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Amherst Brewing Co
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Food Breweries Nightlife Bars Pubs American (New), Breweries, Pubs [Edit]
10 University DrAmherst, MA 01002
(413) 253-4400
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
84 reviews for Amherst Brewing Co
Review Highlights
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"Best sweet potato fries ever." In 14 reviews -
"The best beer of the night was the Honey Pilsner." In 4 reviews -
"Both good things to eat when you're drinking good beer." In 8 reviews
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84 reviews in English
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Review from Chris W.
Northampton, MA
Updated - 2/15/2012 3 Check-ins Here
The new space is great for casual meetings with friends, there is plenty of space and several pool tables, dart boards and a fooseball table. I cannot comment on the late night scene yet, but its usually pretty tame during the day and for "happy hour" unless there is a Umass game at mullins or mcguirk.
The food is still lacking so dont expect big things just slightly better bar food.Listed in: Best Local MicroBrews
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/29/2011
At a certain age you must leave the crammed "underage" bars and turn to the "grad lounge" of uptown.… Read more »
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Review from Elizabeth D.
Boston, MA
2/25/2012
This is really more of a 2.5 star review, with the sincere hope of seeing this place get its mojo back.
ABC recently moved to its new location in a strip shopping center near U. Mass' athletic field. Although the parking lot and added floorspace are nice, the atmosphere is not nearly what it used to be. The interior felt very unfinished, with large empty spaces where it seemed tables should be, and spotty decor.
The night we went, the bar was packed, and we had a half hour wait to be seated. It seemed like ABC didn't quite have enough staff to manage the crowd, which explained the roomful of empty tables we passed.
The food and the beer are spot-on. Great burgers, and reasonable prices on their house brews. -
Review from Jenny Y.
Amherst, MA
1/23/2012
Highlight: the fries! perfectly golden brown and crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside with the right amount of salt. Perfect fries are hard to find, especially in Amherst! Positively addictive.
Lowlight: Slow service. It took too long for the waitresses to come back with our orders or another drink or take our dessert order. I'll cut them some slack because: it was a busy football night, some of the waitresses were in-training, and the hostess was considerate of where we wanted to sit, so ABC gets points for that.
Mediocre food, but an expansive selection of both food and drinks. The fish part of my fish & chips wasn't spectacular (bland, even for fish & chips, and even covered with tartar sauce and lemon juice), but probably very good paired with booze. The portions were standard American-sized, so definitely on the large side. I'm not much of a drinker, so I can't comment on the alcohol menu. I did like the long island ice tea that I split with a friend though.
Overall, a really great laidback bar/restaurant. Great for groups both large and small. I saw lots of little kids here, and lots of college kids. I love their new location! The place is huugggeeee and for its size, it never feels cavernous or too empty despite its high ceilings and dark lighting. It's all space well used and well sectioned. And free pool on Sundays! -
Review from Donna A.
Amherst, MA
11/13/2011
Waited 1 1/2 hours to get our food. The place is clearly understaffed and mismanaged. Worse waitstaff ever. No forks, knives or napkins upon sitting. No water. Nothing but a snotty and rude excuse for a waitress. EXCUSE ME but I am spending a hell of a lot of money here, and I expect good service and not to be treated like I am wasting YOUR time. We came for good pub fare and a brew.
After waiting over an hour and a half after ordering our food EVERYTHING came out cold and gross - it had obviously sat for some time. We sent everything back for being cold and inedible. We ordered sliders ( the burgers were 2 times smaller than the bun, dry and overcooked), Sausage platter again cold, and overcooked. Steak, burgers, sweet potato fries (the only thing they got right) everything else came out COLD and dried out. The prices are are high for what you get, which only adds insult to injury.
Good luck finding your waitress...we saw her twice--once to take the order and once to give us the check. It took 4 people to bring out our meals that were cold from sitting in the kitchen.That is just BAD service.
The people in my party were from Greenfield, Amherst and Sarasota Florida. Trust me NO one was happy with the dining experience or the bar service or the wait service. we dropped close to $200 with tip.
And when all the students go home for the summer,it is the residents who keep business alive. But ABC just does not get it. Amherst Brewing Company suffers from the "We don't give a crap" mentality which is getting to be rather prevalent in this town of late.
I would never, ever go back there. There are better restaurants, who actually care about service and quality of food. Amherst Brewing Company is not one of them. I gave them 3 strikes..they are out. -
Review from Jamie G.
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was not very impressed with this place. We did not have great service - no water given immediately -one of my pet peeves, and getting our check took forever. and I kept having to ask for things, since we were kind of ignored the whole time. And I was taking notes about the beers we were trying, and I put my pen down, and the bartender took it away because he thought it was his, but it was mine, so I said something and he gave it back but did not even apologize!!
For food we tried The pretzel, which was really a breadstick in the shaped of a pretzel- it was still good, but not the pretzel I was expecting. The Honey mustard dipping sauce it came with was amazing.
We also had the deep fried oreo sundae- which was pretty good but the oreos were not creamy/melted inside the fried dough like others I had have. I dont think they were fried long enough.
For beers, I had there sampler... which was on this good spinning wooden platter...all of their beers plus four guest beers. (I liked the guest beers better than their beers!) Of theirs I tried (in order of best to worst):
Wedding Witte: tad too lemony, little plain, good wheaty, no banana
Workingman's Wheat: very intense banana smell and flavor, not enough carbonation
Massatucky Brown: dark, roasted, malty
Two sisters Stout: little smoky, smooth, not bitter, sweet fruity
North Pleasant Pale Ale: little bitter, not bad
Anniversary Ale: bitter brown ale
Puffer Smoked Porter: a little too syrupy, not my fave
Cascade IPA: not very carbonated, pretty hoppy
Not sure if I would ever come back here because everything was just mediocre, and I may not ever be in the area again anyways, and would probably never make another special trip to come all the way out there! -
Review from Jeffrey G.
Springfield, MA
9/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The beer just keeps gettting better and better, but unfortunately the food.....well, that's about the same or perhaps a slight step backwards. I have been to the new location twice now. Once for lunch and once for dinner. For lunch I had a meatball sub. Unfortunately it was pretty un-inspiring. For dinner I had a cup of artichoke soup and the german sausage platter. The artichoke soup was made in house, but unfortunately someone didn't want to waste much of the artichoke, and I think blended the entire thing. There were 3/4" long fiberous strands from the leaves in the soup. The sausages (which I have had in the past and enjoyed) had some off flavor, perhaps that of something that spent a little too long in the freezer?? Not quite sure.
The new location in Amherst, nearly on the UMASS campus is interesting. Great that it has plenty of parking. It's easy to get to. The brewery operations are so much easier for the brewers. The space however is almost too big, and unfortunately has the feeling of an institution, not a cozy pub. On my way to the restrooms, I almost felt as though I was in a campus building, or perhaps on my way through the halls of a hospital. I'm hoping that they just ran out of money, and the tables and chairs that they have are temporary. They are pretty low end. For rooms with massive vaulted ceilings, the tables should all be high tops as well, trying to fill in some of the massive space.
Another thing that I noticed - the main bar. Love the looks of the bar. Love the decorations, etc. Hate the gap between the back of the bar, and the patron on the barstool. While I am sure it's super convenient for the staff, being able to walk past each other 3 wide with entire racks of glasses, it lacks the intimacy and connection that a bartender and patron should share.
In business there are many fights between manufacturing and marketing. I think that manufacturing won a bit here. Easier to make the beer here, easier for restaurant operations, but misses a bit with the marketing to the end consumer.
One final note - and a true bright spot. The "guest beer" list is really remarkable. Very interesting, and actually hard to come by beers.Listed in: Western Mass
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Review from Rich H.
St Augustine, FL
2/20/2012
Visiting from Portland, OR and looking for a good brewpub experience. Sadly, we didn't get it here. We went in on a Friday afternoon about 4PM. Cavernous place that was almost totally empty. The three of us had some good beers and ordered the chicken finger app. Cut into it and discovered that the chicken was totally raw inside. To their credit, they replaced it right away, but, honestly, I can't see going back again when I visit the relatives. Having visited the ABC in its old location on a previous visit, I can't say that this is an improvement.
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Review from Saba N.
9/28/2011
This was like the staple first date spot when I was in college. Not too expensive, kind of high class (at least for Amherst).. food was really good, beer was even better..
I have nothing to bad to say about this place. I recommend their fried pickles, sweet potato fries (with honey mustard sauce obviously), and fried Oreo sundae. -
Review from Terra N.
Northampton, MA
7/25/2011
Amherst is not fun. I have never waited in a 25+ person long line for beer; if it were not for the fact that I was on a date, I probably could have just gone to the Moan and Dove. Still not quite sure why we didn't.
Usual bar food and quality as such. I like the idea of local if the beer was actually good.
Come here if you wanna "bro out," but I think I'm all set. -
Review from Tim M.
Hudson, MA
2/7/2012
OK Food, OK service, OK review.
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Review from Karin O.
Longmeadow, MA
10/10/2011
Great beer and good food. This place is not intended to be gourmet or fancy. It's a brew pub. The sweet potato fries are excellent and the shepherd's pie is always a good choice. Not a huge fan of the pulled pork - a bit too much sauce for me. But there are plenty of options on the menu and definitely something for everyone. I've been here several times and never had a problem with being seated or slow service.
The new h-u-g-e bar is spectacular and there are so many different kinds of beer to choose from. The Wedding Witte is my favorite, but there are dark beers and beers you can eat with a fork (not really).
All in all a good choice for a stick-to -your-ribs meal and a great micro-brew. -
Review from Andrew G.
Brookline, MA
9/24/2011
Yikes, where to start? Our hostess was rude, the waitress was unbearably slow, and when our order arrived it had multiple mistakes.
All in all, a two hour dinner experience that I wish I could forget. Watery beers and mediocre food on an overpriced menu. Strong thumbs down. -
Review from Tashina B.
Amherst, MA
9/8/2011
Unfortunately ABC's food has gone down hill. The drinks are still good. But I wonder with the new not so accessible location if it will survive. Not many things in the new location have. It's really a shame. Amherst has to get better places to eat!
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Review from Cal F.
9/4/2011
eek! Me definitely thinks not. I went to the "new ABC" which has moved to a space formerly occupied by a gym. THE MENU IS THE SAME and food just as tasteless and unappetizing as before. The renovation did an ok job with the 'bar' section but the restaurant section looks cheaply constructed and the bench seat already had a split in it. The pulled pork sandwich was truly disgusting, and the texture was horrible. The only reason I feel this place will survive is the drunken college crowd. If you are looking for good food in the amherst area, stay away from this place.
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Review from Aly W.
Brookline, MA
3/26/2011
More like a 3.5.
Came in on a fri night at 7, with 7 people. This yelp page says they don't take reseravations..so we ended up waiting 45 mins or so for a table. Which was fine, none of us were starving. I asked the hostess if they take reservations, and they do, so if you have a big party, call it in.
When we were finally seated, our waitress came over quickly, to take our drink orders since we had waited for so long, this was good. I ordered the beer sampler. My favorite was the Honey Pilnser, light but really tasty. For dinner I got the ABC burger texas ranch style, this exceeded my expectations. I love a good burger and this burger was GREAT. tasty, moist, good amount of cheese, ranch dressing and the bacon was amazingly crispy. I also got sweet potato fries with it. I will definately return here for a good meal.
Upstairs, which is 21+ is a fun place to hangout with friends, free pool and darts. The drinks are really good too. They do have an occupancy limit, so you may have to wait to get in. Overall, ABC was a good experience. -
Review from Shawn A.
Astoria, NY
1/6/2011
It's been a while since I've whipped out some lame-acrostic review action, but Amherst Brewing Company (or ABC to the locals apparently) is quite clearly begging for it.
*gross throat clearing noises*
Amherst
Brewing
Company is an awesome place to grab some brews and
Dinner. Even though I was there for lunch.
Each one of the microbrews we ordered was top notch.
From my Pumpkin beer to the
Great selection of other seasonals, we all found beers to
Help round out our food picks.
I went for a quality pulled pork sandwich.
Just what I was looking for. Especially since they didn't have
Kangaroo on the menu.
Little sister had a Bratwurst that looked
Mighty good.
Noshing
On
Pub-grub is always a
Quality way to start a college town visit.
Regrettably, we had to drive afterwards so we could only
Sample one beer each.
Though it was enough to convince me that this place was
Undeniably a great spot. These Amherst kids are
Very lucky to have it.
When I was in school, "good" beer was Keystone Light.
Xylophones are an underrated instrument.
You know, that last bit had nothing to do with anything.
Zounds! -
Review from Diane H.
3/11/2011 3 photos
I've been to the bar upstairs, and also the restaurant downstairs on two separate occasions.
Upstairs: They check IDs at the door, I think I went on a Saturday night (10pm) or it may be friday, i'm not sure. It wasn't overly crowded, they stop letting people in after a certain amount of people. The pool/darts are free. Drinks are around 8-10$. I got a boston iced tea (8-9?)and some random martini for $5-6 on their special menu. Place is really chill when it's not crowded.
I tried on a friday to go upstairs again, but there was a line since they hit max capacity. So i opted to go downstairs. Got seated at a table, they let us pick which area. My friends and I ordered an app to share, (nachos) but they definitely need more cheese...half my nachos ($9+) were just plain and some were wayy to greasyy... I got a long island iced tea ($8+), my friends tried it and said it was not strong enough, but didnt wanna be rude so i didn't send it back. i heard they make great grateful deads. I also got fried oreos with vanilla ice cream...yummy!!!! ($6+) . My friend also got chicken strips with fries ($9+) Not a big fan of the chicken..kinda dry.. but fries were good. Service was kinda..slow, didn't check back that much..maybe once/twice. Waved her down to get our check.
Overall, it's a chill place to hang out with friends and catch up. I wanna try the puff pastry next time! -
Review from Anthony K.
Northampton, MA
1/7/2011
ABC: I hate this place, and I used to be a regular.
Once upon a time, the ABC was a good place to have drink, play a game of pool and have good dinner. Not anymore my friends.
Pros:
- Has several pool tables
- Good selection of beers and spirits. Wine is ok.
- Sells food
- Waitstaff is usually nice
Cons:
- The food. It's never consistent, frequently boring and if you don't like you're out of luck.
- Management ranges from indifferent to outright rude
- The upstairs is inhabited mostly by meat head college dudes and/or late twenty something stoners. -
Review from Courtney R.
Shutesbury, MA
Updated - 11/29/2011
Still get three stars, but last night our experience was very nice. We sat at the bar area and for the first time in a while we had really great service. We were there late, around 9:30 and the food came quickly and it was hot and fresh. I was really happy. So, as I said in my previous review, its a hit or miss, but when you hit ABC right its great.
Listed in: Comfortable, Casual Eats in…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/17/2011
Its a hit or miss. But I go here all the time. Sometimes the service is good, sometimes is terrible,… Read more »
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Review from D. B.
Westfield, MA
1/7/2011
I'd heard good things about ABC and recently stopped for a quick dinner with a friend. The visit was underwhelming at best.
To start, we shared an order of Beer Batter Fried Pickles, which are served with a tangy honey mustard. We enjoyed them; they were tasty, but nothing to write home about.
Then, I ordered a Turkey Burger Smokey BBQ Style with sweet potatoes. Again, it was okay, but not fabulous. Turkey burgers aren't the world's fanciest food, I admit, but this one was nothing spectacular. The fries were decent but tiny.
My friend ordered a Henry the 8th 8 oz. Choice Cut Sirloin Steak. Though he asked for it medium rare, it came out close to well-done. His dinner also came with a salad, which our server forgot about until after our dinner had been served. The plus of my friend's meal was real mashed potatoes (rather than boxed) and the Massatucky Brown ale.
Our server was pleasant, but not particularly attentive. There were a lot of staff milling about. To be fair, it was a Monday night when the local colleges weren't in session, but the place was a little dead and seemed overstaffed. I don't think I'll be back.
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3/27/11 Edited to add: I recently gave ABC another try (due to a friend's insistence) and had a much better experience than my first go-around.
This time, I had a couple of drinks and a turkey club with sweet potato fries. All were decent. I also had much better service than I did on my first visit, but that may have been because my dining company was a "regular".
All in all, my second visit was better than the first, but I'm still not blown away. I'm changing this review from 2-stars to 3. -
Review from Eric B.
East Arlington, Boston, MA
11/26/2011
Huge disappointment. 10 years ago you would find me at the ABC almost daily. They have moved locations to a much bigger venue-which is really nice but the beer quality seems to have declined. Personally I miss the authentic, independent, non-commercial feel of the old ABC. The cascade IPA was so-so and the waitstaff had no idea about their beers...also very slow to non-existent service...very bad. If you're into college sports bar scene then this is the place for you...if you want good craft beer look elsewhere (try across the street at the Hangar-great wings and great craft selection).
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Review from Clif P.
1/31/2011
I really want to like ABC, but cannot give it higher than 3 stars for a few reasons.
Their beers are a bit pricey, and although they are fine tasting, they are not exceptional.
Their food isn't that great, as most people go across the street to Antonio's.
The atmosphere is very laid back compared to other places around Amherst. -
Review from Mike A.
Amherst, MA
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Always out of the beers they have listed. Sat at the bar and didn't get served for 5 minutes. Bartender took an empty glass then never asked for a refill. Second time I've had the same experience
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Review from Alex Z.
Somerville, MA
4/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I moved out to Boston before realizing what a gem this place is, and now that I know, they're moving to another location, which really puts a damper on the locality-factor I enjoyed so much. I used to walk up the street from my home to get one of their local beer offerings, or meet up with my friend for a sandwich downstairs before one of their live acts start.
It really has everything a "cool" college kid would want in a fun time out with friends: bar games, great micro-brews, and tasty food within stone's throw of each other. There's a certain charm that their location has on N. Pleasant Street that will be hard to top once they move closer to UMass.
I recommend you try all of their local offerings (five or so) before settling with an import. Support your local brewers! -
Review from Cris L.
Allston, MA
3/8/2011
The beer here is fantastic and affordable (both their own creations and other brews). Food is pretty good--i'd recommend sticking with traditional pub food (fish and chips, burgers) and generally consistent. For dessert, the fried oreos and ice cream are worth splurging for--they're better than the fried oreos at the Big E.
Upstairs can get pretty noisy as the night progresses, but you can still get table service there. I'd recommend downstairs for those who want a quieter dinner experience. -
Review from Sam C.
Salem, NH
10/28/2010
All the reviews for this place seemed so positive, but unfortunately for us it was absolutely horrendous in every regard.
Waited 15 minutes to get sat at 5pm on a Wednesday, while staring at open tables the entire time. The restaurant wasn't busy, maybe half full, just clearly understaffed and mismanaged. We ordered our food at 6:02pm and weren't served until 6:54 pm. Yes, that's right, it took them 52 minutes to put together nachos, buffalo wings, one sandwich and some breadsticks. After all that time EVERYTHING came out cold and gross - it had obviously sat and died under a heat lamp for some time. We sent everything back for being cold, stale and disgusting and asked for the check. The manager, who probably wasn't old enough to legally order a drink from the bar, stumbled over and stood awkwardly at the table without introducing himself or really apologizing, just admitted they didn't have enough people working for this particular Wednesday.
I'll go hungry again before I go here. -
Review from Heather G.
West Springfield, MA
3/14/2011
Upstairs: 21+ only bar and gameroom with a limited food menu. Specialty mixed drinks are delicious, my favorites being the Nice Melons and the Grateful Dead, albeit a little expensive in the $7-10 range. A nice range of beers span from the local ones brewed on site to 10% alcohol Belgian imports. Usually this place gets very crowded so it's best to come early if you want to play games or if you have a large group that wants to sit together. Bar service is pleasant and brisk.
Downstairs: Restaurant with a more "chill" bar. The food is here is consistently solid with most entrees reasonably priced. My preference skews towards their sandwiches/hamburgers, which can be customized with a variety of "styles", but they also have a lot of comfort food favorites like meatloaf. Service is sometimes slow, even when the restaurant is relatively empty, so make sure you have some time to kill. -
Review from Suzanne S.
Philadelphia, PA
2/18/2012
Wasnt impressed with their Amherst brewing co beers...tried the extra special bitter, which was pretty bland, and found the black dog ipa to be kinda bad, but that is my personal beer preference. The service was slow for an early Saturday night and no crowd. I think our food hung in the window for a while when our server disappeared a third time...and even my vegetarian chili came out chilly...not that I could tell anyone since once she dropped the food, she disappeared again. Go across the street to the Hanger before you go here.
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Review from Alison P.
Sharon, MA
2/3/2011
This place has no heart. And apparently I can't get past that to give it more stars.
But it has good sweet potato fries, and I've enjoyed many a beer and a bison burger here. Maybe its the way Amherst is a regulars and students crowd and the students are always changing and the regulars are not. This place does not have that ineffable quality stamp in my mind or heart, that certain feel of OH YEAH lets go to ABC! But it is near campus, open, and has some good beer. I guess.
Packers has weaker beer and crappier food and more heart. NBC apparently has gone way downhill since I left the area, but they used to be good...Oh ABC...I miss the valley, but not you. -
Review from Joel B.
Austin, TX
10/20/2010
There comes a momentous time in any serious relationship, a time you get anxious about but also look forward to cherishing in the long term. Yes, I'm talking about that special get together, when her parents finally meet your random college friends with whom you happen to be staying for the weekend. That important step in my relationship with The Girlfriend came about this past weekend, and it came about at a little place called Amherst Brewing Company.
I was visiting Amherst on Saturday to see--well, you guess who--and My Friends and I came to ABC after the big UMass game (which, let's face it, seems to be more about the marching band and less about the brown oblong ball getting tossed around, or, in this case, dropped a lot).
Despite the massive crowd of college kids after the game, service at ABC was quite on the ball, friendly and prompt. We had a party of 8 all together (her family and my friends), so we waited at the bar for a little while where the bartendress was super cool and kept our respective glasses full.
Standing around, I chatted with The Dad and The Mom and enjoyed The Beer. Much of my enjoyment came from trying the local and regional beers! Throughout the evening, I'd say some fun/best ones I had were the house Honey Pilsner and the BBC Oktoberfest. I also had some good sips of the specialty Pumpkin Ale, which happened to be a lot more subtle than some of the extra-spiced stuff you'll find in bottles sold around the nation.
The Dad warned me strongly against The Fried Pickles, which warning directly prompted My Friend's Bride and I to frantically order them once we had established our dining seats. (The server, Elizabeth, by the way, was quite friendly and attentive, totally willing to answer questions about The Menu and (you guessed it) The Beer.)
I had never quite seen fried pickles of this caliber. Literally, the caliber. They were not chips, egads, no. Nor were they spears, my good ladies and gentlemen. These were fried pickle HALVES. And they came with spicy mustard. So good. So bad for you. And watch that your tongue not get burned.
The quality of The Fried Pickles then, as you may have guessed, indicates that the rest of the appetizers and entree selections proved just as interesting and tasty. Plenty of vegetarian fare: I sampled The Monster-Freaking-Huge Pretzel (again, with The Mustard), The Vegetarian Chili (a stew that could almost not get beaten up in the back alley of a Texas restaurant, I kid you not), and The Sweet Potato Fries. I found none of these things lacking. In fact, it was quite the opposite, for I very nearly found MYSELF to be lacking.
But The Dad, The Mom, The Brother, The Brother's Girlfriend, The Girlfriend, My Friend, and My Friend's Bride helped support me through this challenging but educational process of overeating and carousing, and we all made it out with smiles and twinkling eyes. And I know that if (when) I visit Amherst again, I'll very much press the itinerary to include a couple pints and some munchies at Amherst Brewing Company. -
Review from Sean K.
Philadelphia, PA
3/30/2011
I have become enamored with micro-brews. So, when we walked by ABC we had to give it a try. First of all, I would rate my standard 3 stars for the brewing company and 4 for the food = 3.5 stars
I tried the sample tasting of 6 beers: Honey pilsner, IPA , M. Brown, baltic porter , smoked porter, and stout. I'm usually dark beer kind of guy; however, these dark beers tasted "fishy" if that's a correct word to describe the beer? On the other hand, the Honey Pilsner and IPA were definitely above avg.
As for food, it was pretty good selection of bar food and entrees. I thought the sheppards pie and the portabella mush marsala were both exquisite.
The service was very attentive and friendly.
I would return, but refrain from getting my usual favorite of dark beer :( -
Review from Patrick S.
Worcester, MA
7/7/2010
Bad Service, Decent Beer, Okay Food
Not bad for a college bar, not good for a "real" restaurant. -
Review from Kiernan G.
Sunderland, MA
3/9/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The good:
They have very greatsweet potato fries.
There beef burgers are quite tasty and they carry bison burgers.
All the food is pretty good (not amazing, but not bad).
They also carry a nice variety of home brewed beer, that I have been quite pleased with
The bad:
Every time I have been there it takes a little while to get in the initial order, not a big deal, but kind of annoying. At the end of the meal, it takes FOREVER to get the check. Every single time I sit there going "so um, did we get forgotten?" -- not a good way to end a visit. More attentive waitstaff would be a plus.
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Summary:
Get take out, the food is good, but the service sucks. -
Review from shannon c.
Somerville, MA
11/24/2009
I know my ABC's...
Why are you reading this review? If I were you, I would be hopping on the Mass Pike and getting my butt to Amherst.
This place is the tits, and I don't use that phrase lightly. If you are getting food I would sit down stairs. I prefer sitting at their bar, but I've always been a bar lady.
Their beer is excellent. I always start with a flight of beers. You can pick 6 beers and try them. They are served on a carved board with small glasses of about three or four sips each. I usually do one or two turns of these before I decide on my favorite.
And good god the food. You haven't had fried pickles until you've had these. They have a little bite to them that makes me get butterflies almost as intense as when I first saw Jason Segels character on Freaks and Geeks.
They burgers are great. They even offer buffalo burgers. You didn't know you loved buffalo burgers so much, did you? Well I now do.
What I'm trying to say is you can't go wrong here. I mean, this place introduced me to sweet potato fries and honestly, there is nothing as good as your first.
And if your not in the mood for beer, try their cocktails. They have some fun concoctions. This is what I would recommend, grab some friends and head on upstairs on week night. Settle in at one of the dart boards or a pool table and order the Diploma.
Look, I may have never graduated from Umass, but I've had plenty of Diplomas from the ABC.
And in the end, when you don't want to leave and you think you just will have one.. more.. beer... do it! In the form of one of their growlers you can take your hooch home, prohibition style. -
Review from Johnna M.
7/29/2009
I really like the ABC as a restaurant. They have the best burgers I have ever had and the sweet potato fries are also awesome. The outdoor seating is fantastic. Service is usually pretty good.
As a bar, its a mixed bag. I came here for my 21st birthday, so it holds fond memories. There is usually a line to get in, and I certainly don't think it is worth the line. It has many pool tables, which apparently appeals a lot of people but not myself. A little bit like hanging in your fratty brother's basement.
The booze is really, really, awesome! I have never had a beer here I did not enjoy, but the Massatucky Brown really stands out. The Porter is pretty awesome too. If you do not drink beer, fear not! Their collection of ridiculously named and priced fruity drinks is outstanding as well. Try the Georgia Peach or Crazzzzzzzzzzzzy for Coconuts. But this blue drink tastes much better if you emphasis the crazzzzyyyy. When it is not crowded, it is a great place to chat with friends over some brews. One time I came here with a migraine and inability to function, and spilled not one, not two, but three drinks on the floor, and the bouncer only playfully rolled his eyes at me, so apparently it is a place you can get rambunctious at as well. -
Review from Q S.
Somerville, MA
11/27/2006
Definitely a chill place for drinks. The food isn't all that amazing, but the seasonal brews are awesome. I am after-all a beer girl most of the time. My favorite thing besides the booze is the sweet potato fries. I highly recommend it with everything!
They also have pool tables, ping pong and foozeball tables. -
Review from Jane C.
Waipahu, HI
4/15/2007
I had contemplated whether or not to even write a review for this place, so here's a review based on the little that i know about this place.
the good:
+ very clean establishment! we went upstairs and it felt like we were in someones home--definitely not afraid to sit down anywhere
+ great atmosphere to relax and have a beer/drink/munchies with some friends
+ shots are ~$5 and they're pretty decent sized
the not so great
- i ordered a long island iced tea and if you're a fan, you know u drink em to get plastered. that won't happen here unless you order maybe 5 or them. its mostly soda.
- we came a bit early so there was a place for our group to sit, but otherwise i think it might be standing room only.
*
i definitely want to go back again soon to try out some of their beers and i really wouldnt hesitate to go back--its clean, a relaxed environment, and i def wanna try some of their food + beer. :) -
Review from John L.
10/16/2009
Amherst Brewing Co. is situated in the middle of Amherst, on that strip of area where all the kids come out to play at night (across the street from Antonio's, McMurphy's, et al. ) Unlike the McMurphy's and Monkey Bars of the world, ABC has decent beer (their own brews, in a variety of styles), as well as decent food choices.
It might not be the best deal on North Pleasant Street both beer and food wise, but quality wise, it's a step above most of the places. -
Review from Alexandra S.
Boston, MA
1/19/2011
This is a review for our server Phoebe. She was phenomenal! Five star material!
The kitchen kept messing up our orders (burgers overcooked and our beers were flat) and she was so graceful and accommodating. She was genuinely nice and had a great sense of timing and gave us awesome food recommendations.
I've never been a big fan of ABC. Sometimes I'd meet a friend upstairs for a drink and some prime people watching but that's about it. Earlier this week, I went to the ABC with friends for dinner as we knew they'd be able to easily accommodate a large group composed of beer-loving people with various dietary constraints.
Our food was fairly good. We indulged in standard pub fare which was nothing to write home about - but who doesn't love a burger priced under ten bucks that's cooked well and comes with delicious fries? The artichoke dip was also rather tasty.
Unremarkable, inconsistent food - but I can't really complain. We had a great server. And the jazz orchestra was a nice touch. -
Review from Dan V.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011
Used to love this place when I went to Umass...
Good beer, never too crowded.
