Surly Brewing Co. - Beer Hall

First, understand that Surly is huge and has been number one in this general area for many years….they “own” Minnesota, just like Boulevard “owns” the general KC area.

This place is over the top large and grand, indoors and out. Super nice outdoor lawns, patios, filled with communal picnic tables and outdoor art pieces. Large parking lots to satisfy the throngs of beer lovers that visit here.
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Striking, impressive, pleasant, all come to mind. It’s a real nice place, well staffed, well run and oozing with quality beer options on tap and in loads of cans to go. As close to a must visit spot as can be. We enjoyed yummy tacos and their Sammie’s and small bites.

Just go, its a good time for all, great for some quality beers and tasty bites and especially great for groups

 

 

Visited in August 2023 during a long road trip... Not my kind of vibe. Not the fact that the joint was jam-packed. I guess it's the clean, neat, clinical, modern (wood and stainless steel) design. Money, well, spent. Maybe my opinion is skewed because I sat at the bar and just stared at shiny chrome the whole time. But the place lacks idiosyncracy. I use the 'car dealership' comparison when applicable. It's more showroom than beer hall... I've had their beer in the past and thought it was pretty good (I do love Darkness), but boy did I strike out with what I tried. Axe Man (solid, but indistinct), Pentagram (trash), and some chile beer/lager (decent). Overall, the selection was good enough that day to appease my curiosities... No interest in a return, despite definitely wanting to revisit the Minneapolis area. Not all places strike a chord. Oh well.

 

Consistently a great experience, but always insanely busy. The Brews themselves are always top-notch, and the hall is a lively spot to watch the Gophers lose. Great vibes and great selection. Every time I'm back in Minneapolis I always make time to visit.

Very cool place, but also very busy. Fortunately there was room at the bar which was nice. Great service, taster pours, and of course selection. Definitely worth visiting if in Minneapolis. It's also near U of M.

A very modern and spacious place with lots of parking. Very interesting landscaping and structure. Very close to the University of Minnesota nearing the border of St. Paul. Surly not only produces one world-class beer after another, they also have an amazing kitchen. The food is outstanding. Great service. Cool lighting. They have a large rentable function room complete with an elevator. It's cool to grab a fine brew and just walk around the place checking out. This is a brewery that's not to be missed. It is world-class.
***8/11/25 A return visit. Surly beer hall seems to be 65% food and 35% beer with restaurant pricing, hostesses, and reserved tables.

One very big spot for brews, food, and events. A bit loud for my taste, but experience does feel very new school German beer garden, so not surprising. The food is quite well done, and I've always appreciated Surly's brews, so there's a lot to get lost in. I need to head back again soon.

 

 

 

Really nice, huge beer hall with large selection of merchandise, around 20+ taps of Surly beer, decent food. Great place to hang out with friends. Less exciting atmosphere than before the shutdown, but still fun and socially distanced.

 

Came here during a recent work trip to Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Tried the following:
Surly Heatslayer Kolsch (draft)
Surly Osmotar's Forest Mild (draft)
Surly Space Race - Double Dry-Hopped Hazy IPA (draft)

Beers ranged from above average to outstanding and the tap selection was strong.

Bustling, lively atmosphere at the upstairs bar; place was absolutely packed.

Service was great as the waitress did her best to engage me despite being super busy (much appreciated).

Had a custom pizza with hot peppers, tomato, and basil that really hit the spot. Also bought some schwag and beer to go.

My overall experience was fantastic, and I would definitely come back. A must-visit destination in my books.

I've been here a few times, always in the summer. Very big inside and out. The food is delicious and has a large selection of beers. Outside there is a lot of seating with little fires going and games to be played, mainly bags. Overall awesome atmosphere.

I My favorite spot in Minneapolis for beer. Huge venue with a lot to offer.

 

 

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Surly Brewing is near the University of Minnesota campus. It's a mega craft beer destination, similar to Stone in Escondido, California. You can tell the owners poured tons of money into this place. I think they did a nice job with the design. Near the entrance there's a gift store. Further in, you have a large area with bench tables and seating. I believe there was an outdoor patio area on the other side.

The production area was visible which I always feel is a plus when visiting tasting rooms.

The server was friendly. We ordered a charcuterie board and some other appetizers. The food was tasty. And, we shared a bottle of Darkness.

Very nice visit and met a friend from school I haven't seen in 20 years.

 

 

Food was great, atmosphere was great! Very little to complain about, plenty to praise! Felt much larger than a typical microbrewery as it is pretty large.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I miss Tim Manley

I've been to Surly quite a few times now, I go down every year for the Surlyfest event. They have a large and truly beautiful brewing facility if you take a tour. The beer hall is huge and has a very modern feel, though it does tend to be obnoxiously loud, and somehow manages to feel crowded . They tend to have 25+ beers on tap which is nice, and many are quite good (though they've been declining since Todd left). I've only ate there twice, food was pretty good, but was a tad overpriced. Overall it's a solid beer destination, they often get over-rated, and they've lost their mystique without Todd. But they still make some pretty solid beer, and do have a very nice facility.

This is the largest beer Hall I've been including my time in Munich. The place was "slow" and we still had a half hour wait for a table for food.

The hall spills outside to a large courtyard and tent. There were 27 beers on tap (all made by Surly). Excellent range of flavors.

We (four of us) ordered a Charcuterie board of three meats and two sausages. All of them were superb.