Buckeye Beer Engine

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Finally stopped by the Beer Engine on a visit to Cleveland and encountering an hour plus wait at GLBC. BBE is located just a few miles from Cleveland in on Madison which is not too far from I-90. They have a small private lot and there is metered street parking right out front and in the surrounding blocks.

The Beer Engine is pretty small inside, and has a cozy feel. The bar is toward the center and runs in a semi-circle, with high table seating all around. There is also a small nook to the left with more traditional table seating. Great collection of bottles, steins and breweriana throughout the brewpub. There is a marker board behind the bar showing what is on tap and what price tier the beer is, and a printout is on each table with the same info.

Beer samples come in groups of 4 and run from $1.25-$2.75 each. There are around 25 taps with beer from Buckeye, Bell's, Brooklyn, Southern Tier, etc, as well as 2 cask beers. They also have around 100 bottles. There was a "Christmas In Belgium" event going on during our visit which was evidenced by the large number of holiday-themed Belgian beers both on tap and in bottles.

Service was good on a busy Friday evening. Our server was quick with everything and somewhat knowledgeable about the beers.

Our food was really good. Two pages of the menu are devoted to burgers but I went with pulled pork and was not disappointed. My wife got the Hippie Burger and loved it.

Overall I highly recommend a stop here, and not only if the wait at GLBC is too long. This is an ideal spot with great atmosphere, house beers, guest taps and food. I will definitely be putting in many visits to this place on future visits to Cleveland.

12-15-2008 22:50:32 | More by Dogbrick

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Stopped in on a Wednesday evening while in Cleveland on business. Seems like a nice neighborhood that might be moving from working class to the younger set.

Compared to some of the world-class beer bars I've visited in the past week, Buckeye comes in at a B.

Compared to the BW-3's I stopped at for a quick pint in Medina (s. of Cleveland) prior to calling it a night, Buckeye comes in at an A+.

The positives are cool neighborhood vibe, adequate tap list, 4 oz samples (which I'm a huge fan of), amazing bar food. In fact, the portabello burger with roasted red bell peppers and rosemary goat cheese is enough to convince you to become a vegetarian. The perrogis (sp?) were also awesome. Some of the best bar food I've encountered.

The negatives, which are hard to ignore, are the Buckeye beers and the strong representation from Barrel House out of Cincinnati. I had a couple 4 oz samples of Buckeye beer and don't have anything positive to report back.

They were doing a Christmas in July theme with their beers which I thought was interested. I wanted to ask how that was going over (one of my requests was out so I imagine well).

I went with their best offerings..

Buckeye Wheat 4oz
Buckeye 76 IPA 4 oz
Buckeye Yuppie 4 oz
an IPA sample
Cask Pint of Heavy Seas
Cask Pint of Bells Porter
Jolly Pumpkin Noel 4 oz
Hivernation 4 oz
Winter Beer (?) 4 oz
Weberbacher Winter 4 oz

08-12-2008 03:07:04 | More by Yetiman420

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in here for a couple of pints after dinner at Great Lakes. What a great spot!

A nice local pub feel, nicely dark, with about a 25 seat half-octagonal bar and tables all around. Close to 30 taps, with a couple of casks, all displayed on a lucite board behind the bar. Nice emphasis on Buckeye Brewing beers, which we can't get in PA, and otherwise nicely diverse. The bottle list was quite extensive but unnecessary on this visit given the great tap selections on our visit.

Service was warm, welcoming and friendly. I look forward to my next visit.

HV

05-04-2009 19:13:04 | More by sholland119

DaPeculierDane

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

While trapped in Akron under very depressing circumstances I saw a program on local PBS about the Beer Engine and was intrigued. I had to go through Cleveland on the way out of town so I made the short detour off of HWY 90 to visit. From the outside the place looked more like an abandoned pizza hut than a brewery but the patio filled with smiling patrons hoisting pints assured me that I had found my destination.

Inside we were greeted by a friendly and knowledgeable bartender who quickly sat us and took a drink order. Service was excellent throughout our experience. Although the small interior didn't stand out as particularly interesting, we greatly enjoyed the large patio out front.

The draft list consisted of some 25 tapped beers and 2 casks. Three house brews started out the menu and were followed by a well chosen, wide variety of local and national crafts, and several imports including a few Belgian and German gems. The bottle list really stood out. I would count it in the top 5 bottle lists I've seen in America. It only contained 100-150 beers but they were very well chosen and geared toward my tastes - lost of geuze, lambics, farm house ales, and funky stuff. Still, if you want a great IPA, Buckeye's bottle list probably contains 9 of the 10 best available in Ohio. The same goes for any other style one might prefer. The list was clearly chosen by people that love to drink great beer and are as geeky about it as any hardcore Beer Advocate. All bottles are available to go at very reasonable prices.

The food menu consisted of a number of salads and appetizers, several interesting sandwiches, and tons of burger options. Buckeye is clearly a burger joint. Though I found the burger patties themselves to be a touch on the bland side (in need of some serious seasoning, garlic, salt, pepper, anything...), the toppings were fantastic. My burger, the Tuscan, came with well caramelized onions, rep peppers, and rosemary goat cheese on a toasted bun. I really enjoyed it as well as the pub chips and complementary fried pickle that accompanied it. The Caesar salad I started with was just average. The appetizers I saw served at other tables all looked amazing.

I will return to the Beer Engine on all of my future trips to the Cleveland area and highly recommend it. As much as I love visiting GLBC, I have to say that the waits are just out of control there and I am happy to find a quieter spot with even better beer at reasonable prices.

Also worth noting is the sample system. All tap beers are available in sample sizes for between $1 and $2.50, or something like that. It mirrors the system that I was very impressed with at the BOP that shares some connection to the Beer Engine.

04-07-2010 21:29:28 | More by DaPeculierDane

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -4.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

A small but well laid out place. A nice U shaped bar with plenty of table seating around in little nooks and crannies. Brewerania stuff abounds on the walls.

The bartender was pleasant and responsive when we needed another round. More than happy to give us a sample of this and that when asked.

Everything we had seemed fresh, no problems concerning the quality.

With 27 taps, 2 beer engines and 125+ bottles how could you go wrong. Maybe a few more taps and this place would get a 5 from me. Nice to see a few, 3 or 4, Buckeye beers available along side some real heavy hitters. Clipper City Peg Leg Stout on cask, a few Rogue offerings and nice, Ommegang Rouge!

In addition to drinking in they offer good pricing on beer to go as well.

We had eaten lunch erlier up the street at Melt so food was not in the cards during this visit, maybe next time.

FOOD EDIT:Visited on a our return trip from Michigan on 12/1/08. Hit the BBE at lunch and enjoyed the $5 sandwhich and a side menu. For $5...and that includes tax...you get to choose from one of half dozen sandwiches and the same amount of sides. I got a BLT wrap and spicy tomato bisque. Both of which were full sized and very tasty.

Overall a very good beer bar I will certainly visit again when in the area. With close proximity to Rozi's, Melt and I-90 how could you go wrong?

10-26-2008 08:48:11 | More by Deuane

cratez

Ontario (Canada)

4.58/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

When I visited: May 2012.

What I had: Stoudts Pils (draught), North Coast Ruedrich’s Red Seal Ale (draught), Creamy Cheddar & Ale Soup, Garden Salad and cocktails for the lady.

What I liked: mind-blowing tap list, two cask engines, many hard-to-find draughts and bottles, large comfortable bar, Stanley Cup Playoffs on the flatscreen, good crowd, capable servers, awesome breweriana throughout the interior.

What I disliked: food was average.

Would I go back? Definitely.

Overall Rating: 92

07-22-2012 18:57:06 | More by cratez

frazbri

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Buckeye Beer Engine is a brewpub & beer bar located a few miles west of downtown Cleveland and a short drive off of I-90. The building stands alone on the south side of the road, and parking is plentiful.

As you walk in, you'll see a wide open floor plan. The heart of the room is the long, u-shaped bar. Tables ring the outer edges of the tastefully decorated room.

The food at BBE is sandwiches, burgers and comfort food. The monthly specials were german themed for October. Schnitzel and a huge brat & smoked porkchop platter were highlighted. I opted for the cyclops burger. It was a three napkin special and was darn tasty. All burgers are served with homemade chips, and they are a hit.

You'll have plenty of great beer to chose from. There are 27 taps, 2 casks, and 5 pages of bottles listed. I tried a couple of their house beers, Sasquatch and Madison. The Sasquatch is a very drinkable 6% IPA. Madison is Buckeye's Kolsch. A wise man once told me to judge a brewer's ability by the quality of his lightest beer. Buckeye Beer Engine's brewer passes the Kolsch test. It was flavorful, flawless, and drinkable.

It took me too long to get to Buckeye Beer Engine. I will make it a point to return next time I'm in Cleveland.

10-17-2008 14:41:37 | More by frazbri

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

We stopped by here late last August on a run through Cleveland and we had such a solid time that I wanted to drop a positive BeerFly on them. The outside of this place is kind of unassuming from the outside, looking like a former Pizza Hut, but we were quite surprised by the inside. The interior screams "beer bar" with a lot of bright light and wood with tons of breweriana on the walls that gives off a welcoming vibe. A nice looking half-circle bar sits in the middle with plenty of seating and a couple of TVs for sports watching. This is just a nice all around atmosphere for enjoying beer.

The beer selection here was very good. 27 taps in total with 2 cask offerings and a fairly extensive bottle list. The tap list consisted of a nice mix of American Craft beer (including at least 4 beers from Buckeye Brewing) along with some solid Imports as well. I was pleased to see that all was served in appropriate glassware as well. Prices varied with the local Buckeye brews going for around $3.75 a pint while some of the Imports were more expensive. I think I paid around $6.24 for a 10 oz of Alvinne Extra Restyled IPA. As far as food went, we were lucky enough to be able to stop in on a Sunday morning and take advantage of the brunch that they offer. Lots of good options but I went with the BBQ omelet with pulled pork, mustard BBQ sauce, and pepper jack cheese. It was very tasty and filling and worth the $7 I paid for it considering that it also came with potatoes and toast. Service was commendable as well, being both knowledgeable and prompt despite it being quite busy at times during our visit.

This was a solid stop that exceeded our expectations and I would recommend it to anybody that is passing through the Lakewood area. Heck, you can team it up with a trip to the nearby Rozi's for a great local beer experience. I know that we'll be definitely be stopping back by again.

10-27-2008 15:56:21 | More by Kegatron

AltBock

Ohio

4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Buckeye Beer Engine is located on the corner of Arthur Ave and Madison. It's 3 blocks on the left from Warren Rd. I had a hard time finding this place because they didn't have any sign out near the street stating what business this is. Oh, they had a big white pole near the road, but there was nothing on it. They didn't even have any letters on top of the building. I later found out that all they had was just a little black flag in the window. The only thing that caught my eye from the road after I passed it the second time was the few neon craft beer lights they have in the window. I'll tell you what, it doesn't look like a bar on the outside. It looks more like a fast food joint (it probably was before the Beer Engine took it over) that Buckeye Brewing turned into their brewpub/bar. They have a relatively small free parking lot on the left side. If it's full, you can park for free on Madison, but I wouldn't do that, unless you like your car being smashed by another car. It looks small on the outside, but it's bigger on the inside. On the inside, they decorated the place with the usual beer signs and neon lights. Above the bar, their lights are made out of old Buckeye beer bottles. They have a big old wooden bar that can probably seat up to about 10-20 people. If you don't want to sit at the bar, they have some of those high tables and chairs around the bar. I noticed they have a small alcove on the far left that looks very similar to what an authentic German beer restaurant would look like. It had small wooden tables, wood booths, and a wall that was decorated with German beer signs, banners, and beer bottles. Good luck if you're trying to find the bathroom. You have to go down two flights of stairs to a hallway filled with kegs, pass the room that's going to be their sports bar (?), down another hallway, and then it will be on your right.

Their service was great. When I went, it was almost dead in there. When it finally started filling up with beer loving patrons, they still were pretty fast serving beer pints and burgers as fast as they could. The 2 bartenders that were there when I went, knew a lot about the beer they sell and even one of them gave me a small history lesson on cask conditioned beers. They also offer a bar tap list that lists all the beers they have, information about the beer, and even tasting notes. If you ask nicely, they MIGHT give you a free sample.

I didn't have any food this time, but their menu is just filled with a few appetizers, burger/sandwiches, and a few dinners. Not the biggest menu around, but it's OK. I didn't see how big the burger/sandwiches were, but I thought were pricey. They range from $6 to $10, with the average price of $8.50. They better be some big tasty hamburgers for that price.

I counted 27 taps and 2 firkins. They usually have 2 firkins every day all day and not a once a week treat. When I was there, their firkins were Jolly Pumpkin's Madrugada Obscura Dark Dawn Stout and Bell's Two Hearted Ale. The day I went, their tap list consisted of Spaten Optimator and Bock, Avery Czar, Ommegang Witte, Rogue Chipolte Ale, Jolly Pumpkin's Oro de Calabaza, DFH 90 Min, Victory Hop Devil, Old Engine Oil, North Coast's Red Seal and Old Rasputin, De Ranke XX, Two Brothers Bitter End, Original Sin, Wolaver's, Breckenridge 471, Franziskaner, St. Bernardus Abt 12, Arcadia's Hopmouth, Small Craft Warning, a few Buckeye Brewing beers, and Pabst. You need to have something for the masses. They rotate their beer list daily, so get your favorite beer while you can. The prices for their beers are from $1.75 for Pabst to $6 for the St. Bernardus Abt 12, with the cask beers at $5. The average price for a beer is about $4.

It was overall a great place to go to for a pint of Buckeye Brewing beer, imported craft beer on draught, beer on cask, or a good ol' American craft beer on draught. That is, if you can find this place. Maybe they will soon have a a big sign up that you can see from the road. One can only hope! Until that time, look for a place that looks like a fast food joint with craft beer neon lights in the window.

04-19-2007 05:37:37 | More by AltBock

MbpBugeye

Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -12.5%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | $

Stopped here after Fat Head's on my random trip to Cleveland. It was a sleepy, windy Monday afternoon.

This place is tough to spot. Its very unassuming and barely has any signage. Luckily it has its own parking lot.

The interior is nothing to write home about. Kinda dim, full of dark wood and corny, old chairs and bar stools. The beer menu is one of those black dry erase boards. The place is small-ish. I really did get envious over the beer related decorations that adorned the walls. The outer walls display empty bottles and tap handles. Being the nerd that I am I enjoyed looking at them all. There are awesome, and probably very rare, posters and signs all over the place from breweries from all over the world.

Again, it was a Monday afternoon so there were only a handful of other people and one bartender. We had no problem being helped though.

When we sat down we were given the beer list. And what a list it is! I've heard that this place has the best bottle list in the state. That's no undersatement! The bottle list was 9 pages! There's so much beer on that list that I could almost never come to a decision. The prices on this list seemed all over the place. Looking at the to go prices, some bottles were very cheap. Often times around $2-$3 less than what I'm used to paying. But other times a bottle is around $4 MORE than what I'm used to seeing. Its pretty strange, but might have to do with turn over and specifics that pertain to each certain beer.

Either way, that bottle list blew me away. Some things were there that I've never once seen on shelves in Columbus.

The tap list was good too. Mostly house brews but they had a lot of guest taps, many of which I was unfamiliar with. They seem to enjoy bringing in very obscure beers, and they do a good job of it. They had many Buckeye beers that are not bottled. Prices for the tap stuff was very low, especially for house beers.

I had the only selection from their cask that was pumping that day. It was Buckeye Engine Mild and it was the single best mild I've ever had. Down right stellar.

This is another one that I'll never again miss when I'm up on the lake. The atmosphere is pretty dive-ish but these people know beer.

03-18-2011 05:35:02 | More by MbpBugeye