Issaquah Brewhouse

mynie

Indiana

4.7/5  rDev +21.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Not being local made this place a lot better, I think. Having just spent the last two days in Seattle, jet-lagged and brow-beaten, dressed to the nines, we thought, but still nowhere close to the sea of yuppies all around us (compared to them we were *maybe* dressed to the fives), we got treated shittily where ever we went. The waiter at the seafood place stopped talking to me halfway through my order, so he could share a joke with the banker-looking guy at the table next to us. Later on, at Pyramid, the bartender was a total assbag, and when I walked away from the bar I heard him making a joke about my pants.

The best part about Seattle is that you only have to drive for about ten minutes before you are in its gorgeous, remote suburbs. From downtown Chicago you got to drive at least 1.5 hours until you get to somewhere pastoral, and about 3 hours if you want to go to one of them quaint little hillbilly towns where yuppies go weekending (Galeena).

So we escaped the city, and good god Issaquah was beautiful and friendly. And good god, was the Issaquah brewhouse the most wonderfully laid back and accepting bar I've ever been to.

We fit in immediately. Everyone was friendly. The bartenders were wonderful. After we had drank and been given our check, the bartender started to chat and my girlfriend mentioned that it was her birthday. Immediately, without questioning, she took off the two most expensive pints from our bill and told my girlfriend to go and pick out a free shirt.

The beer was Rogue, and so it was fabulous. The only downside is that there wasn't much rare beer, aside from the Issaquah stuff. But, hey, only a lunatic wines about having to choose between 20 Rouge taps. There were also a good number of guest taps and bottles, and firkins are tapped fairly often.

11-09-2010 04:19:41 | More by mynie

LaTrappeMonk

Louisiana

4.63/5  rDev +19.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Issaquah Brewhouse is one of the meeting halls for Rogue, which means they offer many of Rogue's great selections. Issaquah has only a few in-house "frog" brews, but they're good selections.
It's a great location, too. It's in a nice, quaint part of town, right next to a fish hatchery.
The food is great. I had their calamari, as well as their hummus. Both were very good.
The atmosphere was extremely laid back. Like most brewhouses, a small brewery is visible from inside the restaurant.
The only thing that disappointed me was that our server did not seem overly knowledgeable about the selections they were offering. I asked some pretty basic questions about the beer menu, such as what style the different "frog" beers were, and she didn't know, so she handed me a book with all the specs for the Rogue brews in it, but no information on the "frog" brews. So, I ordered two of the three "frog" selections as a shot in the dark. Luckily, they were both good. I can only assume that not all of their servers lack knowledge about the brewhouse beer.
Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to the brewhouse and would recommend it wholeheartedly.

02-25-2012 21:57:22 | More by LaTrappeMonk

z3niMAGiNE

Arizona

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is a very typical brew pub with exceptional beers.

I came to Seattle on business and decided to make an evening trip out to Issaquah. It seemed like a pretty charming little place actually but didn't really explore it beyond the brewhouse.

A long time lover of Rogue beers, it was my first time getting to drink them on tap. They had a great tap list, probably 20 or so including those brewed in house.

The patrons were friendly- I chatted up some other beer nerds around my age and I left with a couple bottles to take home with me that I can't buy off shelves. I'd definitely return.

10-25-2010 04:41:45 | More by z3niMAGiNE

snaotheus

Washington

4.33/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I like the place -- I've been there a few times. Their growlers are expensive, from what I remember, but the food is good at a decent price, and their beer is good at a decent price. I like the selection of Rogue beers enhanced by the Issaquah brews, and every once in a while a nice guest tap (last night, they had Russian River's Pliny the Elder and Hair of the Dog's Fred). They also have Bud and MGD on tap, but they print these in very small text, as if they're not very proud to have them available...

Service was friendly and attentive, and the servers seem knowledgeable about their beers and can make recommendations at several levels.

03-09-2009 04:52:32 | More by snaotheus

kevman527

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Went to this Brewhouse when I was out in Seattle visiting some friends.

When you walk in the door to your right is the brewhouse you can see all the brew tanks and kettles and what not... To the left is the restaurant and bar.

We were there on Thursday afternoon, so there wasn't much business going on. My buddy and I both got one of the samplers they offered of the Rogue beers that they brew there, decently priced. We also ate lunch and the food was good, nothing fancy. Service was excellent, as you would expect when there isn't much business going on. We told the waitress we were from NY and she goes away and came back with a goody bag for us, with some coasters one of the tasting glasses and some fake tatoos. All in all it was a great place to visit and would recommend it to anyone who might be in that area.

03-01-2008 23:30:48 | More by kevman527

Schoenbrau

Idaho

4.18/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

The second stop on the 2010 Olympic Beer Tour was the Issaquah Brew House. We pulled off I-90 at noon and were ready for a break. Located near the intersection of Front St. and Sunset Way, the Brew House was pretty easy to find even for someone who had never been to Issaquah before.

Lisa's first impression was that the Brew House was "homey" my first impression was that it was owned by Rouge (followed immediately by the whole "homey" thing). It was the lunch hour and even though the tables were filling up, it still didn't feel crowded. Before I even had my coat off, Maryam at the bar was handing me a sampler of Chocolate Stout and asking me if I'd like something to eat (so much for homey, because that kind of stuff never happens at my house).

We ordered the Kobe Bleu Balls (a kobe beef and cheese appetizer) and a Manage a Frog (Issaquah's Triple). The beer arrived in about two minutes, the food arrived about two minutes after that.

If you like Rouge Beers (and with so many choices what's not to like) you'll like this place. They had a total of 19 different Rouge beers on tap, 4 of Issaquah's brews and 5 "guest taps" beers from other breweries. The service was fast and friendly, the atmosphere was classic industrial brew house, the food was good and the focus was on the beer.

I could have spent the whole afternoon here (did I mention my pint only cost $2?) but the Tour was headed for Bellevue so we picked up some bombers and headed north.

02-12-2010 17:30:25 | More by Schoenbrau

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

By my count, Rogue operates three breweries with two others possibly in the works. The Issaquah Brewhouse became their second brewpub and their only brewery in Washington when it was acquired in 2000. It's located at a prominent intersection in the heart of town and affects a very Main Street feel to it. The full restaurant actually occupies two adjoining buildings next to a fish hatchery and features three rooms, a glass-enclosed brew house, and the bar.

The Brewhouse gets boisterous daily from happy hour through dinner. Clearly, the locals appreciate the comfortable vibe, the three-dozen beer taps, and the low-key, satisfying food. The Brewhouse also hosts a full wet bar featuring Rogue distilled spirits. And there's perhaps 20 or more varieties of Rogue and Issaquah bottled beers to go. House décor is dominated by a frog theme. They've even got frog legs on the menu.

Thus far I've had seven Issaquah beers - four on tap, three from bottles sold at the brewery. Though the draught beers ranged from routine to artistic, the bottled beers were uniformly disappointing. Issaquah offers five or six of their beers on draught with as many as two-dozen Rogue ales and a handful of select draught guests. Service is accommodating and friendly.

Things I like: the Rogue flags and banners, the suspended Rogue surfboard, the live frogs in two aquariums, the local Seattle grunge music on the hi-fi, and the Rogue bottle display and peace-themed decorations in the side room where, if you're lucky, you can pick up WiFi from the library across the street. I also like the town of Issaquah. After a few pints, it's nice to walk about town and enjoy the scenery.

04-13-2009 02:58:43 | More by RedDiamond

tang3nt

California

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

My girlfriend and I ended up here to meet a few friends on my birthday [beer] trip up to Washington. It definitely had a nice cozy feeling to it. Not too busy and the staff was very friendly. Unfortunately I never tried any of the Issaquah brews while there, I ended up getting stuck on the many Rogue brews they had on tap. My girl started off with a flight of 4 - Double Dead Guy, Chocolate Stout, Mocha Porter, and the Red. I ended up getting a couple pints - The Rogue Charlie 1981 and Old Crustacean ( one of my favorites from Rogue) Everything tasted fresh and delicious. Our food was amazing. I got their baked mac and cheese, one of my favorite brewpub foods. The service was great and the waitress later informed me that since it was my birthday, I could sign up for the "Rogue Nation" and receive a free t-shirt(my choice) and 2 free pints(also my choice) right then and there. That made my night! I left with a brand new Rogue T-shirt, and 2 of my pints were free! All in all a great place, I would definitely return in the future.

12-08-2009 21:18:03 | More by tang3nt

beerceller99

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$$

Rogue bought this brewpub some five years ago. located in a weathered building in old Issaquah. Parking is tight around the pub. A nice " L " shaped bar with 12 or so stools. An open seating dining area is on the small side. This place is always packed at dinner time, less so at mid afternoon or late evening. The food is decent here, nothing outstanding, though a little pricey. The wait staff is friendly though not beer savvy. There are 15 or so taps here, mostly Rogue with a couple Issaquah brews. I've never seen any of Rogue's big beers on tap here a la I2pa, Imperial Stout, Old Crustaceon, etc, bottled versions only. Speaking of bottled beers, there's cases upon cases of Rogue brews for sale here. Over all this is a nice little neighborhood pub.

05-17-2005 19:11:40 | More by beerceller99

julian

Washington

3.88/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I live about 15mins away from the Issaquah Brewhouse. It's right next door from the Salmon Hatchery and just across from the Issaquah Library right off Front St. Great location. I come here at least a few times a month.

A: This place has a nice cozy hometown feel. It's not too big and I usually recognize all the bartenders. They've got Rogue, Eugene City Brewery and other flags hanging from the street side wall with neon signs perched over the bar. It's well lit (could be a bit darker) and they play decent music. Additionally the brew tanks can be seen through the glass to the left of the bar and depending on the day you can see the brewmaster or assistants stiring the mash.

Q: The place is usually reasonably clean, but the bar foot rests are often broken which is kind of annoying. Served in pint glasses or goblets/chalices for Lambics.

S: Service is usually seat yourself. Staff is prompt and friendly. I usually sit at the bar and they are not pushy even if you're the only person there. They bartenders have a general knowledge of their beers but often are not completely aware of what's actually available and what they've run out of. (the Eugene City Brewery Honey Orange Wheat is often unavailable). Come on Tuesdays with a Hawaiian shirt and your first beer is FREE! Come on your Birthday and you get a yard of beer (your choice) for free including a free t-shirt or hat. Can't beat that! Extra points for this fact alone.

S: Average selection, many Rogue beers and some from Eugene City brewery, as well as Kell's. They even offer the Rogue distillery Spruce Gin. They used to have a "Beer Bible" binder that provided interesting facts and trivia about each beer including some quotes from authors/poets/politicians as well as the usual beer info but they've since taken that away :( Minus points for that.

F: Nice selection of food. The Kobe Beef burger is great with the wasabi mayo and fries! Nice array of appetizers and it seems like everytime I go back there's something new on the menu. The chili is realllly good.

All in all, good value, great local watering hole with great service and a good selection of local NW beers. Stop by if you're in the area!

06-04-2008 02:07:48 | More by julian