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Asheville Brewing Company
Categories: Food Breweries Nightlife Bars Pubs Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Sandwiches Breweries, Pubs, Pizza, Sandwiches [Edit]
77 Coxe AvenueAsheville, NC 28801
(828) 255-4077
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background, Live
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
40 reviews for Asheville Brewing Company
Review Highlights
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"Try the Ninja Porter if you like dark stuff." In 3 reviews -
"...you feel like living on the edge, try the spicy Fire Escape." In 5 reviews
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"...great beers including the Ninja Porter and the Shiva IPA." In 2 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Kevin D.
Phoenixville, PA
3/28/2012
One of the many reasons I wanted to head to Asheville.
First off, if you can get there with good weather, sit outside. Very spacious and comfortable.
The beer selection, rather good. Though, disappointed some stuff wasn't on tap. I'm a sucker for infused brews with peppers. But the Shiva, very tasty. My kind of IPA.
The food, rather good too. My buddy had a pizza for himself and it looked massive and delicious.
And the service, never waited long. I'd definitely go back there. Hope to see some of their brews travel this way! SHIVA! -
Review from Johnny M.
My girlfriend and I went here during the slow hours of a Sunday afternoon. There were a few people here, but I'm sure I saw tumbleweed roll by. Atmosphere was ok, but I wasn't really impressed.
We sat next to the front windows, and a little too slowly, our server came over and took our drink order. We waited longer to get those drinks than it should have taken, but nothing drastic. What I mean is, there were practically more employees here than customers at the time. Our server seemed like a cool enough guy, so I don't know what the deal was.
Drinks arrive, we order a pizza (duh), and relax a while, enjoying the beautiful, sunny Asheville day. Why the hell didn't we sit outside?
The pizza came fairly quickly, and was pretty darn good. I was pleasantly surprised. Not the best, but good nonetheless.
I ordered another beer, which arrived a little faster than the first. The beers I tried were decent, but nothing really stood out. I'd had several of their beers before, and really feel Asheville Brewing is one of those 'hit or miss' breweries. Sadly, I've had more misses than hits. That said, Shiva is a pretty darn good IPA.
As much as Asheville has to offer (beer & food-wise), there are much better choices for both. -
Review from Natalie K.
Atlanta, GA
3/18/2012
I'm giving Asheville Brewing Company 3 stars because I had an AMAZING beer here. It was called the Fire Escape Ale and it's made with smoked jalapeno peppers. I LOVE spicy, especially jalapenos. This beer was super spicy and had so much flavor! It was probably the most interesting beer I've ever had.
For food I ordered a slice of pizza with spinach and black olives. I'm not very picky when it comes to Americanized pizza but this slice was BAD. It was extremely bland and the crust was boring and crunchy. I would have preferred a personal sized Celeste from the freezer. Sorry Asheville Brewing, you need to step it up!
...Love your beer though! -
Review from Sarah E.
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
We were visiting the Biltmore and a friend had told us about this little brewing company.....
In we walked and sat down at one of the wooden tables...our server was less then reluctant to tell us about the beers (maybe we just gave off out-of-towner vibes). There were a lot of young people outside playing corn hole, which I would imagine is popular when the weather is nice.
We tired the buffet - a very unusual buffet, there was soup, salad, pizza, nachos, and ice cream. The buffet are was not well lit and no flow whatsoever. The food was standard.
As for the beer, we tried the IPA - it was pretty good, a little bitter. Sadly we did not get a chance to further test out the beer selection.
This is a simple brewery, no frills just good beer. -
Review from Laura P.
Arlington, VA
3/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
I wasn't that impressed by Asheville Brewing Company. The fire escape ale was pretty decent, made with jalapenos, but the service was pretty horrible. Our server had a huge attitude. The one good thing about this place is that they have board games available to play at your tables. I have to say that in my experience - michigan breweries are far, far better.
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Review from Kenny R.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
With sooooo much beer in this town its hard to stand out, but this place still does. That said, I wouldn't ever go there for the for the food, because Asheville has so much to offer in that category as well.
Shiva IPA has been one of my favorites ever since I first heard about the brew and view. Shortly after that I discovered the ninja porter, which I am rockin the shirt of this very second.
The place, is rather basic. There is a nice covered patio area for the non-winter. The inside looks like your normal bar, but with really awesome steins all over the walls.
I don't really have a whole lot more to say on this one. Its all about the beer, just sit down and try a few pints, or a flight, or just take a keg home and sip on it for a week. -
Review from Danielle P.
Charlotte, NC
11/16/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Asheville Brewing Company, I want to have your babies. Except I don't because then I couldn't drink your delicious beer for 9 months.
Every beer lover should have a chance to sit down with a pitcher of Fire Escape, ABC's Escape Artist brewed with chilies. Chili beers seem to be up and coming but this is by far the best I have had and it is now on their regular draft list.
You aren't going to skip the pizza though, are you? Hellz no! It's cool that they do the pick your crust deal, but what's even cooler is that you can get the peppercorn and parmesan crusts on the same pie. Do it, my friend. Do it. Toss on your favorite toppings (for us it's pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers) and go to town. I rarely have space for any food besides pizza, but the cheese sticks and buffalo chicken dip have both proved tasty when mooching off friends.
Did I mention you get to enjoy all this on a great patio that is dog-friendly and has cornhole boards? Or that the servers always feel like friends? Well now I did.
Seriously, get thee to Asheville Pizza & Brewing. Now. -
Review from Mark S.
Asheville, NC
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
A sister of the original on Merrimon Ave., the ABC is the location where much of the brewing, bottling and canning take place. The menu is the same as at the other location, but I think Merrimon has slightly better food. There's no theater here so the atmosphere is a bit less family oriented and leans more toward a young hipster crowd. Being close to downtown it's a good stop on a pub or brewery crawl.
Listed in: Asheville Breweries
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Review from Roger H.
Asheville, NC
9/10/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I love all the beer makers in Asheville, so I have to say...right on to Asheville Brewing. It is not my favorite beer in town but it is a "go to" for me. Love the Ninja Porter, the Fire Escape (chili beer made of Escape Artist ESP), and the yearly batch of Moog Ale. The IPA is, eh, ok. Wedge and Green Man beat it.
As for the pizza, I loved it at first but now find it to be distant third behind Marcos and Circle in the Square. -
Review from Scott R.
Durham, NC
3/6/2012
We went here around 1 pm on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch, and it was great!
First off, they are in a cool building that kinda looks like an old garage. They have done a nice job creating a space indoors and outdoors that is very laid back and casual.
Food wise, we had only heard impressive things about the pizza, and it did not let us down. The prices were very decent and they had a good selection of specials. Additionally, they have a variety of crust types, which is something new to me. They also had a vegan cheese substitute that we switched in for free. We got the Funky Chicken on peppercorn crust, and it was superb!
Very importantly, they have a very nice diversity of beers and other adult beverages. Between the Ninja Porter, the Rocket Girl Ale and the Scout Stout, I was very impressed. Overall, both my girlfriend and I had a great time! -
Review from Solomon W.
Austin, TX
7/29/2011
You know what normally very annoying/uncomfortable situation makes beer taste excellent? No A/C. I walked into this joint, and it was boiling hot... on an 85 degree day, nonetheless. ABC is a cool brewery restaurant off the downtown strip, so it gives a little more of a local vibe than most of the bars. There is grub, booze, but just not enough to A/C (the day I went).
The pizza is awesome because you can order it by the slice at ~$2.75 a pop, even the specialty pies. The Shear Delight had a nice crisp sesame crust, zippy pesto, earthy mushrooms, and a tough of gorgonzola. Definitely robust flavors.
The Rocket Girl lager was my favorite on this hot day. It was fresh, crisp, and not the least bit heavy. The JT's Oatmeal was rich and smooth, though very light on the bitter. The Ninja Stout was strong like a coffee, without being too heavy; it was a lot like a nice black coffee. The Red Light was a bit too bitter for its medium body; it should have either been lighter or creamier.
Now the Fire Escape... that was interesting. They brew it with jalapenos. It definitely kills your palate, so do not expect anything to taste sharp afterwards. ABC provides this as a nice fun beer, but I did not enjoy it. The Fire Escape is definitely a unique beer that some may really find accents the experience.
Check out ABC when in Asheville on a pub crawl. It serves as a great place to chill and have a drink and bite off the beaten path. -
Review from Jennifer M.
Miami, FL
6/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is a fun stop for beer and food in Asheville.
Some great beers including the Ninja Porter and the Shiva IPA. The flight as always is a great idea.
I am a huge fan of their pizza. I love thin crust and they make it extra crispy. They do a great job with all the toppings which are always fresh and perfectly cooked.
Also try the Popeye Burger which is all spinach is supper yummy. The hummus appetizer is very filling and the black bean humus was my favorite. It is served with fresh veggies which I loved.
This is a fun place to stop by and hang out for an afternoon while drinking some good brews and eatin some tasty treats. -
Review from Nicole S.
Jacksonville, NC
Cheap cheap cheap! 6 beers and an order of nachos under $30? I'll be back soon!
Try the Ninja Porter if you like dark stuff. And if you feel like living on the edge, try the spicy Fire Escape! -
Review from Julie C.
6/2/2011
Beer here is ok.
Fire Escape made with jalapenos peppers is pretty tasty and packed a nice spicy tasty, but nothing too over powerful. Others beers were ok.
They have tater tots covered in cheese. Order them.
On this particular day, I had a pregnant bartender, she was pretty terrible and inattentive. I felt bad for her and her lack of service was pissing me off. But when it came time to pay our tab, I gave her a decent tip for her baby. Hopefully, she can stop working.
Nice brewery to check out if you are in the area. -
Review from Daniel H.
Asheville, NC
7/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
First things first: the house brews are fantastic! I recommend the Rocket Girl and the Escape Artist.
Great brewery restaurant, with the usual burgers and pizza, but also a few different options such as pastas and fish and chips.
On my first trip (solo), I ordered the Tombstone burger. It came drenched in a delicious BBQ sauce and had three decently sized onion rings on it. It was pretty good, I would order it again sometime. On my second visit, both my gf and I ordered the fish and chips. The fish was great, with crisp batter and not overcooked at all.
A note on fries, though: When I got my burger the other day, the fries were seasoned with something absolutely delicious that made them stand out and made you want to order them again ASAP. When we got the fish and chips, however, they were just plain. I don't know if this was intentional or if they just aren't very consistent. I will find out next trip in.
Prices are pretty standard, expect $7-9 for a burger and fries. The brews are reasonably priced at under $4/glass, which is good for in-house beers IMO.
On my first visit, I sat outside, and my server was quick and attentive without being obtrusive at all.
On my second trip, though, my girlfriend and I sat directly in front of the bar and were noticed by no fewer than three staff that made eye contact with us and just ignored us; we still waited over 10 minutes for even our drink order to be taken. After they did take our order, we never saw a server again until we finally flagged her down for our check. We had to go directly to the bartender to get a second drink. Absolutely terrible. Okay, it was Saturday. But they weren't *that* busy at all. It seemed more like they just didn't staff the place correctly.
All in all, exactly what I like in a local brewpub, and priced right for semi-regular patronage. However, I took off a star (and a considerable amount of the average tip I would have left otherwise) for the crap service on that second visit. I will be going back, but I hope the service goes back to what it was my first trip or it will cease to be worth the money.
My review after the first trip would have been five stars, but the poor service and potential inconsistency from the kitchen take off two for the time being. If these things change/improve, stars will return, although getting back to a full five may be stretching it. -
Review from McKenzie G.
New Richmond, OH
7/6/2011
My hamburger was just alright. Mediocre at best and our waiter said I couldn't order it medium which is extraordinarily unusual. He said something about national laws regarding cooking meat, which can't possibly be true because I always order my burger medium and it's never an issue...anywhere in the country. It was just a frozen patty anyways, but still.
Cool atmosphere though and the hummus was fantastic! The appetizer came out with three types (the black bean is amazing) and a ton of veggies, chips, and pita. Perfect way to start off the meal.
The drinks were great. Very fun list of cocktails and the beer was good. Our waiter was attentive but...eccentric with a touch of freaking annoying. Overall though, good place for a casual night about town. -
Review from Paul K.
This was my second stop in Asheville, enjoyed one of their veggie pizzas immensely. Had we not had groupons, reservations, and plans for every other meal I probably would have tried every one of their pizzas.
One thing though that made me feel out of place was nearly every guy had a beard in the place. I felt a tad facially naked. Like one of the 3 out of 19 guys in there without a face full of hair. I mean, obviously there's nothing about the bar that says "come ye not in hyare, with face unadorned with hair" but man... it was odd.
Had a beer or two that I was not particularly fond of, but I don't know which those were as they didn't register one side or the other of the loyalty line. -
Review from Doug D.
Los Angeles, CA
I like the food in Asheville.
Super thin crust pizza was really good. Had the Biltmore. It rocked.
Great outdoor seating area. TVs to watch the game inside. -
Review from David P.
San Diego, CA
9/29/2011
Consistently delicious beers for a good price in a great location. The outdoor seating or the bar seating would be best. They have tv's, but not a great place to watch the game.
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Review from Beth G.
Boca Raton, FL
2/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
The pizza is pretty satisfactory and I really like the Rocket Girl beer. Yeah, yeah, I know it's 3.2. It's nice and light - a perfect summer beer that works well with pizza. The Ninja Porter's pretty tasty too if you're in the mood for something heavier. As for pizza, I love getting the Mom's Garden with some sausage on it - delicious.
When I'm at home, we'll take out some pizza and a few growlers and a few more growlers and we're set. Makes for a nice little Saturday! -
Review from Donna S.
Pfafftown, NC
10/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
We have enjoyed the original location of ABC in the past, but have not been impressed with this one. We have been twice now and haven't really enjoyed the pizza or the beer. Neither were bad, exactly, just mediocre. We used to love the Shiva IPA, but just haven't enjoyed it the last few times that we tried. To be fair, our tastes may have changed. The pizza is okay--seems to be lacking something. Our service on both visits was pleasant enough, but not very attentive. On our last visit, we waited a long time for our pizza. Understandable if they were busy, but they only had a few other tables, and most of them had food already or were just drinking. It shouldn't take that long to assemble and bake a pizza with a relatively thin crust. There are too many other places to eat in Asheville to give them a third try.
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Review from Jimmy K.
Harrisburg, PA
3/22/2011
On a trip to Asheville, my friends and I decided to take our own brewery crawl. Asheville is known for its brewers, and we wanted to experience them. Along the way, we ended up drinking and eating here.
The beer was very good. All 4 of us enjoyed the ones that we ordered. And the food hit the spot. I had the chicken parm sandwhich, and it was great. This place is definitely worth another look. If you're not hungry, just go for a drink. -
Review from Brent L.
6/21/2011
I only stopped in for one beer here, but I got to sit in their awesome outside area with a huge tv screen and all kinds of fun seating. Really enjoyed the porter. Too many good breweries to choose from in Asheville, but they offer food and more of a normal bar feel here as opposed to Craggie and Wedge, which I might like more because I really like the feel of hanging out a brewery.
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Review from m. m.
Philadelphia, PA
9/21/2009
Pros: Great local beer at a fabulous price. $3.75 for a pint! This place is around the corner from the Peel which charges four dollars for a much smaller cup, so it's worth it to save your beer money for here. Some of the beers taste kind of alike, and there's a heavy emphasis on ales (at least when I was there), but you can probably find one or two that suit you. The bartender is happy to talk beer with you and give you a taste so you can decide what to order. They also have free peanuts in the shell, sports on TV, pool tables and a nifty outdoor patio that's not fenced in and is surrounded by vacant office buildings/ the sidewalk, so it feels like drinking in a parking lot at night. They have a movie screen out there to show movies after dark as well.
Some minuses: First of all, the neighborhood around this bar is all offices, and really dead empty especially on the weekend (both day and evening). On the one hand it's nice because you don't have to worry about noise complaints and the like, and the bar will call you a cab so you don't get stranded, but it's a little eerie when literally the only other car around is the police busting someone in the next block. The bars on the busier streets seem a bit more welcoming, and while a walk over here from the "populated" area is certainly doable, it's a very dark and lonely walk. Second of all, apparently they have no food service after a certain hour, which is a bit of a problem given that there is nowhere else to eat in the vicinity and sometimes peanuts just don't cut the mustard.
Third of all, and this is specific to the reason I came by the bar: When you are going to partner with a rock show happening at the Orange Peel and have posters up advertising that you're showing a movie related to the show at 12:30 am, and there is a discount on food with your ticket stub, it would be helpful if you (a) showed the movie with the sound on instead of with no sound and rap music playing over it for the whole first part, (b) restarted the movie when the patrons complained about not being able to hear the soundtrack for the first ten minures, and (c) actually served food so people could get the advertised discount. Just sayin'. -
Review from Chris S.
Asheville, NC
10/10/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Good pizza. Not my favorite in Asheville. Not crazy about the sauce they use. Beer is very good. Pretty laid back scene. Fun place to hang out. Prices - way high.
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Review from Silvia D.
Hope Mills, NC
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great beer. Mediocre pizza. Casual atmosphere.
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Review from Jay S.
Carrboro, NC
6/29/2011
This place has a really great covered outdoor space. Its just off the street and a really cool environment. The beers and the food were both great.
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Review from Bro H.
Syracuse, NY
1/3/2010
The food was good and the beer was pretty tasty, but this joint isn't cheap by any means.
Girlfriend got a quesadilla, I got a chicken sandwich, and we had some beers.
The quesadilla was like 7 bucks, and the sandwich came out to 8.50 with fries, but in Asheville, if you charge me nearly ten bucks for a damn sandwich and fries, it'd better be transcendent. My sandwich was good, but I felt like I could have been taking better advantage of hanging out somewhere with such a low cost of living (at least compared to DC).
The beers were okay - nothing special. I couldn't help but notice that a couple of the beers were really low ABV, though. My buddy said that's because they were trying to mimic the way the English made beers back in the day or something, but I can't fathom paying 4 bucks for a damn 3.2 beer.
Anyway, I wouldn't argue against hanging out here, but I doubt I'd suggest it, either. -
Review from Nancy R.
4/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I had the Popeye's spinach burger, fries, and Escape Artist ESB. Wow! The burger was fantastic! So flavorful on a homemade dinner roll bun. The mushrooms and onions listed with the burger are incorporated into the spinach creating a delicious burger. The fries were fresh cut and crisp, just the way I like them. I ate everyone and I almost never do that. Served with a crisp garlic dill pickle. The beer was also very good. Anyone who says the food at this establishment is not the best is crazy. I have tried the pizza and this burger and been blown away by both.
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Review from JB H.
Charlotte, NC
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great beer selection, of course local brews. Didn't have any food. Beer tours leave from this location - talked to some friends who said they were fun but not long enough (only visited 3 breweries). Good outdoor space attached.
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Review from Jami P.
De Bary, FL
6/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent pizza and delicious beer flight! Loved their outdoor patio and music selection was pretty good too..great place to hang out!
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Review from Rochelle D.
New York, NY
4/22/2010 1 Check-in Here
I came here with friends last week while visiting Asheville. We were checking out local breweries on a beautiful, sunny, 75 degree afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed a few of these delicious brews, along with a couple of appetizers. The garlic knots were delicious - highly recommend! 3 of us had beer samplers, and we all agreed the beers were very good. The server was nice and prompt. I can't really speak to the prices, I live in New York City so everything in town was cheap to me. It was a pleasant, quiet weekday afternoon and I would love to check out this place again, try more of their food, and have another beer sampler!
Listed in: Brewpubs
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Review from Dave F.
Atlanta, GA
7/27/2010
I sat at the bar tonight, flying solo on a business trip. Good pizza - I got the "moon pie" w/spinach, mushrooms, feta, and olive oil. It was a small (12") pizza, and I just about finished it (I was feeling it tonight). I got the house Pale Ale too and it was very good: full of body, plenty hoppy, and well balanced. The bar staff was nice, attentive, and knew the food/beer pretty well.
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Review from A P.
Asheville, NC
10/16/2010
We went at about 7:30 p.m. on a recent Friday night and sat in the back by a booth.
1. It was incredibly noisy.
2. I wanted a calzone, which I ordered... however ...
3. The smell of sewage hit both of us from the nearby bathrooms. Notice I said sewage - not urine.
4. I changed my order to "to go."
5. My partner waited outside. I moved away from the sewage smell. Eventually, the waiter noticed. I explained why I was standing where I was. He said something to the effect that he doesn't know why that keeps happening - it's obviously a known problem.
6. I waited for about 30 minutes for a calzone. It wasn't very busy. Why did it take that long? I should've just left but I didn't want to stiff the waiter.
7. The smell of people smoking drifted in from the outside seating area.
I'm not rating the calzone. I was nauseous by the time I finally got it. -
Review from Lynn M.
Morganton, NC
9/20/2010 2 photos
Great fun good food, live music! This place is hopping with the local crowd. Food is so so?!?! but you go hear for the atmosphere of party and outdoor dining.
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Review from sara n.
Brooklyn, NY
1/26/2009
The Brewery is really big and lots of beer options, the three that I tried were all a bit bitter for my taste though. Loved that they had Ladder golf and Corn Hole outside. Spent most of they time trying to play.
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Review from Rosalind C.
Atlanta, GA
12/16/2009
Shear delight pizza was delicious. The sesame seed crust and walnuts really make this the best pesto pizza I've ever had. Haven't had the chance to try anything else, but I would definitely go back to diversify my experience.
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Review from Mary M.
Asheville, NC
8/3/2011
Pizza was just okay. Maybe they focus more on beer, IDK I don't drink, but the pizza was only slightly better than that from a delivery chain. And it was a bit on the pricey side.
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Review from R M.
Newtonville, MA
7/5/2010
My husband and I ended up here in search of a place to watch a World Cup game while having some food and a beer. His quote, "This place is perfect for us! They have lots of TVs, the beer and food are good which make you happy, and it's kind of a dive which makes me happy!" As he said, the place is low on atmosphere, but the Shiva IPA is really tasty and we had a decent greek spinach salad and some "fingers of fire". The waiter was very attentive and our food was just right for sports-bar food.
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Review from Roadie h.
Asheville, NC
2/12/2010
i moved to Asheville 13 years ago because of this brewery... the beer is amazing. Some of the best in the world.
