Johnstown Brewing Company

We stopped here recently with fellow BAs Deuane & Carolyn. The building that houses this brewpub is pretty interesting looking, as it sits in what used to be a country club for the area's steel and coal mine magnates back in the day. You can even still see the former tennis courts on the side of the building. The interior has a cluttered but homey feel, with lots of Johnstown history spread out over the walls. The downstairs bar was closed on this visit but the upstairs one was still in business (at least for a little while, as they were closing early for a private event this day). I like the feel of this particular bar as it gives you an open view of the 7 bbl brew house, which is located in an enclosed outdoor patio, right off the back.

They had 9 beers on tap for this visit with a nice variety of styles available. The pints were running in the $4.00 range with most having some kind of steel town theme to them. I personally had a pint of their new Imperial Stout/Double Stout which was packed with flavor while Kim had a glass of their house brewed Rt. 271 Root Beer, which she found to be very tasty. Deuane & Carolyn also sampled some of their other beers and commented that they had come a long way since their last visit.

Speaking of which, the new head brewer himself, Sean Hallisey (formerly of the John Harvards in Wayne, PA), stopped by to hang at the bar with us and chat. He's a hell of a nice guy and talked just as much football with us (the Colts/Chargers playoff game was on) as he did about beer. We didn't have any food but the menu looked good, so we'll definitely have to try some on the next visit. No problems with service as our bar server was attentive and then Sean himself started pulling samples for us. We had a very nice but brief visit here. We were pleased to find that their new brewer definitely has a great handle on their beer situation and things only look to be getting better. We most definitely look forward to visiting here again.

Located in a former steel mill executive lounge, Johnstown Brewing Company is a quality brewpub in an area that is just not known for beer. The building itself is located on a hill overlooking Johnstown and the view is very good [ED: if not ruined a bit by fermenter placement]. Johnstown Brewing is a two-story building with the top as a very nice dining room (with a very small bar on the far left). The main bar is on the lower level; this bar is long with seating for about 24 people. The bar is done in a wood finish with a view of the brewing equipment. All around JBC are artifacts of when Johnstown was a leading steel producer.

The beer is very good. The selections of beers include 5 or 6 regulars and 1 or 2 seasons. The styles at Johnstown include: light lager, pale ale, stout, amber ale and brown ale. The beer, however, is not the most adventurous; however, this not the fault of the brewer ; it’s just brewing to the area. The seasonals that were on draft were an IPA and a Polish lager. The IPA is very high-quality, and most of the other beers are very solid. They also have a root beer and they also serve a few Budweiser products on drafts as well.

Overall, Johnstown Brewing Company is well worth a trip if ever in the area. The food is very good, with a menu that’s has a lot of different choices, including a flat bread pizza that is their specialty. On a final note, the staff is very fast and friendly.

So, in the town of Johnstown on business for a few days we headed for this cozy pub on the top of a mountain. The pubs locale affords a terrific view of the Johnstown area and the brewery's stainless is visible from the parking lot (which smells of pine trees) promising fresh beer.
The pub seems a little small initially. The hostess had a bright smile and warm welcome. Opting for seats at the upstairs bar (downstairs was closed and it was a Tuesday night) we were again agreeably welcomed by the bartender who rattled off the pub's beer options as if he had made an effort- not mere memorization.

Opting for the sampler-only $5.00 for the seven year round beers plus the left over winter beer ( a bock with a definite alcohol bite) and the spring offering Irish Red and a rasberry wheat (a must try for fans of fruit in your beer) plus the pubs own root beer for a 10 beer/1 soda sampler. A previous reviewer made mention of no pale ale but they now have one with a nice color and cascady aroma. The Steelworker Stout was the only brew I didn't quite know what to make of. Pretty standard dry Irish stout but hints of celery?!! I am hoping to stop by again during our time in town and chat with the brewer about how and why this came about. All the beers are quite drinkable with an emphasis on the malt. I opted for a pint of the Irish Red to finish the evening. And the staff mentioned a forthcoming IPA with much excitement.

The food is standard "casual dining" fare. I opted for the beer battered fish and my buddy had the philly steak and for not being very hungry we did clean our plates.

Much thanks to the owner who was more than eager and happy to show us around and tell us about the various souvenirs from the steel industry decorating the walls and to show us the brewery equipment. All and all this evening was very enjoyable and if you are in the area this establishment is certainly worth your time and probably worth a bit of a trip.

While on a fall foliage cruise we decided to detour and try Johnstown Brewing. Arrived to find Sunday brunch had just started so we settled in for a meal and a few beers. The brunch has much to recommend. An omelette station, belgium waffles and french toast cooked to order, some outrageous corned beef, carved roast turkey and myriad other tempting entrees. Everything was presented in an attractive manner and extremely tasty. Service was attentive and friendly although it was a self serve buffet. The restaurant overlooks the town through large windows with a pleasant patio underneath for outdoor dining.

Beer selection was above average with six regulars and two seasonals. Tried the Octoberfest and was pleasantly surprised. This time of year I seek out differents fests and J'town's was a fine example. Too bad it was a brunch and it's tough to try the many offerings and then quaff more than a few. I'll be back to sample the other brews.

We stopped by the JBC on our way out to Cedar Point in Ohio. About an hour north off the turnpike and we were there. The building looks like a very old mountain home. Stone and large wood decorate the facade. From what we saw, there's a deck outside that overlooks the PA countryside, a large main dining room, and a decent sized room that houses the bar area. I believe there's a downstairs area. used and beat-up hardhats, cool old pictures of the town, and other memorabilia decorate the very "lodgey" interior of the restaurant. Off to the side are glass windows with their fermenters, a few of which were bubbling away furiously. Down in the room below the fermenters are the mash tun and brew kettle.

Well, for a Friday afternoon the place looked nearly deserted. Maybe 1 other group was having lunch in the dining area. So we had the full attention of our waitress - which isn't a bad thing. The food and beer were served promptly, and both were decent enough. I had the grilled sausage sandwich ($5.50), which came with fries and was pretty damn tasty. My better half had this pizza/cake thing that was sort of like a pierogie pizza with bacon and onions. It was good, although not very "Atkins friendly".

The beer sampler ($5.00) had 5 of their regular beers and 1 seasonal (Irish Red). Was a bit disapointed that they didn't have a pale ale, since I was in the mood for one. On the whole, the beer was pretty good. Some better than others.

I got a nice first impression from this place. Although not really jumping with activity, I'm sure it picks up on the weekends. For us this place is pretty far out of the way, but I would certainly stop by again next time I am the area.

I hit this place in about month 2 of its existence. No beers brewed and very little selection. A lot to still be done to the place before it hit full swing. But from what I saw, it should be a very nice, large, and quality establishment.

I was there between a wedding and a reception (4-hour layover??). About 10 of us from the wedding went and wanted to sample some of J-Town newest swill. Unfortunately they weren't making any yet, so we had to settle for a selection of Spanish Peaks beer. Not bad, but a letdown consideing what I had expected to be drinking. So, at the time, the selection was low and average, but there is promise there.

The food was actually very good. I was impressed. Most establishments in this part of PA are very low-to-average at best. I got a chicken salad that was really very good. The rest of the party got munchies and the like and they were all very impressed.

Atmosphere would have been good had we not been the only people in the place. It looked to me as if they were struggling in the PR department. Saturday afternoon and not many people around. Although, I will say that the asthetics of the place were very cool. Lots of uniques flood memorabilia and old J-town flare. A bar and dining room upstairs, a bar and dining room downstairs with games and a more 'pub' feel to it. Will be very nice when it is all done and running.

Overall, this is certainly a work in progress, but showing some definite progress. It has been a few months since I was there (I tried to add this, but am too new to the site), so I would imagine that it has a lot more to offer now. I am planning to visit friends in that area soon, so I will get another updated review in here when I do. I say check it out. Enjoy!

My "in exile for 13 weeks in Western Pennsylvania" work stint has been extended to a "in exile for 16 weeks in Western Pennsylvania". Exceeellent!! (not).
Every Monday, I call the Johnstown Brewing Company and say "Are you people brewing beer or what?" to whoever answers the phone. I've heard "We should have beer up in like 10 days", The hops just showed up today" and most recently "We'll have 2 beers up on Tuesday" (well, now we're gettin' somewhere).
We've been there a few times now. Prior to them brewing their own beers, they've had taps from Spanish Peaks (as the Spanish Peaks beers are the brewer's recipes) and some micros and imports and the like. Thus far, they have 4 beers up. The "Flood Light", "1889 Amber", "White Hat Pale Ale" and the "Old Stone Bridge Brown Ale". The beers have names associated with the Johnstown flood of 1889 that gone distroyed this town (bring up the website to the Johnstown Flood Museum and read it through, it's quite a thing). The light was a pleasant light ale although there wasn't much to it, the amber was deep and malty and nicely hopped, the pale ale is unfiltered (they claim that there will only be 3 beers that are filtered) and has a nice hop bite, and the Brown Ale was the best of the lot. It tasted up front heavily of root beer with black licorice right behind it and then it went all malty. Very, very nice. The next beers up are an Octoberfest (which I missed by 1 day) and their "dam beer", followed by a stout and a seasonal.
The food is excellent. They do a pasta night on Tuesdays and Mexican on Monday, I believe. Otherwise, you're ordering off the menu. Good sandwiches, their signature club is a sandwich piled way high and a bowl of their chili is a meal in itself. They've got a small tight collection of seafood, steaks and pasta entrees and some quality desserts. Service is attentative and they go through a schooling of sorts so they can speak intelligently about the beers they're serving. Good stuff.
They've got a large dining room upstairs as you enter with a bar located behind it from which you can look out upon the fermenters. Downstairs, you've got a smaller dining room with a larger bar with views of the mashers and access to the back deck which houses about a dozen tables and looks out onto a large back lawn. Amongst the best meals I've had in Johnstown.