesome, I will need to order something from that as well as I am a sucker for that sort of thing. In addition to my burrito we enjoyed some cheese bred with marinara. Wow, I wish I would have ordered one of their flat breads or pizzas (noted for next time.)

Overall the food was decent and the beer was average at best. Their web site advertises that the usual crowd here is light beer drinkers and that is the crowd that they cater too. While I understand and appreciate that, each beer I tried left me wanting a little more. Their selection was limited to 5 of their offerings and a guest tap: troegenator, their oatmeal stout, oatmeal stout with coffee added, an ipa, amber ale and an american blonde.

The portions were decent, prices were right and it was an interesting experience. I would go there again if we needed to have a family gathering of sorts because I could see my family liking that sort of thing. They even had games available that the kids could play with while the grown ups enjoy a couple brews and chat. If I was thirsty for a quality brew I would probably go elsewhere because I like big bold brews. If I wanted to have a sit down enjoyable time and throw back a couple of pints without caring too much about what I was drinking I would maybe favor this establishment. It is worth a try if you are in the area. For an impromptu sunday afternoon, this was a decent choice.
Nov 16, 2011
Photo of Applesauce1
Reviewed by Applesauce1 from Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +15.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
I came here on a snowy Saturday night in early February 2011. My g/f and I were in town staying at the Comfort Inn, preparing to ski at Wisp the next day. We rolled in a little after 8 pm.

When you walk in, you get a sort of "woodsy, rustic" feel here. I liked it, and definitely preferred that over a loud sports bar or some little snooty quiet place. There were a few TVs up at the bar showing sports. We sat at a table in the middle of the place.

I got the Espresso Stout, Seneca Pale Ale, and Almost Heaven Amber Ale. All were good, especially the Espresso. I've had some of Mountain State's beers before when I've visited Timberline Ski Resort and have them on tap at the bar there. My g/f got the Cold Trail Ale and Miner's Daughter Oatmeal Stout. Their beers are nothing that's going to blow you away, but just your typical styles done fairly well.

The food was very impressive. We got the pita and hummus, tomato basil soup, and prosciutto flatbread pizza. All were excellent. Very tasty.

The bill at the end of the night was a little higher than I was expecting, especially in this area of the state. Then again, however, this is a resort area, so maybe I should be expecting that. Anyhow, if you're ever in the area, I strongly recommend this place.
Feb 08, 2011
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Reviewed by slander from New York

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
West some and then off the highway more, through Accident (someone named a town "Accident" on purpose), and down the goddamn mountain singing that bit of Tom Waits "See, I just can't live without her and I'm her only boy. She grew up outside McHenry..." as I roll into the town of the same name on sprawling Deep Creek Lake in search of brewpub. Mountain State Brewing on the Maryland side of the line. Is Maryland even the mountain state? Yeah, I didn't think so either but it's not for me to tell 'em...

Lodgey little place on the side of the road with a "J" shaped bar to the rear; wood with a wide lip on a polished stainless steel sheet top all swirly swirly. Seating for 14 there on shared saw horses below an angled corrugated metal overhang tracing above on a loggy frame. Tap panel for a dozen on the barback holding only the 4 live house taps & Woodchuck Pear Cider (feel free to fill in the blanks, folks). A single flatscreen above the cold storage room, growlers & pint glasses for sale, plus displayed shirts & hats on the hang, barback wall and upright beams. Specials, music, prices, etc., listed on a large mounted board, over booze displayed on barrels and the wall sill behind it. 30 wines, many on their sides and upright boxed in threes in a wall mounted rack, and more fridged below in a Washburn wine fridge. And they've got this cool stripped wood log glassware rack over the bar.

Wide open room, Orange painted walls over wood lowers, with potted planted paneled windows. Rounded log uprights, wood crossbeams and wide lumber, low arched ceiling with track spots above and strung Xmas lighting wrapping the bar uprights. Exposed black ductwork at both ends and cement floorings. A dozen tables scattered about; 4 tree stump based high tops in a row with saw horse seating just off the bar and 8 more mix and match throughout. Pleasant décor; Orange flowers in pint glasses along the bar, some good local art for sale here (large babbling brook over rocks paintings), and a large flower made from wood cuttings, it's good shit. Also, light framed brewery pics & prints, a framed mirror, snow shoes, a pick axe and other pieces o' fun. And just off the bar in the corner there, with claims of, wait, let me make sure I get this right, ok, "we're proud to say it is one of the largest wood fired domed ovens on the east coast". Hmmn, suspect, but there it is.

A side room holds a dozen tables spread out some in a spacious room of walls blue & pale green over wood lowers. Some light art, a wood stove in the corner, and skylights above. And through to the outside deck ½ covered, holding a dozen 'lil tables and a small 8 seat "L" bar. An event wood smoker sits aside, and Hippies with dogs pitching hot just now on the Cornhold boards out back (it's a bean bag pitch game, you freak perv).

Samplered again; I say again because I drank these 4 beers at the brewery in West Virginia the week before. The Cold Trail Ale, an easy drinking Wheat & Oatmeal based American Blonde; Almost Heaven Amber Ale, nice maltiness and some caramel on the end; Seneca IPA, good citrus hoppiness; Miner's Daughter Oatmeal Stout, a roasty good oaty stout licoricey with a bit of the bitter. And I've moved past the sampler now, alternating between the IPA & Stout. $4 pints do not suck, true.

There will be food. They do salads, snacks plates (Hummus, olive tapenade & pita chips; cheese, olives, nuts & dried fruit; fresh berries & brie) and a baker's dozen flatbreads. I ordered the pepperoni flatbread but instead of pepping up the classic cheese, I did it on the Margaherita. That's right, I ordered off the menu, see, this is not my first time around the wood fired oven, I know a guy. Okay, when I say, "Very, very, very well done, 3 'verys', burn it, I mean it", what I mean is that I will send it back with cause if you don't, which I did, for the chore of charring like I like. All in all it was a good pie, but no Earth. They're just making pizzas here, there's no love for the dough and whatnot, although they do use good ingredients from some Pittsburgh food company. Toyed with the Oatmeal Stout Float for dessert, but opted not.

Friendly serving peops and flatbread guy, too, who had to deal my pie a second time. So you know, they don't even brew beer here, it's done across the line at their sister site in West Virginia. I don't believe that making a Root Beer on site qualifies you to be a brewpub, but whatever. All I know is the flatbread was tasty (how do you go wrong with a wood fired hearth?), and the beers were good, I'd just like to see more of them. Good crowd mix of grownups, groups of the just legalese, and families and the like with kids running 'round. Comfortable house and they are piping in tunes from a radio station that doesn't play suck. As western Maryland as it gets.
Oct 14, 2009
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Reviewed by MikeFromMarsPA from Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Thanks to the miracle of Wi-Fi, I can review this place as I sit at the bar and drink the beer. That can only help their rankings.

We are here for a Wednesday lunch in May, so it's pretty slow. That sure helps in the service department. The place is pretty nice, new, well-done. This isn't exactly the way I would put a brewpub together, but I understand that this is a ski resort; thus only four beers and way too much wine. At least it's off-season so the place isn't full of insufferable yuppies.

We're working our way through a pizza, which at a ski resort is called a flatbread. It's pretty good, and a price I'd expect to pay here. The beers are pretty good, too. Nothing to completely impress a hophead like me, but I'm not having a bad time. Take this place for what it is, and you won't be disappointed. Don't go way out of your way, but if you're nearby, come on over.
May 20, 2009
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Reviewed by PurpleSunday from Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 5 | selection: 1.5
I really wanted to like this place. It was away from the hustle and bustle of all the other shops and restaurants, tucked away on the other side of Wisp. I'll echo everybody else's positive reviews of the atmosphere.

But the beer really let me down. I tried the sampler of 4 reasonably priced at $3.75. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd say the blonde ale was probably the closest to what it should've been - clean, light, refreshing. But that's just not my kind of beer. The Amber was ok, but nothing really special. The IPA wasn't as hoppy as I expected or wanted. And the Oatmeal Stout just seemed to lack its punch. I wanted to order another pint, but decided to go back to the house and drink some microbrews bought at the store the night before instead. This place hasn't been around long, so hopefully the beer will improve over time.

I was just as disappointed at the menu. The brick oven pizza, though a bit pricey, looked great. But a buddy and I were having dinner with our families back at the house. So we were only looking for a snack. The "snacks" on the menu screamed winery, not brewery. Which is this place?? No chicken tenders, no wings, no potato skins, etc. Instead it was brie, fruit, cheese plates, etc. I guess they can only cook in the brick oven, but chips and salsa would've been better than nothing.

I hope this place can get better. It has so much potential.
Feb 09, 2009
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Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Nice rustic atmosphere, wooden tables and chairs (regular and sawhorse), nice brickwork around the oven. Reminds me a lot of Mountain State's brewery operation in West Virginia, although a bit more open and airy.

Nice service today, although we were the table in at the time, so it couldn't have been hard to keep us happy. Everything came out fast and the waitress did a good job of making sure we were fine.

Not a huge menu, mostly flatbreads (think pizza with a thin and crispy crust), but the buffalo chicken was great. We also had the cheese plate which was very good. Another member of our party had a salad and a pepperoni roll and was very happy with it.

Beer menu was limited to MSBC's four main brews, although that's not so bad since I like them all. They would have more if they could get their seasonals in, but evidently Maryland has some rules about importing beer and they have to start several months out; right now they're filling out paper work to get NEXT year's winter seasonal approved.

Tried the beer sampler and my wife and I then both ordered an IPA, very nice beer. Our favorite was the oatmeal stout, but we can get that on tap in Morgantown.

Everything was good and clean, if a bit pricy, but then again, it's in a tourist town.
Jan 14, 2009
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Reviewed by ZimZamZoom from West Virginia

3.18/5  rDev -12.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
Nice mountain atmosphere, and tourists definitely abound. Decent beer and decent food. There are some nice unique qualities to this place like the brick ovens and such. Service was friendly but a little slow. The servers were really talking up the tourists which is fine. I'd recommend sitting with your back to the brick oven/food preparation area. I saw some things back there that almost brought out my inner germaphobe. That being said the sausage hoagie was excellent.

Worth a stop if you are driving out I-68 or if in Deep Creek for some recreation.
Dec 30, 2008
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Reviewed by dmamiano from West Virginia

3.1/5  rDev -14.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3
This place is "taylor" made for its location. Nestled among the ski slopes of rustic, wetern Md.
The place is a wooden log type structure. As you walk in, the atomosphere hits you like a ton of bricks. Wood everywhere! Hand made tables, chairs, sawhorses as barstools, tree trucks as bases for tables. Very fitting, rustic and pleasant to look at.
Had four beers on tap, all were decent but nothing great. Had a lighter beer, an amber, a pale and a stout. My favorite was the amber.
Food was as expected, pub grub and it was good.
Service was good, and the prices were very reasonable.
A must try if in the area.
Dec 30, 2008
Mountain State Brewing Company in McHenry, MD
Place rating: 3.64 out of 5 with 17 ratings