McAllister Brewing Company

Drinks - Beers were honestly not great. One was very flat and not the flavor I’d expect from a blood orange ipa. One had a good nitro head but lacking anything else. Two others I tried from friends were middling.

Food - Kitchen closes before 830 from my experience, so don’t come expecting dinner or bar food if you arrive after 8.

Service - the worse component, some staff is painfully rude and others uncaring - or maybe they just only see white regulars. Tried my best to get a drink a couple times, was passed over by the staff three times each time - they would look at me regularly and then go serve a person that arrived to bar after me. Othertimes I’d be standing there waiting while staff chatted behind the bar. I’m 5’11, I doubt they ‘didn’t see me’. Heard the same customer issues from two others - “why is getting a drink take so long”. Maybe they prioritize regulars? In any case, I 100% wouldn’t suggest mcallasters for anyone looking to try a new relaxing friendly place.

Visited on March 2023, with my wife. We were immediately greeted by the bar tender and welcomed in. This was nicely finished inside a large, older building, with a good selection of beers on sale from taps. The environment is casual with various seating options including regular tables, and stools at the bar. They have outdoor seating in warmer weather, but was too cold and rainy for that. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful.

Nice variety of beer for sale, with two sets of taps for a many different beers on tap. There is the traditional tap, as well as a second tap of 5-6 beers for their 'Sudz Capacitor' beers. Beer styles included stouts, IPAs, pilsners, winter ale, and some others. I tried three different beers, and they were all fresh and tasty.

We did not try any food, so cannot comment on that.

When ordering our beers, the bar tender was very friendly. She shared insights into the various beers on tap, and gave us samples to help us decide on our selections. I asked a lot of questions, which she gladly answered. When we finished and were leaving, the bar tender called out and thanked us for coming.

The facility is medium size and rustic, with a few TVs around the area. I was surprised at how many people were there on an early Saturday afternoon, especially since they had just opened and the weather was dreary. A couple of people arrived after us, and they were greeted by name and obviously regulars.

I bought a Crowler of one of their other beers to drink at home, as well as a couple bottles of Sir Fuzzy Pants and cans of their Winter Ale. I look forward to drinking those at home sometime.

Nice vibe, great service, and good beer.

I've only been to McAllister's once while running errands with the wife. We stopped at Well Crafted as well so it was like a mini-pub crawl.

I was impressed with what McAllister has done with the space, everything from having their logo painted on the front doors and the space outside to the new booths inside, but the new peninsula bar is fantastic. It's much brighter, more inviting, and far more comfortable than it used to be.

The service was good, and Kate McAllister held it all together despite the fact that she was basically on her own.

The food was OK. I only had nachos with BBQ chicken added ($13.50) but it was enjoyable. I've had better, I've had worse. Given the prices and limited selection I'd opt to eat elsewhere next time.

As for the beers I wasn't impressed but neither was I put off. I sampled all five (Gras Mähen German Pilsner, Dizzy With A Dame Session IPA, Red Cedar American IPA, First Love English-style Brown Ale, and Skook Water Oatmeal Stout) and came away really only appreciating the First Love. That's not to say the beers were bad, but they weren't as well crafted as I thought they could be; perhaps that will change.

Overall I'd go back. There's a lot of competition in the area, but there is some charm to the place, and generally when I'm out and about I don't always like to hit the same places.

stopped by for just one beer, will need to go back to try more selections. But good first impression with a pint of Brown Ale on cask via hand pump. They had 5 beers available - the brown, a Pilsner, Oatmeal Stout, Red IPA, and Session IPA.

the space is a major improvement over when it was Prism. Good size rectangular bar with seats on three sides. there is a side room with the bathrooms and a couple tables and pinball machines.

**Edit - Ate next time, had the pulled chicken sandwich. pretty good, sloppy with a lot of bbq sauce and sharp cheddar, side of tortilla chips. Good food for not having a full kitchen. But worth $11.50? Probably not when at some good local gastropubs like Stove & Tap or Butcher & Barkeep you can get a killer burger and fresh-cut fries for about a buck more.