Metal Works Brewing
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Reviewed by dleigh from California
4.39/5 rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
4.39/5 rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Great beer, great food. Their ever-changing tap list includes some interesting beers and some nice standards. If you're not up for the wait or crowds at Upland, this a great brewery to check out. Super convenient location right off the square. Great vibe--spacious, with lots of light-wood, and nice service. Protip: get the blue cheese slaw--it will blow your mind.
Apr 28, 2016Reviewed by BTodd from Illinois
4.28/5 rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
4.28/5 rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
A-Great, modern atmosphere. Very cool without being overly busy. Not too loud and allows/encourages conversation.
Q-My wife and I were in a couple months back after hearing about it (we live near Chicago but I have family in the area). Between our two samplers and an extra taster or two we tried all on tap that day. Everything was solid and enjoyable with their own mark on it. Anything I didn't really like was due to it being a style I don't typically care for (e.g. hefe, etc.). I LOVE this place.
S-I don't recall specifics re: service as it has been a few months. However, I always had beer and the food came in a timely manner. I'd remember otherwise.
S-As I remember, there were about 10 beers on tap when I was in. A couple of IPAs, pales, some darker beers and a couple of more sessionable taps.
F-Mostly snack items and cold/hot sandwiches. I like what they're going for as it was all somewhat trendy/upscale. However, this is a beer place and the food was not as good as the beer. I'd eat there again if I was in for a beer, but there are too many other good places in the area to dine there solely for the food. Eat somewhere else then get ALL of your beer here.
V-As I recall, the beer was reasonably priced and the food wasn't too terribly expensive. I'll combine the two knowing that the food value brings my score down a touch.
Jul 25, 2014Q-My wife and I were in a couple months back after hearing about it (we live near Chicago but I have family in the area). Between our two samplers and an extra taster or two we tried all on tap that day. Everything was solid and enjoyable with their own mark on it. Anything I didn't really like was due to it being a style I don't typically care for (e.g. hefe, etc.). I LOVE this place.
S-I don't recall specifics re: service as it has been a few months. However, I always had beer and the food came in a timely manner. I'd remember otherwise.
S-As I remember, there were about 10 beers on tap when I was in. A couple of IPAs, pales, some darker beers and a couple of more sessionable taps.
F-Mostly snack items and cold/hot sandwiches. I like what they're going for as it was all somewhat trendy/upscale. However, this is a beer place and the food was not as good as the beer. I'd eat there again if I was in for a beer, but there are too many other good places in the area to dine there solely for the food. Eat somewhere else then get ALL of your beer here.
V-As I recall, the beer was reasonably priced and the food wasn't too terribly expensive. I'll combine the two knowing that the food value brings my score down a touch.
Reviewed by Beric from Massachusetts
3.91/5 rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
3.91/5 rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Visited 5 April 2014
Atmosphere: Fantastic atmosphere. Light, blonde woods and stainless makes it hip and modern without being contrived. No music playing, rather, the open design really emphasizes the conversation of all the groups in the place. Varied customer base- young students all the way to old couples. Fantastic, modern, minimalist design as opposed to your dark, loud bar. Love it.
Quality: Beer was great. All of it is made super fresh in small batches. The Tangent IPA was incredible, and the other, less in-your-face options were marvelously flavorful as well. All the beers I sampled were excellent representations of their style without relying on weird gimmicks or insane "innovations" to make their beers appeal to people.
Selection: I went on Saturday afternoon, and since all the beers are brewed in small 5-10bbl batches, it's not a surprise that they had run out of a few from their taplist by the time I got there. Good swath of styles, however, although it certainly leans on the hoppy side. No lagers, all ales, ranging from blonde to American IPA. ABVs all 7% or lower. I would have liked to see a slightly more diverse taplist, rather than 5/10 available beers being APAs or IPAs.
Food: Small plates, cold sandwiches, and hot sandwiches are all they got here. All the food has a gourmet bend to it. If you're looking for pub food, eat somewhere else. What I CAN say, however, was that the food tasted excellent, the portions were perfect, and paired great with the beers they had on tap.
Value: Beers are cheap ($4.50/pt or $3.50/10oz; flights are $6 for four well-sized samples). Food ranges from $9-11 per plate, making it very affordable.
Overall: Easily my favorite brewpub in Bloomington. Atmosphere is absolutely incredible, selection is solid, prices are low, and all-in-all it's a great addition to the Bloomington brew scene. Unlike Upland's dark, crammed brewpub, Function is light, airy and welcoming. Unlike BBC being in the middle of nowhere, Function is just close enough to the square to be easily reached, but just far enough away to be spared from tons of tourist traffic. Would highly recommend.
Apr 06, 2014Atmosphere: Fantastic atmosphere. Light, blonde woods and stainless makes it hip and modern without being contrived. No music playing, rather, the open design really emphasizes the conversation of all the groups in the place. Varied customer base- young students all the way to old couples. Fantastic, modern, minimalist design as opposed to your dark, loud bar. Love it.
Quality: Beer was great. All of it is made super fresh in small batches. The Tangent IPA was incredible, and the other, less in-your-face options were marvelously flavorful as well. All the beers I sampled were excellent representations of their style without relying on weird gimmicks or insane "innovations" to make their beers appeal to people.
Selection: I went on Saturday afternoon, and since all the beers are brewed in small 5-10bbl batches, it's not a surprise that they had run out of a few from their taplist by the time I got there. Good swath of styles, however, although it certainly leans on the hoppy side. No lagers, all ales, ranging from blonde to American IPA. ABVs all 7% or lower. I would have liked to see a slightly more diverse taplist, rather than 5/10 available beers being APAs or IPAs.
Food: Small plates, cold sandwiches, and hot sandwiches are all they got here. All the food has a gourmet bend to it. If you're looking for pub food, eat somewhere else. What I CAN say, however, was that the food tasted excellent, the portions were perfect, and paired great with the beers they had on tap.
Value: Beers are cheap ($4.50/pt or $3.50/10oz; flights are $6 for four well-sized samples). Food ranges from $9-11 per plate, making it very affordable.
Overall: Easily my favorite brewpub in Bloomington. Atmosphere is absolutely incredible, selection is solid, prices are low, and all-in-all it's a great addition to the Bloomington brew scene. Unlike Upland's dark, crammed brewpub, Function is light, airy and welcoming. Unlike BBC being in the middle of nowhere, Function is just close enough to the square to be easily reached, but just far enough away to be spared from tons of tourist traffic. Would highly recommend.
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