Ale House

Sully62601

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Been to the Amesbury Ale House multiple times now and have been incredibly happy with everything each time I have gone. The draft selection has always been great as other reviews have said, having locals, craft, and imports changing continuously. My first visit allowed me to try Struisse Black Damnation II- Mocha Bomb, another visit was a Cantillon Vigneronne! The bottle selection is great also. They always seem to have something that is unavailable around here, which the beer buyer Matt must have some great contacts to be able to get ahold of them. The food has been very good also, a nice added feature though the star of this place is the beers that are available. The Amesbury Ale House is a bar you must check out if you are in the area or not, find a way to get there.

05-22-2011 17:10:39 | More by Sully62601

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +10.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

I can't believe there are only 2 reviews for the Alehouse. On my recent first visit I quickly realized this place was something special. Along with a food menu you receive the current beer list that includes the ABV and price per glass or bottle for each beer. Their selection has to be one of the best for a bar outside of Boston. I counted at least 50 craft and imported beers on the first 3 pages alone. Some of the beer prices seemed a bit high, but if you take into account what's available you'd understand why the price is what it is.

Beers on tap and in bottles included Founders Breakfast Stout, Green Flash IPA, St Bernardus Apt 12 on tap, Haverhill Brewery Belgian IPA, Southern Tier summer ale, and lots and lots more. They also have a cask beer available. There's definitely something for everyone's palate from Coors light to Belgian wild ales.

The bar itself is spacious and clean. There are TV's strategically located for those who want to watch the latest game and various brewery posters hang on the walls. The restaurant is separate from the bar and there's a small area in the back where you can chill on some leather sofa's. There's also a small outside dining area out back.

My friends and I got some frites for and appetizer and sandwiches for lunch. The food prices were very reasonable and quality was top notch. All of us enjoyed what we had. I wish I could remember more of what was on the food menu, but I spent most of my time examining the beer list.

Finally, the staff was courteous and friendly. They were great at clearing our dishes and refilling our beers when the glasses were empty. No complaints or concerns with anyone we spoke with.

Overall, the Alehouse is a fantastic beer bar with great food, a courteous staff and affordable prices. They are located at the edge of a large parking lot and are only a couple miles from Rt. 495.

If you're in the area definitely stop by. They have a new fan with this BA!

07-20-2009 16:41:15 | More by WanderingFool

BigStarFan

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Simply put, The Alehouse is beergeek heaven on earth. Many times I have sat at the bar with a tasty dish and a pint of hoppy nectar in front of me and thought how incredibly fortunate I am that such a place not only exists, but is less than 10 miles from my house!

Atmosphere - Since moving to their new, larger location last summer, the atmosphere is warm and inviting; usually busy and active, but never feeling too crowded or overwhelming. My kids think its like something out of Harry Potter: you step into this tiny storefront on Main St, and it magically opens up into this large, high-ceilinged bar/restaurant, with even a second level in the back. How do they do that?

Quality and Selection - 30 taps and 60+ bottles of exceptional quality. Lots of beers on tap that I had only previously heard about (Founder's KBS) or never even knew existed (Aventinus Cask Conditioned Weizen-Eisbock). Nice mix of local brews (usually one or two from Haverhill Brewery plus Mayflower, Berkshire, Clown Shoes, always Allagash White); rare and unusual Belgians, Sours, Lambics; a few West Coast IPAs; seasonal brews (several Imperial Stouts and Porters on tap as I type); at least one cask, and two nitros; wonderful, wonderful, wonderful...

Service - Friendly and attentive. The staff know their beers and can make very good recommendations. And if they can't help you, Matt the beer guru is usually around as well. And... how can I put this delicately? OK, well the scenery is just as good whether you are overlooking the waterfall at the back of the restaurant or sitting at the bar in the front (wink, wink).

Food - every bit as good as the beer (well, maybe not QUITE as good...) A great mix of pub standards (shepherd's pie, fish and chips), upscale entrees (braised shortrib, seared scallops, lobster ravioli), tasty and unusual appetizers (cheese plate with local and imported cheeses, fried pickles are amazing!). They even have some healthy options which I really appreciate. Try the beet salad. Trust me.

Overall, just a wonderful place!

01-31-2011 22:38:14 | More by BigStarFan

Damian

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

The Alehouse is located in a renovated mill in Amesbury center. Alongside the building is a huge waterfall that was flowing aggressively on the night that we were there. I can just image how amazing it would be in the summertime to drink a beer on the back deck and listen to the sound of running water. The interior of The Alehouse is large and spacious, and its brick walls are adorned with enormous flags of various breweries from around the world.

As for the beers, the tap offerings at The Alehouse were the best I have seen at a beer bar in quite a while. Ballast Point Victory at Sea, Founders Breakfast Stout, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA and Firestone Walker 15th Anniversary Ale were just three of the thirty-or-so beers pouring that night. The bottle list was quite impressive as well. It ran 100+ beers deep and included a number of offerings from Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen and Fantôme, as well as Sam Adams Utopias. Most of the tap beers were reasonably priced (usually a dollar or two less than they would be in the city) and were served in the appropriate glassware.

My girlfriend and I were also amazed by the quality of the food at The Alehouse. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, we ordered the corned beef special, as well as the haddock sandwich. My girlfriend claimed that it was the best corned beef she ever had. The haddock was coated in a traditional, thick beer batter and was quite flavorful. The handmade potato chips that accompanied the sandwich were fantastic. Like the beer, the food was priced fairly.

Even on a busy, St. Patrick's Day evening, the service was efficient and friendly, and the food came out of the kitchen in a matter of minutes. We even had a chance to chat with the owner, who seemed like a really down-to-earth guy.

Our night at The Alehouse was fantastic. The only disappointment was the realization that this gem of a bar is nearly an hour from our place in Cambridge. Hopefully they will open another location closer to the city one day.

03-20-2012 19:04:37 | More by Damian

liquorpig

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in for an early lunch last week shortly after they opened at 11 am. Hard for me to critique the service since I was the only one at the bar. Bartender was very gracious and knowledgeable. I got to sample several brews and I had 2 excellent Belgians. Great variety of beers on tap and a vast selection of bottled brews. A look at the beer menu tells you that this place knows their stuff. Did not get a chance to stop by their sister pub Barking Dog down the street but was told they have 16 micro taps.
The food menu was quite extensive. I had the fried calamari with hot peppers which was very good.
This place is very convenient to get to, only minutes from either Rte. 495 or 95. This is, in my opinion, the best beer bar on the North Shore. Kudos to Matt for running a great operation.

08-25-2009 19:53:23 | More by liquorpig

borderjumper

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

This is a great find in such a small town. People in this area often head for Portsmouth or Newburyport but if you like beer this is the place to head to. They have a selection that rotates and is always of great quality and always have a cask offering. The food is decent upscale bar/Irish Pub offerings. When we left the big city, we thought we were giving up this kind of place and were very happy to find something like this in such a small town. Matt knows his beer too and can always explain why things are done as they are at the Alehouse. We're also fond of the sunday night Irish music. All in all, a hidden gem.

03-13-2010 20:15:24 | More by borderjumper

Casey10

Maine

4.68/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Was able to visit this place on 10/09/2010 after seeing some reviews was looking for a new place that I had not been to before.

A - Keep in mind this was a Saturday night the place was hopping to me in a good way just the right lighting I we sat at the bar so it was definately a cool vibe. I really liked the metal punched copper lights above the long bar. The exsposed brick and wood floors looked gorgeous and did have a chance to check out the back and there it is a view of a beutiful waterful.

Q - really shined here there was nothing but quality taps. I had Gandi-bots on tap!! The wife had tried a couple of things but settled on a nice mixed drink.

S - I have to rate it a 5 I think every person who walked past said hello, checked to see if we needed anything else, keep in mind it was a busy Saturday night.

S - They offered a a really nice selection of taps while nothing super rare there was something for everyone. They also will allow a sampiling of anything they offer !!

F - Top notch we started with the fried pickles, I have had them before from other places, these might have been the best. I also had a Sweet patato hadock with sweet chili sauce over a bed of green beans. The wife had the lobster quesadilla. Both were great.

V - One might think that with some fancier choices it might be expensive. Given the quality of taps and the food pricing for me I found the value reasonable for what you are getting.

Do yourself a favor check out The Alehouse you will not regret it!!

10-12-2010 00:01:26 | More by Casey10

EnronCFO

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Amesbury has become my regular bar for good craft beers, having supplanted the Portsmouth Brewery as my favorite place to drink in the area. The tap selection is almost always phenomenal for the area. Went last night to watch game 7 of the Stanley Cup (awesome atmosphere for the game) and drank the following: Sculpin, Mayflower Summer Rye, Haverhill Schwartz, and Haverhill Leatherlips on cask. My buddy also had the Sculpin, along with Dark Horse Plead the 5th, and NE Brewing Sea Hag. Pretty great line-up and that was just an average night. Have been able to consistently get the best IPAs available in the state, they always have two stouts on nitro (usually Guinness and Berkshire Coffeehouse), and one beer on cask. A great mix of local stuff, imports, and beer geek favorites (Sculpin!). My wife and I are both big fans of their food, the pizzas are delicious, they have the best frites around, and I love the greasiness of the Pattymelt. They have healthy options as well that are quite good. The staff is always friendly and really do know their stuff, plus they're always forthcoming with samples. Pricing is pretty good for the area, most beers are in the $6/pint range, with some up to $9. The short pours are pricey for the volume you get, so stick to full pours. Overall, the Ale House is the best choice in NE Mass. for quality craft brews and downtown Amesbury is a nice little town to wander around. Highly recommended!

06-17-2011 01:04:05 | More by EnronCFO

Sarah515

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I go to the Ale House often since I live in town. The bartenders are friendly and helpful. They have a great selection of draft and bottled beers (and they usually have a cask beer as well). They update their draft list on Facebook which makes it easy to keep track of what is new. The food is awesome- the pulled pork sliders are good and their veggie pizza is great. It has a great atmosphere, whether you're sitting by the fireplaces, upstairs looking over the first floor, or sitting at the bar. I'm so glad it's so close to home. I've brought all of my friends here and they love it. I would recommend this place to everybody!

11-14-2011 01:21:31 | More by Sarah515

bird18

Maine

4.58/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

the Alehouse is my favorite beer bar/restaurant. My husband and I go often and are always happy with the beer selection which is the best for many miles around. I am a big hop head and have had some exceptional IPAs here (Sculpin, Flower Power, Stone Ruination) the list is ever changing so we always enjoy taking a few minutes to peruse the list.
We have never had bad service here and the waitstaff is one of the reasons we return again and again. Granted some are more knowledgeable about beers than others but everyone is extremely friendly and attentive. We like that they always have local craft brews. We do think that some of the stronger beers with the shorter pours are a bit pricey for what you get. Food is very good - I like the beet salad or the spicy chicken salad and hubby enjoys the Amesbury Steak and various sandwiches.

12-31-2011 02:11:54 | More by bird18