Olde Auburn Ale House

Olde Auburn Ale HouseOlde Auburn Ale House
Olde Auburn Ale HouseOlde Auburn Ale House
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

124 Tichenor Ave
Auburn, Alabama, 36830-4704
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
0
Beers:
0
Ratings:
0
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.54
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
17
pDev:
20.62%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by woodychandler:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
The first thing that bears mentioning is that their address is misleading. The Tichenor Avenue address is a blank doorway and apparently the mail carrier was not aware of this either, as a bundle of Brewing News newspapers sat mouldering in the sun. The alehouse's entryway was on the opposite side of the building.

Upon entering, the lavatories were off to the left, past a table filled with beer publications. The maitre d' station was straight ahead with a blackboard calendar detailing upcoming events hanging behind it. Frankly, there was a lot of unused space around the entryway. That may seem a bit presumptuous of me to say, but after nearly three-hundred BeerFly reviews, I have become quite adept at noticing layouts of places. I am available for consult if anyone is thinking of opening a beer bar or a brewpub of their own.

Everything of interest here was off to the right of the entry and down a set of steps. The "U"-shaped, light wood bar was aft and just to the left of the entry to the door to the brew house. To the left of the bar were a couple of high-backed booths, followed by a private party room all of the way aft. In the far left-hand corner was a stage for live bands on weekends. There were lots of standard restaurant tables and chairs in the central area of the space with a few high tables and chairs along the windows. The staff was friendlier here than they had been in Georgia, IMHO (this review is slightly out of order, following a side trip to Columbus, GA, review forthcoming). The unfinished look with the exposed insulation in the ceiling and the naked lamps in the overhead put me in mind of a police station. All of my note-taking and holding forth with Uncle JedI caused the brewer, Jeremy Pate, to come out and give us a tour and to talk to us about the Free the Hops campaign. I was glad that I was a member.

Beers: Eight (8) - Tiger Tail (light); Fool's Wit; Amber Ale; Catch Her in the Rye (much like LNCBC's); Rowdy Raspberry; IPA (mmm, hear, hear); Hop Dragon; and Full Monty Stout.
Jan 20, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of wapcap
Reviewed by wapcap from Nebraska

1/5  rDev -71.8%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 1 | food: 1
This place does not exist, and has now become the Blood Hound. Which is the reason for the low remarks. The Bloodhound (which is where the Olde Auburn Ale House was located) was actually a very cool place! Great local and regional craft beers. Awesome foods including some local and organic selections. And the atmosphere was cool!

They have several beers from Georgia as well as Alabama including Abita, Terrapin, Avondale, Good People, Sweetwater, etc. Creativity of the foods was cool. Ambience was a little rustic, medievel and americana, quite unique.
Apr 15, 2012
Photo of JayS2629
Reviewed by JayS2629 from Alabama

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Sadly they no longer brew on premises, but they still had a great selection for such a small place. They probably had about nine taps and more selection in bottles. Great atomsphere, though a bit cramped. Lots of college kids. Great service and descent food. Very reasonable prices and a friendly atmosphere. Wish I could have tried the place when they were still brewing. The service was quick and friendly. Probably one of the better places to find a good beer in Auburn. Wasn't overly busy when we visited. Small and inviting. very comfortable atmosphere.
Apr 17, 2011
Photo of dand2000
Reviewed by dand2000 from Colorado

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This place is now called the Strutting Duck. Very good selection of brews for Alabama, and good prices too. They had probably over 12 microbrews on tap, and many more in bottle. We had a new waitress, so, it was hard to rate the service. I had the Heart Starter spicy burger, only $6, and was very good! My friends seemed happy with their food and beer. The brewery separated from the restaurant industry so it could distribute under Alabama law.

The place looks like it's rocking with live bands often!
Feb 06, 2010
Photo of TheEclecticGent
Reviewed by TheEclecticGent from Georgia

2.73/5  rDev -22.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2
I was looking forward to a ½ way stop at the Olde Auburn Ale House on my trip to Ft. Rucker, AL. However, I was disappointed to learn from the staff that this location no longer brews beer on site. Apparently, it got too costly for the owner and the brewing was discontinued about a month ago. There was mention that they may have at least one of their former beer recipes contract brewed in Birmingham, AL and shipped to this location. The beers available on tap now are the standard big three, PBR, and Sweetwater.
Jun 25, 2009
Photo of BeerandBlues2
Reviewed by BeerandBlues2 from Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
As a graduate of The University of Alabama, I was tempted to give this place a zero for atmosphere since it is on the campus of Auburn University, but I feel bipartisan today so I will be fair.

The bar is as you would expect a college town bar, somewhat dark and below ground with a lingering smell of sour beer permeating the room. However, the beer created here is far from sour, those aromas must be from the macro swill still being served here. Slightly above average beers don the menu along with your typical greasy southern bar food.

This is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in Auburn, or in the state of Alabama at all. This state is hurting for brewers so give them all as much business as possible so they feel encourage to keep at it.
Nov 10, 2008
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

4/5  rDev +13%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
The atmosphere had the college town feel one would expect from a college town. In fact, I was one of only two people not wearing either a tiger tail or orange shirt. Bricks walls, wooden booths and tables, several tv's, and a bar that seats around 10-12. The small lobby area is cleverly decorated with beers currently unavailable in Alabama due to the 6% abv cap. The beer selection consisted of eight beers, with the Team Porter coming away as the winner for me. Beer prices were very reasonable and ranged between $2.25 and $3.25. Expecting typical bar food, I was pleasantly surprised to see everything from filet mignon to grilled stuffed pork chops to crawfish etoufee (as well as the typical bar food). Me, I opted for the shrimp & grits topped with a spicy tasso ham gravy that paired nicely with both the Plainsman IPA and the HopDragon IPA. Overall, the Olde Auburn Ale House is a fine place to stop in for a beer and an establishment I fully recommend.
Nov 06, 2007
Photo of zymurgy4all
Reviewed by zymurgy4all from New York

3.71/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I haven't eaten here yet, but stopped in for a try of their Hop Dragon. The place is hard to find for travelers--it faces away from the street address, making it difficult to find the first time--just aim for the parking garage behind City Hall, and it faces it. I went after Graduation at an off time, and it was empty. I picked up a nice T shirt, and had a beer that was good. They have live music at times, and I'm sure late at night during Football season it is probably packed. They have a small brewery on premise, but they brew quite a selection of beers. Their beer is worth trying if visiting for sure!
Jun 03, 2007
Photo of barefootbrewer
Reviewed by barefootbrewer from Mississippi

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
This is a fun, laid back college type bar. It is fun to hang out in and has a wide music variety (although this is a college town – we showed up after graduation and the place was empty). The waiter was knowledgeable about the brews available and quite friendly. The food is average pub fair that is better than most bars. There are food specials several times a week – also drink specials. This means you can eat and drink for not too much if you are careful.

The beer was good. I had 2 types and tried a few more. I think that they were all generally smooth, but perhaps hampered by the alcohol cap at 6% in Alabama. The head brewer took the time to talk for about 10 minutes and was happy to give me some brew tips and explain techniques.

Overall, if you are in Auburn and drink beer, this should be on your must do list – and if you happen to be in the area, worth seeking out.
May 22, 2007
Photo of llitsua
Reviewed by llitsua from Virginia

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped in on 11/11/06, after a most miserable football game took place less than a mile away- I’m ready to eat, drink, and forget about what I just witnessed in person, along with 87,000+ people.

After walking through the “foyer” type of area, which contains a mantle adorned with empty bottles of beer not available in AL (Westmalle, Chimay, and a few others) a large room opens up, adorned with English pub paraphernalia and beer signs. Walls are of brick, with a bar up against the wall, with several patrons scrounging for a drink.

I look up at the chalkboard to see what is on tap today, and they had four brews ( they try to keep a few more than that available at all times)- The Hop Dragon, the Plainsman IPA, the cleverly-named Catch Her in the Rye, and the Tiger Tale Ale (a kolsch). In waiting for a table, I spoke with the owner, and he said they had just run out of a few of their offerings, one being their stout (DAMNIT).

When I was seated, I ordered a Hop Dragon, a hoppy offering (surprise), probably on the verge of being a IIPA- a very enjoyable beer, diminished only by the plastic cup in which it was served (WTF?). I ordered some buffalo chicken tenders with their homemade fries (quite tasty) and bleu cheese dressing, along with my 2nd beer- the Plainsman IPA, which tasted a little bland, probably because of the Hop Dragon I had before. The food was good (although I remember having had ordered things here in years past and some being not so good). The person who accompanied me had the beer cheese soup, which he enjoyed, but he said the French dip he had after was “OK,” with the au jus tasting “institutional.”

The service was attentive, I didn’t really have to wait too long to get anything, considering the crowd there (even with the excess of UGA fans). While I don’t really remember what everything cost individually, I want to say that my party of 2 was able to get 2 appetizers (the tenders I ordered were on the appetizer list), a French dip sandwich, and 4 beers for around $45 (tip included)- not bad at all!

I know I will come here again- I always try to stop when I’m in town, and while there are a few shortcomings (beer availability hit-or-miss, plastic cups), this is still a great place to go with some good beer.
Nov 17, 2006
Photo of harpus
Reviewed by harpus from Alabama

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
When I went to The Olde Auburn Ale House they had four beers on tap the beers ranged from average to good. The Stout is one of the better beers. The Atmosphere of this place is nicer then the price ends up being. The quality of the food is was really good and the selection of foods is also pretty good. The Olde Auburn Ale House will changer the beers ever so often with the seasonal beers. The Olde Auburn Ale House will work with groups that want to have meeting at the Brewpub. I would like to go back to this place sometime when I go back to Auburn.
Oct 07, 2006
Photo of KyleVick4
Reviewed by KyleVick4 from North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
I have been to Old Auburn Alehouse several times, although the beers in my opinion are slightly lacking, overall it is always a fun experience and they have tasty food.
It has a good atmosphere, with fun ornaments on the walls and old fashioned brick walls in some parts. The place does emit a sense of fun.
The quality of the food is wonderful, while the beer is lacking. I have had the hoppy dragon, and thought it was way too grapefruity (maybe use as variety of hops) the imperial stout, which was a little to watery but still not bad, the tiger tail, which entirely unimpressed me, the plainsmen IPA, which was a terrible IPA but not a bad beer in general (just call it an amber ale) the stout, which I found to be pretty good.
The service has always been great when I go. The servers are nice and the beer generally gets to you quick. They have made mistakes on our orders but they are quick to remedy them and normally comp what they messed up.
The selection of beer is quite bleak, but the menu has some fun items and a mildly wider variety
The food is pretty good, I have tried their pan fried chicken, delicious, and their fish and chips, just as good in its own fishy way.
The beers are quite cheap and the meals are reasonable.
I will go back to the Alehouse, but really wish they would make a few really good beers for me to enjoy.
A good strong hoppy real American IPA would be wonderful, but I do know that the state of Alabama still has the archaic beer alcohol limits, so this could be what is holding back their progress...
Feb 05, 2006
Photo of sammy44
Reviewed by sammy44 from Alabama

4.08/5  rDev +15.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This place opened up when I was in college at Auburn. Now whenever I'm back in town I try to stop by and grab a Striper Stout (Oatmeal Stout). All of the beers are good there and they even have a root beer brewed on the premises that was excellent if you're designated driving.

My favorite dish was the shepherds pie served with a gravy made from the Striper Stout with parmesan mashed potatoes. Excellent with their coal black oatmeal stout.

The IPA was not quite as hoppy as some IPA's but that is the way I like it. The Tiger Tail was the lightest colored and flavored beer I have ever tried at a brewpub.

If you don't know what you want they offer a sampler with 4 oz servings of all their beers.
Jan 05, 2006
Photo of BurnsTau
Reviewed by BurnsTau from Alabama

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Checked out this place with fellow BA Moocy. The place is pretty fun to hang out in, lots of beer decorations all over the place. They have a band stage set up and apparently have some playing pretty steadily. The only food I tried were the pub chips which were very good, as well as the homemade ranch I tried. I tried both the stout and the raspberry beer. The stout was very good and the raspberry was excellent. The prices aren't too steep and overall this is a great place to visit if you are ever in the Auburn area.
Dec 22, 2005
Photo of moocey
Reviewed by moocey from Missouri

4.13/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Finally got around to the Olde Auburn Ale House for lunch. There were only about 4 tables filled there, but there was only one (new) waitress and she was swamped. I ordered a philly steak and it came out reasonably quick. Best philly steak I ever had. I ordered a pint of Hemp Ale (which was somehow connected with Wildman Steve - the Local Hippie Radio Celebrity). They have several other beers that rotate out like two different IPA's, an oatmeal stout, a kolsch, a fruit beer, a dubbel. Extremely knowledgable bartender that you can geek with. Great service.
Oct 26, 2004
Photo of au1sec
Reviewed by au1sec from Alabama

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
Auburn is a college town with a small town feel. Because its in a college town, it seems like it is stuck being a few too many things...bar for college kids/nicer restaurant for adults/brewpub for beer lovers. It is located just down from Toomers Corner in the heart of the Auburn University campus. I tried three of their beers, but they only have four regulars and a seasonal. I had all but the Stout...the Kolsch, Pale Ale, and Amber, and all were very good. I wished both that I had more time, and that they had more selection. My burger was excellent also, but I hate to rate the food much higher due to not having tried anything off the dinner menu. If you're going to be in or near Auburn, its certainly worth stopping in. I look forward to my next visit and some more Auburn Amber Ale.
Feb 18, 2003
Olde Auburn Ale House in Auburn, AL
Place rating: 0 out of 5 with 17 ratings