Ghost Isle Brewery

I had driven by it a few times but it was never open. Last Friday coming home from Madison Wisconsin I got lucky and it was open. It is early in the tourist season but it was more than 60% full at 5:30; a good sign. I sat at the bar and was quickly waited on. The beer was a tad above average and the food (pastrami Rueben) was tasty but not up to my Chicago Deli experience (a hard comparison to compete against). I did love the waffle fries; I did not use ketchup which I only use to cover up bad fries. The staff was very friendly and helpful and overall it was a nice brewery to visit. I plan to stop again if open.

 

 

My wife and I stopped here for dinner and to try the beers of this newly-opened brewery (open two weeks at the time of our visit). It is in a new building that was built for this brewery, and is located about one mile NE of the downtown area. A large parking lot is available. The interior struck me as more of a restaurant than a brewery pub until I saw the brewing equipment in a far corner. The square-shaped bar is located to the rear of the pub, and there are probably 40 stools around it. The rest of the dining space is full of tables/chairs, some high and some standard height. Overhead doors can be opened along the wall that looks out to a covered patio, and a view of railroad tracks and a wetland area beyond. Five TVs were installed over the bar and two side walls, and sports were showing on all of them. The vibe is okay.

We were promptly seated (they were very busy for a Monday at dinnertime) and ordered a sampler flight of 4 to evaluate their beers. There are 18 taps but only 8 beers were available. (Limited spirits and wine were noted.) Each of them was brewed well to its respective style, and consistency seems to live here. Each was graded about the same, and we gave an overall rating of 3.69 to them.

Our food arrived promptly after ordering, and we enjoyed what we had. No growlers are available yet, but our server said they are waiting on licensing to be able to offer to-go beer. Other than the place being a little noisy (tables on either side of us had kids), this was a good experience. For being open for only two weeks, this brewery is doing a good job already. If you are in the area, stop in.