Red Eye Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent atmosphere and food. The beer was pretty darn good as well. I really enjoyed their Black IPA. I had a burger with a maple syrup sauce that was to die for. Highly recommended!

 

 

 

When my wife and I moved from Milwaukee to northern Wisconsin five years ago, we lamented the loss of our favorite breweries and brewpubs. There were so many places we'd frequent that had excellent beer and food in that area, and we became resigned to experiencing those things only when we made it back down to the city for a visit. When a friend of ours in the Northwoods recommended Red Eye, we didn't get our hopes up too high. At least two dozen trips later, this has become our go-to beer and food destination: I can honestly say that it's just as good as or better than any of our favorite spots in Milwaukee.

The place has an excellent vibe. It's very minimalist in its design: the place is one big open room with a dining section on one side, the large bar and bar tables on another, the brewing facility behind glass on another, and the kitchen right out in the open on another. There's a relatively small patio seating area outside off of the dining area that's always full in the summer. There are also gardens outside where they grow herbs and vegetables that are used in their cuisine and beer. The decor is an homage to all things Belgian and bicycle: bikes are hung everywhere from the ceiling, and there are signs and posters that follow this motif. The long wooden bar is elegant and offers patrons large flat-screen TVs for sporting events (I personally think they could do without these, but this is Wisconsin). It's great to be able to look over and see the kitchen staff at work and the wood-fired brick oven cooking away. One of my favorite touches of the place is the huge chalkboard that displays the current brews on tap--complete with style, IBUs, and ABV--guest brews, and upcoming batches. There's a very diverse clientele, from young professionals, to older bar flies, to big families.

The quality of the food and beer is excellent. I can say that my wife and I have never had anything there that we disliked. They have a strong focus on using locally-sourced ingredients in the food and the beer (as mentioned, some of this is sourced from right outside their doors). I've had beer flights on a number of occasions, and I've never been let down by the product; and it's saying something that in a facility of this scale, their beers have a consistent (and consistently good) taste. It's good enough that we never fail to bring back a few growlers and howlers.

The service we have experienced there is consistently welcoming, warm, and professional--from the hosts and hostesses to the servers to the bartenders. There are times when it gets very busy, and the service slows down a bit, but we've never encountered an employee with a sour attitude. As full as the place gets, they always seem to have sufficient staffing and always deliver a good drinking and dining experience.

This website makes reference to thirteen beers that Red Eye brews, but they craft a good deal more than that (I've just looked at another website, and they list over 100), and they always have about five guest brews. As for their own beers, there are a few staples that always seem to be available (or very frequently available): Thrust IPA (a very easy-drinking but potent American IPA at 7.2% ABV), Bloom Belgian wheat beer, Scarlet 7 Belgian dubbel, and Charlatan imperial stout. In addition to these four, they usually have another five of their own beers on tap. This last trip, they offered a WisKansan Tornado Brown IPA (a tasty collaboration with Blind Tiger Brewery), a Cart Ride to Mexico (Heller Bock), a Red Eye 7 (they take their Scarlet 7 and barrel it, turning it into a delicious sour), an S.H.R. (Single Hop Red) American Amber, Revolution Pils, and Veruca Stout (milk stout). I've seen guest brews at Red Eye from New Glarus, Deschutes, Uinta, Founders, Ommegang, Unibroue, Sierra Nevada, and many others.

The food is the primary reason why many people visit Red Eye. They have fantastic appetizers (I recommend the Mushroom Merlot), pasta, sandwiches, and burgers. The best thing they do--what they're really known for, in terms of food--is their wood-fired pizzas. These are among the best pies I've ever had: fresh ingredients from local sources, amazing crust (ask for it with the beer-infused dough...out of sight), and that taste you can only get from wood-firing. My favorite variety is The Forager, hands down. They changed their head chef a while back, and a lot of people were concerned there would be a drop in quality, but we haven't experienced that at all.

This is a place I highly recommend checking out if you find yourself in central Wisconsin, or even if you have to go out of your way a little bit.

 

 

 

 

 

Beers are pretty good surprised to see guest beers at the bar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my "go to" in Wausau, WI. The atmosphere is fantastic. There is a constant flow of new brews avaliable from in-house. Also, there is avaliabilty of micro brews from out-of-house. I have had Lagunitas on tap here!!! If I stumble across something unfamiliar, be it food or brew, the staff is always avaliable to provide knowledgable info. They will not steer you in the wrong direction. Everything I have had here is fantastic!!! I can go with the wife, have a meal for two, fill a growler and/or howler, and have food to take home for about $70 (including a generous tip). If you are sking at Granite Peak or biking at Nine Mile Rec Area for the weekend, it would behoove you to indulge in Red Eye.... Oh yeah, if you like bikes you'll really dig this place.

I would like to note that I would give Red Eye a 5/5 however, being a local, the menu usually doesnt change. That's cool because I do have my favorites. So if you are out of area consider it a 5/5, perfecto.

 

This is my number one restaurant in the area when I return to Wisconsin from Washington D.C. Great food, often with a little twist that makes it stand out; Chef Dave has mastered the art of cuisine! The Brewmaster Kevin is second to none when crafting some of the finest IPAs I've ever had. The decor is nice and unique and the atmosphere lends to both fun, sporty and a good family environment.

Really solid food and the beer was great too. The bike theme was Very nice they service food even close to the closing time of 9 o'clock in the selection of beer was plentiful and delicious. I will be sure to visit redeye brewery next time that I'm in Wausau for the delicious food and the wide selection of great beers.

Stopped in to try a couple of brews while on a ski trip. I was told about this much hyped brewery and thought it would be nice to experience and to drag my family to. The atmosphere was top notch. Very unique building structure almost as if it were a metal shed. Small micro brewing system. The bicycles hanging from the ceiling made for a one of a kind atmosphere. I wish they had bottled beer so I could have brought it home to review and share with friends but overall the beer was great to keep it simple. The bartender we had was friendly and quite funny. They had 6 beers running and flyers around the premise for when new beers would be tapped. The beers are pricy but well worth it. To sum it all up. It was good enough to make the journey 2 of the 3 days I was in town. In a flowing pass through Wausau I had a chance to try a vegetarian pizza that was excellent. Vegetables were very fresh and everything on the menu seemed to have a creative flair. Side note: buns for burgers are made from spent grain, very economical.

This is a really nice place... one you can take your significant other and have a nice night. Nice modern building had bikes hanging much like one would expect with a brewery in Fort Collins, CO. I did not have any food but it looked very good, and the selection of food is one I would associate in this state of that of the Great Dane (in Madison, neglected to go to the one in Wausau). Beers were reasonably priced, had a sampler. Very good flavor profiles present, although some seemed a little watery. Standout of the night was the pumpkin beer, although there were other greats as well. Selection wasn't the best, but better than man other places I've visited. Service was satisfactory.

This place is my go to whenever I am in Wausau. The seasonal beers are almost always great, their anniversary beers have been stellar, and the food and philosophy are refreshing.

The one thing you will notice when you take a look at the menu: There are no deep-fryers. None. That doesn't mean you cant get wings or tater tots. You'll just get better (and healthier) wings and tater tots that will leave you feeling less guilty about having that extra beer.

And have that extra beer you will. The highlights over the last year include Charlatan imperial stout, BA thrust, Red Ey3, the black IPA, regular offerings such as thrust and bloom, Veruca Stout, and so on.

The staff is friendly, especially on a slow night where a conversation about the brewpub with an employee seems natural and not forced, hinting that the staff is actually briefed on their product and appreciative of it.

A destination for sure if you are ever in the northwoods.

This is quite a nice place in Wausau.
Small but very nice patio, small but also nice inside areas.
You can actually see the wood oven, a rare find around this part of the country, which makes very nice pizzas. My only problem here is the menu changes from time to time, and you arrive to not find your favorite pizza.
The beers are quite good, not great, but the variety is nice and the prices quite reasonable. Growlers available of all their beers. They have, right now, a wheat beer, a porter, an imperial stout (that drinks more like regular stout), an IPA and a couple of others. Service is quite good, although most dont know much about beers. The menu gives suggestions of pairings which helps some.
Well worthwhile if you are in the region, easily the best place in town for good food and good beer.

I've had Red Eye beer on two previous occasions but have never been to their brewpub. This is a great place. The bartender was very friendly and explained their beer line-up since this was my first visit. She let me sample for free their two hoppy beers - El Tormento and Thrust. I chose the Thrust, a very nice American IPA. I then ordered dinner, which was very good. I started with a spicy black bean soup, which went great with the IPA. I then ordered a glass of Scarlet 7 - Red Eye's take on a Belgian Dubbel. This worked nicely with my Cowboy (a turkey and bacon panini). The service was prompt and friendly, the place was very clean and well kept and the food and beer were great. My only minor complaint is their menu listed Veruca Stout as being available but it was not (they had a decent tasting nitro Rye Porter in its place). If your passing through Wausau I would highly recommend stopping off at Red Eye.

the place has a clean, modern vibe that's maybe a little instutional and chain-like (though it's not actually chain), but nice. the people are friendly, a definite highlight, and the service is attentive. if i return for another try, it will be largely due to this aspect of the experience. the selection of beers (about 7) is decent, though the offerings were (except for the IPA) a bit dumbed down. the pizza is good and appears made from quality ingredients, aside from the tomato sauce which has a chef boyardee flavor. $9 per 64 oz growler fill is on the pricey side for a low abv brew, and especially when compared to the $10 128 oz fills at my local brewery in jax.

Stopped in here on my way up north and had dinner with one of my favorite BA's. It has a very modern restaurant decor. If you didn't know already you would be hard pressed to guess this was a brew pub.

They had five beers listed however their IPA "Thrust" was out for the weekend. Which was a bummer since I was told this was a must try beer. I settled for the wit "Bloom" instead. Quite tasty so no real let down. We all ordered pizza and apps. All of which were very good. I really enjoyed the hummus platter.

Service was friendly and prompt. No problems.

Overall a nice place to grab a beer and some solid pizza. I will make it a point to hit this place for now on when I'm going up north.

I was passing through Wausau and was in need of sustenance and a libation. Red Eye filled the bill nicely.

There is a parking lot and lots of street parking. They have a nice outside terrace near the parking lot & entrance. .

Inside there are huge windows, which overlook Washington Street. These flood the pub with warm natural light. There are high ceilings with some exposed metal supports.

The bar is to your left as you enter. Its about 35' long and seats a good dozen or so. I didn't really care for the faux concrete bar top, but that's just me. At the hostess stand, you can buy t-shirts, glasses, etc.

They have lots of tables for dinning and have 3 high-tops right near the bar for overflow.

They were playing classic 60s and 70s rock on the XM receiver.

The kitchen is exposed and it is kind of fun to watch and listen to the cooks work. The food is good. They offer wraps, pizza, paninis, sandwiches, etc. I had a fantastic Beer, Brie and mushroom soup. Note that they try to be a healthier eating-place and do not even have a deep fryer.

Friendly staff, I was well taken care off. 6 beers on tap. The large blackboard lists the current and upcoming offerings.
Beers served in 14oz pint style glasses $4.03 per glass. I liked what I had.

If you ever find yourself in Wausau, I can really recommend that you stop by for some good beers and tasty food.

So, I visited Redeye when they first opened up a while back. I have to admit I was not all that impressed. I felt like the brew was crafted in a manner that didn't peak my interest. Meaning it was simple tasting and not agressive.

Since then allow has changed at the Redeye. They have a solid beer menu consinting mainy of Belgians, pale ale styles, light lagers and they carry a nice stout too. They have a food menu that can't be beat by anyone else in Central Wisconsin and their service is always nothing short of friendly and at time, even engaging.

The atmosphere is centered around a well lit bar with cycling as the main theme of the establishment's decor.

While price of a beer or two and dinner will get an individual up in to the $20-$30 dollar range I have to admit, it's well worth it. A growler fill can be purchased for as little as $7, which in and of itself is a great deal, especially for some high quality brew.

Redeye, I love what you've become and I hope you continue down the same path because things are only going to get better for you.