Heartland Brewery South Street Seaport

Heartland Brewery South Street SeaportHeartland Brewery South Street Seaport
Heartland Brewery South Street SeaportHeartland Brewery South Street Seaport
Bar, Eatery

93 South Street
New York, New York, 10038
United States

// CLOSED //
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.44
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
33
pDev:
14.24%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by Nickls:
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Reviewed by Nickls from District of Columbia

3.3/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
(From notes)

I work a few blocks away from this Heartland locale, but hadn't visited until recently.

The atmosphere is just OK inside, as other reviews accurately mention, it's very generic pub decor, fixtures, etc. I will say that it is relatively clean, which was nice. I sat in the patio area during my visit, and it made things much more pleasant...as long as you don't mind crowds and the very nearby FDR traffic.

Service was fine; prompt enough; none too engaged though. I find that hard to blame given the vast number tourists that come through on a daily basis...

The food was really not great. Menu is full of greasy deep fried stuff, which is great at times for me, but there was little good about what I had.

Their beers range from not good to not all that bad depending upon what you order. A couple are actually nice enough.

There are definitely worse places to grab a brew in the area, so don't discount this place totally. However, I really wouldn't go out of my way to drink beer there again.
Jun 27, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.85 by micromaniac129 from Pennsylvania

Mar 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.46 by Phigg1102 from New York

Dec 19, 2014
 
Rated: 1.2 by rmm123 from New York

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.04 by misternebbie from Pennsylvania

Aug 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Will_Rivera from New York

Jul 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by bsm80x from New York

Oct 24, 2013
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Reviewed by flexabull from California

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Stopped in here for lunch after grabbing some Broadway tickets from the nearby TKTS.

Kind of a cool place by the water, we sat outside and people watched while we sipped a sampler and ate lunch.

Quality was mediocre. I had a couple of beers that I liked, (lager and pumpkin) a few that were ok, (amber, IPA, stout and blonde) and a couple of duds (Oaked pumpkin which seemed infected and a very blah Hefewiezen).

Our server was ok, prompt, but she also seemed kind of indifferent.

Selection was not bad, 6 regular beers, and 4 seasonals.

Food was pretty good, my wife and I were both fairly happy with our lunches.

Overall, a decent place, but not a destination by any means.
Sep 26, 2012
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Reviewed by AZSpencer

5/5  rDev +45.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I was in NYC for 3 days in 2011 and stumbled across this place while walking to the Seaport from the 911 memorial. My friend and I had a very good dinner and planned to only have a few. My few ended up being about 7. (One of the beers hit the floor and they didn't even charge me for a replacement.) This was my friends first craft beer experience and he was sold on it here. This location has good food and great beer. I really enjoyed it here and will visit again when I'm in the area in June of 2012.
May 28, 2012
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Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Stopped in here with my wife after getting some discount day-of Broadway tickets at the nearby booth - very convenient location, and infinitely better than Time Square.

The atmosphere is your standard wood-and-brick bar with plenty of beer-ish paraphernalia on the walls; seemed fairly welcoming, even though it was nearly empty when we arrived early just before noon.

The service was fairly prompt and friendly, but nothing to write home about when it came to beer knowledge - I didn't ask any really tough questions, but they didn't volunteer any recommendations or info on the seasonals, either.

The selection was your standard brewpub lineup of lager, wheat, IPA, brown, stout; no good guest taps. I went for the oatmeal stout, which proved to be a solid choice. Very smooth and drinkable. My wife went for their Blue Moon clone of a wheat, which she enjoyed but I found a bit insipid - too much spice and citrus overwhelming an overly thin body.

The food was average at best, with slightly undersized (but moist) buffalo wings and shoestring fries being the sum of our snack. The food and beer were both pricey to me, but definitely in line with Manhattan standards ($6/pint).

Overall I wouldn't be averse to going back here if in the neighborhood, but there are so many better places in the city to drink good beer that I wouldn't recommend anyone go out of their way to try this Heartland location.

Cheers!
Jan 09, 2011
Photo of loveingminor
Reviewed by loveingminor from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +25%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Went to the Body's Exhibit in New York with my university. My friend and I had about 30 minutes to burn, so we decided to come to this brewery that was right across the street.

Walked in, and sat at the bar. We were carded immediately, and we got our beers right away. I had an IPA which was absolutely delicious, and he got the Oatmeal Stout (also delicious).

I liked the atmosphere of the place (even at 12 noon). It was very cozy, and conducive to talking, which I tend to do after a pint of IPA.

Walked out after only spending 7 bucks, but it was tied with the best 7 bucks I spent all day.

I would like to come back here and try their food.
Jan 31, 2010
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Reviewed by bob3701 from New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
I enjoyed looking at all the brewania displayed throughout. There were eight beers on tap. The best were the two seasonals Bavarian Black and Old Red Nose Special, which was a higher ABV than the Old Red Nose. Out of the regular brews the stout was the best, I also liked the red and surprisingly the light.
Our server was great and very prompt about getting re-fills before we were finished.
The food was OK but I had my first fried pickle, an interesting taste sensation.
We all had a great time but my credit card took a big hit.
Jan 05, 2010
Photo of david18
Reviewed by david18 from New York

3.36/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3
This is a very difficult place to have a pub as it's on a street with a lot of similar style (in terms of fanciness) restaurants and pubs, which leads onto a pier that also features a lot of restaurants and pubs.

The breweries are always very inviting places that are fun to see for the beer pariphanalia but, in general the beers aren't that great. There's a broad selection of styles but none really stand out

Their stout is probably the best for it's roasty character and none of the beers is too strong to dissuade first timers. I've never tried a speciality beer specific to this local but its a cozy place in an awesome location.

Never tired the food here but in general i like their food.
Oct 05, 2009
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Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

3.3/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
while staying at the nearby hampton inn, i tracked this spot down on beerfly in search of a drink before braving the subway, located on a cobblestoned touristy center adjacent to a ferry terminal

a: decent patio area out front, the interior is compact and of typically generic pub-style, all wood with a horseshoe-shaped bar, a bench along the front windows, and a grouping of tables on the waterfront side, no brewing equipment in sight, completely random mix of people, the in-and-out client base and lack of personality makes for an unaffecting atmosphere

q: though they didn't leave much of an impression, the quality of the beers at least seemed fine, my oatmeal stout was tasty enough and the ipa solid of not out of the ordinary, standard pint serving

s: service was certainly not helpful, and the bartender himself seemed bored, hurried, and terse, but it was reasonably quick and samples were easy to come by

s: about five standards and two or three seasonals at the time of my visit
Apr 25, 2009
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Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I really think this place is just a big tourist hole. Suck 'em in, and spit 'em out. Oh look! A brewery! Let's go there!

Atmosphere is totally weak. Way too construed. There is no love. Quality of the beer is pretty good. Service was fine. Cool 'tender who was helpful and understanding. Selection is decent. Many different things to try and a good sampling menu. The food sucked though. I ordered a sandwich and it came out in two minutes. Really. Two minutes. And the fries were cold. Cold!!! Who serves cold ass hard fries man?? I mean...what am I paying for? Cold fries? And was the pork just sitting there waiting to be scooped into this lame ass typical sesame seed bun??? Anyways. I cant see myself ever going back to this location when the Union Square and Empire State Building locations are so much nicer.
May 26, 2008
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Reviewed by DrJay from Texas

2.93/5  rDev -14.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
Since we were staying in the Seaport district, it was a no brainer to try this place out. We've visited the Heartland in Union Square many times and enjoyed it quite a bit, so this was a bit of a disappointment.

It was a pleasant summer evening, Saturday night, so we grabbed seats at a table outside. After being seated, it took 20 minutes to get someone to take a beer order. We had stopped a couple different servers and were brushed off each time since they weren't serving our table. When our server did arrive to take our order, she acted a little miffed that we weren't ordering food (no one else was either, since it was 9:30pm). She then made herself pretty scarce, making it difficult to order another round and get our bill once we were done, although other tables seemed to not have less trouble commanding her attention.

Now on to the beer... They had three seasonals in addition to the regular lineup, though these were "summery" and not very appealing sounding. I was underwhelmed by the Indiana Pale Ale, but the Oatmeal Stout was pretty good.

I made the trip inside to use the restroom and the interior looked pretty nice. The bar was central to the establishment when you enter, with tables around the outside by the windows. More seating was located in the back too. Seemed nice enough.

Even though it's really nice sitting on their patio, I think I'll skip it next time I'm in town and maybe give the Union Square location another shot.
Sep 21, 2007
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Reviewed by Durge from Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Went here with my family on a rainy afternoon for lunch in the Seaport. It's a great location and the general appearance of the place is, to me, fairly warm and inviting. Not real big. Looks like a pretty old establishment, lots of wood and the breweriana displayed throughout the bar and dining areas was pleasant surroundings to this old collector of all things beer. Although they were busy, they were not packed and I thought the service was generally a bit sluggish (in the dining area). The place did seem a bit unorganized and helter skelter considering that it was not a Saturday night dinner crowd, but I was happy to get a few free samples of the beer choices offered by our waiter without asking. I didn't care for their Alpha Male Ale (a rather odd and exotic combination of flavors) but the brown ale and the Red Rooster Ale were both inviting so I went with the Rooster for my final choice. They offer half pints as well as full pints which is nice, but either way, these are Big Apple prices. I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was at least average, fries weren't too great, OK. Generally everyone was satisfied but not wowed at all. The girls did not appreciate the unisex rest rooms but fine by me. Being with the family I didn't get a great opportunity to truly review the beer selection here but they had a fair number of Heartland choices on tap. However, they also were out of at least two of the varieties shown on the menu including the Grateful Red I had read about on BA and was looking forward to trying. I really didn't notice if they even offer any other beer brands, tap or bottles, but their own varieties seem adequate. Overall, for beer lovers, this seems worthwhile and I hope to visit the other New York locations, but I am in no big hurry.
Aug 13, 2007
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Reviewed by Gmann from New York

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
Stopped by this establishment after a company outing. I saw the brewery sign and thought to myself that they had a sampler offering, I was correct. The atmosphere on this night wasn't bad, seemed to have a lively crowd, a quarter of that being my coworkers. The place has that TGIFriday's feel with all the kooky beer crap on the walls. Has an outdoor dining area, a small dining area inside, the bar, and a beer hall in the back (which was empty). The quality was average for a brew house but good for your normal bar. I had the 7 beer sampler, which contained the 5 year round brews and 2 seasonals. I sampled their macro lager (why do they brew this?), their IPA, outmeal stout, 2 different amber lagers, saison, and wheat brew. Nothing stood out all quite average. The service was almost non existant, the waitress came by to take our order once, dropped off our order, and dropped off the check, that's it. The selection was limited to what they brew, an ok assortment but a bit heavy on the amber brews (3 I believe). A place worth trying once, good location in the seaport.
Jul 28, 2007
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Reviewed by FtownThrowDown from Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Made a point to stop in here while on a business trip to lower Manhattan.
How could I not, Beer and Barbecue!
Rather small bar area, but it was mid-afternoon and not that crowded yet. It's in a very interesting part of lower Manhattan. A very scenic and nice place. One of my favorites spots on the trip. Everything was pretty average though. Nothing set this place apart from anywhere else I've been.
Beers were decent, BBQ was aight.
If you're in the area and need a pint, it's the best thing going.
Apr 11, 2007
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Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.7/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Located right in the heart of the South Street Seaport - my favorite part of the City.

The bar are is rather small with a long bar lined with bar stools, a ledge on the long wall and a few tables at the end. There is a separate restaurant area. The bar seemed kind of cluttered with junk and other nonessentials. Incidentally, this location is meant to be a BBQ joint/brewpub.

The walls were painted with 3'x2' murals of vintage beer labels. The tap list featured the same line up as you would find at all the Heartland Breweries throughout the City - roughly 10 taps in all. There was also a full service bar.

The food was okay - not authentic BBQ by any stretch of the imagination though.
Jan 12, 2007
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Reviewed by TheDeuce from New York

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This is now the Heartland Brewery and Barbeque

Stopped in here with my girlfriend and her family on a trip to NYC, I was pumped when we discovered the brewery and extremely happy when they decided to stop in.

Bar decor was alright, small and dark, this place was BUSY, could barely squeeze through to get a table. Classic beer brands and labels of breweries long gone adorned the walls, wooden booths all over the place, sort of cool but nothing spectacular. We opted for a booth and waited to be served.

Within a little bit a cute waitress comes up, little perky but ok. Ordering drinks I am the only one to order a beer, this is ok because my girl and her mother have to be gluten-free (hell on earth) and the father is not really a beer person. There are five regulars and three seasonals on tap. I opt to try the Red Rooster Ale, gin and tonics for everyone else. My beer comes fresh in a nice sized pint, was pretty decent. I opted for another.

As for food, was weird to hear on a friday night that they were out of both burgers and chicken tenders, I mean I understand the place was busy but wow. I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with fries, phenomanal, went perfectly with my pint. Other orders around the table included ribs and ceaser salads which were consumed quickly, food was great.

From what I saw on the menu, food was decently priced, especially for the cities, beers were reasonable.

I plan on coming back here to review all the beers and give it a proper review, but the beer I did have was decent and the food was great at a decent price so I fully recommend that you stop in for a review.
Apr 22, 2006
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Reviewed by Citadel82 from New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Have eaten at this venue several times in the last three years. Now it is the Heartland Brewery and Barbecue. Service was fair even though the place was empty ... It was lunch hour on a Weds., not a good sign. I had the seasonal - their interpretation of scotch ale. First sips strawbery preserves hmmmm. I am a malt fiend so I was not put off. I Had a nice Chipotle Ceasar Salad ($12) with smoked chicken and a very light spicy dressing. A nice lunch entree that won't put me to sleeep after lunch. Paired nicely with the brew. Overall a decent place. Not great, but not bad. My friend's half rack of ribs looked good. There were no leftovers on either plate so that is a good sign. I will go again to try their next seasonal.
Mar 22, 2006
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Reviewed by jimbotrost from Michigan

4.34/5  rDev +26.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I stopped at this place as I was departing Manhattan to take a fery over to Jersey. I wish I could have stayed longer. Two rooms make up this historic bar and both are covered with breweriana, a plus for me. The bar itself is big and wooden, like it should be, the service was excellent and that made the experience that much better. I was at the Union Square location for lunch and was already familiar with their beers. The corner location makes it nice to view people and the Seaport. THis is a wonderful part of New York and this is a great place to down a few.
Aug 22, 2005
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Reviewed by Buildscharacter from Georgia

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 2.5
I have to say that when I was first starting to drink beer for more than the idiotic college reasons, this place really appealed to me. Their Oatmeal Stout is pretty tasty and their bartenders were friendly. I went to the one that's down near the Seaport so it doesn't have the NYU college scene, which is nice.

The bar is well lit and friendly. They have barrel tables and stools that are actually fairly uncomfortable. I've only sat and had table service like once. The food was dissapointing. Not that it was bad, but the menu just made it sound like it was going to be so much better. I feel like this brewery started with good intentions then the business mindset reared it's ugly head. Oh well.

Food is a bit on the expensive side, but they do have their own glasses, and their own beer. Nothing to write home to mom about, but it IS a good place to take Mom for dinner.

Cheers.
Jun 09, 2005
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Reviewed by Loki from North Carolina

2.63/5  rDev -23.5%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Visited this place to grab a bit before heading to Brooklyn as it was already 4PM and I hadn't eaten since 4AM when I left for the airport to head to NY. I was having a hard time trying to find a good place to grab a bit and a pint using beer fly with the hotel down by the World Trade plaza. Guess I'll try harder next time.

Atmosphere: Manufactured and poorly replicated "Pub" style facade and "quaint" bar. The whole place just seemed put together and fabricated. The place was fairly dead, but it was 4PM on a Friday so I guess that's about right. Place seemed pretty small to, but I didn't go beyond the bar area in the front.

Quality: The Oatmeal Stout was first pushed through nitrogen. Which if you serve a beer through nitro I think you should be required to state/list that fact everywhere the beer is listed. It had a sour, orange taste to it. Tried the IPA after that and it was bland, unimpressive, and had a slight metalic/oxydized taste between the malt and the hops. The bartender was also draining large amounts from two of the taps. They were out of the triple so I wasn't about to try the corn lager or the red or any of the other unappealing sounding beers. I also wasn't crazy about the fact they have a whole section on the back of their menu for mixed beers? Like the Lager and Lime: Their lager mixed with Rose's Lime juice. Yum.

Service: Place was dead. Still had to wait for a second beer. Never asked me anything was good or not. However; the food came out fast and hot.

Selection: Leaned heavily towards the light side. Found only a few beers that I wanted to try and where out of a lot of stuff. I think they usually have 10 beers on tap and I think they had five or six.

Food: Best Turkey burger I've ever had. Possibly the only Turkey burger, but it was hard to tell the difference between that and a regular burger. Good fries.

Value: Seemed reasonable, especially for NYC.

That said, I doubt I'll go back, but I've heard great things about some of the other locations.
May 09, 2005
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Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.74/5  rDev +8.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I've stopped in on this place a few times during the week for a pint after work. Brews ,of course are the Heartland standards, now brewed in Brooklyn. This location no doubt does a great business with all of the office workers in the area and especially tourists around the seaport. No neighborhood feel to this place! Service is typically mediocre. It can be some work to get a brew. They try so hard with the decore to create athmosphere and a pubby/beery environment, these places usually leave with a cold feeling. Beer is mostly middle of the road to pretty decent, the oatmeal stout, Barley wine and other specials usually are quite respectable.
Dec 01, 2004
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Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

2.53/5  rDev -26.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 2
Having spent the Saturday and Sunday of the weekend in New York with my friends Ray and Hazel, as well as myriad of other local BA’s, the Monday was a quiet day. A late after lunch start at the Gingerman had us bolster plans to get down to Seaport and the Heartland Brewery & Beer Hall before meeting up with some local BA’s (again) later that evening in the Blind Tiger.

The Heartland "Brewery" is easily recognized, situated on the corner of South Street and Fulton Street it has a number of large oval-shaped paintings adorning the exterior. Situated in the picturesque Seaport area close to the collection of Sailing Ships, the air was heavy with the stench of fish as we made our way down the cobbled street.

Inside the interior is a prefabricated “hey lets stick bits of wood and beery stickers on the wall, add some wooden barrel tables and paint the walls with a pastel color to create a very false but instant Ale house feel”. For people that have drunk in the UK, you can immediately equate this to the interior of many an atmosphere found in the Tap & Spile and Hogshead chain of Pubs, in short, its awful. Only the superb location and the view of the World of Tourists going about their business offers any interest here.

The bar is one of those walk around square efforts set against the back wall. At the side of this an entrance leads to the Beer Hall, but I never even bothered to venture in here except for a quick peek to satisfy my boredom rather than curiosity.

As predictable as Stinging Dribbly Diarrhea after a whole day spent drinking lambics, we all ventured for the 5-beer sampler. It arrived on a nifty wooden platter like disc. That was the best bit. The Cornhusker Lager was no surprise - utter corny crap, the Harvest Wheat - must have been last years harvest it was bland, the Red Rooster Ale – more of a damp vagina than a Cock, the Indiana Pale Ale – was average at best. The Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout was half decent at first but finished thin and uninspiring. I opted for a Pint of the current special the Bavarian Black Schwarzbier, this too proved to be incredibly bland. All in the beers here were very disappointing and all had a rather schoolboy home brew feel to them. The Heartland Website states that they are the East Coast's most consistent Brewery - whooaaarrrr????, oh they must have missed out the word "worst" somewhere!

Service was “Rent-A-Student”, slow, tardy, half-interested and at times pathetic. Food wasn’t much better either, my friends asked for a Pulled Pork Sandwich which came without Fries to my utter astonishment – were we in New York home of value for money food or back in England with the small portions brigade, it seemed like the latter given the price of the Sandwich. So trying to put a smile on the disappointed faces of my friends once they saw the Pulled Pork Sarni, I decided to ask the ‘Waitingaboutress’ if they did a ‘Stroked Beef’ or ‘Well-Fingered Ham’ Sandwich as well, it seems that today’s “Rent-A-Students” don’t have a Sense of Humor either. I got Onion Rings but they were plastic and over-fired, not that good to be honest. The Menu didn’t really seem to offer anything other than snacks, and pricey too.

Before we headed into the Heartland, my friend Ray from England uttered something to the effect that, “I bet this place sells a sampler of all its beers…..”
He was right!
Ray also predicated that the beers would be formulaic and average.
He was right again!!
He also stated that we probably wouldn’t ever come here again.
Pretty insightful guy my mate Ray!!!

It was very quiet during our Monday Afternoon visit, there were basically 2 or 3 people in here, very quiet indeed - for good reason it seems.

Extremely Disappointing. Don’t bother.

Last Visit: Monday 15th November, 2004
Nov 23, 2004
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Reviewed by bultrey from New York

3.23/5  rDev -6.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
I want to like this place. I really do. But this is the second time I've been during lunch (I work right around the corner), and this is the second time I've had a mediocre experience. I'll review the second time because it was a little better, and give the benefit of the doubt.

Got a nice seat looking out the window opposite the bar, watching thr tourists and lunch crowd mingle on the cobbled South St. The atomosphere here is probably the best thing about it, as it is a comfortable bar, with lots of interesting nooks and crannies. However, there still is a very touristy feel to it, and I don't like that.

I asked for a taste of the Matrimony Ale, which was billed as using traditional European wheat malts and traditional spicy Belgian yeast. I thought the flavor was weird, so I didn't get a pint, opting instead for the Summertime Apricot Ale. First sip -- not bad. Beyond this, they have Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout (the classic), a red ale, a corn/adjunct ale, a pale ale, a brown, a dunkelweizen, and a golden ale. I ordered fish and chips and took my beer to my window seat and read the NY Times. The service was prompt enough, although the bartender always seemed like her head was going to explode, even though there were not that many customers.

Fish and chips -- ugh. Uninspiring, and $11. Fries -- OK, nothing to write home about. Total bill with tip was about $20, so I guess the pint was around $6. I asked about growlers, and she said they cost $15.95. I said "No, I mean to refill them," and she replied $15. Wha!? The beers are, for the most part, also uninspiring, although I would like to try the Dunkel. In addition, the menu says a Belgian Grand Cru will arrive soon, which should be interesting to say the least. And the Smiling Pumkpin Ale is their next seasonal.

I've been to other Heartland locations, and this one is better, if only because of the quaint, historic bar. But this is the fourth in NYC, with a fifth set to open soon in the Empire State Building, and I wonder if this is becoming like a TGIF's of brewpubs, which is to say not very good. It could be so much more, but they HAVE to improve the food, or the beer, or else this becomes just another NYC tourist trap.
Aug 26, 2004
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Reviewed by RoyalT from Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 2
Atmosphere – I enjoyed the atmosphere of this pub. It’s situated in a touristy section of NYC close to the water. Inside there’s a nice bar with ample seating and a “beer hall” in the back with plenty of tables that’s more like the official restaurant portion of the building.

Quality – This place looks fairly new, and everything is in tip top shape. Some NYC bars can lack that good ‘ol “clean feeling”, if you know what I mean. I thought they did a good job of replicating that “beach front” style of American pub.

Service – I hate to rate service poor after just one visit, but I noticed that everyone including us was having problems with the wait staff. This is not the charming “rude New Yorker” service, this was the, “I just graduated from high school and don’t like my jobby-job” service.

They weren’t very busy, either. My wife and I sat at the bar but I overheard some guy complaining about the service in the “beer hall” and another couple came in and eventually left after not being helped. Worst of all, I couldn’t find anyone who knew sqat about beer.

Selection – If you truly love Heartland beers than this is heaven. If you’re not too fond of them then stay away. They only serve their own brews and other than one or two winners the rest are duds. I ignorantly ordered the 10 beer sampler so ended up with a lot of crappy reviews to write.
Jun 12, 2004
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Reviewed by PopeJonPaul from Oregon

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Of all the Heartland locations I like this one the most for atmosphere. It's dark, small, in the old North Star pub (formerly Sloppy Louie's restaurant in the old days when South Street Seaport was still a seaport) and the back room\hall is great for a large group. The crowd on Friday and Saturday nights is pretty sparse, this area gets hit big by tourists in the daytime but when the stores close down the crowds go away. The place loses marks though for calling itself a Brewery with no brewing equipment on site. Take the "&" out of the title and I would be happy.

I've been here numerous times with CheeseWheel, and I've always had really good service at the bar (table service is lacking though, but I hardly ever sit at tables anyway). The food is OK, but the menu is really limited. Beers are good (same as any other Heartland really), the Oatmeal Stout is my favorite regular, plus if you're out with those crazy people who don't drink beer they have a full bar for them too. Of course, you'll have to laugh at them.
Mar 11, 2004
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Reviewed by IPA17 from New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Have been to the other Heartlands, so had to visit the newest one. Great place to have a brewpub, which helps the atmosphere. I visitied on last Sunday (Easter) but the seaport was still fairly crowded. The brewpub was not as crowded as I has suspected it would be (with such a great location). The quality was good, typical Heartland. Service was very good, though the lack of a big crowd may have left the waiter with excess time to kill. 9 beers. Very happy about that. Very good food but not great. Typical NYC prices.
OK, the beer: Grateful Red Lager; Stumbling Buffalo Brown Ale; Kelly's Irish Red Ale (all seasonals) and the regulars: Cornhusker Lager; Harvest Wheat Beer; Red Rooster Ale; Indiana Pale Ale; Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout and the Sunshine Golden Ale. Three "red" beers? Probably 2 too many.
Grateful Red was good; brown was very good; Kelly's was fair; Cornhusker was very good; Harvest was fair; Red Rooster was fair; Indiana Pale was fair; Sunshine was fair. The stout, usually the best at Heartland, was very good in taste. But, it was a little thin this time. Overall, no complaints, but I have enjoyed the beer more in the midtown locations (but, funnily enough, I think the Union Square location rates only as good as the South Street beer. Maybe it's a downtown thing). I will be back, however, as it's hard to judge a brewpub in 1 visit. See you there!
Apr 25, 2003
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Reviewed by dwarbi from New York

3.7/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
Finally the North Star has reopened -- sort of. I like Heartland. I don't love it, but it's the best brewpub in the city for food/beer combination, and I was excited to hear that they were opening a place downtown. The new location on the Seaport is fantastic. It's easy to get to and perfect for people watching. Heartland Brewery South Street Seaport has a lot of outdoor seating, and an amazing amount of indoor seating. They really made great use of the space. There's a small separate bar in the huge back room. I think some of the decor makes it look a little too much like TGI Friday's... aside from that, and the obviously fake tin in some places, it's looks great.

Heartland beer is inconsistent, and there are only 3 beers I have really liked there. (Farmer John's Oatmeal Stout, Old Faithful Steam Ale, and Stumbling Buffalo Brown Ale) The rest of the beers that I have tried, and that is most of them, range from pretty good to mediocre. When considering the brewpubs of the nation, it is average.

Service at the Seaport location was good. The staff was very attentive and friendly, but not hokey. The staff is full and anxious for a big crowd, which did not come on the warm spring Saturday I was there. I think the business will hurt from being on a tourist strip. My fear is that most (not all) tourists will look at the numerous eateries and either pick an old favorite (Pizzeria Uno) or randomly select one that they have never heard of. I hope the downtown suits, who are so loyal to the other locations, keep this place in business.

Heartland always has a very good selection of beers on tap. They had their five traditionals and they had four! seasonals as well. Good for a brewpub. A certain other NYC brewpub that I visited this week only had two beers on tap.

The food was very fresh. I had a delicious sandwich, but it was overpriced. Also, and unforgivably, the sandwiches do not come with fries. I have noticed this trend and I do not like it. If I pay nine bucks for a grilled chicken sandwich, I don't expect to pay another 3 for fries. The fries were good, however.

Heartland Brewery South Street Seaport is a pretty good place. It is definitely a great addition to the area. Every New Yorker should go there and toast the fact that it is not a Houston’s or an Applebee’s. It’s also a better place to eat than most of the other places you find there.
Apr 20, 2003
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Reviewed by slander from New York

4.2/5  rDev +22.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I remember the North Star as being a small tight cramped place. Well, when Heartland took the place over, they also bought the place next door and opened it up some.
I went with the seasonal beer sampler which gives you 8 beers; the 5 year rounders and 3 seasonals. Starting with the 5 regulars.... The best of the lot, hands down, no doubt about it, is the Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout. It's chewy, and has a nice coffee bite. It's my "old faithful" beer at all the Heartland locations. The Red Rooster Ale is a good solid flavorful red and the Indiana Pale Ale is a good hoppy pale ale. I'm not too crazy about the Harvest Wheat though. I feel it to be lacking and the Cornhusker Lager? Well...
Moving on to the seasonals... the Honey Porter was a good solid porter, better than I remember it being, and the Kelly's Irish Red was a nice nitro Irish red, and the Steam Ale was so-so.
On a revisit, they had the Stumbling Pumpkin Ale on which was okay in and of itself, but much better when mixed with the Stout to make "Stumpkin".
The menu is a an abridged version of the standard Heartland menu but has additions exclusive to this location that include crab cakes and a terryaki salmon sandwich (this is the South Street Seaport after all). I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was good. The decor is vintage beer memerbelia and posters of ancient breweries and beerings. Very nice comfortable place.
This place will hopefully benefit and not suffer from the tourist phenomena (of the South Street Seaport), much in the way that Hansen's Brewery did at Time Square (Naaah, they make much better beer here. They'll be fine). The other concern here regarding location is that the South Street Seaport is not all that hopping during the Winter months. Talk of an ice skating rink being built down there somewhere should entice people to come on out during the cold season.
Mar 25, 2003
Heartland Brewery South Street Seaport in New York, NY
Place rating: 3.44 out of 5 with 33 ratings