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Categories: American (Traditional), Beer, Wine & Spirits, Lounges, Breweries [Edit]
569 Main StMon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
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Huge place place with good beer and great food.
The Loaded Nachos claim to be "the biggest in the Valley," and I can't say I disagree with that. Lots of gooey cheese with tomatoes, peppers, onions, olives, and jalapenos served with guac, sour cream and salsa. The salsa was a little salty, but there was really no need for it with how packed the nachos already were with the diced veggies.
Their pancetta mac n' cheese is out of this world: asiago, fontina and white cheddar in a creamy concoction mixed with chunks of ham and topped with garlic bread croutons -- mmmm! I didn't care for the side of stewed tomatoes, but I wouldn't care for them regardless of the locale.
The pierogie casserole was layers and layers of garlic-y and cheesy mashed potatoes smothered with melted cheese on top. Also very yummy, but I'd imagine wildly filling (I snuck a bite of boyfriend's, who ended up taking half of it home and it felt like it weighed at least 2 lbs.).
I had the Biere de Phaoroah which is a seasonal brew made in tribute to the Egyptians, the original brewers. It was so over the top honey flavored that I had a really tough time drinking it. Wouldn't order again.
They've got a lot of events happening all the time -- I've only been a couple time for Sunday karaoke, but it's a great time with a fantastic "KJ" named Paul Grayson. Very cool dude and makes karaoke a lot of fun.
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Taco Tuesdays: $3 for 3 fat, delicious tacos = best deal in town.
Be still my beating heart.
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My local watering hole is closing for at least a week while the upstairs kitchen gets… Read more »
A Brew Pub in Bethlehem offering 6 flights of house made beer for 8 dollars. What more can I really say? This place is a good time for all ages and especially the hops snob in your family. They have a large list of rotating seasonal beers as well as there classics like, steelgarden wit and fegley's ESB. This place is was a good time with good pub fare.
After gambling at the Sands this past weekend, my gf and I decided to stay local so we can throw/spend more money away to the town of Bethlehem! We ordered the sampler for an app. It was really good and it gives you a taste of there above average bar fare. Pretzels were soft, pierogies were money, wings were spicy even though I order mild (not a bad thing) but the chicken fingers were a little off. I ordered the pulled pork and she ordered the chicken sandwich. We both enjoyed them. Service was excellent. Attentive, quick and friendly! No 5 stars yet until I try their beers.
Great place for young professionals and presidential candidates alike to show off their blue collar sympathies without actually having to drink a bad beer in a bad bar.
All kidding aside, the beer cheese soup is worth the eventually coronary. Really enjoyed getting the beer sampler (beer sampler!) so I could try all the beers back to back (to back to back to back). Just really solid all around American food with a nice ambience. Worth a visit if you're in from out of town.
I'm torn by the BBW. I've had some really good experiences & some really terrible experiences.
They offer a happy hour wing special & $1 off their pints. Simple enough. Now try to explain this to the staff. Twice in a month I had to CONVINCE our server that they had to recalculate our bill because they didn't charge us the happy hour special. The first server fixed the bill but then added $0.50/order of wings for bleu cheese & celery! This was NOT indicated on their menu, so we just took it out of the server's tip (we have NEVER been charged extra for bleu chz & celery any other time that we have had wings @ BBW). The second server (another night) tried to tell us that the happy-hour wing & beer pint special were available ONLY in the Steelgaarden (WRONG!). We eventually had a manager correct our bill.
We even went to BBW when their kitchen was not open, but THAT was a ripoff. We ordered the Irish Nachos, having ordered them at another restaurant where we received potato wedges w/ cheddar chz, salsa, sour cream, olives & jalapenos. BBW served us potato chips w/ Chz Whiz! & for $9!!! I was STUNNED when it arrived @ our table. I asked the server "what the hell is this?" & he proudly said the Irish Nachos. We sent them back & had them taken off of our bill as we weren't about to spend $9 on something I could make up @ the 7-11 for less than $2. Ridiculous.
Ok, I AM a fan of their beer & I HAVE had good food experiences. They had broiled flounder as a special one night & it was absolutely DELICIOUS. I also enjoy their hummus appetizer ($1 for an extra pita !?!) & most of their sandwiches. The beer is pretty good - they recently had a Honey Cream Ale that just slid down your throat like having a cold one after working in the yard on a hot day. We're also big fans of their stout beers.
All in all, BBW is a good place to go for good beer & decent food (some exceptions not-withstanding). Their servers could be a bit more educated about BBW's specials. We will still continue to go to BBW - just not as frequently.
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They have at least one decent vegetarian option and they have Chimay (even though they don't serve it in the Chimay glasses) so they get 4 stars.
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Brewpub in downtown Bethlehem. Always a good couple of beers on tap. For the old standby, try the Valley Golden Ale.
As food goes, I'd say it's better than average. They have good burgers and gigantic nachos (though expensive). I always look and have been very happy with their daily specials.
Everything I've ever eaten here has been awesome! Beer and cheese soup, pierogi casserole, and my absolute favorite the steel bridge tacos :)
I'm not a fan of beer so I can't say anything about their brews, but I can say that the martinis are excellent! Gotta love $5 martini night!. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the service can be iffy.
For a good meal or just for drinks, Brew Works is great.
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Well first off, I was there 1/31/09 and apparently there was a fire in the kitchen in early December. So they inform us that there is an abbreviated menu, and the staff was nice. Apparently they could not grill or fry anything. Ok, so we traveled pretty far to go there, and we were hungry so we sat down for their much more limited menu.
So with no fryer or grill.. I guess they perhaps had the microwave out because the food was cold and horrible! I am not really into having my food piping hot, but this stuff was cold and generally not good at all. I do not understand how they are even selling food at all. In addition it is now 2 months later and they cannot get their kitchen in order yet? I felt bad for the staff because it is probably like working at mcdonalds and saying well you can have anything that is not cooked on the grill so instead of your burger and fries we have a menu of all fried stuff.
The beers were ok, not really great and the place looked rather nice. The service was also excellent and like I said I feel for the poor wait staff that has to serve substandard food. If I get out there in PA again I will give it a second shot, but so far not impressed.
I've been here many times.....and take my review for what you will, but I'm sitting here wondering why I really go back there with so many other places close by that can blow the Brew Works away.
The Brew: They have very tasty creations here.....this gets 5 stars, and as I homebrew my own...I admire what they have put together
The Food and Service: NEVER have I had a meal there where I said the next day to someone it was good and that they should go try. They forget the little things like soft rolls, fresh items (like simple things like lettuce), and even their wings (which should be a star attraction at a brewpub) were nothing better than I could get at TGI Fridays.....nothing special at all. Portabello Mushroom Burger, other apps, the pasta they have......eh.....I'm shrugging my shoulders.
The service problem of this establishment is that it has some YOUNG staff members who don't know how to simply be pleasant to customers....I always get the feeling that they're doing me the favor by waiting on me, and not the other way around (and they'd probably get more than the regular 20% tip if they did). Futher, more than once I asked to be seated in a certain area (pointing to an open table), and they kind of insisted that they couldn't do that because it wasn't the servers "turn" (????? Why would I care?)
Listen.....it is a great atmosphere to the place.......but do yourself a favor, walk past the host and sit at the bar for a great brew...and eat before you go.
Beer - usually good! Improved over the past few years. I like the Wit in the summer and the pumpkin ale in the fall. The ESB is disappointing.
Food - Pretty good - I favor the "beer enhanced" items. I get the mezze assortment of hummuses and tapenade, and it's OK. Beer & cheese soup is delish, wing flavors are fun, and if they have the chocolate stout ice cream, don't skip dessert. Oh, and my husband loves the Slag Pot Meatloaf.
Service - Half the time it's GREAT (my most recent visit 3 days ago) and the other half it's ambivalent or vapid. It's really a crapshoot.
I love taking out of town guests here because it's easy and there's something on the menu to please everyone, even kids. But it's also a loud echoey place so when it's packed it's hard to hear each other across a table, and the inconsistent service can be really annoying.
Downstairs in the Steel Gaarden (an extra "a" for "awesome"- kidding) it's a dimly lit club with pool tables, couches for canoodling and private areas for parties or WHATEVER.
Growing up in Bethlehem, I used to shop at the department store Orr's that was the building in which the Brew Works is now. When you sit in the bar, you are in what was the men's department. In the Gaarden, you are in the home decor and gifts area. How's that for trivia?
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Great atmosphere for a brewpub, the building and fixtures have an old industrial feel. It can get a bit loud due to the high ceilings (loud enough that you can't hear the music). Calamari was done perfectly, with a very light batter; also had the bratwurst, it was pretty good. As far as drinks (that's why you're here, right?), Fegley's ESB is a must-try. It's a dark, robust, slightly sweet beer. The martinis are good as well.
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There wasn't much special about this place - but the beer/cheese soup was memorable! The lighting was weird and made us all a little dizzy. Our service was okay, but nothing remarkable. And the food was your basic bar fair.
It's probably a great place to go for happy hour, but it wasn't the best option for lunch.
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Bethlehem Brew Works has good beer, and slightly less-than-good food. I had swordfish, which was thoroughly mediocre. I vaguely remember some sauce. The sides were tasty -- the vegetables were delicious, and they served up a very cheesy dish of mac-n-cheese.
The signature items are, of course, the beer. I had their flagship drink, an ESB. Tasted like a less bitter Sierra Nevada, with a touch of bwwwaaaa? aftertaste.
Overall, eh.
Bethlehem Brew Works is your typical modern brewery/restaurant with a twist. If Gordon Biersch relocated to Pennsylvania, it would probably look just like that. The place was dark and smelled like yeast and freshly made beer. The decor was heavy on dark wood and numerous metal accents, which gave the place a modern and unique feel.
I am not a beer drinker, so I can't tell you how good or bad their beer was. We did order a beer sampler for the table, and yes, I did sample all 6 beers. They came in small, 5.5-oz glasses, and they all tasted different. We had a great time naming the six beers based on what they tasted like. There were Grandma's Pie (blueberry flavored beer), Christmas (cloves and allspice flavored beer) and Espresso (coffee flavored beer), among others.
In retrospect, I should have ordered something on the menu that was, as they say, "beer-enhanced." Those items are indicated by a tiny beer glass on the menu. I wasn't really paying attention, so I ordered Bethlehem Pasta instead. It was a BIG plate of bow-tie pasta with chicken and Cajun Alfredo sauce. It was as bland as it was filling. My friends ordered a veggie burger and a cheesesteak, and I don't think either of them was really impressed.
The service and the presentation, however, were excellent. I guess bar food is still bar food, no matter how fancy a place may be.
Yes, the food is very American, very Comfort, and not very adventurous. But what they do is done well, in large portions, at reasonable prices. My old favorite, the crab cake with Hoegaarden aioli, was as good as usual, although it totally outclassed the plain ol' white bread bun it was served on. The fries were crispy and tasty. Ribeye steak was very well prepared, tender, and not at all gristly (as you often get in this neck of the woods). Fish and chips were appropriately greasy but cooked in clean oil at the proper temperature and served sizzling with deep-fried goodness. Good bar food at a great bar.
The beer is best when you work the fringes. If you really like beer, taste all the dark beers, hoppy beers, Belgian-style beers, or whatever they're brewing on the edge of conventional taste. The Rudolph's/Rude Elf's has been making me happy for quite a few seasons now. Look for it in cases at Tanczos. The lighter stuff is good, maybe not inspiring, but I rarely take the time to drink it. Go big or go home.
I wish these guys luck trying to get another place going in the black hole of downtown Allentown nightlife. That 'hood is gaining on Oakland when it comes to murders per capita.
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This place is a nice lil spot to visit down in the historic Bethlehem district. The food is pretty darn good, and they have the novelty on-the-premesis brewing. Now, I'll be honest, I'm not impressed with the majority of their beers, having been to other brew pubs like this, but it's still a good time and nice lil change from the typical Lehigh Valley restaurant.
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A good American-type restaurant. Everything's decent from burgers to salads. I especially like the hot spinach dip.
Can get packed for weekday lunch.
Very trendy and often packed bar downstairs called the Steel Garden.
Both the restaurant and the bar have a good atmosphere.
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Two welder's daughters walk into a bar in the steel capitol of the good old US of A. No, it's not the beginning of a joke. It was the beginning of my Friday night.
I went to Bethlehem to see my sister's new house and we decided on Bethelehem Brew Works for dinner.
Brew Works is good, old fashioned bar food. Greasy nachos, massive burgers and rich, heavy pastas. Basically, it's my sister's favorite and not at all mine.
I was in need of comfort and happy to see my sister's face across the table, so I went for the mac n cheese. I expected it to be super rich and 99% cheese. It came close to that, but it wasn't as heavy as I expected. I was pleased with the bacon strips on top and the side of stewed tomatoes.
The service was fine, nothing to write home about and it was far too noisy to really catch up with my sis, not because there were so many people, but because it just echoed in all the steel. Which is minus two stars in my book.
I'm sure we'll go back the next time I visit, but I'll vote for lunch so maybe it won't be so loud and noisy.
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Stopped in here for a quick beer and an appetizer before a big Patriot League men's basketball matchup between Lehigh and Bucknell.
This place has a nice corner location at Broad & Main with big windows for watching the world go by. The bad side is they are attached to a small mall-like complex. We parked behind the mall and walked through it to reach the Brew Works. It smelled of urinal cakes and hobos which didn't quite set the appetizing tone for entering the restaurant.
Once inside we had our pick of booths by the bar. It was early enough to not have a smoking issue so don't know how it is from that regard.
I enjoyed my Steelworkers' Oatmeal Stout. It hit the right tone for a blustery winter evening. The appetizer we chose had a description in the menu that far outshined the reality.
We chose: The Steelworker's Union
Samples of our Roasted Tomato
Fondue, Spinach Artichoke, and Southside
Black Bean dips. Served with tortilla chips. Sure
to satisfy any Steelworker's demands! $10.00
They arrived as very small bowls of the various dips with a small pile of bland off-tasting-from-the-bag tortilla chips.
I would give it 2 stars based on that, but don't feel we gave it enough of a chance on the appetizer and a single beer. Will definitely go again and order a proper meal. The beer is worth the trip.
I've been here several times, this time was for dinner. I ordered the crab cake and to my surprise, it was one of the best I've had.
Like most breweries the beer list was intimidating and I tasted three before deciding. I wasnt impressed.
It was really loud, even in the back room where we were seated, making it difficult to hear eachother. The food won me over, but I would not go on a Friday night again.
A little too much A/C on such a beautiful spring day, and the waitress initially tried to seat us way inside the restaurant instead of at a window, but otherwise, I had a great experience. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient, and my party of four all liked our meals. I had a clam marinara on the whole wheat penne (a great substitution for the enriched pasta on the menu), and it was fantastic!
Decent food...great beer & a large martini menu. Try the beer battered fries and the pumpkin ale when it's in season. I'm sure it's crazy when it's busy, but on a weekday evening outside of Musikfest, it's normally pretty quiet.
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I only gave this place 3 stars because I felt it was unfair to judge it against the other, more gourmet, establishment I had been lucky enough to eat at all weekend. But seriously, I wanted to give it 2 stars. Why?
The service was less than stellar. I asked for mustard and the waiter had to ask me twice whether I wanted Dijon or yellow. When it was finally brought over, he brought the wrong one. Not to mention he acted like every time we needed a drink we were asking him to part the sea.
The food was not good. Actually, the beer battered onion rings were really good and the fries that came with my burger were delicious. But the burger itself was rather flavorless and I am of the opinion that a bun is the best thing to serve a burger on. Not a ciabatta roll. The nachos were basically a bag of tostitos thrown on a plate with some cheese, black olives and jalapenos sprinkled on top. After the top layer was eaten, we were left with a plate of chips.
The bill only came to $158 for 6 dinners, 2 appetizers and like 10 drinks so I thought that was very reasonable. Almost makes up for the screaming Giants fans at the bar!
GO PATS!
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Very good......it can go both ways. You want to hang out with friends and enjoy some apps, good beer, and just chill. This is a great place for that. You want to have a nice dinner with some friends, or with your parents while they're visiting? This is a great place for that. They brew their own beers, worth trying a few while you're there. Seared tuna, Kobe burger, wings, the food is good.....Keep in mind, it is a brewery, if you want a four course meal, don't go here. If you want to enjoy a nice low maintenance meal and maybe go to the lounge downstairs afterward, shoot some pool while enjoying a drink and good company. Or sit on a couch and have a drink and a glass of wine with the wife in a dimmed down loungy joint, then go check it out.
Both a restaurant and a bar. You can bring your kids here and sit in your choice of "other" dining areas. Food is kind of on the TGI Friday's or Applebees order. Good, but nothing special. What makes this place special is the micro-brewed stuff they make here. Some are really excellent, and prices are not bad. Setting is right downtown in Historic Bethlehem. There is a lounge downstairs that is more quiet, and has a pool table and nice chairs. Upstairs is a big regular bar, booths, and another large dining room.
Brewpub with decent food for a fair price. The beers tend to be a little bland for my taste, but they have been improving. Still a pretty nice place for a dinner with friends or family.
The downstairs steelgarden has a great selection of belgian beers, but it tends to get pretty crowded on the weekends with the young professional crowd.
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Category: Bars
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Category: American (New)
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