SBC Restaurant & Brewery - Southport

SBC Restaurant & Brewery - SouthportSBC Restaurant & Brewery - Southport
SBC Restaurant & Brewery - SouthportSBC Restaurant & Brewery - Southport
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

2600 Post Rd
Southport, Connecticut, 06890-1258
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
3.32
Beers:
23
Ratings:
84
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.4
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
23
pDev:
17.65%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by slander:
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

3.18/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
What are the chances, you think, that they'll let me bring my own beer in the next time I go there for lunch? Yep, you're readin' me right. I have never had a good beer there. Ever. The beer isn't lousy, it's just weak weak weak. The stout has no bite or body, and it's the same with the porter, the brown ale and the IPA. What gives?? I'll tell you "what gives". The last time I was there I expressed to the bartender that "the beers, while not entirely sucky, were nothing outstanding" and he replied, looking around first to see if anyone would hear him that "they used to be good, but they toned them all down so that the people would drink them". Accccchhhh!!! I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. But why tone down ALL the beers?? Admittingly, the concept is that they tone down some of the offerings so the macro swill crowd won't drink the crappy macro swill (that incidentally, they also have on tap) and will instead drink their beers. I get it. But you know what?? Tone down the lighter beers. Don't mess with the stout, porter, brown ale, IPA, etc. There's no reason for that. I'm looking up at my scoring as I'm typing this and I'm having a hard time reconciling giving them a "4" on selection (they brew a full range of beers, at least a dozen or so on tap at a time) because I'm very unimpressed with the entire selection of beers there.
On the flip side, the food is great. I've been through about twice a year for the last couple of years and I always get those killer "Singapore Wings" (terriyaki/soy sauce/scallion wings) which I swear by. The pastas are always good, as are the sandwiches and wraps. Generous portions of good food. Nice decor with a big bar area.
A clean, well lit place but man, do something about them beers.
Mar 04, 2003
More User Ratings:
Photo of Duffman79
Reviewed by Duffman79 from Connecticut

2.34/5  rDev -31.2%
vibe: 1.5 | quality: 1.75 | service: 5 | selection: 1.25 | food: 1
This place is a joke. The food was awful, atmosphere was shady (at best). The only redeeming quality was the wait staff. I do not recommend this place at all.
Mar 07, 2019
Photo of dd43
Reviewed by dd43 from Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
I went back to SBC recently after not going for a long time. I had a few less than stellar experiences at the old SBC in Stamford and an underwhelming visit in Southport years ago. At any rate, my recent visit (March 2016) was a big improvement. I was pleased to see that half the tap lines were for non-SBC brews. Not only that, but the SBC beers which were on tap were a little better than I remembered. Not anything amazing, but pretty solid execution. I will look forward to my next visit, which is the first time I've ever been able to say that.
Apr 18, 2016
Photo of Patbrown2
Reviewed by Patbrown2 from Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
Not much atmosphere at 8:30 on a Tues night in the summer....but my expectations were not high. Unfortunately, the air conditioning was running full blast...chasing us out to the patio.

Food was decent. 3 of 6 in our party got burgers, and all were rated highly. Person who ordered steak said it was chewy.

But it was the beer that shocked me. My impression of quality of SBC beer frankly was not a good one. Yet I really enjoyed two of their offerings (GILBS and Hoppy 36), and the sour fiend in our group liked their sour pear beer. Unfortunately, the run ended when I tried the Hydroponic White....but I was still very impressed by offerings overall.
Aug 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.63 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Jun 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.69 by CTJman from Connecticut

Jun 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.54 by psweendogg from Connecticut

Jan 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by Griffith from Connecticut

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by njbusa from New Jersey

Aug 20, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by NJBeer265 from New Jersey

Jun 01, 2014
Photo of EndlessPint
Reviewed by EndlessPint

4.9/5  rDev +44.1%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I am new to Fairfield and read about SBC in Southport. From what the server had told me it is under new management so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the few reviews that were already posted. Only one review was recent. I like APAs, and beer that is a little hoppy. I found that they had a large selection to choose from in house brewed beer and they carried a large selection of other beers on tap that rotated. The food was great we had pub chips, and beef tips for a light meal. Both were excellent. The service was friendly and fast. For beer we started with the sampler which is six small mug style glasses filled with a variety of their brewed beer. I don’t remember all the names but I ordered the Big Chill, and a second pint of their Bock beer. Both fantastic the Bock beer was a 10.1 ABV unfortunately the server didn’t know what the Big Chill Abv was. As for the atmosphere we sat in the pub area, which had high booths around the edges and tall tables in the middle. The booths we sat in were right next to the tanks that hold all the beer which was cool. There were three or four large screen TVs on with various sporting news on. Over all we had a great time, and will go back. I guess if there was a down side it would be that it was busy and it took a minute to find a parking spot.
Feb 04, 2013
Photo of DCha
Reviewed by DCha from Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 1.5
My two favorites are the SBC Porter and Cask Stout, they are delicious. They also have a small variety of Pale Ales. Its $4.50 for a SBC draft and they have happy hour everyday. I don't think the food is best but the beer is worth is stop if you're looking for a place in Fairfield. I had a the buffalo chicken wrap with lunch and it wasn't anything special. My friend ordered the portobello burger and at the end of the meal said how she wished she'd ordered something else. I'd say they have the best craft beer selection in Fairfield out of all of the places I've seen so far.
Nov 30, 2012
Photo of KTCamm
Reviewed by KTCamm from New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Everything is set up for this to be a truly great CT brewpub chain...I just wish the beer was better! Don't get me wrong, it is drinkable and I enjoy the freshness and variety - it just doesn't "pop" for me. That said, I usually leave with a growler (they give you a free pint if you take home a growler).

The food is hit or miss. I am a big fan of the Singapore wings app. Burgers ok, and they used to have a chicken sandwich they changed on the menu. Overally, stick to the basics and you'll be ok.
Mar 03, 2009
Photo of pittvkyle7
Reviewed by pittvkyle7 from Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
I liked the atmosphere here, I know some did not. Four of us went for a late lunch, we sat by some large windows. The seats are spaced nicely so your not too close to other people. All the beer equipment is visable and looks nice and clean. We got the two different beer samples and most of them were pretty good. The ones that stood out were the pilsner, the brunette, the IPA (less hoppy than the APA, but interesting none the less), and the porter. I ended up choosing the SouthPorter and it was very good. I ordered a pizza with sausages and peppers. The pie was very thin and crunchy and the perfect size to fill you up. Oh and we had some good appetizers including a goat cheese quesadilla. Good place, I'll go back again sometime. It's like a normal chain bar and grill except they brew their own beer. It's not all about the beer like you might want a beer bar to be like but its ok. A major downfall is the price though, be mindfull of the stuff you order, it racked up quick on us.
Mar 17, 2008
Photo of AlexJ
Reviewed by AlexJ from North Carolina

2.7/5  rDev -20.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Been here a few times when I first moved to CT. Decent atmosphere, bordering on boring. The brew equipment is all visible which is about the only thing to look at. Food and service is OK, nothing special. To me, the beers all taste the same here--way too malty and sweet. I think they are focusing on trying to pump up the alcohol content so much that thay are forgetting about the integrity of the beer. The Southporter and FairfieldRed ales are decent(they are supposed to have that dominant malty sweetness). But I for one do not want a malty IPA!!! For the most part their beers are dissapointing. The only beer I really ever liked here was the Southtoberfest Scotch Ale, which I admit kicked my ass!
Oct 20, 2004
Photo of spiritdeus
Reviewed by spiritdeus from Texas

2.33/5  rDev -31.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 1.5 | food: 2.5
SBC has been in Southport for years. I haven't gone in about 4 and was hoping that it had gotten better, what with the second SBC opening up in Stamford.

To my dismay they have not. Sure, the atmosphere is decent, the service is standard, and the location is great (within 10 miles of my place of work and volley fire house), however, there really isn't much else to look forward to.

They have samplers for the beer, but those are over priced in my opinion. Their selection was pretty standard: Pilsner, Blonde, Brunette, Red, Porter, Stout; but nothing to show that they have been inovative.

The food was awful. Wings (important at all brew-pubs, I think): Although the buffalo sauce was decent tasting there was little to no meat on the bones. Selection: Lunch menu was of poor selection, the days specials were printed on a quarter sheet of paper with no flare, and what they did offer was really only for those who are being food concious. Sure, that's good for them, but what about the fat slob who likes a heavy, juicy, fatty steak to go with his porter, like me? They did show signs of trying to make food interesting (ziti with marinara sauce and fresh motz), but it was bland, even the desert (a 4 layer chocolate cake) was bland.

Service was, standard. The bartender, although extremely cute, would rather have been outside today, and who can blame her, but when it takes away from your service that's a problem. The hostess was polite, but that's only a welcome.

As for the beer, well, I just was not impressed. The beer shows signs of improvement, but its flavor is still too watered down.

Come on SBC, you have a great thing going for you, no major competition, and a great location with tons of money to spend on you. Time to make something worth raving about!
Apr 19, 2004
Photo of TheJudge
Reviewed by TheJudge from New York

3.3/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
The home site of SBC, they have another site in Stamford CT. This has much more of a bar feeling. Located in a small strip mall on US 1, not far from I-95, it is easy to locate. The atmosphere was good, cheery. As with the other location, they had about 9 of their own beers on tap (although they kicked the stout right before I ordered it), and 3 or 4 outside taps.

Last visitI started with the light beers, and worked my way up. It was a mistake I did not repeat. This location, I stuck with the darker and more flavorful styles, a Bitter, an IPA, a Red, and a Brown. The beer was still hit and miss. While the Brown had a nice body, taste and texture, the red left a lot to be desired in all those areas. It was a very average beer. The IPA I found to be too sweet and not hoppy enough, but the Bitter was excellent. All in all, the beer was average for a brewpub. The selection did cover the range of types and styles.

I was not so impressed with the food here. The menu tends towards the she-she, with very limited pub type food. The fries were delicious, and the berger was good, but I really wasn't impressed.

The juke box was very girly oriented. Little decent rock, a lot of lite-fm type music.

So long as you stick with the darker beers, the place is worth a vist.
Mar 09, 2004
Photo of etho1416
Reviewed by etho1416 from New York

2.49/5  rDev -26.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
This place was awful. I guess rich people in southeastern, ct do not care about getting good beer. The selction of beer was immense and the choices were interesting but the beer was awful. They all had the same awful aftertaste. The service was not very good. They offered two different samplers of their beer and looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if I could make up my own sampler to avoid all the fruit laced beer I almost always avoid. I do not uderstand how this place has opened up a second location in stamford, but I guess I do not understand why almost all the beer in teh metropolitan area is not very good.
Feb 22, 2004
Photo of beernbbq
Reviewed by beernbbq from Connecticut

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
This location and the Stamford one would be much more enjoyable if they were really putting an effort in to be outstanding, which they do not and is, unfortunately the sad situation in most of lower Fairfield county dining. You would think with all the people who live here they would put in an effort to make the food and drink something you would really look forward to, but that is just not the case. Everything about this place other than the atmosphere is so-so and I am rating that a little higher because they did a nice job designing these places. The food is average other than the thin crust pizzas and the beer is bland, even the IPAs which just don't make it. Okay place but nothing compared to others of its ilk.
Oct 19, 2003
Photo of ecoboy
Reviewed by ecoboy from Rhode Island

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
In a plaza with several healthcare providers. The best juxtaposition of healthy living with beer that I know of. Easy-off, easy-on 95.

Went for Sunday Brunch and then ignored the special brunch menu; nothing food-wise as inspired as some of the grub on the regular menu.

Sat out on the outdoor plaza, which is seperated from the dining area by the brewery. Then there's the pub/bar area where I have sat twice before. The service in each place was just fine, although there's a difference between a beer server who's into the company and the beer and is excited to be efficient and courteous because the establishment is a personal representation (which you might get at a long-standing Irish pub) and someone just doing the job for the check. The young folk at SBC seem to have that "it's just my job" attitude which, while not in any way spoiling the beer, makes for a less homey, more chainlike atmosphere.

The beers on the whole (I tried three of the ten available) seemed like fine mild takes on the styles. The pale was more like a mild, the IPA like a pale etc. This brewpub seems like one of the ones that is a gateway for normal solid beer citizens who have not yet striven to be advocates. Aggressive beer fans will probably turn their nose up at these brews. I think their subtlety is just fine, especially as it makes for a nice session in the summer (no idea how a shivering cold winter night would send me scowling back to the parking lot.) But with food, my IPA couldn't fight against the dynamite sesame/teriyaki chicken wings.

And hey, the food is darned good! The aformentioned wings are great. The big burger with bacon and goat cheese was too much for my companion. My first visit here back in 1998 was not as much fun food-wise, so I was glad to be impressed.
Jul 21, 2003
Photo of OatmattStout
Reviewed by OatmattStout from Connecticut

2.93/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The beer is okay but a bit thin for most BA's tastes. The IPA was good for a session beer cause it was on the lighter side as are most of their offerings. The atmosphere is good and the building and tanks look awesome as you enter. The food is good and the service has been fine the handfull of times I have bee there. I think it's more of a trendy Fairfield county crowd than a real craft brew appreciating one.

I have recently been to the Branford location and the beer seemed a bit better and the food was good.
Jan 13, 2003
Photo of doho95fu
Reviewed by doho95fu from California

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
This is a brewpub that I wished had better beers. It is very cool inside and would be great for me because I live 5 minutes away, but the beer just is not that good. I had 3 different beers and they all had a similar aftertaste, and they all seemed flat to me. I am not an expert on carbonation levels for styles, but it really stood out. One beer came and looked like brown water. The red was the best I tasted, but was not outstanding. The food is good, but when I get to pick where we are going - I want to have access to some good beers. If they could improve the beers some, I would would be there all the time.
Dec 03, 2002
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

4.22/5  rDev +24.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
I'm sorry, but I believe that the beer here is over rated. There is a huge selection of styles to choose from, and it is brewed on premises, but the taste and body of most of the styles I tried were just not up to par. The service was very good, and the food was also very good, but there really are much better places to go for beers. Southport Brewing Company wins many awards for their beers, but the biggest draw to come here for a bucket of suds is that you may see local resident Paul Newman tilting a few in the bar.
Nov 24, 2002
SBC Restaurant & Brewery - Southport in Southport, CT
Brewery rating: 3.32 out of 5 with 84 ratings