Stewart's Brewing Co.

Stewart's Brewing Co.Stewart's Brewing Co.
Stewart's Brewing Co.Stewart's Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

219 Governors Pl
Bear, Delaware, 19701-3026
United States

(302) 836-2739 | map
stewartsbrewingcompany.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.85
Beers:
58
Ratings:
336
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.01
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
64
pDev:
6.73%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
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Photo of RUSSRGR
Reviewed by RUSSRGR from Delaware

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Stewart's is an enjoyable brew pub. Lots of locals who seemingly come back every day. Lots of TVs make it almost a sports bar. Can sometimes get a little loud. They brew some very nice beers that cover the gamut. From an Irish red to a german wheat to pale ale or IPA, the beers are typically above average. The beers rotate, so check their site before you go. The service is good when they are not too busy. The food is also above average and the menu has a decent number of items. Definitely worth the stop for lunch or dinner if you a in the area.
Sep 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4.03 by Boone757 from Virginia

Nov 02, 2019
Photo of roan22
Reviewed by roan22 from New Jersey

4.69/5  rDev +17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
First visit to Stewart's and I'm not sure why it took so long to check it out. Isle of Consensus pale ale was delicious and the food was impressive. We had the sausage bites, spicy cauliflower and a grass fed burger with ghost pepper cheese. The brewpub is located in a strip mall but the space is big, there are many tables on both sides of the wrap around bar. Nice relaxed vibe and service was great. 45 minutes from Bombay Hook and 10 minutes to the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
Apr 18, 2019
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
stopped here for a flight of beers and a bite to eat. It's in a strip mall, inside the double sided bar is in the center of the space, with high top tables on one side, and dining tables on the other side. TVs around the room with sports. They had about 10 of their beers on tap, plus a full bar of hard alcohol and cocktail drinks. The beers I tried ranged from average to good. wide variety of beer styles - I had an oatmeal stout, irish red, schwarzbier, trippel, and dubbel. They also had a golden ale, pale ale, IPA, and hefe on tap. A mix of year round beers and seasonals. We had a few appetizers that were good for bar food.
Jan 28, 2018
Photo of Aegelis
Reviewed by Aegelis from Delaware

4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Irish Red Ale! Now that that's said, let's talk about what Stewart's is. From start to finish, it is a pub which is able to scale from a family-friendly environment to a taste adventurer's hot spot. Although the menu isn't large, odds are you're going to find something everyone will like or at least Stewart's is willing to accomodate by adapting the menu items to your liking as well as rotating specials. Stewart's has samplers both in brew and cheeses, classic favourites and inventive creations. They've got quite a hearty offering of homemade brew such as a delightful Governor's Golden Ale, Black & Tan, Highlander stout and the pinnacle of great taste, the Irish Red Ale. Sometimes I Irish Red Ale think about the burgers with ghost pepper cheese Irish Red Ale or their Prime Dip sandwich Irish Red Ale, but most of the time I Irish Red Ale start thinking about one particular craft brew they've perfected, the Irish Red Ale. Mark Stewart's on your map, there's good reason to frequent the pub but be aware their popularity can have you waiting in line, so I'd recommend visiting on a Tuesday afternoon.
Aug 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.19 by sbuchert from Massachusetts

Feb 15, 2017
 
Rated: 4.29 by walt5 from Delaware

Oct 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Davelucas88 from Delaware

Dec 29, 2015
Photo of cjohns73
Reviewed by cjohns73 from Delaware

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Located in a strip mall; interior has not much to see. A pretty family-friendly atmosphere with lots of seating. Sports bar kind of place with a local feel. Had two beer lists really: 6-8 standards and 6-8 specials, with one of those being a guest draft. Didn't try to many, but the beer wasn't bad. Food menu looked solid, but we just got appetizers. They were good. Was there for a group thing and the place was right for that.
Aug 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by ROGUE16 from Delaware

Aug 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by greyghost86 from Delaware

May 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.9 by LehighAce06 from Pennsylvania

Feb 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.07 by Devman171 from Maryland

Dec 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by wrogers19971 from Delaware

Dec 06, 2014
Photo of PorterThwarter
Reviewed by PorterThwarter from Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Holy guacamole can this place make a good hefeweisen! I tend to loathe many American hefeweisens and certainly didn't expect such deliciousness from a brewpub in a far flung suburban shopping center. Our bartender was helpful and attentive and enthusiastic and really made the visit great for first-timers.

All the beers we tried (2 flights plus 2 pints) were solid and our meals were excellent, at very fair prices. I got a peculiarly-shaped crabcake sandwich that I initially turned my Baltimore nose up at but it turned out to be so good that I kept wanting another one for weeks afterward.

A surprising and yummy place.
Nov 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mthomp081 from Delaware

Nov 14, 2014
Photo of Michael-A
Rated by Michael-A from Delaware

4.25/5  rDev +6%
Good beer, decent food, the bar atmosphere is nice.. game days not so much.
Oct 17, 2014
Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4/5  rDev -0.2%
Knowledgeable staff. Sean was great with insights and recommendations. Generally a fairly spacious brew pub with multi-TV/sports channels going on. Games. Glass walls displaying brew tanks, etc.Has a feel of brew pub, british pub, sports bar and strip mall.
Beer was typically very good with a few awesome beers. Many seasonals to enjoy.
Everyone was ordering/eating food ( eat in and take out). I didn't this trip, but felt sure I would have been more than happy.
Overall atmosphere was upbeat, friendly and definitely full of regular happy patrons.
Enjoyed my stay, beer was way above average with standouts. Considering how many GABF and WBC medals these guys have won...they definitely showed it in what I had. Nice thing is that they had something for practically anyone. Something for everyone. Will definitely go back.
Oct 11, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by bluehende from Delaware

Sep 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by pwoody11 from Delaware

Sep 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BigRizz62 from Maryland

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by reebtaerG from Maryland

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Liverocks from Delaware

Aug 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Jul 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by tommyguz from Pennsylvania

Jul 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BeerThursdays from Delaware

Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mdaschaf from Indiana

Jul 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Feb 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by kpteabo from Maryland

Feb 17, 2014
Photo of thain709
Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I stopped in with a few friends while making our rounds across the PA boarder.

Stewart's is located in a strip mall, but it's easily detected. The not-so-full parking lot translated into a few patrons at the bar and a few tables being filled. I believe the bartender was attending to everyone. She was very attentive with the four of us and even took time to talk about the beer.

The beer selection wasn't bad. We were there right at the time where summer seasonals were dying off and fall seasonals were coming in. I enjoyed a pint of Highlander Stout (on nitro) and Smoked Pumpkin Porter, the latter being pretty smokey with some fleshy tones right at the beginning. They have a few year rounds (stout, white, IPA, gold) and a few seasonal taps (dunkel, wit, kolsch, porter).

We did not try any food this time. Actually, I don't even remember if we looked at a menu.

I enjoyed our time here as the service was quick and attentive and the beer was very fresh. Their website keeps up-to-date with seasonals and even special, one-off casks. Stewart's is one I will visit again when I'm in the area.
Jan 12, 2012
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Not much to see from the outside, and first glance inside looks like a typical sports bar. The beer selection and quality are top notch. Bar type food had that extra edge to it, and very reasonably priced. The sandwich I ordered was very good, I heard no complaints from around the table (about 25 people). I was with a large group for my nephew's rehearsal dinner, and service was fast and attentive. Growler's are also offered, and the sampler was a god place to start to test the varieties available. Since my sister lives nearby, I see myself visiting again every time I am in the area.
Jan 06, 2012
Photo of MsRif
Reviewed by MsRif from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Visited with my husband on 10/23/11 after a trip to the Christiana Mall. Very unassuming place located in a strip mall, even our GPS got confused trying to find it. Unfortunately it was "game day" which meant a lot of noise and general douchbaggery, however, the service/food/beer were all good enough to make staying for an hour worth it. I had a few samples of the brews and while the year-round line up wasn't too impressive, the seasonal beers were pretty amazing, particularly the Pumpkin Smoked Porter. The food was decent...usual pub fare but done a lot better than many other places I've been to. I got the chicken quesadilla appetizer and it was big enough to be an entree. Despite the very large crowd there were still plenty of tables available, but don't expect to get a bar seat during "the game"...we got lucky as two patrons were leaving just as we were coming in.

If you are getting the sampler, I'd highly recommend passing up the lighter beers in favor of their seasonal offerings. The lighter beers (ie-pale ale) are pretty generic/average. Unfortunately, we were there on a Sunday which meant nothing was on the hand pump, but if you go on Friday they apparently have a new casked brew ready to pump every week. They did have a couple of "Sunday Night Football" beer staples such as Coors Light on tap which seemed a shame to me given that their brews were miles better than Coors...a waste of a perfectly good tap but again, considering the clientele, it really is to be expected.

Service was great considering that there were only two bartenders serving a very large (full) bar. Our bartender was attentive and there was hardly a wait time for food and beer. Prices were reasonable and they had several enticing specials on for "game day." Pretty much all comfort food but there were also a couple of options for salads that looked good. Oddly, this place had a very "chain restaurant" feel despite it being an independent brewery.

Other than the Coors Light, there weren't any other "guest taps" which didn't really bother me, but I would have liked to maybe see one or two dedicated Dogfish Head taps as they were located pretty close to DH. No bottled beer to speak of, but with what was offered, I wasn't really "wanting" too much for anything else. One sign that this place was only average in my experience was that we left immediately after finishing our food...normally we stay for awhile to sit and drink but the atmosphere really wasn't conducive to sitting back and relaxing with a brew...too much whooping and hollering over the multiple games that were being broadcast. I'm all for people having a good time while drinking, but I guess my definition of a good time is slightly different given my general dislike for sports bars (which is what Stewart's reminded me of).

Overall, worth a visit and I'd really like to see what this place is like on a non-sports day (if such a day exists there). I wouldn't go out of my way, but I'm glad I went once.
Oct 24, 2011
Photo of Rifugium
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.63/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
We visited this place on a whim one day on the way back from the Christiana Mall. Pretty decent overall, I thought. A generic facade in a strip mall opens to a local-friendly bar, basic layout, simple decor. There's a large bar that might seat 50 people when full, and lots of table room for a sizable crowd. TVs everywhere for obnoxious sports fans. If you're looking for a dark Euro-style pub, please look elsewhere.

Beer selection was pretty good for a microbrewery, with about 12 of their own brews on tap--6 rotating and the rest seasonals--and Coors Light and Woodchuck for the aforementioned obnoxious crowd. The house brews were all pretty decent, even the lighter ones. Food was very good and served in generous portions. Bartenders were friendly and seemed to know their ways around. Prices were reasonable, but the entreés got into a bit of coin.

I don't know that I'd go out my way to return here, but it was definitely worth a visit, and if I find myself in the area again, I'll probably go back.
Oct 24, 2011
Photo of orangesol
Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Stopped in here with Deuane, thain709, and StormKing47 on our trip around DE and MD last week. First time I had even heard of this place was when Deuane said we were going here. I am always down to try a new place so away we went.

When we pulled up I thought we had made a wrong turn and we were turning around. I then noticed the sign and just how big this place really is. Tucked into quite a few storefronts in a large strip mall is Stewart's Brewing Co.

The atmosphere is pretty good, even on a slow day like the one when we visited. There is a big horse-shoe shaped bar in the middle of the room, lots of TV's all over the room, and lots of seating all over the place. The quality seemed to be pretty good. Our beers were all server in the correct glasses and while I didn't try any food I was told by a few different people that it is pretty good. I will have to try and stop here again in the future to confirm that for myself. Prices seemed to be on par with most of the other places we stopped so no biggie there.

The service was pretty good. Our bartender was very nice and knew quite a bit about their beers. She flawlessly filled a growler for us and it was filled to the brim, as it should be. The selection was good. They had a few new beers, most notably the smoked pumpkin porter, that I enjoyed trying. I got a full glass of the Wind Blown Blonde Kolsch and it was very good. I saw they had one cask line but they didn't have anything running through it. Oh well, maybe next time.

Overall I enjoyed this place. If I am ever in the area again I will stop by again for sure.
Oct 12, 2011
Photo of larryi86
Reviewed by larryi86 from Delaware

4.15/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5
Went to Stewart's for the first time today after work with a few coworks. First thing that I noticed was a nice relaxed atmosphere that was welcoming. The quality of the beer and food was great, with good prices. The only down fall was the menu, what was on it was great, but it was small, wish the food had more selection. The beer selection was great. Compared to the other brew pubs near me this is the most reasonably priced and the most down to earth atmosphere. Definitely will be going back, even if it is just a growler run.
Apr 01, 2011
Photo of 86sportster883
Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland

3.85/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Sampler - Eight (5oz) beers or your choice for $10. I got all six seasonals, the IPA and the Golden. I originally included the Irish Red, but after the bartender asked, and confirmed, that I was a beer geek he steered me away from the red.

Chinook IPA (6.8%) - Not bad, but you've got to be a fan of this piney, resiny hop.
Wind Blown Blond Kolsch (5.3%) - very good, easy drinking, clean and refreshing.
Governor's Golden Ale - flavorful, with a distinct noble hop finish.
TriviAle Wit (5.1%) - Great aroma of spices and orange. Crisp with a dry finish.
Oktoberfest - Good
IPA - Almost undrinkable after the Wit, but even after my pallet adjusted it was still my least favorite.
Smoked Porter (5.6%) - An English-style porter w/beachwood smoked malt. A very drinkable beer with a nice balance between the bacony smoke and sweet caramel flavors.
Old Perculator Coffee Stout (5.5%) - An English-style porter brewed w/roast coffee. Tastes exactly as described w/ strong, rich coffee aromas.

1/2 price Angus burgers every Tuesday - I got the mushroom swiss version with fries. The burger was nothing special but it was filling and the price was right.

Stewart's has a singular large room separated by a very large rectangular bar that might seat as many as forty. There's a second large room behind the glass enclosed fermentors that seamed oriented toward larger parties. The place was busy on a Tuesday night, with many of the 40+ clientel sporting mug club mugs and/or preoccupied by the Playmaker trivia game.

Phillys /Braves, Flyers /Devils and Yankees /Rays games all took up TV real estate on this late September evening. A chalk board on one side advertises the upcoming Friday and Saturday night bands for the month.

Overall, a decent place with some very drinkable beers.
Sep 22, 2010
Photo of Nutleybeer
Reviewed by Nutleybeer from New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Stopped by on the way home from the Delaware beaches. A simple stop right off the highway. Tucked in a strip mall. A pretty big place once you get inside. Service was really good, extremely friendly waitress. Typical pub menu. My slider trio was really good.
Nice beer selection...standards included an oatmeal stout, irish red, ipa, golden and wheat. On their rotating line was a hopped up amber, smoked porter, coffee stout, wit and their kolsch...everything was good but the kolsch and oatmeal stout really stood out. They offer 2 sized samplers. Standard swag for sale if interested.
Cool place. We had our baby with us and felt totally comfortable. Thanks for a pleasant visit...will be back next year.
Aug 31, 2010
Photo of Seanibus
Reviewed by Seanibus from California

3.73/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Strictly no frills in terms of appearance and atmosphere - this place could just as easily be another soulless Chinese buffet in another soulless, fading suburban strip mall. But thanks to some better than decent beer, this is actually a pretty good place.

The interior atmosphere is a bit better than the exterior, though it is still sterile and unremarkable. Half is given over to a bar area which seems to feature a variety of Quizzo played with wireless keyboards and linked to some kind of national network of other barrooms playing the same game. The bar area was jam packed when we were there, seemingly with hard core regulars who knew one another well and were quite vocal in playing the game. While this lent a homey feel to the place, the fact is that the dining room is lined with TV sets on every available space, many displaying the quizzo game, many showing sports of various sorts. It all seemed a bit too much, and was quite distracting.

The food is decent. The menu has a nice-looking selection of generic bar food and it turned out to be reasonably well executed, though none of it is distinctive or high end.

The service was quite friendly, but I found it a bit slow, even though the main dining room was relatively slow.

All in all, I wouldn't give this place a second look were it not for the beer - they are surprisingly flavorful and distinctive. I had the very reasonably priced 8 beer sampler, so I got a wide view of the offerings. The signature Governor's Golden Ale was delicious, the seasonal "Windblown Blonde," which is actually a kolch, was remarkably crisp and tasty. The seasonal American brown was malty and robust, with a pleasant bitterness and solid hop character. The IPA was a disappointment, but everything else was good to excellent.

And the price was right - $10 for the sampler, most meals well under $10.

So don't expect elegance, but or a gastronomic treat, but this place is a worthy stop for thirsty travelers.
Mar 14, 2010
Photo of glid02
Reviewed by glid02 from Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Stopped by here during a road trip over the holidays.

Atmosphere is alright. It's in a strip mall which made it somewhat hard to find, but at least there's ample parking. Once inside I see that the place is huge. Tons of seating with a fairly large U-shaped bar in the middle of things. Brewing equipment is visible at the end of the brewpub.

Quality is good. Proper glassware was used for both my beers and it was served at a good temperature with the appropriate amount of head.

Service was very good. Our waitress came over right after we sat down and was very friendly and attentive.

Selection was solid. About 14 beers total with about six that were year-rounds. They limited brews were pretty original, including a smoked dunkelweizen and an interesting take on a BSDA.

Food was solid but not exceptional.

Value was good, we had a solid amount of food and two beers and the bill was very reasonable.

Overall this isn't the most intimate place in the world but the food and beer selections are good and you won't have to wait long for either of them.
Jan 18, 2010
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I am surprised I have not reviewed Stewart's. I stop in here two/three times a year on my way to and from the Delaware bayshore. I am always hoping one of Ric's "special" brews will be on tap when I visit. Usually something really good and unusual is flowing which is a good thing as I find the regular offerings somewhat pedestrian.

The place is one big room with a large bar in the center. This set up can be noisy if the place is crowded. It reminds me of a sports bar with class. I have always had decent service if not good....but nothing to write home about.

Food has always been solid with very good burgers and usually some nice seafood slanted soup/chowder too.

Almost always a nice selection of brews with 10 or so on tap at any one time. I have never had a problem finding a pint or two of interest.

Overall a quality place that is overshadowed by the local Iron Hills and the BIG brother to the south. If you are in the area I urge you to give this place a go, I doubt you will come away disappointed.
Oct 12, 2009
Stewart's Brewing Co. in Bear, DE
Brewery rating: 3.85 out of 5 with 336 ratings