Appalachian Brewing Company

tkepx182

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I was rather impressed with ABC. The food was good, the beer was better. Even my girlfriend who does not normally like brewpub beer enjoyed their beer.

The pretzel appetizer was VERY good and the cheese soup was even beer. The Fish and chips were good, but their pasta dish was even better then I thought it would be.

One of the most interesting things there was the fact that they have a mug club which is displayed on the wall. I plan on visiting there again next time I am in Harrisburg, PA or in the area of their other 3 locations

08-23-2011 01:23:23 | More by tkepx182

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This past Saturday I had planned a trip to drive out to Troegs with a friend of mine to see the brewery and sample their beers. On our way there we ended up driving right passed Appalachian. I was very surprised to see how close they were to each other. Since Troegs closed at 4pm and didn't have much to eat there we made it part of our plan to get some food on our way home there.

We walked in and was rather impressed by the look and feel of the building. Old and industrial style red brick building, similar to Sam Adams in Boston a little bit. The doors was large with some stained glass mural designs going on. We walked in and were greeted by some employees who sat us right away. Looking around they have some banners of their beers hanging all around among several other old fashion type of decor. The bar looked pretty nice but we were at a table in the dining area. The server was very attentive and helped us with choosing some beers and got our order perfect.

The beer selection is rather impressive, several styles available from light to dark. The Barley Wine is what I was looking forward to the most. I really enjoyed that brew with my meal. The food was freaking awesome, I really enjoyed everything we ordered. The soft pretzel sticks with the homemade cheese sauce was stuning. I loved it.

Overall the building was nice, the people were very welcoming, and I feel that I left satisfied enough to totally go back there one day. I'm very happy we stopped and filled up on some of the things they had to offer, I would say do Troegs first and then hit Appalachian for the food when in the area.

08-01-2011 16:11:38 | More by Knapp85

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in for lunch/early session after a Troegs brewery tour.

Not far from Troegs and the Harrisburg exit, Appalachian sits in an old industrial part of town. Walk inside and theres ample seating on the left and right sides and a bar going around to the back of the pub. Looks rustic and the all wood bar was nice.

The quality of the beer is at least solid B grade brew, some being better, nothing was bad.

Service was good, they were somewhat busy and the bartender noticed us after just a few moments at the bar. I told her about myself being a beer critic/advocate/writer and I half jokingly said I wanted to try every beer they had. She proceeded to pour me a 5.5 oz sample of every beer they had, with a few exceptions (some beers were not available in tasting size, so I got a few full ones too). I have to say she was pretty awesome for doing that. What a tasting! She then kind of let us do our thing and we didn't see her in a while. Which was fine since I had 15 diff beers to drink.

Selection was about all you could ask for, 15 different tap beers and a solid food menu with lots of tasty looking options. If you are indecisive, this place could be a challenge, I had the bartender choose for me. I picked up a mix twelve pack (4 diff beers) for 18.99, alittle expensive but whatever.

Food was pretty good, I got the Thai-Napple Pizza and my friend got a BBQ Chicken sandwich, I liked mine and she ate all of hers as well so pretty solid, though it did take a seemingly long time for the food.

Overall: A solid operation. The better brews were the Broad Street Barleywine, Hoppy Trails IPA, Jolly Scotch Ale and Stout. If you have no obligations it is nice to spend some time here. I may keep this a frequent stop on my trips to the eastern side of the state.

07-24-2011 19:25:08 | More by Stinkypuss

DmanGTR

New York

3.86/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

A serendipitous finding as I was making my journey home from Florida for the summer.

Ample parking in the back of the building, although I felt a little uneasy based on the surrounding area. Oh well, I can be a big boy lol. The inside is spacious. It looks like a decent brewpub style setup with a biggish dining area and a bar towards the back. Glass windows separate the brewery from the pub.

There was no one at the bar in the early evening hours so I went and sat in front of the taps. At least 5 or 6 of their beers were on tap, including their seasonal barleywine. A nice selection with something for everyone.

The bar tender didn't seem too interested in being there, but he knew his beers. After a pint of their IPA I bought a variety pack and a case of their barleywine. I spent a bunch there and I asked to buy their pint glass too. Man, $5 for a logo-ed glass. Oh well.

Next time I'll stop and get some food there. It seems like a cool place and is family friendly. Will come back.

06-24-2011 18:48:57 | More by DmanGTR

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Walked in on a Tuesday for lunch. It was not really busy at all, except for a few regulars at the bar. The bartender was friendly, and quite informative. I enjoyed the fact that it had an old school kind of vibe that was updated. It has that old factory kind of look, with old brewing equipment and old beer trays on the walls. Sampled many beers here. As for the food, getting some lighter apps, had the mixed grill and pountine. Big portions and about standard on the price. Food was remarkable, I wish I was a bit more hungry to eat some more. Nice place, I would stop back for sure.

06-11-2011 14:57:23 | More by OWSLEY069

dungledauf

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -19.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $

Atmosphere: Visited during their anniversary celebration. The place was friendly and comfortable with everyone having a good time

Quality: The food, beer, and waitress were good. Great diversification of beer and food to choose.

Service: Hostess and waitress were both outstanding. Friendly, patient. Both did their jobs very well. A bartender, Dawn, was the exception. After lunch, I approached the bar to purchase a drink, but I had to wait 15 minutes. I complained to the manager, but he instructed me to not bother the bartender. There was not resolution to my complaint. My guess is that the bartender and manager were to busy distributing drugs instead of tending to the bar customers.

05-16-2011 14:54:07 | More by dungledauf

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Went here after we took a tour of Troegs. Well I guess when Troegs closes everyone most come down the street to Appalachian Brewing. Cool old brick building with a large silo that takes up some parking. The first thing to notice is the old wooden floors and rafters. After you pass the hostess desk you will see large glass windows and doors that give you a clear view of the brewing tanks. Atmosphere is very laid back.Good music,great food.

The service was a tad bit slower but I do not blame our waitress she was friendley and cordial. The only problem is that she seemed overworked. Many of the patrons ordering food seem to be hers and that was a big area.

To the beer there was some good stuff nothing exceptional but all very solid beers. Out of all of them the Lager seemed to be the most enjoyable.Light,clean and easy settling.

All of there main stay beers are available for takeout in bottles as well as there very tasty birch and root beers.

Makes me upset that a place like this would probably do very well in our area.

A great place to visit if you are in the area.

01-25-2011 00:02:55 | More by TheFightfan1

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -31.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 2.5 | $$$

Harrisburg's first brewpub huh ? Well I must admit this place has a neat rustic old building feel to it and is laid out well with a great view of the brewery from all seats. The quality is another story though a lot of their beers seems to be rather flat and boring with little variation. The service was so/so when we stopped to grab a bite to eat and it wasn't even that busy. Their selection of beer is actually pretty amazing that they have 17 beers on tap at one time. But I HIGHLY suggest sticking to one of the most recent seasonals or a flagship beer because they had Zoigel Lager and Celtic Knot Red still on from January and March 2010 its January 2011 now. Why the need to keep so many beers on, especially old ones? My opinion if you cant sell out of your monthly beer in a month or two make smaller batches rather than letting it linger all year. Food was sub par and the prices were not that good what what we got ($11 for a dry burger and soggy fries). My suggestion grab a small sampler and get out. real beer advocates wont fall for these guys. A novelty beer stop for people who are trying to ween into craft beer

01-04-2011 17:34:43 | More by Bmoyer0301

dayswonder

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Not a bad place to go for a bite to eat and to enjoy a couple of brews. I have been here a few times before and I always like the atmosphere of this location. The old warehouse with brick and old wood poking through, but with big glass windows to see the brew tanks. It gives off a great vibe.
Service was great this evening. Brew selection is decent, I have never been a big fan of these beers, but the ones I tried tonight were not bad. I had the Puritan Pale Ale, Hinterland Hefe Weizen, and the Kipona Fest.
Food was OK, a lot of items that are made with cheese. This is not a bad thing because beer and cheese are delicious together. Nothing on the menu stuck out as fancy.
Overall it was a good experience nothing special though.

08-22-2010 00:59:38 | More by dayswonder

IronCitySteve

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

A: This place is quite large and extremely clean. There is ample table seating as you walk in with the bar in the back. A decent amount of big screens make watching sporting events quite enjoyable.

Q: The beer is always fresh!

S: The service here it top notch. The bartenders, servers and host staff are extremely friendly, beer savvy and willing to answer any and all questions.

Selection: They have a great selection of their own brews on tap. A really nice variety of beers. I can't recall the exact count, but there was at least 10 taps.

F: They have a large and extensive menu. It includes most of your traditional bar type food, but also a good selection of sandwiches, soups and salads.

This is a great little bar/brewery that in my opinion is way underrated. Definitely stop in this place!

08-19-2010 15:36:13 | More by IronCitySteve