Brugge Brasserie

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Went here for lunch on recommendation of aasher a local BA. He said try the Pookah Sour and he was right about that beer!

Atmosphere/quality: Nice clean restaurant that has outside seating, a small bar area seating about 6 to 10 people, a crepe bar and indoor dining area.

Service: This is the part that really dissapointed me the most. It was really slow service with being really busy. I am not sure if they were under staffed or what the reason was. Wasnt greated by any staff members until sitting at a table for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This was the only downfall of the visit here.

Selection: Small menu and small beer list. The beer list was 3 house beer including the sour and 4 draft guest taps. What I will say is that while the beer selection lacked in choices it was very deverse and you could still find something good to drink as far as a craft beer goes. The menu was small but I liked that what was available to eat.

Food: I order the mussels it came with bread and frites with 2 dipping sauces. I must say they gave you a 2 lb serving of steamed mussels and it was alot of food. I liked that you had about 9 choices for what you could have your mussels steamed in that was first time I have seen that. Also had cheese, sausage and chacuterie plate option that sounds good, but also pricey like the mussels. Everything tasted great from the food I ordered. The Pokah Sour was just as good as an Upland lambic and I might have even enjoyed it a little more since it was a draft sour.

Value: $32 for one beer, mussels, & frites; it was the cost of lunch for one person. The mussels I thought were a bit expensive, but the beer was a great value at 5.25 for I am guessing a 16 to 18oz pour of a spectacular sour beer. The portions are large and thats where the value is think.

Great reccommendation for sure from aasher, I will be back someday.

05-22-2012 13:31:30 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

NateMac13

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 4.5 | $$

I stopped by Brugge Brasserie for an early dinner while I was in town for work. I didn't know anything about it but it sounded like it could be good. I'm very glad I went.

I ordered the Belgian Style Mussels and Fries which were excellent!

They had 3 of their own beers on tap. I had to try all 3. Their Tripel was the best of the 3 offered. They also had a Sour and an IPA which were both good. They also had a few good guest taps as well.

The place was empty when I got there and started to pick up by the time I was finished. The layout is really cool. They have an outdoor patio area you can sit at.

The service was very attentive but not a lot of smiles out of the crew.

Overall I was very happy with my visit. I'll probably go back next time I'm in Indy.

05-22-2013 00:47:01 | More by NateMac13

frazbri

Ohio

3.54/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 3.25 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4.75 | $$

Stopped at Brugge Brasserie for a Saturday lunch before heading downtown for a tradeshow. The brewpub sits just off the main drag of Broad Ripple. (not a local, so I'm not 100% sure that's how the location should be described)

The place was bustling, as was the rest of the area on an unseasonably warm January day. We entered through the north door and chose seating at the back bar. (overlooking the crepe station of the open kitchen)

The menu at Brugge is Belgian influenced. Moules frites, crepes, waterzoi, and carbonnade flamande are highlighted. My brother and I chose mitraiallettes, which are their sandwiches. I went with the meatloaf, and my brother ordered the duck confit. Both were served buried in frites (or fries in american) and two sauces for the potatoes. (I went with hot curry and garlic aioli) Both sandwiches were fantastic, and the heaping portion of fries was great, too. I'd even say they were a bargain for about $12 each.

I've scored the beer selection low, as there were only three house made beers available. (although there were some great guest taps) The three samples I had were all interesting, twisted versions instead of straight forward styles. I really liked the Veta, sour ale with plums. Nothing wrong with the quality, just not much variety.

Service was friendly and knowledgeable, Our seats at the back did seem like an afterthought at times, so I'd recommend sitting at a table instead.

Overall, it was a great lunch. I'd definitely revisit.

01-14-2013 14:18:38 | More by frazbri

Florida9

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Visited Brugge on a Friday afternoon for lunch. There were a few other tables sat, but it was mostly empty with the bar itself not even being "open." But it was a very mild and pleasant Spring day - perfect for sitting on the patio.
Beer was all very good. I guess it shouldn't be overly surprising to anyone that the house brews lean towards Belgian in style with even the American IPA having a somewhat Belgian taste to it. And while I enjoyed some of their beers more than others, I do think they were all quality beers. However, I believe the house brewed beer was brewed with a purpose in mind with that purpose being to complement the food. And at that it did exceptionally well. There were a few guest taps as well, mostly locals if I recall correctly.
Our server was generally friendly and attentive as well as effective. She knew the beers on tap and knew about them. She was familiar with the menu. Otherwise, there wasn't much to converse about. There weren't any bartenders working at the time and the only other employees were in the kitchen.
Food was excellent. Focus is on Belgian-style foods with the main draw being a variety of crepes. Frites with a multitude of sauces were available as were mussels, salads and a few sandwiches. Had a brussel sprout and goat cheese crepe, which was very enjoyable, the frites, which were fresh cut and quite tasty, and the charcuterie plate, which I believe was mostly sausages and such from Smoking Goose (whom I came to enjoy as much as the beer during my visit).
Prices could be a little high, but I definitely feel you're paying for quality product here and it is worth it.
* Child friendly. Child menu available.

04-10-2012 02:32:09 | More by Florida9

ahq514

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited here on a Sunday night for dinner. A small place with a quiet, friendly atmosphere. Sat at the bar, which only sat about 6 or so. Looked almost like an old house turned into a business. The few rooms I was in seemed like the lower floor of a house.

The service I got here was great. Interacted with two bartenders. One carried on a whole conversation with me about Shoreline Brewery, since I was wearing one of their shirts. The other also made sure we were taken care of whatever we wanted and talked to us about beer for awhile, while also pointing out all the good places to drink in town. They had 5 beers on tap, all Belgian style, but varying quite differently from each other. I got to try a little bit of all of them, and was impressed with the boysenberry sour and the sessionable golden ale. They also had about 5 or 6 guest taps, all quality beers.

Food was excellent. Got the steamed mussels, which seemed to be a specialty here. Otherwise they had a very different food menu, including various types of crepes, salads, and other items. Prices seemed in line with other bars in the area.

Overall a great place to visit for food and beer. Out of the 5 bars I went to in Indy on Sunday, this is probably the only one I would definitely come back to.

03-13-2012 02:11:01 | More by ahq514

dorianmarley

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

If you are in Indianapolis, this is an alright place to go. The food is okay, except for the pommes frites, which are excellent. The menu is rather broad, so perhaps some of the many options I did not try are good.

The house beers are good. They offer a few unique takes on traditional Belgian beers.

The atmosphere is rather sterile, with sheet iron tables and trimming; more like a trendy restaurant than a brewery.

The people are idiosyncratic and helpful. They make the experience worthwhile.

02-22-2012 03:18:15 | More by dorianmarley

ZombiesAteMyDog

Indiana

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I stopped by this place for lunch while on my way to pick up my Upland Gilgamesh. I had heard good things, and had seen their menu online, so I was excited to try it out.

A - The outside of the building is pretty cool with the decoration/signage acting like wall sculpture. Inside, the place is small, but cozy. The tables are copper-topped with holes cut out for the frites. My only rip on the place is the mismatch of taste level in the look of the place. There was bad art hanging from the wall, and the chairs did not belong. However, the wall lighting and the tables which I previously mentioned were up scale and forward thinking.

Q - From the food to the brews, everything there was quite good, and easy exceeded my expectations. The beers were great and original. These guys seem to understand that they need to focus on a few number of brews in order to push their quality.

S - Our waiter was awesome, and he seemed to have a valued interest in their beer even though he did not seem to be a brewer/owner. He answered a lot of questions for me, and checked on us several times.

SL - They have 10 taps: 5 house brews and 5 visitors. Upstairs, they have a decent selection of bottled brews, but not much local stuff (no FFF). They focus on small breweries, which is cool, but they did not have much I cannot get at home.

F - The food was very good. My wife and I shared a white beer battered cod crepe and a large pomme frites with curry, pesto, and a new Belgian style sauce. My wife also had a house-made soda (orange cream ($2)), which was a little too sweet, but as the ice melted a bit, it was quite tasty.

V - My wife and I split our meal, which was way too much food... I was not expecting a good value, but now I know better. Beerwise, I ordered a Harvey, which was a larger pour than what I expected ($5) and a flight of their Triple de Ripple, Tyro, and Black ($7).

Overall, I know I will be coming back, and I look forward to getting some of their brews in bottles/growlers in the future.

02-06-2012 16:29:43 | More by ZombiesAteMyDog

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

A: This is a quaint, small space that can get cramped at times. But it has a nice feel when it is not so crowded. There is a small counter with minimal seating and just a couple tables.

Q: The beers here are really good and quite fresh. Definitely a plus over the cramped conditions.

Ser: A tad slow, but extremely friendly and knowledgable.

Sel: A small selection of Belgian beers, but the beers are extremely good. I enjoyed a Belgian ale here that was extremely crisp and refreshing. They also have a trippel, black belgian ale and a pilsner on tap.

O: This is a nice little stop if you catch it when it is not crowded. The beer is really good and makes this worthy of a visit.

02-05-2012 18:00:22 | More by IronCitySteve

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.51/5  rDev -12.7%
vibe: 1 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

The exposed wooden rafter/floor joyce ceiling wasn't the first thing that caught my eye as I walked in this place, it was the awkward look and feel when entering from the north entrance.

If you come here, use the west door, not the north.
Trust me, it will help with your first impression of the place!

The north entrance leads to more of a cafe than a bar-- it looks like it is only half-finished, and the fact that from that cafe counter a customer cannot actually *see* the bar, it feels as though you've walked into the wrong place... That is until you see wine and beer listed in chalk above the counter.
Oh, the bar is around the corner you say?

Ok. I walk around and... Wow. It's so small. This is about the size of a decent home made basement bar... Six stools at the counter and only 2 tables (one is a table for 2, and the other holds 6-8).

I like the art and light fixtures.

The bar has one major problem-- everytime the door opens to the outside, a rush of cold air makes it quite unpleasant on the metal patio furniture provided.

Luckily, the beer is good. Quite impressive actually.

I didn't try any food, but the prices seemed a bit pricey.

Overall-- come for the beer... I would suggest avoiding this place on really busy nights.... Perhaps a weekday afternoon would be ideal.

01-19-2012 22:30:15 | More by AleWatcher

mdvatab

Indiana

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Visited Brugge for the first time on 12/10 w/ a group of fellow BA's and a buddy from out-of-town.

Brugge is a fairly cozy place, and is well-decorated. Creative, unique wire tap handles cach one's eye when checking out the bar, and a large window allows a view of the shiny stainless steel bright tanks.

The selection of their house brews included about 8, ranging from pilsener to IPA, to a couple of sours (their specialty), to a darker lager and a stout. My favorite by far was Harvey, which I'm thinking was a Flanders Red. Definitely a skillful mix of berry tartness & sweetness, and also some wild "funkiness". My buddy had never tried a sour, and really enjoyed this one too. A great entry-level sour ale.

I also tried a small order of their frites, which were delicious on their own, but come accompanied by a choice of many dipping sauces. (I really enjoyed the vinegar/sea salt and garlic aioli.)

All in our group enjoyed this spot, and look forward to meeting up there again!

12-11-2011 18:06:34 | More by mdvatab