Dark Horse Brewing Company

Out in the middle of no-where Michigan its a quit hop off 94 traveling to our from Detroit. A total small town locale, the pub itself has that small town feel too. The customers seem to be all regulars that know each other and the walls are decorated with what appears to be memorabilia that the customers put up themselves. The best part is the mugs that hand all over the wall and ceiling. Each is different and numbered for all the people that one. The Mug Club seems worthwhile...The beer list is displayed on each table with a plastic menu, each beer that is available has an X next to it. I was supremely disappointed in the beers available as all they had were regulars that I can get at any half decent store in Chicago...The service was good, they were nice and rushed us through our meal as we told them we were in a hurry. The food was pretty decent. Lots of people raved about the pizza but they were average at best.

With the limited tap list, despite the easy free-way access, this is not a place I would venture again.

I originally rated this place in 2016 but deleted it so that I could provide info on place updates that have occurred. Recent reviews do a good job describing the original Dark Horse Brewing, so I won't dwell on those details. However, with Roak Brewing owning Dark Horse their presence is now more visible.

The original Dark Horse pub remains unchanged, although they now have a mixture of DH and Roak beers, but the beer garden is where Roak has become very visible. Roak Beer Garden has been created inside the large pole barn structure that is situated behind he DH pub and adjacent to the parking lot. A large bar with seating has been constructed there and a kitchen was installed so that a different experience exists out there. Plenty of picnic tables provide adequate seating.

Beer is available in the DH pub, at the bar in he beer garden behind the pub during busy days, and now in the Roak Beer Garden building. However, the tap lists can vary a bit so check all of them if you're looking for something specific and don't see it. The Dark Horse and the Roak food menus differ too.

I don't know if the Roak Beer Garden will stay open during the cold months (the building has one side completely open to the weather) so the Dark Horse pub may be the extent of your visit during the winter.

I visited Dark Horse recently while passing through that part of Michigan. I actually made a special effort to stop in, because they have one of the most-reviewed tripels on this site. On my visit, they had 14 beers on tap including pilsner, a couple IPAs, a few fruit beers, and a couple Belgians (including, of course, the tripel). Overall my favorite was the pilsner; the other things I sampled were decent enough, if nothing special.

The taproom is super cool, funky and lived in. There are thousands of member mugs hanging from the ceiling and walls, and stickers adorn every surface. It's basically a dive bar, with tons of character and clearly a long history; I really like it.

The bar service is good, and there's definitely a lot of locals who patronize the place. They have a small kitchen and i got a turkey sandwich for lunch; nothing revolutionary but no complaints.

Near the interstate, on the edge of a tiny town. A fairly small informal roadhouse style establishment with a few small rooms. The ceiling is low for a reason. There are hundreds of handmade pottery steins with numbers cut into the bottoms, filling the ceiling and the walls. Each one belongs to a regular customer, some from outside Michigan. Tall, old, wooden tables and stools, make up the seating area. They have an extensive canning facility on premises, to boot. They were playing an unusually good mix of '70's hard rock such as Montrose and Rick Derringer. The beers are nearly all quite good or even better.

 

Awesome place. Totally welcome on a winter evening. 12 great beers on tap. Fantastic atmosphere like a village tavern. Wood fired pizza was good. It’s worth a stop.

 

Cool place. Pretty crowded when I went but got seats somewhat quickly. "Vibe" was cool, dark wooden, feels like an old drinking hall with tons of steins hanging from the roof. All the beer was good and the food was great, pretty good selection. Bar tenders were friendly but seemed to be spread a bit thin.
Overall worth a visit and I'll certainly be back.

 

Lets start with 4-Elf...

Great beer shares, great people, great (free) food, and such a great time. Best bottle share in Michigan. 2nd place would be such a distant 2nd its not even worth mentioning.

Onto a regular night...

Came here for lunch once and dinner once. Our group of four had a couple beers and some decent food at lunch. For the dinner, we actually conned another group into letting two of us crash their table for dinner. Given how many laughs were had, I'll say we all had a great time.

Only complaint would be the service. A bit slow, but nothing too bad. Food was pretty good, but I'm not raving about it. I however haven't had the pizza. Each time I come I end up talking to someone who raves about the pizza. That will be next on my list.

Definitely worth a stop. These days they end up with leftover special release bottles, so make sure you go to the general store next door and ask about bottles.

 

Did not care for the vibe here at all. I think it's an old trailer that it's built in, and it feels claustrophobic in there. I really didn't care for the beers I had either. The food was just ok. I've had this on my list to go to for awhile on my trips from Chicago to Detroit, and I won't be going back. Service was decent - people seemed nice.

 

Great place in Marshall. Great beers and food with some Polish specialties.

Went for the 4 Elf Event last December... such a fun time with the bottle share. The staff was great for how busy it was. Really good beer, both on tap, and available for sale.

Good food,Good beer and alot going on at the place often. fun to go to!

Dark Horse occupies several somewhat rundown looking buildings, but only one houses the tap room...and that is my first criticism. As one of Michigan's premier breweries, why haven't they invested in a larger tap room? This one is old, dingy, full of mismatched tables and chairs, with seemingly every available inch of ceiling/wall space covered with mugs. The bar has maybe 6 stools. (What is the deal with Michigan breweries and tiny bars???) My wife and I ended up sharing a table with another couple because there wasn't anywhere else to sit early on a Sunday afternoon.

We only had time for one beer apiece, but they were both good. We also took home a sampler pack from the shop across the parking lot. Food was a little disappointing. My 9-in. pizza bore more than a passing resemblance to a Tombstone pizza but my wife's turkey sandwich was tasty. Prices were reasonable. Service was OK if not a bit rushed.

It's a shame that our experience fell short because I had been wanting to visit Dark Horse for a long time. Fortunately, there are many other breweries to try.

 

Seems small and unassuming which is a good thing. Great comfortable place for lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacking in corporate sterility, this brewery is what you love about DIY beer making. Stage featuring roots music and beer that hasn't acquiesced to offering only "safe" beer. Will raise the bar for every other tasting room you ever settle into.

 

 

 

Members of the mug club for years, several superb brews. Weakness clearly has been food. Need bigger better kitchen (almost done we hear) . Owners are sincere long term brewers not late players to the game. Enjoy!