Pump House Brewery

Pump House BreweryPump House Brewery
Pump House BreweryPump House Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

5 Orange Lane
Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 4L6
Canada

(506) 855-2537 | map
pumphousebrewery.ca
BEER STATS
Average:
3.54
Beers:
30
Ratings:
495
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.98
Reviews:
16
Ratings:
25
pDev:
13.07%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TheBierdimpfe:
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Reviewed by TheBierdimpfe from Canada (QC)

3.25/5  rDev -18.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.5
Simple urban style, fire hydrant mugs, tables inside barrels, nice place. Selection around 10 casual beer types, nothing fancy, most are of average quality...a little disappointing. One or two seasonal beers. The pub style food was alright, they have a wood stove for the pizza, and the service was okay. I like the bar, they are a little friendlier and more knowledgeable. No proper glassware.
Jan 22, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by atlbravsrno1 from Maine

Jun 28, 2023
 
Rated: 4.11 by Electros from Canada (ON)

Oct 21, 2020
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

2.56/5  rDev -35.7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2.25 | service: 2.75 | selection: 3
the cheap seafood smell and the rude nartenfer were the first to offend me here. worst of proud arrogant Atlantic Canada attitude. big money making machine with cheap swill being served.
Aug 08, 2017
Photo of Lewnanny
Reviewed by Lewnanny from Canada (NB)

4.58/5  rDev +15.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
The Pump house is a nice bar / Restaurant. The food is really nice, and the selection of the beer on tap is also super neat.
Last time I have been there I tried their 12 beers on tap. It was a super nice ambiance.

Their 12 beer on tap are all super nice and all different
May 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.65 by FrankShirley from Massachusetts

Aug 20, 2016
 
Rated: 4.46 by Asianadian from Canada (NB)

Feb 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.46 by jfreeze from Canada (NB)

Nov 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.28 by MetalCath from Canada (QC)

Feb 26, 2015
Photo of PorterPro125
Reviewed by PorterPro125 from Canada (NB)

4.65/5  rDev +16.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
As a resident of New Brunswick (Fredericton to be exact) and having lots of family from Moncton, I have visited Pump House many, many times... even before I was legal drinking age and all I had to enjoy was the food!

Vibe- For me personally, Downtown Moncton as a whole gives off a great vibe. That vibe definitely transfers into Pump House. The brick walls of the establishment give off a really cozy atmosphere. Simply put, it's a comfortable place to enjoy excellent food and top notch beer (the beer that's brewed in-house of course!).

Quality- Like I stated in the first stanza of this review, I have been going to Pump House fairly frequently over the last ten or so years and I cannot recall a single visit that I did not wholeheartedly enjoy. Quality is always top notch.

Service- As mentioned in the 'Quality' section of my review, I cannot recall a single visit that I did not wholeheartedly enjoy, and that includes the service. The waiters/waitresses I've had over the years have always performed adequately and made the dining experience at Pump House enjoyable.

Selection- While the menu provides a variety of excellent options in terms of food, the menu is sort of small. In this case, the size of the menu doesn't harm the score too much because there are so many things that are enjoyable. Once in awhile, they do seem to have special items as well as new items on the menu. In terms of there beer selection, they have a slough of draft beers that are brewed in the restaurant. They also have a good selection of domestic bottles for those who don't enjoy quality beer ;)

Food- The food has always been excellent and I don't recall having a meal that I didn't enjoy. Their brick oven pizza's are absolutely devine and the burgers and steaks are all incredible as well. My favourite menu item was the Jambalaya for many years but it has been off the menu for the last 3 or so years unfortunately.

Overall- If you happen to be travelling through the area, do yourself a favour and stop in for a bite and a brew! The staff, food, and beer are all top notch and I make it a point to visit every time I'm in Moncton.
Jan 29, 2015
Photo of illpass78
Rated by illpass78 from Maine

5/5  rDev +25.6%
Loved my visit to this place. A highlight of any trip to New Brunswick.
Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by YamagamiTravis from Canada (BC)

Jul 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by DoubleMalt from New York

Nov 12, 2013
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Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

3.66/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
A nice place to go after a game or to spend a sunny summer afternoon.

The Pump House offers a fair number of their own brews to suit most casual beer drinkers tastes, but if you are a serious BA, then you will find it limiting.

I give the place credit for bringing forward the beer culture in this city. It is helping the area make strides.

The food at the Pump House is basic pub fare. There is nothing that jumps out as spectacular on the menu, but the food is decent.

Service is good, and the staff are friendly.

I found the prices reasonable, and overall I would say I will visit again.
May 14, 2013
Photo of smcolw
Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -8.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Warm August day, we are enjoying a semi-shaded, trellised picnic benches. Inside, there is a high unfinished ceiling with cut up barrels for booths. The brewery is toward the back and completely exposed to the patrons (no glass). It's dark inside but convivial. 

The fare is typical bar offerings. They're tasty but not spectacular. Pizza, though, is made in a wood burning stove. I also thought the wings were good. The beer, alas, was run-of-the-mill. Not bad, but not exceptional either. 

Service was efficient and pleasant. French is spoken by 75% of the city but you won't notice as English is more than a second language here. 
Aug 20, 2012
Photo of tigg924
Reviewed by tigg924 from Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Outside of distribution, I am baffled why the Pumphouse is not mentioned when people talk about great northeast breweries. After having a couple of their beers while camping in Fundy, we decided to drive an hour north to their place in Moncton. It was well worth it. Pumphouse is on a side street off Moncton’s main drag. The atmosphere is very open for restaurant seating, although it has a small bar. There is plenty of additional outside seating. The restaurant is filled with people of all ages and walks of life, although on a Friday night, perhaps a bit on the young side. The waitress was prompt and never let a glass go empty. The food was amazing. We split some nachos. Then I ordered barbeque salmon with a side salad. The salmon was mouthwatering. The real reason to go to Pumphouse is the beer. This brewery tends to take ordinary styles and make them amazing. Their red and Scotch ales are prime examples of this. Of the eight beers I had over our trip, there were only two that I was not blown away by. That to me is a winning ratio. This is one of my new favorite breweries. I will certainly look for them whenever I am in Canada. Amazing beer, amazing people—just go.
Sep 06, 2011
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
dropped in on a Wednesday afternoon on our way around the bay from the Nova Scotia coast to Fundy National Park

big dining room and bar area with a few booths and a pool table in the back, a few other groups were eating/drinking but the place was pretty quiet, the interior was quite dark and kinda dreary on a cloudy, rainy day - though people generally seemed to be enjoying themselves, unfortunately the nice deck area was out of the question given the weather, kind of a traditional pub vibe, lots of wood, beer schwag on the walls, and some sort of firehouse theme mildly represented

there were maybe 8 standard drafts and some sort of fruited seasonal on at the time, the scotch ale tasted messy or oxidized to me at the time, but the IPA was pretty good - and one of the more bitter examples I've come across, a few of the house beers are also sold in bottles to go, standard pint servings $5.25 with other sizes available

service was quick and helpful - the server warned my ladyfriend that the IPA was extremely bitter, indeed it was and as a result I was able to exchange my scotch for her IPA, samples were provided without asking

went with the beer steamed mussels, definitely quite tasty if a little heavy on the salt and fat, not the choicest mussels but that's most likely a seasonal thing
Jul 21, 2010
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Reviewed by berley31 from Canada (NB)

4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Stopped by in early June to the Orange Lane location. We just had a couple of beers, and sat at the picnic tables outside, which was great for the nice weather. I was shocked at how large it is inside, and the atmosphere seemed really nice in there.

Obviously a large selection of Pump House beers on tap; definitely the best way to sample their wares, as many of them aren't available in bottles yet. Speaking of that, you can also go inside their store there and buy 6-packs for no more expensive than what the liquor stores charge, which is great. Menu looked good, so I'd like to go back there sometime for the food as well.
Aug 19, 2009
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Reviewed by Yeastcakes from Colorado

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
I visited the Brewpub on 131 Mill Street (not the one listed on 5 Orange St). Called the Barnyard Restaurant
Overall impression - This is a great little Brew Pub that I visited on my way across Canada and I will definitely be back. The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced. The beer was well balanced and very sessionable.
Atmosphere -This place goes out of the way to create a "firehouse garage" atmosphere. The windows are the top halves of garage doors. Fire hydrants are everywhere. The bathrooms are walled with corrugated aluminum.
Quality - The beers are very good. The two I had (blueberry and the red) were both light in body and very well balanced. I hope to come back and try their others because these two were both great beers that were easy to drink.
Service - The service was excellent and very friendly. Our waitress was right on top of keeping our drinks filled and getting out food.
Selection - They had six on tap when I went - an ESB, red, light lager, pale ale, stout and blueberry.
Food - Their focus is on their bison burgers and BBQ but they have most of the standard brewpub options. I ordered the Cajun Salmon ($9.50 CAN) with a salad and got the cookies and cream cake ($4.95 CAN) for desert. The salmon was outstanding - still moist and very well seasoned. The salad had nice dark greens. The cake was also tasty. I came here to try out the beer, but I would come back for the food. The menu give also gives beer pairing of Pump House brews for each entree.
Value - The food is very well priced (since most restaurants like to charge $15+ for any salmon dish). The beer was a little expensive ($4.95), although it was also 16 oz.
May 26, 2009
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Based upon 2 visits to this place I would have to say that it is fairly solid. Nine brews on tap ranging from the pedestrian to pretty solid. I see they are trying some new things according to their website, would certainly get me to stop in for another visit when in the area.

This place caters a bit to almost everyone. A somewhat typical brewpub with good pub style food by day and then a nightclub some nights. Last time there we were entertained by a rockin blues trio while enjoying our beers.

Service has ranged from typical to accomadating, like the time we got to meet the brewer and were shown around a bit and enjoyed some free samples.

A nice place located on a side street just off the main hustle and bustle of the downtown area. Decent brews, good food and a pleasant atmosphere...a quality stop if in Moncton or driving by on the Trans-Canadian.
Jan 05, 2009
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Reviewed by elricorico from Canada (AB)

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Myself, my wife and my 85 year old grandmother all enjoyed our trip to the Pump House Brewery for dinner. The inside is rustic, with beer themed decor and hundreds of different bottles lining the shelves. The only turn off from the atmosphere was that it was quite loud. No complaints as far as quality goes, I really enjoyed the Muddy River Stout, and my wife loves the Blueberry Ale. The selection of beers wasn't too exciting, mostly because I had sample the bottled Pump House beers before, and there weren't too many others, but there was enough to choose from. Food was good, a bit better than the average pub for the special touches they add. Service was prompt and friendly. I'd be happy to visit again.
Jul 15, 2008
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Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Ya know? Moncton is a pretty kick ass city, and this my friends is a pretty kick ass brewpub. Located on orange lane close to the big ass tower, old monastery, and maine street, it is not hard to find. The building is big with a warehouse/firehouse vibe cultivating well and there are many old beer labels adorning the interior of this very clever Acadian stronghold. Quality of beer and food is quite good and the service was top notch as well with many free samples being poured and much conversation about the beers to be had. The selection was very good as well with 6 or 7 year rounds and 2 seasonals on tap *a dunkelweizen and a weizenbock* yowza! The weizenbock was a killer fruity, tropical style lighter than aventinus but bold all the same. The dunkel was a ballzed up to the wall version of fransizkaners take. Food was nice, I had some hearth baked beer bread with a sauce that made me almost orgasm. Truly good and cheap for a filling with beer app. Overall I highly recommend this place. It's cheap and lovely, and the beer and food kick ass as far as atlantic canada goes...
May 20, 2006
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Reviewed by Cwrw from Canada (AB)

3.4/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
I was pleased to discover that my friends house in Moncton was right near downtown and only a block away from the Pump House, my one planned stop for beer in the short time I was in New Brunswick. We walked down late Friday night and found the place only about 1/4 full, with hockey playing on the big screen and loud but not overbearing music playing. I remember the service being exceptionally quick and extremely friendly. The waitress was quick to notice an empty glass and even quicker to get your refill of the Pump House brew. The place is situated near downtown and seemed old but clean, with a typical laid back, Canadian maritime atmosphere. Definitely no rowdiness here. The clientele were quiet but seemed to be having a good time. The Pump House is very large: as you walk in, the main dining room and the brewing equipment is to your left, while in back is another section entirely, with a pool table near the washrooms. Along the wall at the back is a massive collection of beer bottles, showing the obvious interest of the owners in trying different beers. I really liked the whole atmosphere of the place. The food, while I only tried one platter with my friends, was tasty and big in portion. The menu has a lot of selections, with typical fare including burgers and pizza and some seafood entrees. As for what really matters: the beer. There seemed to be about 10 taps, serving all their regular beers and two seasonals: a hefeweizen and a rye ale. Both were extremely well-done. The other beers were tasty too, although I could not try all of them. Good prices too. The Pump House is everything a brewpub should be, and a place I would go to all the time if I lived in Moncton.
Mar 14, 2006
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Reviewed by eveninghawk from Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
The layout inside is laid back and cute, and there's plenty of patio seating out front in the nicer weather. There are hints to the firefighter-related theme all over the please. In terms of food, they're known for their pizza and steaks, and the menu does include recommended pairings.

So far so good.

All of the beer weighed in at about 5%ABV, and the prices are low. I'd say these are beers great for consuming with lunch or for an early evening meal.

I can't give the beer overly high marks just because they seemed so mediocre. Not bad, just not much wow. They do balance their flavors really well in the fruity products such as the Blueberry Ale and the Raspberry Wheat Ale. The Cadian Cream Ale was tasty as well. Stay away from th Scotch Ale and the Pale Ale.
Aug 29, 2005
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Reviewed by PiratePete from Canada (NB)

4.1/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
When in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada you have to go to the Pump House Brewery on Orange Street. There are bottled beers, none of which are anything special, but who goes to the Pump House for that? One goes for the Pump House beer of course. There are 8 types of beer on tap at any one time. There is also a tap for their own root beer which I found very tasty. It reminded me of Little John's Sarsaparilla Root Beer (if you are an American Civil War reenactor than you know that means good root beer).

Anyway, a trip to the Pump House is in order to try their beers. Many have a fire fighter related name (i.e. Fire Chief Red Ale) as the place is the old pump house (as in the pumpers parked there) and the owner is a fire fighter with the City of Moncton. Lots of departmental patches adorn the bar and there are other things of that ilk around the place. Oh yeah, the pale ale is called Pail Ale - cute, huh? There are always a couple of seasonal beers around like the very excellent barley wine as well as their regular brews like Muddy River Stout. Only one of their beers is bottled - the popular Cadian Cream Ale, but today I saw the packaging for the Blueberry Ale due out at Christmas 2003.

But, let's not forget this is also a good place to eat. It seems that nearly half the menu uses beer in the making of the food. The bread for sandwiches (and they are thick) is made using their own beers like the braized onions or the Fire Hazard Chili. The Pump House also has the only brick oven in Moncton so if you like pizza - you can trust me on this - its very good pizza. Yep, I ate it all by myself too! The service was great and very friendly and accommodating.

Located at 5 Orange Lane the Pump House is just half a block from the Delta Beausejour Hotel, and right behind City Hall. In deed, the Pump House is within sight of the base of the large communication Tower in Moncton so if you can see that you'll find the Pump House and if you can't see the tower you aren't even in Moncton. Try the Pump House; you'll like it. My son (he's a wine guy) was with me as he was taking me to the 13th Annual World Wine Festival and we had a great time there. However, his take on the trip: the Pump House was the highlight. So how's that for an endorsement?

Oh ya, have the coffee chocolate chunk cheesecake with a glass of Pump House Barley Wine. Mmmm, mmmm, good!
Nov 17, 2003
Pump House Brewery in Moncton, NB, Canada
Brewery rating: 3.54 out of 5 with 495 ratings