Stone Arch Brew House

 

Configuring a brewpub into an old building may have its challenges, but when done right soaks in all the character of the building while making it a functional space. Stone Arch is burrowed inside a building where, after finding the signs pointing you to the direction of Stone Arch, feels that you're going into a basement or speakeasy as there are no windows or natural light seeping into the brewpub. Its stone walls and intimacy in each room create a weirdly cozy feel which takes me way from the stresses of life. The bar area features a counter which winds around and could seat a dozen people, with several tables spotted throughout the space. There's a separate restaurant area too if you're more into that.

Divided between flagship and rotating taps, a total of 14 different taps pouring from the likes of their vanilla stout, Scottish ale, and homage lager Adler Brau, to the likes of an oatmeal stout, doppelbock, and kolsch. It's shaker pints most of the way, but with a small exception made for smaller snifters on certain pours. I found the beers I had to be pleasant; I wouldn't go out of the way for them per se, but I would be happy to gulp down a pint or two.

The beer menu takes on a wrinkle from the common brewpub menu, serving items such as scotch eggs and schnitzel in addition to "Brewpub food". In terms of quality, it's acceptable food.

I must praise the server for our table, who was very attentive, got what we needed in a timely manner, and had answers to all our questions.

In the case of Stone Arch, the service and surrounding environment elevate this brewpub which could otherwise get lost in the middle of the pack. This is the type of brewpub you take people to who are looking for a good experience than looking to taste the best beers.

Nice look and feel with lots of stone and arches. Decent parking lot. We stopped for lunch and it was crowded with locals, which is a good sign. Lunch menu was solid though the dinner menu is more expansive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to stop by for both beer and dinner on a snowy Saturday in February. I like to see older buildings retrofitted and reused. Added bonus that this used to be both a malting house and a brewery.

Main parking is on the east side and overlooks the Fox River. They also have a beer garden which was closed.

They must be doing something right as both the bar and dining room were pretty crowded.

We descended the stairs and veered left into the bar area. The bar is about 45’ long and seats about 20 or so and there is also tables in the center area and against the wall.

We had their English Pale Ale, an IPA and Vanilla Stout. The beers at the minimum were very good. This place has been open a long time and their offerings were well done “traditional” brewpub beers. I didn’t see any high APV, barrel aged, sours or NEIPAs, but I was ok with that.

The food was decent but not something I would drive out of the way for. My party had some schnitzels and sandwiches. To be fair, they were just getting ready to remodel their kitchen, so maybe they will be changing their menu as well.

Our bartenders were solid. Good service and knew their beers.

Speaking of remodeling, the carpet, bar top and lighting could also use an upgrade. Regardless of those minor quibbles, we had a good time and would return.

All in all a pretty solid spot. Their normal beers are nothing spectacular, but are pretty good. The seasonals and limited releases that i have had there have been great however. Food is pretty good too. The location is very cool! I would recomend if you are visiting the Appleton/Fox Cities area

 

 

 

Stopped for dinner and beer samples on a Tue.
Very dark but it kinda fits the building.
Had the sampler of all the beers they had, and they all where good to very good. They will not blow the hop heads out of the water, but that fits me very well.
The service was very good, and all the staff was friendly and helpful.
The food was very good. All in all it was a great place and a great time.

 

 

Stopped in for dinner out in the beer garden. Only one night in Appleton, and had intended on going to three different breweries, but the atmosphere in this place was so great we stayed all night. Really liked that when you order a flight, they bring you every style they have on. I thought most of the beers were decent (3.25-3.75 range), and there were a few stand-outs. I loved the Lemongrass Rye for something different, and my fiancee said the Stone Cellar Stout was one of his new favorites in that style.
For food we had fried duck sliders, an elk pastrami wrap, and the brewer's schnitzel. All of it was absolutely delicious, although the wrap was begging to be a sandwich. We got dessert based on a recommendation from our waiter (who was also excellent) - maple bacon coconut creme brulee - a type of dessert I never order, being a chocoholic. It was fabulous.
Overall, a great experience. I will definitely stop in again.

 

 

 

This place is incredible. Not a large place, but great food and excellent beer. Brewed on site with great seasonal varieties. Has a wonderful atmosphere for dining and drinking at the bar. This was my first experience with Imperial IPA and it was fantastic. Everyday favorites are the Vanishing Vanilla Stout and 6 Grain Ale. Best beer north of Milwaukee. I have yet to try all their brews, but it's on my list of must-dos.

 

Yet another brewery/brewpub in the vast sea of places in Wisconsin. Sadly this place does nothing to stand out from the rest.

Nestled in the basement/cellar of an old mill. Really dark lighting and dark walls make for a rather dark dining experience. We sat at a table and ordered beers and food. First the beers. Everything we tried was rather bland and similar tasting. This is an alarming theme with many of the breweries I visit. The food was in the same vein. About as average as food can get. Nothing terrible but nothing remotely memorable.

The service was decent if a bit lethargic.

Overall yet another lackluster place that I probably won't be back to.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Stone Cellar. I love it because all the beer is made upstairs, the food is generally great, and the pizza is the best in Appleton! Nothing is better than sitting on the deck on a warm summer afternoon with friends. There's the love, so why the hate? The beers range from mediocre to okay. Each batch is inconsistent and I make sure to try a sip before ordering a full pint. My favorite is the Vanilla Stout, which at its best is a solid B+, but I've also had some nasty batches. My wife likes the Scottish - usually. But again, she had one recently that we sent back because it was skunky.

I suppose it all works out for the best. If the beer was consistently great I don't think we'd ever leave.

Enjoyed a summer late afternoon in the outdoor beer garden at Stone Cellar. Perhaps the best of the lower Fox Valley, I liked their Vanilla Stout but considering its sweetness one or two might be enough. This brewery while not taking major chances, does take a few and I appreciate that. Service was ok but server seemed to not know much about beer. If I want to drink local (as in within 50 miles) craft beer in Appleton, this is the place I would visit. I didn't try any food but if I can recall it looked good.

I recently took a trip to Appleton and figured I had to stop in for a visit. The brewpub is located near the Fox River in what appeared to be an old factory. It was quite a busy place. There was a lot of restaurant seating inside, as well as outside, where there was live music (and this was at around 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night). Of course, I heading downstairs to the brewpub, whose ambiance is dominated by dark wood and dim lighting, which is a good thing. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable. I tried their sampler of 11 beers plus their homebrewed root beer. There was good variety of styles, although most seem pretty much run of the mill and boring to me. My favorites were the Tilted Kilt Scottish Ale, English Six Grain Ale and their Smoked Porter, which was one of two seasonal beers, the other was a Summer Kolsch. I was forewarned about the Porter by the bartender, due to it's extreme flavor, but found it to be far superior to any of the others. They also had Stone Arrogant Bastard on the guest tap. I had eaten just before going, but from what I saw, the food looked pretty good. All in all, I loved the dark and dank atmosphere, wasn't all that crazy about the bulk of their beers, but I would certainly return if I was in the area again.

The Stone Cellar, as the name implies, is in the Cellar of an old brewery (I believe). A comedy club is located in the upper level, as well as an outdoor patio in the middle level. The atmosphere is pretty dank, and I mean that in a good way. The bar area is small and womb-like, with a couple smaller dining rooms to the left.

The service is excellent, suggesting brews and food pairings. The food is generally basic pub fare, but done well. We shared a delicious thin-crust homemade pizza.

The brews themselves are decent, nothing mind-blowing but all well-made and representative of the style. I enjoyed the IPA & English 6-grain ale, my wife some sort of American wheat that I cannot recall. My only gripe with the beer selection was with the guest beer offering, which was a Leinenkugels. Wisconsin produces some great beers; Central Waters, New Glarus, Tyranena, just to name a few excellent breweries. Why offer something that people can get at any bar in the midwest?

Overall your impression of Stone Cellar will be based on your criteria. If you compare it to brewpubs in other larger cities, it is average. If you take into account its setting in a town with not a lot of decent beer options, it becomes a can't miss. In other words, if you find yourself in the Fox Valley area, this is a place you will want to try.

I visited this place while in town on a business trip and enjoyed my overall experience. The ambiance was ok- it's dark and cavernous, but that didn't really bother me. I went with the sampler and tried the ten beers they had on tap. My favorites were the English 6 Grain, the Pie-eyed IPA, and the Stone Cellar Stout. The rest of the beers were all ok, but none really stood out. The food was outstanding- I had the cheese curds and the Works pizza, which was basically a supreme pie but I loved the thin crust and the green olives. Overall, definitely a preferable spot to a chain like Friday's or Applebee's with some good food and a couple of good beers- I plan on going back next time I'm in town.

Yeah, it's underground, don't plan on window seat here. And if you are tall, watch you don't bump your coconut off something.

I tried to order a Stone Cellar stout, but they were out - damn! So I settled for a Porter, no complaints.

They had the Brewers game on all of the televisions in the area we were in. There are a bunch of rooms off the main hallway which all make up this space. Is it a little confusing at first, until you realize they are all part of the same place.

It was a bit dark, which I don't have a problem with, but some people might. Overall, a decent place to catch a few beers in this neck of the woods. Oh, and it is an official nuclear shelter, not a bad place to be if the bombs start to drop....

Walk into the Stone Cellar and you instantly know where it's name came from. It's in the basement of an old historic warehouse with a MASSIVE stone wall foundation. The place is rather dark, as you might imagine. The beer is all relatively nice. Nothing really stands out but it's all pretty solid. I've had mixed results with the service. At the bar one day, the bartender was outstanding but in the restaurant on another visit, the waitress was less than stellar. Overall, the place is worth a visit if you find yourself in Appleton.

Being located in the dank cellar of an old stone warehouse/brewery is one easy way for a brew pub to get high atmosphere remarks from me. The walls are beautifully cut limestone and look to be several feet thick. The ceilings are low, dark wood. Stone Cellar is spacious in a misleading way. The individual rooms are small and intimate but it’s catacomb like. Finding the restroom is like an adventure out of an Indian Jones movie.

If one can get past the dankness to order some food they won’t be let down. Prices are very reasonable on a number of burgers, pizzas, pastas, and snacks. I had a fantastic strip steak for lunch the other day. It was smothered with about a half a stick of butter and a head of garlic – just the way I like it, and served for just 12 bucks.

The staff are friendly and attentive and really enjoy the brews they serve. All my questions were well answered.

Selection consists of about 10-12 beers on tap. Variety is decent. At the moment they’re offering a couple of pale ales, honey wheat, scotch ale, vanilla stout, oatmeal stout, a pilsener, Oktoberfest, a pumpkin spice, and one or two others. Three homebrewed sodas are available if that’s your thing too.

Quality is quite high on most of these beers. I’ve really enjoyed the pumpkin spice and the ice cream like vanilla stout. The Oktoberfest is really the only let down.

Growlers sell for $3 and cost $7 to fill. You can bring your own growler to fill. Better yet, Stone Cellar bottles their own beers. These can be mix and matched into six packs for $6.99.

Side Note: Those of you familiar with III Dachshund beers at the Landmark in Milwaukee will have good idea as to the quality of Stone Cellar brews. III Dachshund beers are contract brewed at Stone Cellar.

Built into the basement floor of an old mill or warehouse, the atmosphere is pretty unique. The walls are made of old, craggy stone, with the dim lighting--you can't help but think this is a place you have to hunker down in. The bar is the real deal--mugs hang from the ceiling, old wooden tables and chairs surround the area.

They've got 11-12 beers on tap, all made on the premises. Most are German British styles, from Dopplebocks to Pilsners to IPAs to Scottish Ales. They also had a Barley Wine while I was there.

Beers are generally hit or miss: the Vanilla Stout and Honey Wheat should be avoided, while the Marquette Pilsner, the Caffeinator Dopplebock, and the Pie Eyed India Pale Ale were quite enjoyable. I seem to recall their Porters and Stouts being pretty good, too. You can buy 3-4 four ounce sample servings of a beer for $.75, which means you could try all their beers for about $9.

Moderate range of foods, incluidng pub fare, seafood, steaks, and Italian. The food isn't spectacular, but the pizza is a sure bet.

Some special features include the nearly-monthly Beer School, where for $25 bucks you try 10 different beers of a certain theme (West Coast Beers, Bocks, etc.) and get a dinner to go with those beers. There is also a mug club that gets you a stone mug and certain deals. They also offer growlers and mix-and-match six-packs for $10 and $6.50, respectively.

Located in what appears as a converted warehouse in an rejuvinated industrial region about a 3 Iron (or so) from the Fox River. The building is 4 stories, with the brewpub in the basement, and a spa and Comedy Club in the upper reaches. I skipped the spa, but the comedy club (Skyline) is well worth a visit, and serves several Stone Cellar beers.
The bar itself, as stated, sits in the building's basement, and it feels like it. The ceilings are low to the point of claustrophobia, with a kitschy wood-paneled, and shabby brick motif. There is no pretension here, nothing fake. This is beer, and it is right. It dots the walls, and hangs from the bathroom posterboard. This just feels like a place to get drunk at. It begs it, in fact.
The new owners (Stone Cellar used to be Adler Brau) have a decent selection of brew flowing, but maybe one or two less than before. Most rooted in Great Britain and Germany, and true to their tradtions. Though several Americanized examples were present as well. On my visit, they had a Pub Pale Ale, an Oatmeal Stout, a Red Light (ale), Kolsch, Cream Ale, Vanilla Stout, Marquette Pils, Cellar Dweller Dark Lager, and a Tilted Kilt Scottish Ale. Certainly a nice lineup, and all are done reasonably well, with the Oatmeal Stout standing out.
Food was solid, not superb, but solid, with Mexican and Italian offerings adding to the more standard pub grub of sandwiches and burgers and fried things. The ubiquitous Wisconsin fish fry was dry and pallid, but the noddle dish (I forget exactly what it was, aside from that it was some sort of veggie fare) and Chicken Marsala my accomplises ordered were clearly superior, delicious in fact...especially the Marsala. As was the majority of the appetizer sampler (with the pub standard fried cheesy goods, done with care....even if the wings sucked) The pizzas looked enticing as well.
Service was solid, prompt, careful, and well versed. He could have flirted with my girlfriend a bit less, but whatever.
Maybe it is just the nostalgia of basement drinking, but the feel here couldn't have been better. Likewise, the beer and food are complimentary, welcoming, and very decent.
And like I mentioned, stop by the in-house comedy club, and you've got an all-inclusive evening.

Wow, what a neat place. Located in an old brewery building, the main bar is located in the basement. The shame is, it smellled like the basement and the odor kept us from eating there. THe big thick stone walls, breweriana, cans, etc along the walls and in the hallways. Nice souviener area featuring reasonably priced apparel and glassware. The site also holds a comedy club on a different level. The beers poured on the sampler numbered 13, wow, and covered a wide variety of styles and most were good.