Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.

Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.
Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

87304 E Government Camp Loop
Government Camp, Oregon, 97028
United States

(503) 622-0768 | map
mthoodbrewing.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.7
Beers:
16
Ratings:
162
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.89
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
28
pDev:
7.97%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by PopeJonPaul:
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Reviewed by PopeJonPaul from Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
So there I was heading back from Bend to Portland, and a decent blizzard starts developing in the Mt Hood pass. Rather than hunch over the wheel of my Rent-A-Jeep for the next 20 miles, I happened to be by Government Camp and thought, what a great time to pull over for a beer (until the snow lets up anyway.)

The brewery is just about the only thing in Government Camp, it's sort of a half-lodge (what did you expect) with rock walls on the lower level. On the inside you'll find wood paneling and a copper bar all the way around, though the new construction lacks the atmosphere and "authenticity" of an old West lodge (note: a wood ceiling, even if only cosmetic, would do the atmosphere a world of good. The run-of-the-mill stippled residential ceiling has to go.) It looks like it was build fairly recently and hasn't grown the charm-giving swag that seasoned bars tend to accumulate. A fireplace might be nice too. It looks like most of the brewery is in the half-basement level, there's a couple tanks upstairs near the bar but that's about all you can see.

The taps were pretty good, all their regulars plus a couple specials. I had the Ice Axe IPA on nitro, which was pleasant. They also had their ESB and the Hogsback on cask, and 03 and 04 Old Battleaxe on tap. There were also a couple guests taps, including Elysian's ESB. The food was basic pub fare, I had the pub burger and fries, which was pretty good. Service was attentive (it was a weekday so I was one of the only people there, and just sat at the bar.) A good place to stop if you're on the Pass, and probably a popular watering hole for ski bunnies, but I probably wouldn't make a special trip out there very often if I lived in Portland (there's just too many other reasons to stay in Portland!)
Nov 10, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Little brewpub just off the highway... somewhat tourist-trappy. L-shaped bar opposite the entrance on the left seats about 15, with tables and booths about the room and an outdoor patio on the left side of the building. Brewhouse is to the right of the bar. Only 6 beers on tap. I did not try the food.
Jun 14, 2023
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Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Stopped in after a morning of hiking with Da Boss. Located conveniently just off Oregon 26 at the west side of Government Camp.

Place had equal amount of indoor and outdoor seating as the patio was very good sized. Indoors there were a decent number of tables. The bar probably had room for 12-15. No special vibe emanating.

Quality of the beer was pretty good. The oatmeal stout was solid and the English IPA was serviceable.

Service was a little slow initially, despite it not being hugely busy for the late lunch crowd. But once focused our server was attentive and timely.

Selection of beers was OK, 12 or so house beers including the cask and nitro that I enjoyed.

Food was good. Da Boss really enjoyed her ham sandwich while I had the chicken on ciabatta bread that was a tad over cooked.

We are staying about 10 miles to the west in Welches. Somehow we missed this six years ago so we definitely made it a point to stop. To sum it up, It is a serviceable place with decent food and brews.
Aug 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by Harvest06 from Oregon

Jul 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.95 by Texasfan549 from Texas

May 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by irishevans from California

Nov 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Nick-K from Wisconsin

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by xxxxxx from Oregon

Oct 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DrMindbender from South Carolina

Jul 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by PretzelCity from California

Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Dcbelkot from Washington

Jul 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by DuaneKing from Oregon

Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sir_Goatman from Oregon

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by tjcamm from Oregon

Jun 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Hobbit from Oregon

Mar 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by yeaprolly from Washington

Feb 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by kbrown from Ohio

Oct 28, 2013
Photo of jera1350
Reviewed by jera1350 from Minnesota

3.69/5  rDev -5.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
Located at the base of Mt. Hood, this place has six outdoor seating tables and a large new indoor seating area. Outdoors/woodsy feel to the decor. Several different beers to choose from with one on nitro and one on cask. I had the cask amber and it was decent, but nothing real great. Service was good/friendly. The food was quite good. I had the fish and chips and it was very tasty. Great batter on both the fish and fries. Reasonably priced for the area. Worth a stop if in this area.
Jun 20, 2013
Photo of msubulldog25
Reviewed by msubulldog25 from Oregon

3.89/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
For all the times we've been to/through Government Camp, headed to Timberline or across/back from Central Oregon I'd NEVER been to Mt. Hood Brewing until yesterday. We spent Saturday and Sunday snowshoeing and lodging around nearby Trillium Lake, so before heading home to Portland we stopped in for a late lunch. It was mid-day on Sunday, there was a bit of snow melt going on, but a thick layer of the white stuff and draping icicles all around the village - perfectly 'wintry'.

Mt. Hood Brewing Co's spot is toward the western end of Gov't Camp just off US-26 It's a sturdy 2-storied lodge (pub on the lower floor), with a small fireplace a modestly-sized bar and varied seating for groups from 2 to 10+. On this Sunday, we watched the first half of the Seahawks-Redskins Playoff game and overhead the cheers and boos of locals/visitors with varied loyalties (ultimately the 'Hawks nabbed a 24-14 win after falling behind 14-0 after one quarter).

We were pretty hungry so the food (all good) consisted of the Brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries that my wife and I split, our friend's chunky (an delicious-looking) clam chowder and bread and another friend's loaded-with-pulled-pork 'Four Little Pigs' appetizer (big enough for a meal). Service was really good, efficient but friendly.

Draft List:
Ice Axe IPA
Cloudcap Amber
Highland Meadow Blonde
Hogsback Oatmeal Stout
Multorporter
Cascadian Pale Ale
Pittock Scotch Ale (seasonal)
Beyond the Pale (imperial)
Beyond the Pale (cask)
Cloudcap (nitro)

Our beers were 2 Ice Axes (a moderately hopped IPA, more along the 'English' lines) and my seasonal 'Scotch Ale' (which was pretty terrific, chewy malts and ample smokiness). Pints are $5. Smaller pours were $3.50 or 4.00 (can't recall) and growler fills were available to-go (and even 22 oz. bottles of Ice Axe IPA). See the 9 styles (all 'house' beers) available above, a pretty diverse list ranging from 'Cascadian Pale' to Porter to that tasty Scotch Ale ~ something for everyone.

I liked the coziness of the place and the food sure hit the spot on a chilly early January afternoon. Good vibe, a place we'll definite see again.
Jan 07, 2013
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Reviewed by CaptainTripps from Arizona

4/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Pretty small place, but the atmosphere is pretty cool. Has a mountain/skier feel to it. During the winter season, the place is filled with skiers/snowboarders and die-hard locals. The food is good but pricey, very pricey. Expect to pay resort prices (Mt Hood Brewing Company is owned by Timberline Lodge & Ski Resort just up the hill 6 miles).

Now the beer: The beer is very good. I give credit to this company for getting me into craft beer. The Ice Axe IPA is the companies flagship beer, while the Hogsback Oatmeal Stout is notably their best.

Overall a decent place to check out if you are in the area, but nothing worth traveling for. Some of their beers are on tap in the Portland area such as Horse Brass and Kells Irish Pub.
Oct 13, 2010
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Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Stopped at Mt. Hood Brewing after a day trip from Portland to Skibowl (and an initial attempt at Mt. Hood Meadows which was closed). The brewpub is right off Rte 26 in Government Camp. There is a private lot with plenty of parking.

The interior of the brewpub is multiple levels. There is a lot of wood and stone walls, along with red tiles and mining-related decorations. The brewing equipment is viewable along the right side. All of the available beers are listed on chalkboards.

Mt. Hood has 9 beers on tap and they are all available in a sampler for $8.50. They have a pretty good array of styles including a Smoked, Wee Heavy, and Barley Wine along with the typical brewpub offerings. All of the beers are above average but nothing stands out as stellar.

Service on a late Monday evening was pretty good. The server was attentive and happy to talk about the beers.

Dinner was enjoyable, we both enjoyed our dishes.

Overall this place is kind of a no-brainer spot on a ski trip to Mt. Hood, but probably isn't worth the long drive to the middle of nowhere otherwise.
Mar 26, 2010
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Reviewed by RedBrewer83 from Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Mt. Hood Brewing...a great location and a terrible location. These guys pretty much cater to the ski crowd and that's it. Located halfway between Portland and Central Oregon this brewery is a tough place to stop at. Usually I just want to get to one place or the other without stopping, and I hate driving after drinking, regardless of the amount. One day we managed to have a little extra time to stop and check it out...probably wont ever go back. The atmosphere was the best thing to speak of, old cabin in the hills type of feel with lots of memorabilia having to do with skiing and the mountains. Lots of rock work, very nice actually. It all went downhill from there. The quality of the food and beers was average. Service was a little better than average and the selection was average. Almost everyone in the place was wearing ski bibs and it was kind of dirty from snow and ice melting and mixing with dirt on the floor. Experienced it once, wont be going back.
Jan 11, 2010
Photo of kdoc8
Reviewed by kdoc8 from Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
Went to this place in the middle of a pretty impressive snow storm. That, of course, doesn't stop much of anyone on their way to/from Mt. Hood, so it was pretty crowded when we arrived. The service was good and the waitress was friendly. The atmosphere was more like a ski lodge than anything else - lots of wood tables and bench seating. The beers were ok - our two favorites were the scotch ale and the oatmeal stout, which were nice after a day out in the snow. The food was good, but no exceptional - typical brew pub fare of pizzas and burgers. However, being so close to Mt. Hood, it was a bit pricier than you'd expect elsewhere.
Feb 08, 2008
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Reviewed by cbak999 from Florida

4.7/5  rDev +20.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
This is exactly what I expected from a lodge-type brewery. Very homey feeling from the dark, wooden bar. The staff was very knowlegeable and helpful - happily providing free samples of the brews. I fell in love immediately with the Hogsback Stout - truley a treat!!!! I had a gorgonzola chesse burger - pefectly cooked. Salad with assiago cheese dressing was awesome!!! Defintely check this place out if you are in the area. I only wish it were winter and the huge fireplace was filled with a roaring fire!! Maybe next time.
Jun 02, 2007
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Reviewed by farHillsBrewer from Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Visited on the hottest day of the year in July with my wife.
We split an 8-beer sampler and I had an additional pint.
We also sampled the Smoked Porter and IPA in quantity at the Timberline Lodge during a rehersal dinner and wedding.

Had the IPA and the Oatmeal stout on nitro and rate them high.

Overall the beer was excellent with a decent spread of styles, although, as with many NW brews, they do go overboard on the hops and under-represent the lager side.

The food was very good pub fare.

There were maybe 6 customers present, but it took about 20 minutes to get served an have the sampler poured.

The atmosphere and the local crowd expressed their pride in having such a fine establishment.

After the weekend bash, leaving the Timberline, I complemented them for serving Mt Hood beer as their draft line. The desk manager said: "We own the pub". A-HA!

I'd love to go back any time.
Aug 31, 2006
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Reviewed by flexabull from California

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Back when I was a Pacific Northwest resident I made it up to Government Camp a couple of times, and both times I stopped at Mt. Hood brewing company.

Good place to stop and have some pizza and beer, nice big place with a fly fishing theme to it which was cool. I was very impressed with the pizza, both times it was excellent.

There is nothing wrong with the beer either. I espeically liked the Ice Axxxe and the Pittock which was a real standout.

Definitely a must stop if you are headed up to the mountain.
Jul 30, 2006
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Reviewed by RedDiamond from Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +13.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Mt. Hood Brewing Company bills itself as “the microbrewery with altitude” and at nearly 4000 ft. elevation, it is a likely contender for the highest commercial brewery in the state. It sits immediately adjacent to U.S. Highway 26 in the mountain town of Government Camp, a one-street town nestled amongst hemlock forests on the south slope of Mt. Hood. The town derives its perfunctory name from the work camp that sprang up in 1936 when the Roosevelt administration opted to build nearby Timberline Lodge. Government Camp is presently undergoing some growing pains as evidenced by torn up streets and lots of heavy machinery. I suppose with the wealth of recreational opportunities in the vicinity it’s to be expected. There’s skiing, hiking, fishing, and camping opportunities in abundance – all of which are well-complimented by the fine beers at the Mt. Hood Brew Pub.

The brewery with altitude has been operating a 10 bbl, gravity assisted brewery since 1992. They presently offer eight regular beers on draught, plus two on nitro and two cask conditioned. I sampled ten of these twelve offerings and found them all to be appropriately fresh. Mt. Hood beers as a whole can be characterized as personable, innovative, and expertly produced. I am especially fond of the Hogsback Stout, which is lush and chocolaty and makes me weak with melancholy. It is a stout of near mythic proportions: one you must climb the mountain to attain.

The brewpub itself is an informal, wooden place with a ski lodge feel to it. There are perhaps 20 tables with a wraparound bar and a few neglected televisions. There’s also a small alcove with highback chairs and several shelves of self-exchange books. The walls are adorned with fishing gear and artistic beer posters. I found the staff to be attentive, friendly and helpful.

Food is mostly pubfare with pizza and some seafood. The fish’n’chips are quite tasty and there is a worthy selection of wine, plus homemade root beer and a few brown bottles of macroswill for your grandmother. There’s no smoking and no booze.

Mt. Hood beers are only available in the state of Oregon and are not bottled at all. I was pleased to note that the historic Timberline Lodge serves them almost exclusively. The brewers say their beers are made with northwest grown barley and hops and “pure glacial water.” They certainly are a pleasure to drink and beer hunters are advised to seek them with gusto. Seasonal offerings make return trips a cause for anticipation. Make note however that Government Camp is a small town and the brewpub often closes at 9PM. If your party only begins by then, come prepared to score a growler. But don’t bring your own. Guest growlers are not filled.
Oct 03, 2004
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Reviewed by johnrobe from Tennessee

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I visited this cozy little brewpub with friends during the summer of 2000 while on a backpacking trip to Mt. Hood (and Mt. St. Helens). Government Camp, OR is literally at the foot of Mt. Hood, a gorgeous volcano which dominates the scenery for miles in the Portland, OR area (Mt. Hood is about 50 miles east of Portland). Don't blink while you're driving through Govt. Camp. Aside from the brewpub there is a small Inn and little else (although a visit to historic Timberline Lodge midway up the mtn. is recommended). The brewpub's interior has ski lodge decor complete with some comfortable chairs and couches. I don't recall the full menu, but there was the normal American pub fare (we consumed a large gourmet pizza that was quite good). Like many brewpubs you can, for a few dollars, order a sampler tray of their different brews before investing in a full pint. I recall that their IPA was delicious (but it's hard to find a bad APA or IPA in Oregon) and their 'Hogsback' Oatmeal Stout was outstanding. Our visit to the Mt. Hood Brewery was a wonderful end to a weekend of tromping around on the volcano. Cheers!

Their list of brews includes:

Ice Axe IPA
Cloudcap Amber Ale
Highland Meadow Blonde Ale (Scottish Pale Ale)
Hogsback (Oatmeal Stout)
Multorporter (Smoked Porter)
Pittock Wee Heavy Scotch Ale (Strong Scotch Ale)
Old Battleaxe (Barleywine)
Illumination Spring Ale (Herbal Ale)
Pinnacle ESB
Oct 13, 2002
Ice Axe Grill / Mt. Hood Brewing Co. in Government Camp, OR
Brewery rating: 3.7 out of 5 with 162 ratings