Bullfrog Brewery

PopeDX

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Stop 4 on the magical mega central PA 2 day brewery tour, and the last of day 1!

A figurative hop skip and jump from Abbey Wright in the heart of Williamsport, which is a great city if you happen to be in the year 1925. As I hinted at in my review of the aforementioned neighboring brewpub 4th st. is one way east to west. And right next to the police station, which I failed to mention. So be careful. It's right across from a big theatre, which I think is the only real culture for 100 miles around save the 20 small colleges in that range that put on "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the fall and a more risqué modern play in the Spring. Fie! Huzzah!

The brewpub itself is very nice on the inside. The brewhouse is on your right just as you walk in, which I suppose makes it very hard to brew while they're open. Tanks are behind the spacious bar. 7 brews on tap, we get the sampler. The smoked porter was the real standout, maybe better than Stone's. Another real good one was a Belgian/American pale ale hybrid that reminded me of something Scott Morrison would do at McKenzie's.

We're really not that hungry, but the food that's coming out looks good. We split an order of the mussels. The broth they were in was really good, super garlicky...but they weren't cleaned very well and were overcooked. I guess I should know better than to order shellfish in a town so isolated from the outside world that they get one radio station (according to my buddy who went to nearby Penn College for 2.5 years).

Service was fantastic, very prompt and pleasant. Got a growler of the smoked porter to go. We left and went to find a hotel, figuring it's not June, finding a hotel in Williamsport won't be hard at all. Go a couple of blocks away to the Hampton, she says everything is booked except for the Genetti, which is the tall building in town. Some sort of convention in town plus kids sports. Having worked in different hotels and studied the industry on the graduate level I'm always wary about places that aren't part of a chain, but it was AAA listed so I figured it couldn't be too bad. It's a real old hotel, so the room was umm cozy but was functionable, and the menu in the elevator said the downstairs lounge had Vic'ree and Troegs on tap, like 5 beers between the two. With my AAA discount it was $80 including tax and right across from the Bullfrog to boot...so think about it if you're driving through or are doing a longer trip involving a few different places.

11-15-2006 01:32:50 | More by PopeDX

pcsnyder

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -32.6%
vibe: 2.75 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 2.75 | $$

This place gets talked up a lot around town, but I really can't for the life of me see why. You walk in the front door, and it feels cramped, since they have small area for bands to play right by the front door. The main room is kind of long and narrow, with the bar stretched along the left wall and brew tanks behind the bar. It's a nice appearance. There's more seating further back, but I don't think I've ever been back there.

The service was slow, and our server wasn't very welcoming. I felt like I was interrupting her day, and I don't like that vibe. A lot of the clientele seemed hipsterish, and I heard a lot of them talking amongst themselves about how good their beer was. I was less than impressed. The only decent beer I got in my sampler flight was the Edgar IPA, and even that was middling at best. I certainly wouldn't have gotten a full pint of it. Honestly, my homebrew tastes better than the swill there.

Nothing on their menu seemed really appealing, either. It seems like they're trying to cater to a higher end customer base, like you could expect to find around major metro areas, but in central PA, that element is noticeably lacking. The area is largely blue collar to middle-class folks who want a nice steak and a decent beer. (Note: I just looked up their menu, and it seems a bit more down to earth than when I ate there a few months back. However, I think the Mushroom Asparagus Strudel they currently have on their menu demonstrates my point.)

All in all, my husband and I have tried that place close to a dozen times over the past couple years, and every single time, we walk away disappointed, feeling like we've spent too much money on food, beer, and service that was subpar at best.

05-07-2013 13:27:36 | More by pcsnyder

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -19%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

After hearing talk about the place for so long, I finally decided to give Bulldog a try, following a rather impromptu Selin's Grove visit. Located in an average-looking building on an average-looking street in the somewhat average-looking town of Williamsport, Bullfrog seems, from the street, to be a typical city bar, even going so far as to have a Bud Light banner on their front door. That kind of threw me off from the start. But I walked in anyway.

It's a pretty simple setup inside, bright and roomy, brewing tanks in full view. There is a good-sized bar and plenty of dining space, and a small spot for bands to play. Not really my kind of place as far as atmosphere goes, and the crowd wasn't too appealing either.

As far as beer goes, I was pretty disappointed. Everything was mediocre at best. General word-of-mouth got my hopes up, I suppose. They did have a pretty good selection, and a good range of styles, but after a sampler flight, there was nothing I really wanted a full pour of.

Service was okay. Our bartender was quick and to the point, but was also very curt and standoffish, and didn't seem to display any discernible knowledge of the brewery and its products. He kind of just furthered my overall opinion that this was more of a neighborhood bar under the guise of a brewpub, than an actual brewpub or beer destination.

The food was good at least. The menu was decent with some interesting options in addition to basic pub grub. I took the simple path and got the jumbo BBQ wings, and they were actually pretty amazing. Overall prices were not bad.

I wouldn't really recommend this place to anyone other than locals. I like to go to Selin's Grove about once a year, and despite Bullfrog being an easy ~35-45 minute drive away from there, I can't say they have anything to offer that would have me revisiting.

02-13-2013 09:03:24 | More by Rifugium

Alabaster

5/5  rDev +19%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

One of my favorite places. The beer selection is fantastic - usually 7-10ish beers on draft, also a great selection of spirits. Pub atmosphere, also one of the premier live music venues in the area. Lots of locally sourced ingredients on the menu - beef, bread, pork, greens, veggies, even coffee & tempeh. Also a good selection of vegetarian & vegan options.

02-09-2013 01:39:16 | More by Alabaster

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

After being lucky enough to try Beekeeper, Bullfrog has always been on my beer radar. (Can we just please make that beer again? Please??) The setup on the inside is larger than I was expecting and without many frills; or without them entirely, really. There is a pretty wide selection of beers to choose from with some of their bottlings on the side in a cooler as well. Food was alright. Seemed like the standard brewpub type of menu. It was nice to be able to make a stop here to check the place out.

08-30-2012 17:23:10 | More by RblWthACoz

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.03/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped here on my way to VA last Sunday night.

Big open pub with the brewery fully integrated with the bar and restaurant area. I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a brewery as much as I have in any brewpub. The gurgling bucket air-locks just behind the bar were a great background to the other sounds of people having fun and enjoying themselves. There was also a very nice neighborhood feel. I could see frequenting this place if I lived in the area. Although traffic was a little light on this frigid Sunday, there was live music, which was quite good.

Good selection of beers of a wide range of styles. The beers seem like good examples of some of the typical styles you'd expect to see at a brewpub, and experimental examples, of varying success, of some more unusual styles. My impression was that some of the ratings and reputation of this pub were achieved under previous brewmasters, one of whom has a brewery across town.

Service was friendly, if not very knowledgeable about the beers. Food was quite good - nothing very unusual, just fresh, well made and well presented.

02-21-2012 18:41:21 | More by CliffBrake

Arithmeticus

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Arrived on Sunday midday for brunch as a walk-in; they were a-hoppin'. A Jazz band was playing and the place was full. Our waitress was gracious enough to spot our large party a table without a reservation. 5 min. to be seated, 5 to get our drinks ordered, 10 before our drinks come and our food order is taken, 15 before the food arrives.

The atmosphere is great. Two huge copper stills dominate; behind the bar are nine additional stainless steel ones; hand-carved pump handles designate the different brews; take a look at their on-tap list and you'll see that they tend to be very creative. The place is decorated in copper and green colors that harmonize nicely.

The food was very scrumptious and flavorful. Great colorful presentation of the entrees. The potato cake was especially scrumptious. In a more populous city they could easily charge a lot more than what they do. Kudos!

12-03-2011 20:43:17 | More by Arithmeticus

nh2032

New York

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Review after my 3rd visit - twice for food, once just for a growler fill.

The space is deceiving as it's quite narrow, but very long. You walk in past the bar with all the tanks behind it. Every time we've been there it's been quite busy.

As for the beer selection - I've been there twice with the previous brewer and once with the new one. Both times there were 7-10 of their own offerings available. They don't seem to have as many "staple" beers as other brewpubs (the exceptions being Edgar IPA and Billtown Blonde), but rotate creative one-offs and seasonals regularly.

On my most recent visit I tried FARO-ut, their Faro/Lambic, which was good, but not mind blowing. Still just having a sour/wild ale on tap is a major plus and good sign for things to come. I also tried Fortunate Pilgrim which is a anti-pumpkin fall brown ale. It wasn't bad, but nothing too exciting.

Our experience with the food has been mixed. On our first visit we weren't impressed at all, but on the most recent visit everyone's food ranged from good to excellent. The fare is typical pub stuff for lunch, but they do offer full entrees after 4.

The only real downside has been the service. Getting drinks, placing orders, getting the check all seem to take way longer than they should. I don't think the layout does them any favors as server's have to cover a lot of ground to get from the bar to the kitchen and their tables.

11-26-2011 15:15:58 | More by nh2032

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

On my way back from Pittsburgh to Baltimore, it occurred to me that Bullfrog was right on the way home (more or less), and that I should therefore stop in for a visit.

The brewpub is located in a handsome old builing, that looks as if it's been lovingly refurbished. There is lots of dark wood with dark green paint, and the fairly large bar is all marble and wood. Otherwise, the atmosphere and vibe are very informal and relaxed, and once again this seemed like a great place to hang out with a pint.

In terms of selection, this day there was something like 11 beers on tap, which included some unusual/interesting offerings, including a coffee and peach saison (two different beers), a smoked porter, a rye ale and a dunkel. I thought the two saisons were the most enjoyable of the bunch, though really, other than the hefeweizen (a rather bland american style wheat beer), everything I sampled was pretty tasty. I should add that samplers here are a buck a glass for a 4 or 5 ounce pour, and can be purchased in either a 7 glass or 11 glass platter.

As for service, it was pretty good. My bartender/server was friendly, quick, efficient and knowledgeable. Food was likewise pretty good (got the wing appetizer), though nothing extraordinairy either. Food here seemed to be pretty much pub grub, with an emphasis on sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and the like.

Prices were fairly reasonable, especially if you get the sampler plate (as I did). Total cost with tax and tip was just over $20, making this one of the cheaper outings I experienced over the weekend.

While I didn't have anything that wowed me here, I nevertheless had a pleasant and enjoyable visit.

07-05-2011 17:34:37 | More by johnmichaelsen

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I had heard about Bullfrog for a little while and then my cousin said he went there and liked it. After he went he and I made plans to go out together and make it a small road trip. We got out there and the place is kind of like the Bethlehem Brew Works in comparison to style. Almost identical actually. The atmosphere was pretty relaxed. People seemed nice and helpful. The beer selection was very good, lots to choose from. The food was excellent as well. We ended up leaving the place with full belly's, a damn good buzz, and a big smile on our faces. Very cool place that I'd love to visit again.

06-15-2011 22:17:25 | More by Knapp85