Gordon Biersch Brewery & Restaurant

theghost3

Louisiana

3.05/5  rDev -14.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2.5 | $$$

This place is a typical chain found at the end of Poydras in the Harrah's complex. The patrons were mainly noisy sportfans. I came here on a Tuesday night, and it was surprisingly crowded. This is probably because it was Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Lots of tourists.

The service wasn't great. The bartender gave me a menu & then asked what kind of beer I wanted, when I looked up to tell him, he was gone. He came back a few minutes later & I ordered the Schwarzbier, the only brew I had. Based on that one beer, I thought the quality was good. The bar only has their 4 signature brews, a seasonal, and the few guest beers are all macros. I did like the outdoor patio behind the bar. There were windows cut out behind the bar so that people on the patio could place orders.

06-15-2008 03:43:57 | More by theghost3

daythree16

Tennessee

3.83/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Chain brewpub locate very close to the Harrah's casino. I've been here two or three times in the past couple of years, and it's always pretty good. The food is good and the prices are decent.

You get a free sampler of their offered beers when you first arrive, and the server has a cursory knowledge of each. The hefeweizen is always really good. Most of the beers are just ok. Not really the place to go if you want great beer.

Bottom line: Good place to have some decent beer if you're headed to Bourbon St. or just lost your ass at the casino. If you dig the "touristy" areas, it's probably not for you.

06-13-2008 19:21:03 | More by daythree16

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

I stopped in here right after I arrived in NO, since it was on my way to the convention center. There were a couple of tables by the front door and a large outside seating area in back behind the bar. Fairly large dining room and a separate bar area in the rear with some booths and the brewhouse visible to one side. Beers were decent, with 6 (including a seasonal Irish red ale) available during my visit. Prices were reasonable - my 23oz hefe was $5 - especially this close to the convention center. Service was adequate, but the bartenders seemed a bit uninterested in patrons. Food was mostly mediocre pub fare, but portions were large.

A pretty standard chain brewpub, not that that's a bad thing at all.

04-27-2008 00:41:50 | More by DrJay

Onslow

Texas

3.13/5  rDev -12.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3 | $$

a simple place with simple yet enjoyable beers...the bisque is spicy and good and the pizza ain't bad either...the brew master is a nice guy and the bartender was cool as they come...lagers live here!

Seems to be quite laid back when I went, early afternoon, and the to go beers is a great feature considering it is New Orleans..

Is right across from a big casino and only a short walk from the French quarter and Crescent City brewpub...

the Hefeweizen really stands out and they try have a seasonal on tap ( i missed out by one week )..

..Overall: a nice simple place with some simple, good beer and some decent food.. if you are in the area and haven't really gone Gordon, give it a whirl!

04-03-2008 03:28:55 | More by Onslow

Billolick

New York

3.55/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Noisy, busy, upscale, brick, metal, glass, expensive woods. This place was jumping when I went for a visit. Beers tended more towards the crowd pleasing M.O.R. side of the spectrum. Extensive and varied food menu, the gumbo was pretty good, but I would not say much better then that. Not much "Nawlins" style food, nor much of a NOLA vibe to the place, too bad. Food service was SLOW. Decent enough place for a beer and a bite, I'd go here for lunch perhaps but stay away for the crowded dinner scene. With so many other great food places in town this place seemed safe/Chain like, but lacking in much interest or character. Located at the ass end of Harrah's, unsightly, money sucking and tourist filled casino...bleh

03-29-2008 13:27:21 | More by Billolick

Butch

Mississippi

3.83/5  rDev +7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

I liked the place. Chain it may be, but I thought the food was good and beer was better. The whole place was clean and comfortable, the staff was friendly and welcoming.

The food was good, nothing spectacular, but good nonetheless. The beer was very nice. All of it (that I had) in the German tradition. Their Czech Pils was a bit weak on the hops, but their Golden Export was better than I expected. I loved the Rauch.

Recommended for a break form the Quarter (within an easy walk) or the expensive, upscale places in town. Good for folks who aren't after beer, but with good beer for us. I'll look for establishments in other towns.

02-27-2008 22:53:00 | More by Butch

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

This iteration of the chain (and I wish to re-state for the record that I do not associate a negative connotation with the designation "Chain") was located right on the corner of Poydras and Convention Center Boulevard. The entry sat at an angle to the corner with the maitre d' station and a cabinet of logo items to the left. It took me a series of turns, passing through the restaurant area, before I reached the bar. It was an elongated-"U" shape, topped with marble and I took a seat at its far left end, overlooking the open-air patio in front of me. To my left were the brewhouse and a series of fermenters, all behind glass. On a left oblique, at about my 7 o'clock, were the lavatories.

Both the bar and restaurant areas were wide, expansive set-ups. The bar area had a shelf with stools in front of the brewhouse, a sea of high tables and chairs in the center, and a bank of booths along the wall opposite the restaurant section. As to the decor, it was standard Gordon Biersch - that entails the glass doorways with the name and a hand raising an overflowing hefe glass etched into the glass; the round logo with the initials separated by a wheat sheaf between them; lots of exposed brick and ducting; and quality wood stools on which to sit.

A note on the service. My first bartender, John, was a bit obtrusive. Does Woody like obtrusive servers? NO! This guy seemed to want to hover around like a helicopter and take me through each style of the sampler, despite my wearing a Stoudt's BC shirt and generally treating me like a newbie. Grrr. His relief, Michael, acted as though he could recognize a beer patron. He was very ebullient and outgoing and more like what I would expect from a Nawlins bartender.

Woody's Soapbox: I have been taken to task before for being "a chain apologist" and I refuse to back down from my stance that automatically thinking that a place should be the target of scorn simply because it is part of a chain is wrongheaded. My maternal aunt and her husband routinely visit her local G.B. in Washington, D.C. after I turned them onto the place shortly following its initial opening. This is despite their usually favoring wine on those rare occasions when they actually do partake. I steadfastly love the chains and just like the old Tareyton ad, "I'd rather fight than switch." In fact, I was the guy with the black eye at the recent grand opening of Iron Hill's Lancaster location. Just kidding about that last.

Beers: Golden Export (5.0) - not much to speak of, but golden lagers usually are not; Hefeweizen (5.5) - light on the esters, but still enough of that banana taste that I disdain; Czech Lager (5.6) - read Pils, but not hoppy enough to satiate me; Marzen (5.7) - passable, decent, but not mind-blowing; Schwartzbier (4.29) - really good, light-bodied with a pleasant roasted smokiness on the finish; and their seasonal, Dos Gatos - a Mexican-style lager with a fruitiness that was not unpleasant, but it was not my bag, either.

01-21-2008 14:07:38 | More by woodychandler

wspscott

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Was in town for a conference the weekend before the BCS so the place was packed with noisy football fans. We had a group of 14 and were glad there are a couple of rooms off to the side so we could actually hear ourselves talk.

The beer is solid, not great but nice and a reasonable price for a tourist area ($4.75 for a 1/2 liter). The menu has a nice assortment of food, everything from burgers to chicken and steak, the salads looked pretty good. I had a "teriyaki flatiron steak" that was properly cooked medium rare as requested, wife had goat cheese ravioli, both of us were happy.

Location is very convenient to French Quarter and they don't kill you on prices, worth trying if you have a large group or are not a huge foodie.

01-08-2008 22:02:29 | More by wspscott

Beerbuddha

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

This place was not a bad place to go and eat after racking up or losing money while at Harrahs Casino. The food was pretty decent and the beer was above average. The prices of the beers were about $5.00 which isn't too bad for draft. The sampler is the best way to go. I liked the fact that you could pick a sampler which was great. For a brewpub it was a good place to eat. They only have 6 beers to choose from but they weren't all that bad. The service was ok but the waiter didn't know much about beer. I probably would not go back.

08-25-2007 23:13:39 | More by Beerbuddha

acrawf6

Louisiana

3.35/5  rDev -5.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 2 | $$

I really do like the atmosphere here, clean and has a very nice outside bar seats you can sit with a few pints.

The beer quality was pretty good. I had all the beers they had, and none were really lacking. The seasonal beer was a nice crisp festbier.

Service was good. It was slow, but not horribly. The waiter knew the beers well enough.

Selection is ok. I liked all the beers offered, but the only ale was their hefewiesen. Not to say that is bad, but with only six beers, some of the beers were quite similar in flavor.

Food. In my opinion, not good. It was overpriced, but did not stand out at all. It's do-able if youre on vacation, but i wouldnt want to come here often for the food. Go somewhere else.

Value is pretty good, between $3.50-$4.50 a pint.

Overall, they do make some nice beers, so i do want to go back... but it's not on my top list.

10-27-2006 20:25:31 | More by acrawf6