SweetWater Draft House & Grill

jp11801

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$$

Had to go to Atl for a family thing and stopped by here. First off it is PACKED most of the time. The beer was standard issues sweetwater stuff but they did have one tap handle all by itself that pours something interesting, this time out it was Happy Ending, a really nice imperial stout.

Service was very good with the bartenders having a fun vibe.

Food did not look good so I played it safe with an order of chicken wings that were ok, no complaints but no raves.

If I were rating in the context of airport beer drinking I'd go a little higher and in the context of a beer bar I'd go a bit lower. I prefer the steakhouse outside of security for a drink and a more civilized meal but for a good craft beer before a flight this will scratch that itch.

03-18-2013 11:24:52 | More by jp11801

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

(Visited 11/2011): Sweetwater's airport pub is located in concourse B of ATL.

The atmosphere is typical of pretty much every airport restaurant/bar: Loud, cramped and busy. The bar is in the back with some TVs behind it, and there is some Sweetwater breweriana, a mural and merch on the walls which is a nice touch, as is the tin ceiling. Table seating outside the bar area.

The beer selection includes 5 Sweetwater options, one being a seasonal. There are also around 10 bottles.

Service again typical for an airport. Under staffing seems to be the norm, and basic knowledge of the beers.

Food is decent for airport grub. Our sandwiches were not spectacular but got the job done.

Overall I always have an "any port in a storm" mentality when it comes to airports and finding a brewpub represented is always a welcome sight. I would definitely visit here on future visits.

03-21-2012 17:17:03 | More by Dogbrick

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.63/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

Reviewed with the highway robbery and cramped space of the airport in mind. Situated right next to my gate, it was the obvious choice. And the local beers did not disappoint. 5 Sweetwater taps, a few bottles and two taps of adjunct-laden macro crap. Had the IPA, the Road Trip Pils and the Sweet Georgia Brown -- all excellent. Food was OK - had a chicken sandwich that was not particularly remarkable but hit the spot. The best part about the place was the generous Imperial pint glasses they used to serve the beers. That made the high prices a bit easier to take. The service was, fast and friendly, although the girl who waited on me was not well-educated about beer but seemed to be eager to learn. The pointless and simply awful aspect about this place was the metal chairs on the stone floor. Every time you moved one it disturbed the whole room. It sure got peoples' attention in a bad way. Do something about those chairs and I'd go up a notch on the atmosphere.

03-20-2012 02:50:16 | More by EagleTalon

FosterJM

California

3.88/5  rDev +11.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Had a 2-1/2 hr layover so made a bee-line to this place to grab some food and a few pints.

Atm- Its fairly small, 7 seats at the bar with about 10 tables. Fairly well light and bustling with airport travelers.

Quality- Overall I enjoyed my experience here. The beers on tap were minimal but all quality beers from Sweetwater.

Service- My server was very friendly and made sure I was well taken care from start to finish. Even offered to go next door on her break and grab me a brownie to pair with my brown ale. I turned it down. No need to rush her break.

Selection- Only 5 beers on tap from Sweetwater and had a couple BMC lines as well.

Food- I had the black bean and chipotle burger with the Orzo pasta. Very good and refreshing.

Value- For 3 beers and a burger was about 30 bucks, you do have to remember it is the airport.

03-18-2012 01:16:03 | More by FosterJM

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev +13.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

After a week in the Dominican Republic with the wife it was a Godsend to find a place that served something besides Presidente (it's good for the beach but not the homeland). It was a night the World Series was going so some of the patrons were rather rambunctious which made for some good entertainment aside from the game.

The decor is hodge-podge: country home woodwork, cement floor, metal chairs, and a tin celing. It fits perhaps 30 comfortably but there was about 50 people with luggage, making for a tight fit.

There were four or five house beers on tap with a few domestic choices also. I went with the IPA which, aside from being a tad dry, was rather nice. Second was their ESB Motorboat. Have you ever had a strange woman ask if you want a motorboat?

The menu had a few choices, I went with the black bean and chipotle burger and found it very tasty. The beans were, yes, inside the patty that was in a flat bread bun and veg with fries. After starving on airline snacks I devoured the sandwich. The server, Christine, was working her tail off but still found time to answer questions about the menu.

I scoped out the Sam Adams brewhouse in another terminal, and their menu/establishment seemed lacking compared to Sweetwater. The free WiFi is also a bonus. It's in an airport so expect to pay a bit more but it's the best option in ATL for good beer.

10-31-2011 18:04:38 | More by DesMoinesMike

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 2.5 | $$$

My wife and I had a 3 hour layover on Sunday during our trip back home from SJO-ATL-BOS. We needed to have some dinner, so we went to another terminal and decided to check out Sweetwater. Kind of a cramped space. Not much room between tables. The most annoying aspect of the atmosphere was the constant scraping of people dragging metal chairs over the stone floor. Like nails on a chalkboard. Service was the only highlight, as our waiter was funny and energetic. They only had 4 of their beers on tap, and plus a few other random taps and a bunch of crap in bottles. I had the 420, which was good. Food was borderline fast-food. How can a chicken sandwich and a burger get to your table three minutes after you order it? Not very tasty. With $7.50 pints and $10 sandwiches, this place was nothing special. Only slightly better choice than TGIF in our original terminal.

07-13-2011 03:49:23 | More by morebeergood

DrWangerBanger

Connecticut

2.08/5  rDev -40.1%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 1.5 | selection: 3 | food: 1.5 | $$$

It's an airport bar, so I understand why everything is overpriced, so I'll look beyond that.

The beer selection, at least when I was there, is the typical SweetWater layout. IPA, 420, Georgia Brown, Blue and one seasonal. This is pretty okay since it's tough to find any good beer in an airport, but the real problem lies with the bartenders, one of whom described their seasonal as "A pilsner-style ale...sort of like Blue Moon." This sort of lack of knowledge, along with their constant pestering to buy tequila shots and their insistence that every item on the menu was the best item on the menu (I heard them claim to several different people that several different meals were the best) makes for an irritating atmosphere.

The food itself isn't awful, but a lot of the food is clearly just prepackaged food you could easily buy at a grab and go place for less. The guy next to me ordered a salad that was literally just a packaged salad (plastic lid still on) put on a plate.

05-20-2011 18:41:01 | More by DrWangerBanger

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +23.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I fly Delta a couple times a month for business and will usually connect through Atlanta (over Memphis, Detroit, or Minnesota) on my return so I can stop at SweetWater for an IPA or two.

Relatively speaking, this is one of the best beer options in any airport. They have Happy Ending imperial stout on tap (early to mid 2011) along with the excellent bitter, aromatic, and high ABV IPA.

I've only eaten once and had the wings which were excellent.

When it comes to airport beer, this place is one of the best.

05-04-2011 18:42:03 | More by Yetiman420

Schwab

Florida

2.26/5  rDev -34.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 1 | $$$$

First of all; this is in an airport but that doesn't mean it has to be a dump. Most tables were empty but not cleaned up. We finally got one cleaned, sat down and ordered a drink before we were handed the menu. It started that we didn't get the additional water we ordered. Then the soda comes without a refill (???) and totally flat on top of it. So we returned the one soda and at least got one of the two waters we wanted. Beer arrived quickly and was perfect. They had only two of their own beers on tap and I ordered the "english pale ale" that turned out to be their ESB. The waitress didn't know better I guess. What really stroke me in a rather negative manner was having Coors Light on tap and about a dozen macro lagers including Bud Light advertised. Hm?? Last thing I would expect to be honest! If ppl don't like Sweetwater, send them down to the other places.
We weren't impressed by the menu as they just have the standard sub-airport fare; burger and chicken sandwich. We decided not to eat and that's when I was hit with the next shock; $7.80 for a 12oz beer. It know it is an airport but this is definately a rip off! I stop fly through the Atlanta airport a lot and it was definately the last time I stopped by there for sure. It actually put quite a dent in the good image I associated with Sweet Water

09-07-2010 13:27:42 | More by Schwab

beveritt

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$$

Found this place while temporarily stuck in the Atlanta airport. Located next to gate B11, this is a tucked in the wall, restaurant-bar. Maybe 15, two person tables and a dozen or so spots at the bar.

First off, this is in an airport, so it already has a significant handicap in most areas, especially atmosphere. It is crowded, always busy, and right next to the busy thoroughfare of the concourse. They do what they can though. A tin ceiling and slate floor help to offset the constant barrage of security announcements and carry-ons to the back of the head.

Quality of the beer seems fine. they have four of Sweetwater's more mainstream offerings on tap and they are served in Imperial pint glasses. Beer is cold, but not ice cold and the carbonation level is good. I have heard they occasionally have more extreme offerings, but on my visit, it was the 420, IPA, Blue, and Brown.

Service is good. My order was taken quickly and my food and drink arrived the same. The servers are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, but they do a pretty good job of balancing everyone's requests.

As previously mentioned, the selection is fairly limited. But, for an airport bar it seems very good. I could be stuck in the Chilis down the hall drinking Heineken.

Food was solidly meh. My fish was pretty obviously frozen not so long ago, but it was edible. Silverware is plastic and I really think you get the same stuff sitting as you do if you walk up to the grab and go.

All in all, a nice find for my delay. While nothing I would seek out, I can't complain. I am drinking a brown ale out of an Imperial pint glass in an airport!

06-14-2010 00:11:42 | More by beveritt