Flagstaff Brewing Company

Flagstaff Brewing CompanyFlagstaff Brewing Company
Flagstaff Brewing CompanyFlagstaff Brewing Company
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

16 E Route 66
Flagstaff, Arizona, 86001-5792
United States

(928) 773-1442 | map
flagbrew.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.68
Beers:
14
Ratings:
110
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.49
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
36
pDev:
10.03%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
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Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

3.6/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.25
I visited Flagstaff Brewing earlier this week while in town. They had five beers on tap: a classic selection of pale, IPA, amber, ESB, and porter. The pale ale was decent enough, and the Blackbird Porter was also not bad, but not remarkable. The taproom has a classic old guy vibe; this place has definitely been around a while. They have a full bar and a food menu, though I didn't end up sampling that. Service was pretty friendly, though. Overall, I'd say this isn't a must-visit beer destination, but more of a chill place to have a quiet beer (at least, on the night I visited).
May 06, 2021
Photo of WillieThreebiers
Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +14.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5
Rustic taproom on route 66 in the heart of downtown. Long bar opposite the entry pre-seats about 25 (pre-covid) with courtyard patio in front. Only 5 house beers on tap, I had the ESB, and it was very nice. Friendly bartender. I did not try the food.
Apr 15, 2021
 
Rated: 3.28 by Carter_T from Arizona

Mar 30, 2017
Photo of Kubishark
Reviewed by Kubishark from Maryland

2.64/5  rDev -24.4%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5
Went on a Friday night and most people there weren't even drinking their beers. Many weren't even drinking beer at all. Loud music and kind of a fratty vibe. Their beers are forgettable. The bartenders were nice, but pretty busy making drinks for everyone. Not many of their own beers to choose from, wasn't really interested in what other beers they had in cans or whatever. I think this place needs to change things up if they want to compete with the many other great breweries in Flagstaff.
Jul 02, 2016
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.41/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5
Craft brewery circa a generation ago. They run high nitro mixes and the beers are not so drinkable as a result or not a result of. Highest server-patron ratio I have seen in flagstaff. Go 2 more minutes to mother road or hops on birch.good price on ska cans.
Jan 11, 2016
 
Rated: 3.3 by pkjorgy from Arizona

Jun 29, 2015
Photo of 2beerdogs
Reviewed by 2beerdogs from California

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.5
In the 90's and 2000's I spent many a afternoon and evening here. My Deadhead buddy Sigi from Germany fell in love with this place. Good beer, great vibe, especially when they let people submit their live Dead tapes to play (giving you a pitcher of their beer if they plaayed yours), or had live bands.
Jun 09, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by cbcrunch from Wyoming

Apr 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.59 by jkuchera from Colorado

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by cbutova from Massachusetts

Dec 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.33 by italianstallion from Wisconsin

Dec 20, 2014
Photo of ONovoMexicano
Reviewed by ONovoMexicano from New Mexico

3/5  rDev -14%
I can't really encourage anyone to visit this brewery when there are others in the area, one of which (Mother Road) absolutely blew me away.

But that's not to say the beers here are bad or you should avoid this place at all costs; it's just that the place is very average and unremarkable as far as their beer. And yes, that's all I will speak to since I didn't try the food and didn't pay much attention to the setting.

There is a ping-pong table, so I suppose if you're interested in some entertainment while quaffing away, this may be the place for you. But again, the beer here is very middle of the road.

Of the beers I had, the most memorable were the Bitterroot ESB and The Grinch. The former had an interesting taste as a result of the bitter root, but the ESB qualities weren't on par with my favorites. The body was thin and there wasn't enough creamy sweet malt for my tastes. Plus the hops weren't providing that dry bitterness like I would expect.

The Grinch was a spiced winter ale, I think. Again, the body was lacking a bit as were the spices. Everything seemed a bit subdued.

I'll leave it at that.
Sep 23, 2014
Photo of CarolinaCardinals
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina

3.74/5  rDev +7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4
Stopped here for lunch with Da Boss today.

Atmosphere was interesting. Hippies, hipsters, and college kids were the primary customers. There was plenty of patio seating outside but the shady seats were all taken - shade being the name of the game when it is sunny and 85. So we opted to sit inside. In addition to the 4 FBC and 4 guest taps bottles of booze took a huge space on the wall. There were some old rustic signs hanging on the walls. inside seating was somewhat limited.

Quality of the beer was pretty good. I had the ESB and Da Boss had a Odell 90 Shilling.

Service was very good as our server had a good working knowledge of the beers available. She was also quick and courteous during a pretty busy late lunch hour.

Selection was pretty limited to the 8 taps.

Food was very good. We both had burgers that were cooked to order. Had the onion rings which were very tasty.

Overall value was reasonable. House brews were $4 and guest were $5. Burgers were in the $9-11 range. Definitely worth a stop and if anything watching the guests and servers was entertaining!
Jul 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by timlyon from Arizona

Jun 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Camjmorton from Virginia

May 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Bobhoya from Arizona

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by BobbySue22 from Oregon

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Feb 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by AlexChillton from Arizona

Jan 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by trytoketchup from Colorado

Dec 10, 2013
Photo of lackenhauser
Reviewed by lackenhauser from Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Like others said right on the main drag, Rt 66 into town but off the shopping plaza while the brew house fronts the road. Decent vibe that really grew on me the longer we sat there. Wife sat at a table while I approached the bar to ask about seating and within a minute or 2 a waiter came around the corner and was right on top of things.

Selection was ok. Honestly the least amount of house beer choices I have ever seen in a brew pub. Sure I dont need to be overwhelmed with 12 to 15 beers but 5 is a bit sparse. There were more guest taps then house taps. Regardless-had the ESB and the porter which were both good. Selection wise aside...the single malt menu is just mindblowing. Sure my wife is from Scotland, have toured a few distilleries in my day, but this was just amazing.

Food was good-had a salad with grilled chicken, wife had some gravy fries.

Price was very reasonable-2 pints, a single malt, meals, a soda and coffee and I was out the door for under 40 bucks before tip.

Think we are going there tomorrow post Grand Canyon...
Jan 02, 2013
Photo of nickfl
Reviewed by nickfl from Florida

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3
Stopped in here after a trip up to the grand canyon to have a few pints before dinner. It is a pretty average looking place inside but has a great location right along route 66 in downtown Flagstaff. The beer was quite good with a excellent porter as the standout for the evening. My only complaint is that they only had about five of their own brews on tap. They had a quite a few guest brews (all of them good) but I was interested in the local offerings and was a little disappointed to find more guest beers than house brews on tap. Service was good (I ordered at the bar) and everything seemed well looked after. We didn't eat here, but the food at the next table looked promising. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
Apr 10, 2012
Photo of DPFRD
Reviewed by DPFRD from Arizona

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Flag brew is a great spot to hang at and see some music or eat. The beer is moderately good...
I've had the IPA there and it's pretty bangin'

Their esb is all right too.

This being said, that's about it. They have a great selection of bourbon there if you're into that.

It's definitely worth a stop if you're in Flagstaff. Centrally located, you can enjoy a nice meal and some decent brew.

Also, this place throws some mighty nice shows. I saw Mike Clark's headhunters there, which was a treat.
Feb 06, 2011
Photo of RoryGilmore
Reviewed by RoryGilmore from Washington

4.28/5  rDev +22.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Despite the mediocre reviews on BA, I stopped in for dinner on a recent trip to Flagstaff. I am really glad I did, as this was my favorite brewpub of the three I visited while in town.

I visit AZ often, and this brewpub seems to be the only restaurant or bar in the state that actually has some personality. I dig the laid back, non-chain restaurant feel. The entire establishment is well worn, but it's also very clean. Also of note, was that the bartender actually had good, non-generic top 40's music playing. Up until this point, I thought it was against state law to play music that is remotely decent in public.

Service was good. Unlike the other brewpubs in town, I got the impression that my server actually knew a thing or two about the brews he was serving.

Tap selection was maybe 4 or 5 house beers, and 4 or 5 guest taps in addition to a small bottle list. I get the impression that they have a very limited brewing capacity, but they did a nice job of filling out their guest taps to ensure that there is something good to drink. I had their Special K.'s Sitka, which was tasty.

The food was a pleasant surprise. It was cheap, and very tasty. I had low expectations after reading off a menu that look as if it was laminated 10 years ago, but it was one of the better meals I had on my trip.
Dec 17, 2010
Photo of Halcyondays
Reviewed by Halcyondays from California

3.86/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
My train back to CA got delayed an hour and a half so I decided to walk across the street and check out Flagstaff Brewing.

Walking in there's a mountain motif, with lots of old breweriana and old cans/bottles above the bar. Not a huge place, but cozy, it was nowhere close to capacity on a Sunday night. I opted for a Ska Modus Hoperandi in a can and one of their beers the Special K's Sitka Spruce. The Modus was stellar, the brewpub's one was solid but outmatched by the Ska. Both beers were well under $5, a steal compared to CA prices.

They had about 5 of their own beers, with guest beers including Odell 90/-, Green Flash Hophead Red, Full Sail Session/Black, Ska Modus/ESB and Stone IPA.

Bartender was friendly, we talked about IPAs a bit, and he got me my beers promptly.

I only ended up spending about 30 minutes there, but if I'm in the area I'd go back, it beats waiting in the train station by a ton.
Aug 03, 2010
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.43/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
A graduation weekend Saturday afternoon and there is nowhere to sit outside, inside is pretty busy too, most people appeared to be eating, so we did too, after trying some beers. They had 12 taps and a huge whisky selection.

I had their four beer taster (Great Golden, Bukkaganouj Pale, Agassiz Amber, Sasquatch Stout) and although not overly impressed myself, the wife liked the Great Golden Ale. I choose to have a Limited Edition Full Sail Ale after the tasters, I'd spied it on tap and followed it with an Anderson Valley Boont Amber (bottled) as I didn't fancy any of their other draught offerings.

We both had salads to eat, the wife a Garden, mine a Greek one. Ideal for our needs and plentiful without filling us (we were, after all, on a drinking mission).

The place is modern with that semi-old-frontier-look. A canoe hangs above the main bar, we sat next to an evil looking skunk picture, set in a night sky. I noticed an Everards (from Leicester in the UK) pump clip on another wall as well as other beery bits dotted about. All in all a strange collection of tat seemed to be randomly perched around the joint, there is a mini stage and table tennis area in the backroom too.

The staff were busy, friendly and as quick as they could be, gave good directions to the Greenroom as well.
May 24, 2010
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.16/5  rDev -9.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3
As others have noted this is your typical local hangout with a Grateful Dead atmosphere with the music and wall decorations. The bar is large and wooden and seats about 15. The back room has a ping pong table, and there are plenty of outdoor seats. There is a kayak hanging right above the bar too.

Beer wise they only had 4 in house brews here - a Hefe, ESB, Golden Ale, and a Spruce Ale. There were 5 guest taps mostly dedicated to Ska Brewing and a selection of 10 bottles and cans. We had the ESB and Spruce Ale and they were decent and fresh.

Service was awfully slow as the bartender seemed to spend time washing glasses rather than focus on those waiting at the bar wanting a drink.

Personally I prefer the Beaver Street brewpub over this one as the beers were a bit better and atmosphere was more upbeat and lively.
Jun 25, 2009
Photo of yemenmocha
Reviewed by yemenmocha from Arizona

3.7/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
This is the "granola" brewpub of Arizona.

This place offers a small assortment of their own beers, together with a short list of "guest" beers - Dogfish, Lagunitas, Oak Creek, etc. Beers are rather average, and the guest list is too easy to substitute for your full pint once you've sampled their own offerings.

Food is quite good for such an unassuming place. Appetizers & menu choices are interesting, creative, and reasonably priced. Many traditional pub fare items are available too.

Atmosphere is casual, somewhat messy in appearance, and the staff is very "granola". I can appreciate the vegetarian offerings on the menu, but the unkempt hair & food/drink stains on employee clothing has to make you question the cleanliness of the place - especially what happens back in the kitchen.

Similarly, if you're dressed in smart casual clothing or better, you're going to feel out of place. Sandals, shorts, hemp shirt, and tattoo on display is par for the course here, so let it all hang out and enjoy their excellent food!
Jul 01, 2008
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.99/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3
The brewhouse and fermenters were visible in a window along Route 66, but the brewpub was to the left and the entryway was inside the Gateway Plaza mini-mall. The doorway opened right onto the server's break in the long, blonde wood, "U"-shaped bar. The right end of the bar featured windows overlooking the street, fronted by high tables, as well as a pooched-out area with standard tables and chairs. On the left end of the bar, the windows continued, again with high tables and chairs, but now overlooking their outdoor fenced-in patio area with waitress service. Down a short flight of steps to the left of the bar area was a ping-pong table (!) and a short, small stage for live music about three times weekly. The back bar was a wood shelf construction with not just liquor bottles and taps, but also an eclectic array of vintage cans, trophies, and a canoe with its paddle in the overhead. Also in the overhead were an American flag, a Grateful Dead flag, and a Jolly Roger. A Raven map of Arizona hung under the only television monitor. A small growler collection was in the overhead above the ping-pong doorway. Growlers! Several BNSF freight trains went by as I gazed out the window.

Beers: Only four on my visit - Special K's Sitka Spruce Tip Ale; Blackbird Porter; Bubbaganous' Pale Ale; and Weisspread Wheat. Five rotating guest taps. Seven guest bottles and four guest cans.

Mom Test: She might tag along, but this was not her scene - bohemian, crunchy, etc. Their motto: "Beer like your mom used to make." I wish.
May 31, 2008
Photo of Tchuck
Reviewed by Tchuck from Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -12.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
We stopped in last Monday (4/21) in the early afternoon on our way to Sedona from the Grand Canyon. We drove into downtown Flag and were kind of lost, but saw the place and went there.

They had four house brews on tap, and my wife and I tried all four: she had the Golden Ale (which was more flavorful than the style usually is), and I had the ESB, which I thought was great, and the Amber, which was about average. I sampled the Stout, which also was about average. They had guest brews on tap, but I didn't try any.

We sat at the bar, and the service was pretty good, but not overattentive. There were very few people there. My wife got a glass of water that had some type of dead bug and other detritus floating in it, but that was after we finished eating, so we didn't split. The bartender was friendly, but, as previous reviews have mentioned, there was a definite stoner vibe to the place.

The food was pretty good: I got the catfish poboy and my wife got a roast beef dip with the poutin fries. The catfish poboy was better than the one I had a few days earlier at Baby Kay's in Phoenix, but not by much. The poutin fries were the best of the food that we got.

I enjoyed it over all, but have been to better and worse brewpubs. Having now seen that there are others in the area, I would try a different place if I were in the area again.
Apr 22, 2008
Photo of kdoc8
Reviewed by kdoc8 from Oregon

3.23/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
The final brewery I hit in my short stay in Flag. The brew pub reflected the dominant theme of the town - low key atmosphere in an awesome low key hippie/yuppie ski town. The place doesn't have a great deal of seating and it was hard to attract the attention of a server (because they're all low key), but other than that it was a nice atmosphere. Located right on the main street in Flag, it's very convenient and a comfortable place to chill. I looked as though they have lots of live music and entertainment in the evenings. Their food was good - they're famous for their burgers, so I had a pear burger and...in an act of respect to our neighbors to the north...a plate of poutine. Both were very good.
Mar 13, 2007
Photo of LeffeHanded
Reviewed by LeffeHanded from Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 2 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5
On this April afternoon we visited the outside seating area, between the "no smoking" sign and the "no dogs allowed" sign. The unplanned entertainment consisted of a loud mouthed woman puffing her parliament lights while her friend restrained her dog from attacking would-be customers.

The porter had kicked, so naturally I requested the Sasquash Stout as a consolation. Due to technical difficulties behind the scenes, I was awarded with an amber on the house for my enduring patience. This tasty appeasement, with a rich deep amber color and floral notes went down smooth, and almost made the women's ridiculous commentary enjoyable. Finally, after perhaps 45 minutes, the now highly anticipated darkest of ales arrived.

The Stouts bubbly head gave way to a roasted malt aroma, rich deep black in color, light bitterness, and smooth finish. It was worth the wait.

Flagstaff Brewing also offered a handful of guest beers from the south west region along with its 4 main offerings, including beers from New Belgium and Boulder breweries, keeping the 8 or 10 taps fully occupied.

Inside the atmosphere was bland, a bit hippyish, and a constant clacking sound revealed a ping pong table. Well I guess it makes more sense than darts.

I definitely recommend sampling the brewpubs house beers, but no need to make it a night when there are several other atmospheric establishments dispensing equally fine frosty brews close by.
May 29, 2006
Photo of ElGordo
Reviewed by ElGordo from Oregon

2.73/5  rDev -21.8%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
Driving through on my way across the country, my group had two nights scheduled in Flagstaff for a side trip to the Grand Canyon. Stopped in here one night for dinner and left with mixed feelings at best. On the positive side, we were seated right away and the pint of ESB I had was top-notch. The food is fairly typical bar food - the roasted garlic appetizer was great. Burgers are absurdly huge, and housemade veggie burger patties can be substitued on any of their sandwiches.
Now for the bad: the place is basically a cavernous rec room, with some random hippie art on the walls and a performance space in back. The staff seemed stoned, although fairly competent (that is, until I needed another beer and couldn't hail them over because both guys were behind the bar playing around on hotornot.com). I could imagine the place is really uncomfortable when crowded, too. Still, I had a decent burger and some good beer, so I can't really complain.
Mar 17, 2006
Photo of altarego
Reviewed by altarego from Maryland

3.41/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Flag Brew, bane of punks, boon of hippies.

If you went to NAU in the 90s you've been here regardless of which faction you belong to.

Full of smoke accompanied by Patchouli stink. Good luck enjoying your beer's aromas here after six pm. Other than that, they're not bad. There's jam bands in the back and people milling around. It's worth stopping in to see what they're up to. The brewers are half way friendly though the staff could stand some instruction as to what they're talking about. The fact that there's more weed than beer in their daily intake is more than apparent.

A good place to stop on the way home from the other bar. Especially if you live South of the tracks, like I did in school. Otherwise, stay at Mogollon if you need microbrew.
Mar 28, 2004
Photo of hollicetales
Reviewed by hollicetales from New York

3.48/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4.5
Heading out of the Grand Canyon, the little ski town of Flagstaff is a great resting area, even in the summer. The Flagstaff Brewery is a great little place to hit for dinner. The beers are average but good...not a huge selection, but what is fantastic is the food!!! They have some of the best and off beat pub fare. This is the type of place you sit looking at the menu and you can't figure out what to order because you want to order everything. I had an interesting grilled pear burger which was fantastic, my friend ordered the black and blue...blue cheese burger...they offer several other crazy burgers...if i go back i want to order the thai peanut sauce burger or one of the many interesting wood fired pizzas. The inside atmosphere was ok, but if you are there in the summer opt for the patio.
Feb 03, 2004
Photo of beerguy101
Reviewed by beerguy101 from California

3.06/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
Flagstaff Brewing is one of the three-brewpubs/beer bars in Flagstaff. It always strikes me as a little weird because all three are within 4-5 blocks of the other. They are very distinct and different places. Flagstaff Brewing in located right in the heart of Downtown Flagstaff on the old Rte 66. It’s a little less upscale than Beaver Street, but its still a clean well lighted place. I did not sample the food, as for some reason I was sure they didn’t serve food and had eaten before I arrived. The place was fairly quite when I was there, and everybody but me was drinking mixed drinks and not beer. I did not take this as an omen or anything, but it did strike me as a little weird. A sampler tray cost $4 and I sampled 5 different beers. Beers were all very drinkable. The bartender was not that knowledgeable about the ABV of some of the beers, but he called the brewer over and I spent several minutes talking to him about the brewing biz and beer in Flagstaff.
Aug 25, 2003
Flagstaff Brewing Company in Flagstaff, AZ
Brewery rating: 3.68 out of 5 with 110 ratings