Saugatuck Brewing Company

Penguins66

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +14.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

visited 10/28/11

My wife & I visited Saugatuck on a quiet Friday afternoon. The brewery and Lucky Stone Pub are basically the same thing--not sure why they named the pub something different. The building itself is a converted warehouse and is next door to an antique store. (Note if you are traveling with your spouse/significant other: You get 10% off food & beverage at the pub if you buy something at the antique store.)

The pub features a sizable bar area, many tables. Along one wall is brewery equipment where customers can brew their own beer. The process takes several weeks and since we were only here for the weekend, we didn't try it. Along the other wall are old school (i.e. non-electronic) dart boards. There is a beer hall in back by the restrooms that looked like it was being decorated for a Halloween party.

There are no TV's although we overheard the bartender telling other patrons that they "wheel out a TV for big games." That isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Service at the bar was good. Our bartender was attentive and knowledgeable although we didn't ask many questions. Food was decent--grilled mahi mahi wrap for me; a turkey reuben for my wife--but nothing spectacular.

As for the beer, well, it depends on your personal preference. We found the beers to be only OK and pretty heavy on the hops. We sampled 7 of the 13 beers/2 hard ciders on tap:

Belguim Wheat--surprisingly bitter for a wheat beer

Raspberry Wheat--too sour for our tastes

Oktoberfest--our favorite but tasted like any other Oktoberfest beer

Neapolitan Stout--pretty harsh for a milk stout; we were expecting it to be smoother with a hint of sweetness which it definitely wasn't

Smoked Porter--definitely smoky to the extent that we thought it would be good as a BBQ sauce. Smoke seems to be the beer flavoring du jour. Personally, I think it's gimmicky and while it tastes unique, it's hard to down a whole pint.

Cran-Cherry Cider--exactly what the name implies. I didn't like it at all; my wife liked the fruitiness but found it sour...so draw your own conclusion.

Oval Beach Blonde--We only had a taste but it still struck us as bitter and heavier than you'd expect.

In summary, I have to say again that it depends on your taste. Overall we had no complaints about the quality of the beer or the service; it was just not to our liking.

10-29-2011 22:51:35 | More by Penguins66

jt31914

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Went here after a nice trip to the beach and found the brewery to be a nice surprise considering my limited exposure to the four beers that Saugatuck bottles. Had samples of the boathouse and neapolitan stout, as well as the main street hefe, all of which were uniquely brewed and well done to style, and had pints of the singapore IPA (which is fantastic!), the scotch ale on tap, and maggie's irish red. All of the beer was at least fairly well done, and I love how the brewery combines the use of unique ideas with balanced beers, rather than just brewing everything as big as possible. Our server was great, and the food was fairly good, although not over the top outstanding. Still, it was a great trip and I would certainly visit the brewery again.

07-31-2011 02:03:33 | More by jt31914

jkrich

Indiana

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

We stopped here at a fruitless search for a parking space at the beach on the fourth of July weekend. The entrance was bright and inviting with some outside tables. Unfortunately, there was nothing to see but the busy highway. In any event it was hot that day and we ate inside. The beer offerings were written on an easily seen chalkboard by an upscale looking bar. Our waitress quickly got our ales, but waiting for the food was a little slow. The offerings included a hoppy pale ale, American IPA, a seasonal blonde ale and an Irish ale. Our appetizer was a spinach artichoke dip with crawfish. The dip had a generous amount of crawfish and was tasty enough to recommend. A couple of us got the "lucky dog" hotdog which was similar to a Chicago style dog. I ordered a "Irish dip" sandwich that was heaped with beef and cheese. The menu also included a red snapper and steaks. Typical for a tourish area, the food and beer were pricy. The hoppy American Pale ale met the standard, but not much more. I cannot vouch for all the ales, but this place is worth trying for the food alone.

07-04-2011 21:19:03 | More by jkrich

Beerasaurus

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Despite visiting family in Saugatuck multiple times a year, it took awhile for me to venture the 2 miles across the Kalamazoo to the brewery. With so many compelling offerings in western Michigan, I sadly neglected the local shop for quite some time.

The facility is modest on the inside and out. It is located in a warehouse on the Blue Star Highway just off I-196 (Exit 36) as you head into Douglas. It shares a building with an indoor antique mall, though parking hasn't been an issue as they tend to have complimentary hours.

They have a large outdoor seating area in front of the building overlooking the gravel parking lot. Inside the bar and seating area is fairly large, and unbroken, with minimal decor, an attempt to make it more like a typical restaurant and less like a warehouse. Personally I'd stick with what it is and embrace the warehouse--but that's nitpicking. They have a large banquet hall in the back and some board games and a ping pong table for entertainment.

They usually have 6-8 beers on tap, all solid, but nothing that aggressive or big. Though they did have a delicious Neopolitan Milk Stout on tap during our last visit. It had the aroma of neopolitan ice cream, but unlike many specialty beers (most fruit beers) that have overwhelming flavors, this stout was subtle with a thick mouthfeel and a slightly sweet aftertaste, the best offering I have had here to date. Unfortunately the keg was virtually empty and I couldn't take home a growler.

I've visited a few times now and the service has been ok, even with modest crowds. They could use an additional waiter/waitress or two, as food and beer delivery has been slow. The food is standard bar fare, though my wife feels like it is underwhelming. She's picky.

A downtown Saugatuck/Douglas location on the water would be great for outdoor ambiance and the summer tourists, but this location is highly visible and lets them spend money on the important stuff...beer.

Overall it is worth a stop if you are in the area.

02-21-2011 02:01:24 | More by Beerasaurus

SupaCelt

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped into this joint after playing some disc out in Sausagetuck.

The atmosphere wasn't much to talk about as it was a Monday afternoon and there was only one other guy in there drinking. You could have heard a pin drop. This place is immense and has a giant banquet hall attached to it as well. A huge, cavernous building which probably can get rocking pretty good on a Saturday night in this touristy area. On this Monday afternoon it seemed really empty though. It was also a touch on the drab side. A bit oppressive and gloomy which took a bit away from the overall package and hence the 3.5 stars above. I saw a ping pong table and thought about how happy I would have been if there were a pool table but alas I am a billiards junky and I realize that the sound of billiard balls crashing about is not pleasant to most patrons.

The beers are solid. They had pretty standard fare on tap hence the 3.5 stars. They had an IPA, an Irish dry stout, a smokey porter, an English mild that was a 3% sessioner, another porter sans smoke, and maybe an amber and a few something elses. Not bad, but nothing too bold and provoking. I am a big fan of big beers, and this place didn't have anything that got me excited. I want to be socked cross eyed. Show me something exciting! Do not misunderstand, the beers I sampled were very well made. Just a bit commonplace is all. I think they could stand to push the envelope and step into some imperial waters, but to each his own. This place is relatively new at two years old and they are already doing good work. I can't wait to watch them progress. Definitely worth a try if you are in the area.

The service was good. The bartender was a good dude and was easy to talk to. There was another employee who was enjoying a post shift beer and she was very friendly as well. Neither seemed to mind that my friend and I were interrupting their conversation. Good folks.

They have a decent selection of food. I tried some crawfish, spinach, and artichoke dip that was pretty darn delicious but that is the extent of my knowledge of the eats. You can surely find something to eat at this place and a nice pint of beer to wash it down. Pricing was on par with other places with similar product. Overall I am not mad at this place. It was a good pit stop and I am sure I will return when next I am in the area. Keep up the good work.

06-22-2010 19:47:48 | More by SupaCelt

sullenbee

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $

I grew up in the Saugatuck area, so stopping in to the Saugatuck Brewing Company had been on my to do list for quite some time. Took off for the weekend to visit my brother, and grabbed him up for some drinks.

It was early in the evening on a Saturday, and the place was packed inside. The inside was pretty minimal and not terribly impressive, but I'm sure an upgrade from the previous business there. (Hansen Machine industrial building) Part of the building consisted of a rental hall, probably for weddings and special events. Would probably be a great place to rent and have Saugatuck Brewing Company beers to go along with the event.

I ordered their Double I.P.A (The highest ABV beer on the list @ 8%) and my brother picked the Pier Cove Porter. I thought it was great that the majority of the beers had to do with the surrounding area, Pier Cove Porter being a beach I frequented as a teenager. Others on the tap list included Boathouse Stout, Oval Beach Blond, Chicora Kölsch, Barry's Best Bitter, Big Pavilion Pale Ale and Singapore I.P.A. They also had hard cider and wine. Prices were extremely reasonable, and staff was friendly. I didn't get a chance to look at the menu, but a large majority of people there seemed to be there for dinner.

I will definitely make it a point to stop in next time I head to visit my family. Not overly impressive, but a great local place to get some good brews.

05-06-2010 01:27:15 | More by sullenbee

MayorAdamWest

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -6.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $

We drove by this place on our way to Saugatuck itself on a wine trip with friends. We had agreed to go to the winery shops with our friends if they'd go to New Holland with us. When I say drove by...I mean drove by literally. We had to hang a u-turn in a trailer park or complex just down the road.

We chatted up the bartender for a bit and listened in on a brewing class. We decided to stay a bit and took a table on the porch. the server was nice enough as we ordered a round and some appetizers. The food was nice enough, but the beer was great. I highly recommend the Bamburg Rauschbier or as we've lovingly remember it...The Bacon Beer.

Good food.

Good service

Really good beer.

Don't judge it by its appearance...well worth the stop.

02-28-2010 19:53:49 | More by MayorAdamWest

nitroterrance

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +20.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This was our 2nd stop of our 6 brewery west michigan beer tour and was our favorite stop.
We hit the Livery, Saugatuck, founders, Schmohz, The hideout and the BOB. Service was outstanding, the place was clean with the fresh smell of the brewing that was going on. All of the drafts were good to excellent. The food was excellent. What I really liked was that the ABV on all of their brew was in the 4 to 6% range. All tasted great and were very sessionable. Don't miss this brewery experience it was outstanding.

11-24-2009 01:25:59 | More by nitroterrance

adamette

Ohio

2.98/5  rDev -23.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5 | $

Generic looking interior with semi modern interior, BMC, Guinness beer signs, irish flag, a nice Belgian beer label poster in a frame. 12 bar stools surround a nice wooden bar with an additional 13 stools in the bar area. In addition to all of that is about 50 seats and benches at tables throughout. There are probably 20 tables in total. Good music plays through the pub such as
1. Ramones
2. Buddy Holly
3. Elvis Costello
4. The Beach Boys

There are some brewery type canisters on the far side of the dining hall and a nice chalk board with the day's current tap list on them. Reasonable menus slipped into plastic covers listed the available drafts as well. They do not apparently bottle but growlers were obviously available as I saw several customers carrying them out and other, empty ones, on the bar. There is a "mug club" as well as available souvenirs from the brewpub. It shares a wall with an Antiques mall just outside of the middle of Saugutuck. I think that it might actually be in the village of Douglas, MI.

Service: Lacking as my wife and I ordered three items and only two were delivered. Our waitress was kind and had reasonable knowledge of the beers available but we did not press her for information.

Quality: Fair. This is a brewpub intended to please passersby and clearly does not push any limit of artisan beers.

Atmosphere. Fair with basic decoration. I will say that it is comfortable, however.

Food: I had a chicken salad wrap with chips and my wife had a turkey sandwich with chips which were each $6.25. They were nicely prepared but nothing gourmet. I doubt that the operators are striving for such a label, however.

Value: Good and inexpensive I think.

Notes: Again, this is a local brewery that appears to simply strive for local approval.

10-19-2009 03:28:43 | More by adamette

wingedeel

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in and tried 3 of Saugatuck Brewing Company's beers, the amber, pale ale, and the stout, and found them decent, but not exceptional. The stout in particular was disappointing. Nothing really unique on the beer menu.

The food on the other hand was very good indeed. I had a half pound, hand pattied, never frozen, local beef burger that came with hand cut fries, and homemade coleslaw.

Sat at the bar, and the service was friendly and professional.

The atmosphere was nice enough.

A decent place to stop if you are in the area anyway, but not a place to go much out of your way for.

10-14-2009 22:23:30 | More by wingedeel