Buckeye Brewing Company

Brewery, Bar, Eatery

9985 Walford Ave.
Cleveland, Ohio, 44102
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
3.73
Beers:
27
Ratings:
731
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.11
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
25
pDev:
12.41%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.74 by imdabuzzard from Ohio

Feb 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by BlackhammerOhio from Tennessee

Nov 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by FaradayUncaged from Michigan

Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Juggernaut25 from Ohio

Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by whitenads from Michigan

Oct 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by buckeyechilln from Ohio

Oct 10, 2014
 
Rated: 2.25 by acg1123 from Illinois

Jul 07, 2014
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Reviewed by steebo777 from Michigan

4.63/5  rDev +12.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
I haven't been here for a year or so, but I imagine it hasn't changed much. The place is in a great part west of Cleveland. Pretty cool looking inside with a beer bar vibe all around.

The tap list is quite good with a wide variety of beer choices. They have their own they brew, so you'll never be let down with a style you want as it is always there. But the real gem is the bottle list. It is a doozy and very fun to check out.

Service was nothing special but not bad either, just solid all around.

The food is damn tasty and well worth going there for lunch or dinner. There seems to be a bit of a wait at busy times, but it isn't anything too crazy.

You should definitely hit up the BBC if you're in the area as it will not disappoint.
Aug 04, 2011
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Reviewed by sitarist from Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
The atmosphere is inviting. More like a neighborhood bar than a high end beer pub. They have a horseshoe bar with tables along the walls, an outdoor area, and a dining area off to the side. The back wall behind the bar has around 30 taps and a price list for what they have on tap.

The quality and selection were both outstanding. The day I went they had 27 beers on tap, two being cask conditioned. Besides having their own beers on tap they had selections from Bells, Bear Republic, Brew Dog, Dark Horse, Dogfish Head, Grimbergen, Ithaca, Lagunitas, Left Hand, North Coast, Ommegang, and others I cant remember. Besides a great selection of draft beers they also had around 200 different bottled beers from around the world. Only two were macros, Pabst and Schlitz.

The service and food were also very good. I would go just for the burgers.

As for the value, I had a glass of beer, a plate of sliders with fries and breaded pickle, a couple samples, and took home a 64 oz growler for under $30 with tip.

I highly recommend this place.

Update: Ive been back several times and all I can say is this place is dedicated to beer. They have beer dinners, beer breakfasts, Ive had vintage/aged beers there, not to mention 420 Hop Fest.
Apr 04, 2010
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Reviewed by UDbeernut from Florida

3.84/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Went in Buckeye Beer Engine last night.

The atmospehere was nice, wood panelig on the walls with selves of empty bottles near the top. The bar was big almost had the shape of half an octogon. Tap list was behind the bar, fairly hard to read but also had beer menus floating around.

Beer slecetion was good, I counted about 20 on tap from the likes of Brookyln, DFH, Breckenridge, Stone, Rouge, Lefthand, etc. Seemed like the had an overwelming amount of Brookyln on tap, must of had a Beer dinner or something featureing them. Everything appeared to be served in the correct glass wear for the style.

We only stopped in for one beer, but the service was good despite the huger crowd that had gathered. The food also looked and smelled good.

Prices were reasonable. No compliants there.
Feb 21, 2009
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Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +5.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Well no BMC offerings to be found here except for PBR! They have 27 beers on tap at all times and also have a good number of bottled beers available and two cask offerings. My friends and I were all going to get Bell's Amber ale from the cask but they had just run out of it. Instead we all got a tasty Double IPA, but it was so busy in there and so noisy, that I couldn't hear the name of the beer clearly from our waitress. I am not even sure it was a cask offering or one of their fine offerings from the tap. The only thing I didn't enjoy about my experience there was that this bar had a sort of sports bar feel, with 2 large flat screen TV's above the bar showing sorts games. it is pretty much like a sports bar with some of the greatest craft beer memorabilia and a very great selection. Some of beers on tap include: PBR, Buckeye Chinook IPA, Stone Pale Ale, Stone Ruination, Buckeye Amarillo IPA, Blanche de Chambly, Rogue I2PA, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale, Monty Python Holy Grail Ale, etc. The food portions were large enough, but the fries I received were sort of thin and stringy. The service was excellent. I will revisit this place again soon at a time when it is not so busy and I will be sure that I get a cask offering! Their humus and soup are both very good too!

Eric
Nov 08, 2008
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Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

3.66/5  rDev -10.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Brew Keeper, which used to be a joint venture with Buckeye Brewing Co, is apparently a separate entity now. The establishment is located not too far off I-271 and is pretty easy to spot. There is a small front parking lot.

Inside there is a small room devoted to homebrew supplies, then a door leads into the warehouse/bar area. It's kind of dark and industrial-looking. The bar is along the left side, and a wall full of homebrew stickers adorns the right.

The beer selection includes around 12 taps with Brew Keeper and Buckeye (for how long, it remains to be seen) along with some other selections like Summit and Barrelhouse. The bottled selection is pretty limited, with only around 5 available. Samples are available upon request.

The service here is pretty good. We got kind of a cold response upon asking about the disappearance of the Buckeye name from the building. However I was treated to a free beer for my birthday so who can complain?

Food here is not really an option outside of cashews and chips.

Overall I was pretty disappointed that Buckeye is evidently moving elsewhere. However the beers presented by Brew Keeper hold their own and are worth trying again.
Sep 15, 2006
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Reviewed by Bones54 from Ohio

4.56/5  rDev +10.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I have heard a lot about this place, and have been meaning to stop by for quite some time. Glad I finally did!!

From the outside you would swear this place is just another machine shop in Northeast Ohio. But walk inside, and it is the wonderful world of craft beer right in front of you!

The bar is located in the warehouse area where you can see the brewers at work. The staff is very knowledgable and is happy to talk about their beer. With the place being so small and regional, you just never know whats going to happen either. When I was there they had just finished creating a Stout and decided to serve it. It was great! We were able to drink it and share comments with the brewers right as they were drinking it for the first time as well!!

The atomoshpere is odd because of the setting. But the people there are amazing. The people that come to this place truly respect beer and love to talk beer as well. So while the surroundings might be different than most, the people there make it very comforting. Its actually a unique combination that I grew to enjoy with every passing moment.

The happy hour prices are great as well- $2-$3 for a pint. Not sure about food. I didn't really see a menu, but on Friday they bring in a large and wide variety of very good bread that is free for the eating while there.

Overall, if you are anywhere in the Cleveland area, Buckeye Brewing is a must stop!
Mar 24, 2006
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Reviewed by bigbubba from Ohio

4.64/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LOCATION.

This is just a great place to have a beer! Both their beers and the beer from other breweries is excellent. The bar staff knows all the beers they sell, and the other patrons do too. There is no cheap or bad beer available. Last weekend they had about 6 of their own beers on tap, and 6 to 8 other beers. The other beers that I remember were Bell's Third Coast Ale, Delerium Tremens, Old Crustacean. Plus Buckeye's 76 IPA, Amirillo IPA, Martian Marzen, Yuppie ESB... They have no real food, just popcorn, cachews, and complimentary bread sometimes. They do facilitate ordering food from nearby places. They have a number of menus to look at.

There are TVs and pretty good music playing. The place is not going to impress you for any reason other than for the beer. But it is a great place to drink beer, discuss beer, and even brew your own beer if you want.
May 09, 2005
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Reviewed by OldFrothingSlosh from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Situated across the parking lot from the Linking Wizard...er...Winking Lizard in beautiful (sarcasm) Bedford Heights, unless you knew what you were looking for, you'd probably miss the BBC. It looks like it occupies an older office complex. Pass through the "insurance salesman's office" at the front, where they've got some offices and homebrewing equipment, along with some current batches are fermenting. Back through the door to where the pub area is. Take-out fridges, along with some brewing equipment lead to the cold storage area and the taps. Behind that are some tables, the requisite "Golden Tee" game and a dartboard. At the back wall is the rest of the brewing necessities.

The erasable board carries the daily listings. Actually, quite a decent selection compared the Lizard next door. Rogue's Impy Pilsener & Old Crusty, many of the Buckeye Brews, and cask 2-hearted (the reason for our trip). Decent prices. I think we got undercharged, as we drank a boatload of beer between the 4 of us and only paid $34 for everything. Good service, though I think one of the bartenders was more thank half in the bag. A good place to have an above average beer.
Apr 19, 2005
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Reviewed by wailingwench from New Mexico

4.44/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Cheers: Buckeye Brews on tap with a kick ass happy hour. Free (I guess) trays of homemade goodies sitting on the counter for us to try? Marzen and Hippie IPA were stellar replacements for the 76er. Labels are posted on the wall for your enjoyment of how stupid/ ugly/ better your label ideas are. A bar "hidden" in a brewery, what a concept. Reminds me of a speakeasy. Buckeye has a touch of being illegal to it, I'm sure this type of venture and/or having fun is strictly forbidden in Ohio. No aging hipsters or posing scensters here. Just good ole boys basking in the glow of copper kettles and taking in the fresh aromas of hops and malt goodness. Bathrooms have showers in case you're feeling romantic or need to wash vomit off your shoes. A diamond in the rough.

Jeers: Not enough time to sit here and enjoy all the brews, being from out of town, we didn't know the way @ and didn't want to get pinched with flammable breath driving down the wrong way on the I-70. Located in an unassuming strip mall, you would expect a pawn/porn/lawnmower repair shop to be next door. Signage confusing upon entering. We almost turned @ and walked out. Snooty people with fake French accents spotted making wine. Marzen is pronounced Mare (as in the horse) zen, its German, not Mars (as in the planet) zen. Out of 76'er.
Mar 01, 2005
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Reviewed by Dithyramb from Maryland

4.24/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
We popped in here right after flying into CLE from BWI earlier this week. I was staying in Beachwood. The nice Embassy Suites was closer to where I would be working, and this place was probably less than 3 miles from the front door of the hotel. Mad props to the folks on the Great Lakes forum and Cleveland BeerFly folks. They steered me in the right direction.

The entire little complex here was very unassuming. The brew on premises, brewpub, and the nearby Winking Lizard all looked more like a strip mall office park from the outside. The ring of trucks and cars had me knowing that we could enjoy NL playoffs and MNF at the same time.
The quality of the beers is stellar. Over two and a half days, we sampled our way through most. They were all tasty. They had about a dozen taps, evenly split between their own selection and guest beers. I don’t quite remember any of the guests this week, but I do remember nodding my head, recognizing that they were worthwhile. I was there to try the locals, anyway. There were quite a few bottles to be had. I was very happy to fill my carry on with some of the fine mid-western brews that I can’t get at home, most notably the Great Lakes line. The service’s knowledge of the craft was definitely above average. There is no food to be had, so we slipped around and got some grub at the Winking Lizard. Surprisingly, we weren’t disappointed there either….
Oct 14, 2004
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Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

3.94/5  rDev -4.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
First of all their bar doesn't open until 4o'clock, so I didn't get to try any of their draft offerings dammit (Gumballhead was on their guest drafts). Looks very plain from the outside would have driven by if it weren't for the sign out front, homebrew shop brew on premise style place very cool. Cooler to the left when you walk into the back room so I grabbed a variety of their bottled offerings and tried talking the guy working into letting me try some draft samples, no dice on that one. Don't know about food here didn't come while it was open really, so we had to go next door to the bustling Winking Lizard to grab some lunch.
Sep 23, 2004
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Reviewed by cupbeerman from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Buckeye Brewing, located in the Bedford Heights suburb of Cleveland, is definitely a different experience than most brewpubs. Located in a back corner of a homebrew store/brew on premises/production brewery, there are about a dozen beers on draft. Of these beers, six of them are their own beers and six were guest beers; the time I was there the guest beers included Lindemans, Delirium and Unibroue. They also have about a dozen other beers available to go in bottles, including Stone. The beers were served fresh and were priced at a low price (2.50 for a pint of Alt during happy hour).
During happy hour the bar was full of people, and everyone was having a good time.
Overall worth a trip if in the Cleveland area. Many people say this place is not Great Lakes (not many places are), but stop in and you'll see it's worth the drive.
Jun 19, 2004
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Reviewed by beergeek279 from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Atmosphere: Buckeye is located in Bedford Heights, in the southwestern corner of Cleveland. Buckeye is located in an office building, which makes it somewhat difficult to find. Inside, the first thing seen is a homebrew shop, along with a Brew on Premesis shop. The bar is behind this shop. There are a few small brewing tuns on the right, and then the bar itself. The place has a very industrial feel, yet manages to be beer, with a wall of thousands of old labels from the BOP and signs from an old Buckeye brewing. The people who come here genuinely seem to know beer.

Quality/Selection: As a production brewery with a brewpub, Buckeye has both some bottled beers here as well as some found only here at the Brewpub. On my visit, I happened to have an old ale there, and my brother an alt. Both were solid beers. They also had on tap or in bombers most of their regular beers (the only sad exception being no 76 when we were there). In addition to the Buckeye taps, they also had several guest taps on, from both production breweries and other Ohio brewpubs. There were several bottles, such as Stone and the 2000 JW Lees in a cooler. I didn't notice anybody drinking macros, and there were none in the cooler.

Service: The service at Buckeye was quite solid. The bartenders knew the beers and served them properly. I had no problems with beer, and since I didn't order food can't really judge them there.

When everyone thinks of Cleveland, they think of Great Lakes, and with good reason. Buckeye, however, is a not-too-distant 2nd place in the Cleveland market, and worth a visit when in the Cleveland market. I hope to make it back here, to try some food, and hopefully will finally get my hands on the Seventy-Six IIPA.
Jun 19, 2004
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Reviewed by olacub from Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
This place is a borderline hole in the wall - definitely not a place to take the wife on a romantic date, but...the beer is great. Their own brews are very good (the Wheat Cloud is exceptional, the Hippie IPA is one of my favorites, and the Martian lager is very tasty) and they usually have a nice lineup of guest taps (lately I've seen some good belgians over there). A very knowledgeable beer crowd also adds to the enjoyment, as does a great selection of brewspapers. If you're in Cleveland, this place should be a must stop.

Plus, they're distributing bombers of the Wheat Cloud and Hippie now.
Jun 18, 2004
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Off-the-wall. If your in Cleveland, overshadowed by the all-star Great Lakes, but if you're in the Eastern part of Cleveland, its worthwhile. A few excellent imports.
Wouldn't take a client here, rustic dyed-in-the-wool beerpub, as its a below-average bar hidden in back of the brewery, and you got to get a stool. Plain, for the 18-35 crowd. Dark but not too loud. Revisited location moved West of Cleveland and very nice, with patio and terrific tap selection.Also the ability to buy regular beer, helpful on a Sunday when regular stores I go to were closed.
Apr 23, 2004
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Reviewed by darklager from Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I must say that after visiting Buckeye Brewing Company, I was very surprised to see such good reviews for it here. This is first and foremost a brew on premise establishment with the bar thrown in as almost an afterthought.

As a brew on premise, it is a pretty neat place, although it seems like you just walked into a butcher shop. The temperature is kept really cool, so don't plan on taking off your coat when visiting in the winter.

I was really expecting to try some interesting beers since they make so little at a time, they should really be able to experiment. Imagine my surprise when every brew I tried was bland and boring.

Everyone there seemed really knowledgable and loved to chat about beer and brewing. They just didn't seem to be able to make a great beer.

The best part about the entire place is the micros and imports that they have. The only problem is that the atmosphere is so horrible that it isn't worth visiting this place to try the brews, since you can find them elsewhere.

There is a much better brew on premise in the area, so if you are wanting to brew or would like to try some exciting beers from an establishment that changes what is on tap, go there instead.
Mar 22, 2004
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Reviewed by benmiliron from Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
It's tough to review this place. Imagine if you had set up your own brewery when you were in college and had NO money, but access to a lot of drywall and brew-on-premises equipment. That's this place. I'm not a big fan of Buckeye Brewing's brews, but they do have many on tap available. The focus of this place is the imports they have... oh man. When I was there, (Dec. 2003), they had Gulden Draak, N'ice Chouffe, Piraat, J.W. Lees' 98, Unibroue, and about 5-6 other top quality Belgians that I can't remember after my 6th beer I had there. I hope it was just for an xmas party or something, and that these are always offered.

In short, the place is kinda nasty, but homey in it's own special way. Not arrogant at all, nor are there any yuppies to be found, unlike f***ing Great Lakes Brewing down the road.

Food is from the Winking Lizard next door.

In short, this place rules! YOU MUST GO HERE!
Jan 05, 2004
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Reviewed by babyhobbes from Ohio

4.06/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
I am so glad to see that Buckeye Brewing has been added back to the beerfly list as a bar in Cleveland!! Everyone should check this place out. You can brew-your-own here or just hang out at the bar.

When you go in, walk to the back and there is a long copper-topped bar with ample comfortable stools. There's no blaringly loud music so you can talk to your friends and ask the bartender all the questions you want without screaming. There are a few tables past the bar and a dart board.

We mostly tried the many Buckeye Beers on tap but I recently found out that they offer a lot of good Belgians as well. (La Chouffe)

This place operates solely as a brewery but you are welcome to order food and bring it in. The bartender gave us several take-out menus for places near-by so we didn't feel weird about bringing a pizza over from the Winking Lizard conveniently located next door at all.

This is a great bar to go to for the ambiance. I get so sick of the too loud, too smoky bars here in Cleveland. This is a nice place to enjoy a beer with friends and too support out local brewery!!
Jan 05, 2004
Buckeye Brewing Company in Cleveland, OH
Brewery rating: 3.73 out of 5 with 731 ratings