Allentown Brew Works
BEER AVG
3.69/5
3.69/5
Type: Brewery, Bar, Eatery
812-816 W. Hamilton Street
Allentown, Pennsylvania, 18101
United States
(610) 433-7777 | map
www.thebrewworks.com
Notes:
In 2010 the beers from both brewpubs will be called Fegley Brew Works brands, though the names of the brew pubs will remain the same.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 06-11-2007
Reviews: 36 | Ratings: 91
4.21/5 rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Stopped by on May 24, 2015 for dinner with the family. Nice and inviting atmosphere with a nice look to it. Our waitress came over quickly to take our drink orders and I had the Time Bomb IPA, while everyone else had water or soda. The beer was just tapped at the Allentown and Bethlehem locations on May 21st, so this was fresh and I added it to the website as well! Our waitress was more than helpful; made a couple of suggestions and was patient while we decided on what we wanted to eat. There are plenty of food and drink selections to choose from, to fit all appetites and preferences. I had the newly added fish and chips, which the beer batter was made with the brewpubs own amber lager, the 2 pieces of cod were HUGE, looked a little over-fried but were excellent and the fresh cut fries were delicious too! The wife got the grilled chicken sandwich with cheese (she enjoyed it), oldest son chose the Iron Pigs pulled pork (named after the local AAA minor league baseball team of the Phillies: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs; which is also served at Coca-Cola Stadium) we has to stop him from eating it too quickly! Our daughter got the mac and cheese; it was fantastic and our youngest son got a cheeseburger (his usual), he ate the whole thing quickly too! The desserts were great too! Chocolate cheesecakes made with the house porter! Creme brulee for the wife and I and an ice cream sundae to round it out for the youngest.
The check came and we thought the menu said that kids eat free on Sunday's from 4-6, The waitress told us it was for "mug club members" and asked us if we wanted to sign up; which of course we did! Which was really helpful!
Definitely gonna head back again some day!
★ 1,708 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Stopped by on May 24, 2015 for dinner with the family. Nice and inviting atmosphere with a nice look to it. Our waitress came over quickly to take our drink orders and I had the Time Bomb IPA, while everyone else had water or soda. The beer was just tapped at the Allentown and Bethlehem locations on May 21st, so this was fresh and I added it to the website as well! Our waitress was more than helpful; made a couple of suggestions and was patient while we decided on what we wanted to eat. There are plenty of food and drink selections to choose from, to fit all appetites and preferences. I had the newly added fish and chips, which the beer batter was made with the brewpubs own amber lager, the 2 pieces of cod were HUGE, looked a little over-fried but were excellent and the fresh cut fries were delicious too! The wife got the grilled chicken sandwich with cheese (she enjoyed it), oldest son chose the Iron Pigs pulled pork (named after the local AAA minor league baseball team of the Phillies: Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs; which is also served at Coca-Cola Stadium) we has to stop him from eating it too quickly! Our daughter got the mac and cheese; it was fantastic and our youngest son got a cheeseburger (his usual), he ate the whole thing quickly too! The desserts were great too! Chocolate cheesecakes made with the house porter! Creme brulee for the wife and I and an ice cream sundae to round it out for the youngest.
The check came and we thought the menu said that kids eat free on Sunday's from 4-6, The waitress told us it was for "mug club members" and asked us if we wanted to sign up; which of course we did! Which was really helpful!
Definitely gonna head back again some day!
★ 1,708 characters
4.2/5 rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Went to Allentown BrewWorks on May 24th, 2015. Our bartender was Kyle and dude was pretty awesome. I had the bean soup and the nachos w/ guacamole and enjoyed both. Sat at the bar, which had 4 or 5 large tv's with various sporting events on. Thankfully, I don't live in Allentown, but if I did this would easily be my go-to place. Excellent vibe inside, liked the place so much I bought a t-shirt.
★ 397 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Went to Allentown BrewWorks on May 24th, 2015. Our bartender was Kyle and dude was pretty awesome. I had the bean soup and the nachos w/ guacamole and enjoyed both. Sat at the bar, which had 4 or 5 large tv's with various sporting events on. Thankfully, I don't live in Allentown, but if I did this would easily be my go-to place. Excellent vibe inside, liked the place so much I bought a t-shirt.
★ 397 characters
2.75/5 rDev -27.2%
Kind of flashy. Not really a beer geek kind of place. I felt underdressed if that's possible. Food good, joint is loud and busy, not really conducive for beer loving.
★ 166 characters
Kind of flashy. Not really a beer geek kind of place. I felt underdressed if that's possible. Food good, joint is loud and busy, not really conducive for beer loving.
★ 166 characters
3.71/5 rDev -1.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Food was good. Selection of in house beers was good. Decent selection of guest beers. The barrel aged insidious was good, not earth shaking but a solid BA Stout and it was by far the best beer available. A decent atop if your in Allentown and looking for some local craft beer.
★ 277 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Food was good. Selection of in house beers was good. Decent selection of guest beers. The barrel aged insidious was good, not earth shaking but a solid BA Stout and it was by far the best beer available. A decent atop if your in Allentown and looking for some local craft beer.
★ 277 characters
4/5 rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Up and coming Allentown has this hidden gem on Hamilton Street. Excellent selection of brewery only beers on tap with excellent seasonal beers. The food was decent and service was good. All in all a nice place to swing by and have a brew. If in season give the barrel aged Devious pumpkin a try it's amazing!
★ 308 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Up and coming Allentown has this hidden gem on Hamilton Street. Excellent selection of brewery only beers on tap with excellent seasonal beers. The food was decent and service was good. All in all a nice place to swing by and have a brew. If in season give the barrel aged Devious pumpkin a try it's amazing!
★ 308 characters
3.16/5 rDev -16.4%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25 | food: 2.75
A little on the Stuffy and Snobby side. I get the opinion when I am here that theirs is the only opinion that matters. Their beer is good but not great. The food is often overpriced for what you get. I am very happy to pay for a quality meal but that is not what you always get here. Located in the up and coming center of Allentown, virtually no parking.
★ 355 characters
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25 | food: 2.75
A little on the Stuffy and Snobby side. I get the opinion when I am here that theirs is the only opinion that matters. Their beer is good but not great. The food is often overpriced for what you get. I am very happy to pay for a quality meal but that is not what you always get here. Located in the up and coming center of Allentown, virtually no parking.
★ 355 characters
4.79/5 rDev +26.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Went here with my wife and daughter who was checking out a college in the area. We all thought the food was very good, the service was excellent and my IPA and my wife's Wit beer were great. I would definitely recommend this place. It seemed like a very vibrant part of the community.
Editorial: I have been seeking out brew pubs when I'm out of town for the last 10-12 years. We have never been to one that did not have good food (I hope I don't jinx it).
★ 458 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Went here with my wife and daughter who was checking out a college in the area. We all thought the food was very good, the service was excellent and my IPA and my wife's Wit beer were great. I would definitely recommend this place. It seemed like a very vibrant part of the community.
Editorial: I have been seeking out brew pubs when I'm out of town for the last 10-12 years. We have never been to one that did not have good food (I hope I don't jinx it).
★ 458 characters
4.05/5 rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
My wife, son and I came here after picking up a case of hopslam in Emmaus. This is a nice place to pick up lunch. Right in the middle of town on hamilton street. After walking through the two sets of double glass doors. We were greeted by cases of hop explosion. Damn shame I didn't have enough money for a case. Anyway a stairwell is kind of hidden to the left of the hosstess desk with a nice dining area to the left and awesome looking bar to the right. Our seats back were we came in in front of the window to the city of Allentown.
Our server was a bit unpleasant but besides being grumpy he was very quick to ask if we needed anything.
Beers were a bit pricey as well as the samples at $10 for six. Brew works is some of the cheapest cases I have seen and for good quality but at the brewpub the seem to charge a bit more.
I will say the is the cleanest brewpub and restaraunt I have ever been in. Very pleased to go to the bathroom and smell potpouri and not stand in a puddle of urine.
The family and I were very happy to come here.
★ 1,046 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
My wife, son and I came here after picking up a case of hopslam in Emmaus. This is a nice place to pick up lunch. Right in the middle of town on hamilton street. After walking through the two sets of double glass doors. We were greeted by cases of hop explosion. Damn shame I didn't have enough money for a case. Anyway a stairwell is kind of hidden to the left of the hosstess desk with a nice dining area to the left and awesome looking bar to the right. Our seats back were we came in in front of the window to the city of Allentown.
Our server was a bit unpleasant but besides being grumpy he was very quick to ask if we needed anything.
Beers were a bit pricey as well as the samples at $10 for six. Brew works is some of the cheapest cases I have seen and for good quality but at the brewpub the seem to charge a bit more.
I will say the is the cleanest brewpub and restaraunt I have ever been in. Very pleased to go to the bathroom and smell potpouri and not stand in a puddle of urine.
The family and I were very happy to come here.
★ 1,046 characters
4.25/5 rDev +12.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I had lunch with my family here yesterday. Food was much better than expected. My wife liked what she had (fish tacos) very much. I had the turkey burger and it was impressive. My son had the "grass fed" burger and pretty much demolished it. Fries were excellent as was the cole slaw. The food is of a high quality for this kind of establishment.
The waiter was very much above average and gave me a mini-tour of the brewing facility. Service was excellent.
I didn't have beer with lunch though I bought some to bring home. I don't drink at all when I have to drive a car. They do sell beer in bottles that you can bring home as well as growlers. (I'm sipping a Fegley's Hop Explosion that I bought yesterday as I type this and it's quite good. I'd rate it an "A" if this were a beer review.)
All in all, I hope to make my way to Allentown again and feast at this establishment. Hopefully I'll not have to drive next time and can enjoy the beer on tap as well as the food.
★ 975 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I had lunch with my family here yesterday. Food was much better than expected. My wife liked what she had (fish tacos) very much. I had the turkey burger and it was impressive. My son had the "grass fed" burger and pretty much demolished it. Fries were excellent as was the cole slaw. The food is of a high quality for this kind of establishment.
The waiter was very much above average and gave me a mini-tour of the brewing facility. Service was excellent.
I didn't have beer with lunch though I bought some to bring home. I don't drink at all when I have to drive a car. They do sell beer in bottles that you can bring home as well as growlers. (I'm sipping a Fegley's Hop Explosion that I bought yesterday as I type this and it's quite good. I'd rate it an "A" if this were a beer review.)
All in all, I hope to make my way to Allentown again and feast at this establishment. Hopefully I'll not have to drive next time and can enjoy the beer on tap as well as the food.
★ 975 characters
4.33/5 rDev +14.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Allentown brew works is a pretty nice place in an area that's seen better days. The brewpub itself is very nice. Very spacious and well lit. The vibe is pretty relaxed and casual. The service hasn't been bad since I started going there. The food has been really good every time I've had any. The beer selection is also pretty top notch, they've got plenty to choose from.
Each year they put on a beerfest with breweries that come from all over to give samples out. They have it all setup on the upper levels of the place. The festivals have been great the last 2 years I've gone. Overall it's a nice place in my opinion and they make good stuff. Worth checking out for sure.
★ 680 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Allentown brew works is a pretty nice place in an area that's seen better days. The brewpub itself is very nice. Very spacious and well lit. The vibe is pretty relaxed and casual. The service hasn't been bad since I started going there. The food has been really good every time I've had any. The beer selection is also pretty top notch, they've got plenty to choose from.
Each year they put on a beerfest with breweries that come from all over to give samples out. They have it all setup on the upper levels of the place. The festivals have been great the last 2 years I've gone. Overall it's a nice place in my opinion and they make good stuff. Worth checking out for sure.
★ 680 characters
4.2/5 rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Took a trip to Allentown Brew Works for dinner and some drinks with 3 friends. Neighborhood isn't the greatest, but I'll try not to let that detract too much from the establishment. Parking was available in a deck nearby for a few dollars, not terrible. Upon entering the aesthetic was pretty cool. Dark and industrial looking with uncovered bricks, high ceilings and exposed duct work, but very clean. The place was a little crowded, but I'd expect that on a Saturday night. Got seated at a tiny table across from the bar. Seating wasn't ideal, but given the time I'll have to deal with it. Service was prompt initially and got our drink orders. The sampler was a great value and the flagship beers which I might have turned down otherwise were as good as or better than the specialty beers. Took a little while to get our food order in, and a little bit longer to get the food, but when it arrived it was very tasty. Pasta with a porter reduction was a brilliant use or beer in food. The value was on par with most other places of this nature, a little bit pricier than a chain restaurant but leaps and bounds higher in quality. All in all I plan on visiting many more times in my travels through Allentown.
★ 1,209 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Took a trip to Allentown Brew Works for dinner and some drinks with 3 friends. Neighborhood isn't the greatest, but I'll try not to let that detract too much from the establishment. Parking was available in a deck nearby for a few dollars, not terrible. Upon entering the aesthetic was pretty cool. Dark and industrial looking with uncovered bricks, high ceilings and exposed duct work, but very clean. The place was a little crowded, but I'd expect that on a Saturday night. Got seated at a tiny table across from the bar. Seating wasn't ideal, but given the time I'll have to deal with it. Service was prompt initially and got our drink orders. The sampler was a great value and the flagship beers which I might have turned down otherwise were as good as or better than the specialty beers. Took a little while to get our food order in, and a little bit longer to get the food, but when it arrived it was very tasty. Pasta with a porter reduction was a brilliant use or beer in food. The value was on par with most other places of this nature, a little bit pricier than a chain restaurant but leaps and bounds higher in quality. All in all I plan on visiting many more times in my travels through Allentown.
★ 1,209 characters
4.18/5 rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
stopped in after i picked up my case of hopslam at shangy's...
randomly showed up at a perfect time! saturdays from 12-1, they run a free tour/tasting. the tour was a typical tour and they gave out 6 free tastes. you can't choose, but they give you at least one of the higher gravity beers.
tasted the amber lager, pale ale, wheat, porter, ipa, scottish, imperial stout. ordered a glass of the hop'solutely.
amber lager was pretty solid, actually. good malty backbone, nice sweet finish. pale ale was decent... i liked it better than the IPA (a west coast offering) which was kinda thin, with a big hop presence, with not quite enough malt backbone. the porter smelled AMAZING... the smell betrayed the taste. it was a solid porter... nothing knocking your socks off here, just a solid offering. i won't really mention the wheat beer because i'm not huge on that style. the insidious (impy stout) is a solid, affordable stout. again, not ground breaking but a very good example of the style. even had a good hop finish. it was MUCH better when i let the sample warm. the scottish ale was malty and sweet with not a huge hop mouthfeel, but tasty nonetheless. walked out with a bomber.
last was the glass of hop'solutely i had with my lunch. this is the beer joe sixpack equated to pliny the younger. while a younger clone it is not, it is still a tasty beer, and COMPLETELY affordable ($10/4 pack... i took one home!). it has a nice hop nose and good malty mouthfeel. a little on the sweeter side because of the alcohol (11.5%!!), but you can't taste it at all. only feel its effects.
my lunch was very good.. my buddy had the bratwurst and fries and said it was pretty good. i had a spicy chicken wrap which was awesome. the service was excellent, although there was not very many people there; so maybe not a representative sample. the allentown location is HUGE. 4 floors. only the bottom floor was open when i was there. so i'm not sure how busy it gets at night.
all in all, a good day. good beers and i arrived home with a hop'solutely 4 pack and a case of hopslam from shangy's. bam.
★ 2,095 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
stopped in after i picked up my case of hopslam at shangy's...
randomly showed up at a perfect time! saturdays from 12-1, they run a free tour/tasting. the tour was a typical tour and they gave out 6 free tastes. you can't choose, but they give you at least one of the higher gravity beers.
tasted the amber lager, pale ale, wheat, porter, ipa, scottish, imperial stout. ordered a glass of the hop'solutely.
amber lager was pretty solid, actually. good malty backbone, nice sweet finish. pale ale was decent... i liked it better than the IPA (a west coast offering) which was kinda thin, with a big hop presence, with not quite enough malt backbone. the porter smelled AMAZING... the smell betrayed the taste. it was a solid porter... nothing knocking your socks off here, just a solid offering. i won't really mention the wheat beer because i'm not huge on that style. the insidious (impy stout) is a solid, affordable stout. again, not ground breaking but a very good example of the style. even had a good hop finish. it was MUCH better when i let the sample warm. the scottish ale was malty and sweet with not a huge hop mouthfeel, but tasty nonetheless. walked out with a bomber.
last was the glass of hop'solutely i had with my lunch. this is the beer joe sixpack equated to pliny the younger. while a younger clone it is not, it is still a tasty beer, and COMPLETELY affordable ($10/4 pack... i took one home!). it has a nice hop nose and good malty mouthfeel. a little on the sweeter side because of the alcohol (11.5%!!), but you can't taste it at all. only feel its effects.
my lunch was very good.. my buddy had the bratwurst and fries and said it was pretty good. i had a spicy chicken wrap which was awesome. the service was excellent, although there was not very many people there; so maybe not a representative sample. the allentown location is HUGE. 4 floors. only the bottom floor was open when i was there. so i'm not sure how busy it gets at night.
all in all, a good day. good beers and i arrived home with a hop'solutely 4 pack and a case of hopslam from shangy's. bam.
★ 2,095 characters
4.13/5 rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Allentown Brew Works is great. It is a solid 45 min drive for me and ...
Food: ...the pretzels are worth it alone. They are amazing and I don't even really like pretzels. The cheese steak is also the best I've had and I've had many, including the top rated ones in Philly. Burgers are also excellent, I like the Melter.
Beer: The beer is very good with about 8 - 12 brews on tap from serving tanks. Growlers to go and there are also a few 750ml bottles for take home (usually these beers are only on tap once a year for a short time when bottled.) There is also a large selection of other imports and local bottles. I refill my growler just about every visit.
Service: I have sat the bar 3 times and had 2 different tenders, they were both very good. I've sat at tables inside and outside, each time the wait staff was different but always good. This has become one of my favorite destinations and I've been visiting at least twice a month. I have never had a hard time finding a parking spot in front but there are not many spots. I always go for lunch so it may be more difficult to park in the evening. They also offer free tours with tastings each Saturday around noon.
★ 1,174 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Allentown Brew Works is great. It is a solid 45 min drive for me and ...
Food: ...the pretzels are worth it alone. They are amazing and I don't even really like pretzels. The cheese steak is also the best I've had and I've had many, including the top rated ones in Philly. Burgers are also excellent, I like the Melter.
Beer: The beer is very good with about 8 - 12 brews on tap from serving tanks. Growlers to go and there are also a few 750ml bottles for take home (usually these beers are only on tap once a year for a short time when bottled.) There is also a large selection of other imports and local bottles. I refill my growler just about every visit.
Service: I have sat the bar 3 times and had 2 different tenders, they were both very good. I've sat at tables inside and outside, each time the wait staff was different but always good. This has become one of my favorite destinations and I've been visiting at least twice a month. I have never had a hard time finding a parking spot in front but there are not many spots. I always go for lunch so it may be more difficult to park in the evening. They also offer free tours with tastings each Saturday around noon.
★ 1,174 characters
4.13/5 rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Came here last night for a beer competition on the 3rd floor. The place looked nice. Nice & clean facilities. Staff was friendly & helpful. The two beers I had tasted good. Later had dinner downstairs on the 1st floor. Dimly lit, but nice modern decor. Got a burger which hit the spot and shared some spinach dip which was tasty. Service was good - no problems here. Being from Philly, it was a bit of a drive to get to. Parked in a lot around the corner a short walk away. Cost maybe $5 which was not a problem. However, if I was back in the area again I'd definitely stop by to sample more beers & try more food.
★ 614 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Came here last night for a beer competition on the 3rd floor. The place looked nice. Nice & clean facilities. Staff was friendly & helpful. The two beers I had tasted good. Later had dinner downstairs on the 1st floor. Dimly lit, but nice modern decor. Got a burger which hit the spot and shared some spinach dip which was tasty. Service was good - no problems here. Being from Philly, it was a bit of a drive to get to. Parked in a lot around the corner a short walk away. Cost maybe $5 which was not a problem. However, if I was back in the area again I'd definitely stop by to sample more beers & try more food.
★ 614 characters
4/5 rDev +5.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Allentown Brew Works is a great brew pub situated in the heart of downtown Allentown. It has a few different beers than it's sister in Bethlehem, but they are all top notch .
The food is mostly the same as the other location. This means great cuisines.
Even though they may have a few more drafts on it seems like this one is a bit more cramed. The dining area is actually on a second floor. Plus this is in the middle of the downtown area in allentown. I prefer the setting of the other location, with the historical buildings and the shopping areas.
★ 553 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Allentown Brew Works is a great brew pub situated in the heart of downtown Allentown. It has a few different beers than it's sister in Bethlehem, but they are all top notch .
The food is mostly the same as the other location. This means great cuisines.
Even though they may have a few more drafts on it seems like this one is a bit more cramed. The dining area is actually on a second floor. Plus this is in the middle of the downtown area in allentown. I prefer the setting of the other location, with the historical buildings and the shopping areas.
★ 553 characters
3.5/5 rDev -7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
This is an odd little place - the beers are perfectly OK, but the experience was just a shade off. Hard to say why - kind of like everything was about half a second out of phase with reality.
Start with the location. The downtown area is, to put it charitably, a little sketchy. And parking is a nuisance. Not to say there isn't plenty, because there is - acres of parking. But it is strictly metered for blocks and blocks in every direction. Bring quarters.
The restaurant is severely modern - wood and steel, with a high ceiling and a gigantic bar area. It's not bad looking, but the effect is rather austere and cold, and the net effect is to amplify the noise from the bar to an uncomfortable degree.
The menu is huge - page after page of food options. Too big, in fact. The dishes get lost in a sea of options.
And the execution is a little odd. Caramelized onions on a gyro? Seriously? It's not that the food is bad, it is just strangely conceived and not a wow - lacking in salt, featuring odd accents.
The beer, however, is good. They have a generous sampling tray that comes in a nifty little holder designed like an industrial gear, the symbol of the restaurant. The Hop Explosion IPA and the Copper Kettle Pale Ale stand out.
Service was competent, but I found a little remote. The staff was friendly without actually being warm or welcoming, though I must say they were reasonably crisp in their timing.
Not a bad place, but not one I will be dreaming of returning to.
★ 1,487 characters
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
This is an odd little place - the beers are perfectly OK, but the experience was just a shade off. Hard to say why - kind of like everything was about half a second out of phase with reality.
Start with the location. The downtown area is, to put it charitably, a little sketchy. And parking is a nuisance. Not to say there isn't plenty, because there is - acres of parking. But it is strictly metered for blocks and blocks in every direction. Bring quarters.
The restaurant is severely modern - wood and steel, with a high ceiling and a gigantic bar area. It's not bad looking, but the effect is rather austere and cold, and the net effect is to amplify the noise from the bar to an uncomfortable degree.
The menu is huge - page after page of food options. Too big, in fact. The dishes get lost in a sea of options.
And the execution is a little odd. Caramelized onions on a gyro? Seriously? It's not that the food is bad, it is just strangely conceived and not a wow - lacking in salt, featuring odd accents.
The beer, however, is good. They have a generous sampling tray that comes in a nifty little holder designed like an industrial gear, the symbol of the restaurant. The Hop Explosion IPA and the Copper Kettle Pale Ale stand out.
Service was competent, but I found a little remote. The staff was friendly without actually being warm or welcoming, though I must say they were reasonably crisp in their timing.
Not a bad place, but not one I will be dreaming of returning to.
★ 1,487 characters
4.3/5 rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Stopped into Allentown Brew Works for lunch on 26JAN10, en route to Lancaster PA.
Located on the ground floor of a large stone building in the heart of Allentown, the front of ABC has lots of metal and large windows. Through a small foyer on the left, and you are deposited inside about 1/3 of the way down the long, front-to-back dining area. Along the right side of the 1st third of the place are large fermenting vessels, perhaps 6 or 7 of them. Tables and chairs line the front windows, as well as some booths parallel to the tanks. More booths and tables are set up heading towards the rear of the place, with a low dividing wall on the left amid some large, square pillars. The bar runs alongside the right, about 1/3 of the way from the front to the far rear. The bar itself has a cool, lemon-yellow plexiglas inlay which is illuminated from below. Behind the bar are rows of neatly arranged mug-club steins and a well-stocked collection of liquor, as well as a few large-screen TVs. Between the brew vessels and the start of the bar is an exit to a fair-weather biergarten. At the far rear, on the right, is a staircase leading to an upper level, perhaps more dining or another bar; I didn't investigate. Most of the walls and decor are brownish, the lighting is fairly low and warm, and the ceilings are high with exposed duct-work. A nice mix of mostly-classic rock with some reggae filled the airwaves.
Parked at the bar, I had to choose from about a dozen draft offerings, most from right here but 1 or 2 from their sister brewpub in Bethlehem. It was a good variety, from pale ales to belgian strongs to doppelbocks. They also have a large, quality list of domestic and imported bottled biers. I opted first for their own DBock, and some food, the 2500° Chicken Breast Sammich. Very well-proportioned, and nice and spicy! It really hit the spot, and the DBock was well-made, too. For "dessert" I went for a tulip of their DIPA. Damn, was that tasty! So much so that I had two! Wish I could have hung for more, but driving was on the horizon. Service here was quite good, staff being attentive, helpful and friendly (even comping me a DIPA. Woo-hoo!).
All in all, a very pleasant and satisfying stop while traversing PA. Prosit!!
4.3
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 - $$
198
★ 2,327 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Stopped into Allentown Brew Works for lunch on 26JAN10, en route to Lancaster PA.
Located on the ground floor of a large stone building in the heart of Allentown, the front of ABC has lots of metal and large windows. Through a small foyer on the left, and you are deposited inside about 1/3 of the way down the long, front-to-back dining area. Along the right side of the 1st third of the place are large fermenting vessels, perhaps 6 or 7 of them. Tables and chairs line the front windows, as well as some booths parallel to the tanks. More booths and tables are set up heading towards the rear of the place, with a low dividing wall on the left amid some large, square pillars. The bar runs alongside the right, about 1/3 of the way from the front to the far rear. The bar itself has a cool, lemon-yellow plexiglas inlay which is illuminated from below. Behind the bar are rows of neatly arranged mug-club steins and a well-stocked collection of liquor, as well as a few large-screen TVs. Between the brew vessels and the start of the bar is an exit to a fair-weather biergarten. At the far rear, on the right, is a staircase leading to an upper level, perhaps more dining or another bar; I didn't investigate. Most of the walls and decor are brownish, the lighting is fairly low and warm, and the ceilings are high with exposed duct-work. A nice mix of mostly-classic rock with some reggae filled the airwaves.
Parked at the bar, I had to choose from about a dozen draft offerings, most from right here but 1 or 2 from their sister brewpub in Bethlehem. It was a good variety, from pale ales to belgian strongs to doppelbocks. They also have a large, quality list of domestic and imported bottled biers. I opted first for their own DBock, and some food, the 2500° Chicken Breast Sammich. Very well-proportioned, and nice and spicy! It really hit the spot, and the DBock was well-made, too. For "dessert" I went for a tulip of their DIPA. Damn, was that tasty! So much so that I had two! Wish I could have hung for more, but driving was on the horizon. Service here was quite good, staff being attentive, helpful and friendly (even comping me a DIPA. Woo-hoo!).
All in all, a very pleasant and satisfying stop while traversing PA. Prosit!!
4.3
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 - $$
198
★ 2,327 characters
4.46/5 rDev +18%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
I definitely prefer the Allentown location over the Bethlehem. The head brewer, Bo, does a nice job and from time to time, surprises you with a beer that leans more towards an "extreme" beer, I LIKE that. The food here is always good, it's much larger than the Bethlehem location, and they also offer a nice bottle selection if you don't see anything on the menu that "strikes your fancy". We have small children and so do our friends, we're all beer lovers and this place typically has good beer and is kid friendly, we frequent this location. I was impressed that BA featured their Chef in one of their issues. When I rate places, I'm usually thinking of beer, at the Allentown Brewworks, I have to say, I think food almost equally as much. They do a really nice job. If you're in the area, this place is worth a stop but be forewarned, parking can sometimes be dicey depending on the time of day or day of week - all on street parking.
★ 938 characters
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
I definitely prefer the Allentown location over the Bethlehem. The head brewer, Bo, does a nice job and from time to time, surprises you with a beer that leans more towards an "extreme" beer, I LIKE that. The food here is always good, it's much larger than the Bethlehem location, and they also offer a nice bottle selection if you don't see anything on the menu that "strikes your fancy". We have small children and so do our friends, we're all beer lovers and this place typically has good beer and is kid friendly, we frequent this location. I was impressed that BA featured their Chef in one of their issues. When I rate places, I'm usually thinking of beer, at the Allentown Brewworks, I have to say, I think food almost equally as much. They do a really nice job. If you're in the area, this place is worth a stop but be forewarned, parking can sometimes be dicey depending on the time of day or day of week - all on street parking.
★ 938 characters
3.5/5 rDev -7.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Stopped by here for the first time within the past week or two with some friends. I hate Allentown, and going anywhere near center city so I was skeptical of coming here. Very nice, clean establishment, the staff is great! The lighting inside was a bit dim, seemed strange. The overall vibe was a little too yuppie for me as well. I wasn't super impressed with the beers that were brought out with the brew works sampler, prices on some beers were good, others were a little high. We ordered burgers and I ordered a pierogie casserole. (I don't exactly know why) It was basically a heart attack on a plate. The waiter did tell me this before I ordered it, I still felt like trying it. Had good taste, overall not bad food but considering the location I may not make it out here too often.
★ 788 characters
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Stopped by here for the first time within the past week or two with some friends. I hate Allentown, and going anywhere near center city so I was skeptical of coming here. Very nice, clean establishment, the staff is great! The lighting inside was a bit dim, seemed strange. The overall vibe was a little too yuppie for me as well. I wasn't super impressed with the beers that were brought out with the brew works sampler, prices on some beers were good, others were a little high. We ordered burgers and I ordered a pierogie casserole. (I don't exactly know why) It was basically a heart attack on a plate. The waiter did tell me this before I ordered it, I still felt like trying it. Had good taste, overall not bad food but considering the location I may not make it out here too often.
★ 788 characters
2.5/5 rDev -33.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4
I was down in the Lehigh Valley last weekend to officiate a wedding ceremony for one of my best friends. He got a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn center city. The Brew works is less than a block a way so it was the perfect meeting spot.
It is situated in center city Allentown, which is also happens to be a pretty sketchy area of the All American City. The brewery is housed in the historic Harold's furniture building. There are huge windows in the front of the building which displays the assorted fermentation tanks.
The main bar area is very open. The dark lighting gives this place a bit of a cavernous feel. There seems to be several seating area's on different levels for dining. We arrived around 9:30 pm on Friday night and the place was very quiet. We took up some real estate in the bar area and joined about ten to twelve other patrons seated or standing around the bar. There were two bartenders present and several servers milling about.
We encountered around ten beers on tap with an extensive bottle menu of beers from both near and far. Despite the fact that there were so few people present in the bar, it was next to impossible to get either bartenders attention. After what seemed like ten minutes and some hand waving we finally got a chance to ask some questions and place an order. The first bartender had very little knowledge of the beers on tap. Perhaps he was the resident mixologist. At any rate he could not offer any information on the beers other than pointing out the placard at the bar which did little a little more than identify the beer, abv, and the style.
We opted for a sampler which we designed on our own. It consisted of the pawn shop porter, the copper kettle pale ale, pig pen pilsner, hop explosion, and the Hefeweizen.
The porter was decent, as well as the Hop Explosion. All the others were meh, just average beers.
From there I moved onto the bottle beer menu and we decided to try a bluepoint product, LeTrapp Tripel and a baltic porter. I can't recall it's origin, but it was European. We experienced an equally challenging time trying to get the bartender attention so that we could quench our thirst. One bartender was engage in conversation with a patron (which is fine), the other was busy texting on his phone. WTF?
I must so though that the bartender was quick to return with our bottles once we were able to flag the bloke down.
The Bluepoint and porter were fine.
The LaTrappe, was clearly past it's prime. It had a distinct ring around the neck and some major floaties in the beer. I'm not talking about yeast floaties, I'm talking about something that looked like coagulated proteins. Globs of stuff, not haze. Once again it took a few minutes to get the bartender attention. See a pattern here about the service? WTF?
I explained to the barkeep that these floaters are bad, the ring arounf the neck of the beer is not a good sign either. He scoffed it off and said... The brewer said it's supposed to be there. It's unfiltered. I tried to explain the difference between unfiltered and old beer. He again said, The brewer said it's supposed to be like that, and then he walked off.
We ended up getting charged for that shitty old beer. This beer was undrinkable.
After that I got a pint of the hop explosion. I enjoyed, and would have it again. The shitty service I could do without. This place would get another chance as we had plans to meet up with some friends on Saturday night after the wedding and fireworks.
We came back Saturday night after the fireworks to find a sign that said Closing at 10:00 pm for the holiday". So much for a second chance.
Despite the otherwise nice atmosphere in this place, the vibe from the employees really sucked. Service was beyond awful, while the beer selection was good. We did find it a bit pricey (8.00 for that bad LaTrappe). I would like to go back and give the table service a try here. As for the bar, steer clear the service was terrible.
★ 3,966 characters
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4
I was down in the Lehigh Valley last weekend to officiate a wedding ceremony for one of my best friends. He got a block of rooms at the Holiday Inn center city. The Brew works is less than a block a way so it was the perfect meeting spot.
It is situated in center city Allentown, which is also happens to be a pretty sketchy area of the All American City. The brewery is housed in the historic Harold's furniture building. There are huge windows in the front of the building which displays the assorted fermentation tanks.
The main bar area is very open. The dark lighting gives this place a bit of a cavernous feel. There seems to be several seating area's on different levels for dining. We arrived around 9:30 pm on Friday night and the place was very quiet. We took up some real estate in the bar area and joined about ten to twelve other patrons seated or standing around the bar. There were two bartenders present and several servers milling about.
We encountered around ten beers on tap with an extensive bottle menu of beers from both near and far. Despite the fact that there were so few people present in the bar, it was next to impossible to get either bartenders attention. After what seemed like ten minutes and some hand waving we finally got a chance to ask some questions and place an order. The first bartender had very little knowledge of the beers on tap. Perhaps he was the resident mixologist. At any rate he could not offer any information on the beers other than pointing out the placard at the bar which did little a little more than identify the beer, abv, and the style.
We opted for a sampler which we designed on our own. It consisted of the pawn shop porter, the copper kettle pale ale, pig pen pilsner, hop explosion, and the Hefeweizen.
The porter was decent, as well as the Hop Explosion. All the others were meh, just average beers.
From there I moved onto the bottle beer menu and we decided to try a bluepoint product, LeTrapp Tripel and a baltic porter. I can't recall it's origin, but it was European. We experienced an equally challenging time trying to get the bartender attention so that we could quench our thirst. One bartender was engage in conversation with a patron (which is fine), the other was busy texting on his phone. WTF?
I must so though that the bartender was quick to return with our bottles once we were able to flag the bloke down.
The Bluepoint and porter were fine.
The LaTrappe, was clearly past it's prime. It had a distinct ring around the neck and some major floaties in the beer. I'm not talking about yeast floaties, I'm talking about something that looked like coagulated proteins. Globs of stuff, not haze. Once again it took a few minutes to get the bartender attention. See a pattern here about the service? WTF?
I explained to the barkeep that these floaters are bad, the ring arounf the neck of the beer is not a good sign either. He scoffed it off and said... The brewer said it's supposed to be there. It's unfiltered. I tried to explain the difference between unfiltered and old beer. He again said, The brewer said it's supposed to be like that, and then he walked off.
We ended up getting charged for that shitty old beer. This beer was undrinkable.
After that I got a pint of the hop explosion. I enjoyed, and would have it again. The shitty service I could do without. This place would get another chance as we had plans to meet up with some friends on Saturday night after the wedding and fireworks.
We came back Saturday night after the fireworks to find a sign that said Closing at 10:00 pm for the holiday". So much for a second chance.
Despite the otherwise nice atmosphere in this place, the vibe from the employees really sucked. Service was beyond awful, while the beer selection was good. We did find it a bit pricey (8.00 for that bad LaTrappe). I would like to go back and give the table service a try here. As for the bar, steer clear the service was terrible.
★ 3,966 characters
4.13/5 rDev +9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Having been to the sister location in nearby Bethlehem I could see some similarities, but generally, contrary to the other reviews, I tend to like this one better. It may be unfair to judge this based upon one visit on a quiet Monday night, but I found the bartender (Dennis) and other employees milling about to be friendlier and more helpful then I recall in Bethlehem, though granted, there wasn't much going on to distract them as I experienced in Bethlehem. I had three beers during this visit, all were good, none great, though the Hop Explosion was better than average. The food (chili & the buffalo chicken salad) was very decent, no problem there at all though it seems you might need to be careful what you choose according to what I heard in conversation. This is a big place with four floors (!) right in the heart of the downtown Allentown area, just a block away from the Holiday Inn on Hamilton Street if you are visiting from out of town as I was. The atmosphere is dark and fairly moderne trendy but not offensive by my take. I was comfortable. There's a constant stream of good music with a few well placed televisions. The variety of brews is pretty solid although I was disappointed to find that they were out of the barleywine this night. Dennis threw me a free round along with a free bottle of water for the walk to my hotel. A few folks sitting at the bar around me were very friendly and chatty (good to have met Griffin, Mr. Mug Club, growler king and member of the unofficial/official Allentown Municipal golf league). All in all, it was a real enjoyable visit and I will be sure to stop here again.
★ 1,626 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Having been to the sister location in nearby Bethlehem I could see some similarities, but generally, contrary to the other reviews, I tend to like this one better. It may be unfair to judge this based upon one visit on a quiet Monday night, but I found the bartender (Dennis) and other employees milling about to be friendlier and more helpful then I recall in Bethlehem, though granted, there wasn't much going on to distract them as I experienced in Bethlehem. I had three beers during this visit, all were good, none great, though the Hop Explosion was better than average. The food (chili & the buffalo chicken salad) was very decent, no problem there at all though it seems you might need to be careful what you choose according to what I heard in conversation. This is a big place with four floors (!) right in the heart of the downtown Allentown area, just a block away from the Holiday Inn on Hamilton Street if you are visiting from out of town as I was. The atmosphere is dark and fairly moderne trendy but not offensive by my take. I was comfortable. There's a constant stream of good music with a few well placed televisions. The variety of brews is pretty solid although I was disappointed to find that they were out of the barleywine this night. Dennis threw me a free round along with a free bottle of water for the walk to my hotel. A few folks sitting at the bar around me were very friendly and chatty (good to have met Griffin, Mr. Mug Club, growler king and member of the unofficial/official Allentown Municipal golf league). All in all, it was a real enjoyable visit and I will be sure to stop here again.
★ 1,626 characters
4.4/5 rDev +16.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Great beers. The two new DIPAs are outstanding. Very different beers, but each has characteristics that make them stand apart. Might neeed a bit of work on the names (Hop Drop and Roll and Hopsolutely) but the beers are great.
Best place to have a beer or a quick meal is at the bar. Bartenders very attentive and personable.
Table service can be spotty, with occasional long delays in visits.
Food is good to average, however quality is consistant.
Could use a few more side options besides the pedestrian 'beer fries' or cole slaw. Home-made chips or pasta salad would be a great addition.
New beers are frequently added and each is enjoyable. Both DIPAs are new, and as previously noted, both are great.
★ 713 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Great beers. The two new DIPAs are outstanding. Very different beers, but each has characteristics that make them stand apart. Might neeed a bit of work on the names (Hop Drop and Roll and Hopsolutely) but the beers are great.
Best place to have a beer or a quick meal is at the bar. Bartenders very attentive and personable.
Table service can be spotty, with occasional long delays in visits.
Food is good to average, however quality is consistant.
Could use a few more side options besides the pedestrian 'beer fries' or cole slaw. Home-made chips or pasta salad would be a great addition.
New beers are frequently added and each is enjoyable. Both DIPAs are new, and as previously noted, both are great.
★ 713 characters
4.03/5 rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
On my last trip to the area I did the sister location in Bethleham which I feel is in a more happening area and has an atmosphere that takes better advantage of the old, restored building each of these places has in common.
Pretty slow on an icy Tuesday evening. I had to move from a bar table to a seat at the bar because no one would wait on me.
I went with a Hop Explosion IPA (tomahawk hops) and their Belgian holiday ale. Both were very nice and I don't think an indicator of the B rating on BA. They also had a barleywine on tap. I had the Gyro and it was good as well.
You can't go wrong at either of these places as the beer and food are both very good. If I had to choose again, I'd pick the Bethleham location.
★ 725 characters
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
On my last trip to the area I did the sister location in Bethleham which I feel is in a more happening area and has an atmosphere that takes better advantage of the old, restored building each of these places has in common.
Pretty slow on an icy Tuesday evening. I had to move from a bar table to a seat at the bar because no one would wait on me.
I went with a Hop Explosion IPA (tomahawk hops) and their Belgian holiday ale. Both were very nice and I don't think an indicator of the B rating on BA. They also had a barleywine on tap. I had the Gyro and it was good as well.
You can't go wrong at either of these places as the beer and food are both very good. If I had to choose again, I'd pick the Bethleham location.
★ 725 characters
3.65/5 rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Bethlehem's Brew Works 'sister' location located on a main strip in downtown Allentown. Parking can definitely be a pain in the butt depending on what time of day and week you plan on making it out here. I've been here a couple times because I happen to be in downtown Allentown (if I had a choice, I would probably go to the Bethlehem Location only because that location seems to be more accessible). The few times I've been here, the rotating taps and associated styles seem to change regularly. The food is fine.
★ 515 characters
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Bethlehem's Brew Works 'sister' location located on a main strip in downtown Allentown. Parking can definitely be a pain in the butt depending on what time of day and week you plan on making it out here. I've been here a couple times because I happen to be in downtown Allentown (if I had a choice, I would probably go to the Bethlehem Location only because that location seems to be more accessible). The few times I've been here, the rotating taps and associated styles seem to change regularly. The food is fine.
★ 515 characters
Allentown Brew Works in Allentown, PA
3.69
out of 5
based on 2,341 ratings.
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
I know it sounds weird, but I've been wanting to visit Allentown for the longest time. Mostly for the art museum, which has an original Frank Lloyd Wright library... so the wife and I finally made it to this not-so-pretty, rather-ghetto town on a Saturday night. We had a hotel in downtown, and Fegley's was a couple of blocks down from our lodging.
What an odd jawn. It is like a nightclub and sort-of-trendy restaurant (completed with bouncers and dance tunes) that happens to have a brewery inside. They bill themselves as the "largest restaurant in the Lehigh Valley". OK.
We were there late on a Saturday night and the bar was sparsely populated. They have 14 taps with a bit of every style produced by Fegley's, plus around 17 bottles with more Fegley's stuff. I'm sure you'll find something you like here; I personally go for their Triple IPA and their bourbon-barrel Imperial Stout if it happens to be on tap... but they are not the most exciting brewery around. I did have a nice, super-tart two-year-old Berliner Weisse.
Service is fine and the brews are good and fresh, but I don't dig this joint's weird vibe.
★ 1,126 characters