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Saint Arnold Brewing Company

Brewery, Bar, Eatery

2000 Lyons Ave.
Houston, Texas, 77020
United States

(713) 686-9494 | map
saintarnold.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.92
Beers:
75
Ratings:
7,496
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.28
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
162
pDev:
10.75%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
Came as part of a firm outing with a bunch of co-workers for a tour and private party. The place was hopping. The tour was fun, and the beers were quite solid. The food was good but not the main draw. Overall, I'd return if I'm in Houston again.
Oct 22, 2023
Photo of johnnnniee
Reviewed by johnnnniee from New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.25
Wife and I stopped in for dinner (7/26/23) on a trip to visit our Daughter. Its been 25+ years since I visited the Saint Arnold Brewery and when I did they were in another location. Saint Arnold's Amber Ale is probably the beer that is most responsible for my journey to craft beer, so this was nostalgic trip. Parking lot was just about full on a Wed at 6pm which had me worried but the outside seating area is huge and there are plenty of tables inside where we were promptly seated. 15 or so beers on tap a few bottles some house made ciders and wines as well as non alcohol drinks. Flights and some 10 oz pours available. Decent menu with burgers sandwiches salads pizza etc. We had a great pepperoni pizza and some pretzel bites that were good as well. We were wearing sandals and were not allowed on the tour of the brewery points off for that bring shoes if that important to you. Great to relive the nostalgia I would return in a heartbeat if I find myself in Houston Again.
Aug 06, 2023
 
Rated: 3.64 by West_Chester_Ale_Tester from Ohio

Jul 17, 2022
Photo of SViterileroux74
Reviewed by SViterileroux74 from Texas

3.53/5  rDev -17.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.5
Nice place to spend an Afternoon with friends and family. They have arguably the best outdoor place for a brewery in town. I was expecting a better selection of novelty (tap room only) beers, but they offer
just the same beers that you could find at your neighborhood’s supermarket.
Dec 31, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Oct 11, 2020
Photo of MichaelSneed
Reviewed by MichaelSneed from Texas

5/5  rDev +16.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Haven't been here in years, but it was the best place to pop in on a Saturday afternoon to start a great evening of drinking. The OG of good Houston beer, as far as I'm concerned.
Sep 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.56 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Mar 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by Valkyrie23 from Texas

Feb 02, 2020
Photo of eithne
Rated by eithne from Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4
20191130
Dec 05, 2019
 
Rated: 3.93 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jul 08, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by RCFIVE from Tennessee

Jun 24, 2019
Photo of Karibourgeois
Reviewed by Karibourgeois from Texas

4.45/5  rDev +4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Really cool brewing with a large beer hall that has the feel of a German festhall. Selection was good as was food service. Nice place for a quick lunch and a beer while visiting Houston.
Feb 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.6 by MrsL2011 from Texas

Sep 16, 2018
Photo of Matt141
Rated by Matt141 from Texas

4.61/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
New beer garden is amazing!
Aug 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by SMH_NWI from Texas

Jul 29, 2018
Photo of champ103
Reviewed by champ103 from Texas

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.5
This is my updated review for the brand new restaurant and beer garden. Which officially opened this week on 7/23/2018.

The brand new building is just past the original brew house on Lyons. They will still use the original for the regular Saturday open house/tour that has been going on for about 10 years now. Though the restaurant and beer garden are just stunning. With regular hours everyday. A huge outdoor area that is partly covered. There are large fans, and it is very open so air moves through easily. For as hot as it has been lately, it really is not as stifling hot as you would expect. Though this will be one of the more popular spots when the weather is nice, and the downtown view can't be beat. Inside is almost like a cathedral. With high arching ceilings and wood beams. Nooks that all have individually commissioned art work. A small bar towards the back that is all wood. For as big as the inside it, the noise level didn't get overbearing. Just a stunning build out.

A large food menu that is amazing. The Reuben might be one of my favorites in Houston now. With house baked bread, and house cured corned beef. Legit pizzas, and there are bigger, more upscale entrees that I am really looking forward to trying. The burger is good, but didn't find it as amazing as it looked. Again, an awesome house baked bun, but the burger itself was a little over cooked (with two thinner patties, so it is probably a little harder to cook that correctly). Though all in all, the menu is fantastic.

Of coarse they have the 12 year round offerings available (I can drink Pub Crawl and 5 O'clock all day), two cask engines, a few BB and DR's on tap, and 4 tap room only beers. One was a spot on, supper clean West Coast style IPA that I really enjoyed called Citra-Odoos, another I had was the Palmer. Kind of an Arnold Palmer with alcohol, a 3.6 % ABV Berliner Weisse with lemon peal and black tea. I am not usually a fan of these kind of beer cocktails, but this was really good.

Service and kitchen times are spot on. It seemed everyone in the building was being taken care of. The entire build out is impressive on its own, and probably the best true brewpub in the city now. This will be an institution in Houston, and I will always be a fan as they continue to do things the right way without shortcuts.
Jul 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.3 by JohnDon from Texas

Jun 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by Sweeeeeeeeeeny from Texas

Jun 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.7 by Lukebell15 from Texas

Apr 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.36 by brew-Ed from Texas

Jan 20, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by ryan_sprayberry from Texas

Dec 21, 2017
Photo of DoubleABaird
Reviewed by DoubleABaird from Texas

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
The godfathers of the modern Houston beer culture. This is a destination that any fan of beer MUST visit. It is a great brewery with a great atmosphere, and just visiting this place is an experience.

There are numerous parking lots in the immediate area and some street parking. The brewery has a nice brick outside, that to me just screams brewery...but that's just me. Once you walk thru the large front door, you make your way upstairs to the beer hall area where all of the beer, food, and seating is located.

The beer hall is amazing, both in size and atmosphere. The wood in the hall makes it feel warm and inviting. It's $10 for four (4) beers and a small glass, but if you bring them a Saint Arnold glass, they will fill that up instead.

The beer hall has two bars, one on either side, and they typically serve the same beers on each side, with some exceptions. The beer is amazing, as you would expect from Saint Arnold. They had all of their year-round offerings as well as seasonal and cask items. I particularly liked that they offered flavored syrups with the "Boiler Room", which is very traditional.

The food was good. It was definitely the best food I've had at a brewery, whether it was from a food truck, or the brewery itself. I can't remember exactly what I had, but I do remember it being incredibly good.

The only downsides of this place are the large amounts of people on the weekends, which can make finding a seat near impossible, so many people bring lawn chairs or sit on the floor. The brewery hall is clean so it's not awful and people seem to be having too much fun to care. The amount of people also makes the tours a little less personal, and from what others have said, much shorter.

From what others have told me, it is best to do a tour during the week when the amount of visitors is considerably less.

Overall, this is a great experience, but just be prepared for long lines and limited seating if you are visiting on the weekend.
Dec 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.47 by hcproff36 from Texas

Sep 27, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by JDeV from Pennsylvania

Aug 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.83 by Mooskabear from Texas

Mar 02, 2017
Photo of Beerucee
Rated by Beerucee from Texas

4.5/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Citrus!
Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.4 by KalbHOMEBREWS from Colorado

Feb 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Jan 31, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by Tmilner from Texas

Jan 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by 22Blue from Kansas

Dec 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.01 by Jame515 from Texas

Dec 18, 2016
 
Rated: 4.16 by HipCzech from California

Sep 27, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by Dface from Texas

Sep 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.23 by Daniellobo from District of Columbia

Aug 21, 2016
Photo of htown_engineer
Reviewed by htown_engineer from Texas

4.73/5  rDev +10.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The brewery is in a weird location in Houston, but it's been here forever and if you ask any local, myself included they all know where and how to get to Saint Arnold's. If you are in town any other day of the week except Saturday (which is the worst, you can't find parking and can barely walk to the beer line), go. During the week they're open for lunch until 4:30, but I personally recommend and love Friday's, they open normal time until 10PM and they aren't too busy. You'll always find a place to sit with tons of elbow room, the beer lines are short and food comes pretty quick, not to mention that on Friday's they bring out some of their barrel aged beer or other special reserves that you won't find any other day of the week.

One final note, if you go on a Saturday you pay like $15 and you get a glass and three tokens, if you go during the week, you can by one beer or open a tab and buy as many as you want.

The beer hall itself, is spacious with typical long wooden tables you share similar to German beer halls. It's clean, air conditioned (which only really totally matters when picking out a beer hall in Houston during the summer) and has some awesome murals depicting the beloved Saint Arnold. The staff on the other hand are great, they're all friendly and helpful when you're undecided on what beer to try next or you just want to linger by the beer line to chat.

The food is ok, not great but not bad either, but they're getting there, the restaurant part of the brewery is relatively new, I think less than a year, eventually they'll work out all the kinks and have some amazing menu items. As for lunch, I've only been once, its menu has more of a selection than the "pub fare" for Friday nights. So if you're looking for a full meal rather than stuff to snack on, head there at lunch, they have a bigger selection and daily specials.

Overall it's a cool place to spend an afternoon or Friday night!
Aug 14, 2016
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

4.14/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Large facility in the middle of an area that's kind of a residential neighborhood and kind of an industrial park. Houston is weird. Weird and swampy. I visited in mid-March and the humidity was already almost stifling. The summers must be unbearable.

The brewery is set up as a tourist spot, similar to places like New Glarus and Harpoon, only without the charm afforded by those two's geographic location. The brewery is woody and spacious, with tall ceilings, but the vibe is (intentionally) closer to a church or a festhall than to a warehouse. The gritty, industrial workman feel, so prominent in large midwestern breweries, is nowhere to be found here.

My friend and I arrived around 4:30 on a Friday, and were told that we had better hurry up since the brewery closed at five. Huh.

Late for the tour, we grabbed pints at one of the two bars. The selection was broad, even by the standards of a large-ish craft brewery. They had all of their regular options along with a dozen or so rare and taphouse-only brews. I got a porter of some kind, which I don't really remember.

The crowd was sweaty and friendly, comprised mostly of locals. The seating arrangements were straight beer hall, with long wooden tables that could each accommodate a few dozen people. There was no music, nor any loudness at all, but the place would do a wonderful job hosting festivals and parties. My friend and I were worn out from a conference, and we enjoyed the opportunity to chat with one another, and swap a couple of quick stories with the locals.

Overall, a pleasant brewery experience, though not nearly the most memorable. I've only had a handful of Saint Arnolds beers, and I found them all to be pretty good but not great.

You'll probably never travel to Houston just to see the brewery. But if you're in the area, and you plan on drinking before 5 PM, it's a very nice stop.
Aug 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by Ryannotbryan from Texas

Jun 21, 2016
Photo of BillRoth
Reviewed by BillRoth from Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
Stopped by during Houston beer safari. Great Munich like beer hall. Common shared tables. Good people and very good service.
Food was diverse, interesting and delicious. Had the Crawfish roll sandwich and fries. Fabulous. Beer selection was very good overall...but apparently a recent rare beer celebration had left some just amazing Bishop's Barrel and Divine Inspiration beers available...and on cask! Throw in some BB bottles...and it was just a world class stop. Highly recommended!
Jun 18, 2016
Photo of HotDogBikeRide
Reviewed by HotDogBikeRide from Texas

4.49/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
Checked in on my girl's birthday, got a free glass for the occasion! Got two classic beer packages, 10 bucks a piece, comes with four 8 oz pours of the normal selection. Endeavour costs 2 tokens. Beer on tap is noticeably more fresh and amazing then what I'm used to purchasing bottles. Most professional environment perhaps out of every brewery I've seen, which this makes two now lol. Food is on point, fresh as the dranks which is saying something. Fries and chicken sandwich on point dawg so real. I have enjoyed Art Car, Elissa, Weedwacker, Summer Pils, 5 o'clock Pils, Coffee Porter and more here, more to come soon. Friendly knowledgable staff made the tour just awesome, with plenty of room for questions, make sure to grab a beer before you go in for it. Nothing is really bad whatsoever at the brewery. They even have vegetarian options. Chill music too.
Apr 14, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by mcantu from Texas

Apr 13, 2016
Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston, TX
Brewery rating: 3.92 out of 5 with 7496 ratings