Earth Bread + Brewery

Billolick

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

The only problem I have with this place is that its not located in Nyack, NY. The story goes that when owners Tom and Peggy were looking to open a new place, a location in Nyack almost worked out..oh well..just gotta get down to Philly more often, I suppose.
High quality brew, both made by Tom and by others, thoughtfully selected. Seems to always have a few high quality Saisons on and pouring, so you cant go wrong there. Match that with a menu full of thin crust pizza, interesting salads, all made with local, high quality/artisinal ingredients, a comfortable, spacious layout, friendly and low key staff, gracious hosts T and P. I knew I was gonna love this place...how about a sister location closer to my house?!?

06-06-2010 21:30:16 | More by Billolick

Gavage

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Located in the busy section of Mt Airy where parking is a bit tough, and there are plenty of stores around. The building is somewhat non-descript from the outside and I actually drove by it before I realized I passed it.

Upon entering it has a cozy coffee house vibe to it. Two hightops are just of a bar that seats 10. Nice dark would sticks out from the softer green colors of the walls. Some interesting maps hang above the bar. The brick oven and flatbread operation is on a lower level from the bar. I did not venture upstairs.

There were three house beers on draft, and about 7 guest taps from locals like Dock Street, Sly Fox, and Victory. The house beers were very good and the guest taps were fresh. The beers are listed on a giant blackboard just to the left of the bar.

I had a pesto flatbread which was very good and reasonably priced. The food other than the flatbreads is somewhat limited, but I was here for the beer and flatbreads.

Bartender was friendly and prompt with service. The wait staff seemed to work as a team and communicated well unlike many other resturants. This is a place I will defintely return to when I am in the area.

02-28-2009 20:26:08 | More by Gavage

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

A post-Christmas visit while at the in-laws.

Atmosphere: The place is very artsy or, as my mother-in-law put it, a liberal Mt Airy place. As a liberal, I didn't take offense. Local artwork dominates the two stories, including what can only be called a mezzanine level off of the second floor. Two bars, one on each floor are inviting, as are tables with elevated pizza stands.

Quality: Restrooms and the restaurant in general were clean. Beer was good and service was decent.

Service: Our server was raw but serviceable. He brought a sample of Corsendonk Christmas to allow us to sample before deciding and regularly checked on us.

Selection: Four house beers and six or so guest taps. I went through the house list and enjoyed the Berkun's Finger and Bradley Effect best. The Lagunitas Cappucino Stout and aforementioned Corsendonk Christmas were good as well.

Food: The cheese plate was underwhelming. We went with two pizzas for the group (sausage and pesto) and probably should have ordered a third. I definitely recommend the Sausage pizza. If you don't want a flatbread pizza, there are some salads on menu.

Being a beer geek, I asked Tom for a picture after dinner, which he happily obliged.

01-01-2009 16:23:36 | More by akorsak

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

A great neighborhood place that is not in my neighborhood, I am sorry to say. EB+B is located in the heart of Mt. Airy on Germantown Avenue. There is a small bar and dining room on the first floor, and a small bar and larger dining room on the second floor. The place is usually bustling with locals, which often means small children are underfoot, even in the bar area. Otherwise the vibe is cool and inviting and the space is well furnished.

The place is owned by the former owners of the lamented Heavyweight Brewing so the quality of the beer is good, as you would expect. The list was almost exclusively sessiony at the beginning, though thankfully the brewers are stretching out toward higher ABV territory again, with great results. The tap list is always fairly limited (I don't think I have ever seen more than 4 house beers on tap) but nicely supplemented by a strong guest tap list, something we see far too seldom in our area brewpubs.

The highlight of the food menu is the seed flatbread, easily one of the best meals in town and a must have. I rate the food a 4.5 on the basis of this item alone. Other flatbreads are highly recommended as well.

Service is always pleasant, often competent, sometimes harried and inexperienced. This is a great place for residents of the area but worth a journey for craft beer lovers. Hours can be quirky on weekends so check ahead.

HV

02-15-2011 19:53:22 | More by sholland119

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

A pretty simple yet friendly place in the Mt. Airy neighborhood. Simple and organic layout and decor, with the stone ovens and brewing equipment in plain view. There are two bars, one downstairs that seats maybe 15, and one upstairs that seats about 8 or so. Plenty of table space.

They have about four or five house brews on tap at any given time, and an occasional cask-conditioned ale. I sampled two on my first visit; they were okay, nothing tremendous, although the pale ale they had in the cask was mighty tasty. Each subsequent visit yields more and more interesting additions, and they never have the same draught line-up twice, that is, they never brew the same beer twice. This is a double-edged sword: on the plus side, it's a display of their innovation; on the down side, they will never have a beer that "puts them on the map," so to speak. Maybe they lack confidence in their consistency, but it seems to me they've been in the business long enough where they should at least specialize in one solid year-round beer that they can really call their own. But what do I know.

They also keep about 4 or 5 local "visiting" craft or micro brews on tap. As for food, it's simple: mainly flatbreads with salads and a few appetizers, but all excellent. Friendly and helpful staff. I can definitely say that if this place wasn't a pain in the ass to get to, I'd definitely go more often. But it is kind of a pain in the ass to get to, and you have to either drive through the ghetto to get there if you're coming from the south, or the daunting Lincoln Drive coming from the west. Is it worth the trip? Yeah. More so nowadays. It's not a trip I make too often, but I do like the place, and I go whenever I possibly can.

04-29-2011 13:40:46 | More by Rifugium

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in with Brewslut, Ffejherb and Sierrags on a BUSY Saturday evening. We put our names in with the hostess and was told 20-25 minutes. OK, we will get a round of drinks and wait.

Four or Five EB&B choices, all of which were low abv choices...nice touch, and a slew of guest taps...to include One Guy Hefe...hurray Guy! Also, a very impressive wine list...which C opted for having had enough beer for the day!

Soon after getting our drinks one of the "waiting tables" by the front door opened up and the four us sat, sipped our drinks and waited. Ten or fifteen minutes went by and the call of Deuane, table for four went out...cool.We were taken upstairs, past another bar, to our cool raised dias table.

Local artwork hangs everywhere all available for purchase. The place definately exudes that "artsy" feel. Interesting layout too with multiple floors and multiple levels on each of the floors.

Our service, to include the treatment while waiting, was fine. I would not have expected anyting more considering the place is fairly new and they were busy as all get out!

The four of us shared two small pizzas. Next time I will know, if sharing, to get the large size! The pies were very tasty and the next time around I want to try the seed pizza...sounded delish! C and I shared an olive bowl, very nice. Brewslut got a most impressive looking mixed green salad. All in all the food selection was solid for "just having pizza".

Looking forward to my next visit. I will make sure to come at a less busy time so I can enjoy the main floor bar area, it was full, and take in the vibe of the place a bit more.

It has been a long time coming for Tom and Peggy to open a new place after Heavyweight closed up shop. Well, the wait is over, they picked Philly, and the wait was worth it! I hope for EB&B's continued success!

11-22-2008 09:16:53 | More by Deuane

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Nice brewpub in the Mount Airy/Germantown/Society Hill section of the city.

Upon walking in the door there are stairs that lead to the upstairs bar and dining area. Slightly to the right is the main bar and dining area and the brewing equipment is to the right of the bar.

The food and service are very good. The bartenders and serves are friendly and knowledgeable and often offer suggestions and info on the in house brews. They specialize in flat breads and have several different varieties, all of which that I've tried were excellent.

On to the beer. They have limited space so they often only have three or four of there own beers on tap here. This is my only complaint about this place. I would like to try more of their beers but I understand that they have limited capacity. That being said, their beers range from decent to very good and they always have a great selection of excellent guest craft beers.

The vibe at this place is pretty cool but it is a family friendly neighborhood place so expect a lot of kids and noise. The beers and selection are very good as well are the food and service. A bit of a journey if you're not familiar with the city but well worth the trip. Recommended.

10-15-2009 10:11:36 | More by corby112

Seanibus

California

3.55/5  rDev -14.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I was underwhelmed, particularly after all the good buzz this place has seen. Our bartender was extremely unfriendly, to the point of being hostile. We were there with a couple who had been before and they said he never has been particularly nice. That was a big strike against right there.

But I found the food unremarkable - the Pizza was mostly crust. Good bread, of course, but it is almost as if the ingredients were an afterthought. And the ingredients themselves did not taste of being terribly high quality.

The house beer was merely ok - they had the stout, the Mild Life, and the Saison on and they were all perfectly ok, but nothing worth getting excited about (Saison was the best by far). I switched to the Yards fairly quickly.

The atmosphere is funky, but I didn't find it terribly warm. In fact, I didn't find the staff particularly warm (though everyone was better than Mr Happy behind the bar).

Seems like a nice enough place for a neighborhood joint, but I am not driving anywhere out of my way for it again.

Update: I went again 9 months later and found the food to be somewhat better and I saw no sign of Mr. Happy behind the bar. Seemed like they had reformulated the pizzas, which was good. The beer list was a little more rich and varied, but overall I still didn't find the food memorable or the service especially overwhelming. The dining room was cold and drafty, however, and the noise level was uncomfortable. all in all, I'll stick with my B rating, although I am somewhat more favorably disposed than during my first trip, which was a major disappointment. Still not going out of my way for it, though.

03-21-2009 18:46:08 | More by Seanibus

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

After much patient waiting, Earth Bread + Brewery has opened. I tried to go in with an objective mind, but who am i kidding? My expectations were high, but all were met in style.

The lay out of the establishment is incredibly inviting. I kept coming back to the idea that this place felt more like someone's dining room than a bar or restaurant. With no TVs to be seen, I felt right at home to relax, chat with the bar tender and the generous stranger who gave up his seat (turns out it was BA joehops). I wish more places would follow suit. There's a big split level feel here as it's obviously two rows attached together. On the left you have the bar and a few tables, and on the right you've got a more cozy dining area and the kitchen in the back. From the bar that wraps around the left wall, you can over look the hustle and bustle in the kitchen. My favorite was on the way to the latrines, you can over look the brewing dungeon (my words) where a few stainless vats sit protruding up from the basement. Upstairs is similar with the bar now on the right side of the left half and again more dining room-esque seating on the right. With the spaced out tables and ceiling fans, you really can't help but feel you're in somebody's home.

The beers on were fantastic. The smoked wheat (terra fume) was delicious and innovative and the biere de garde was pretty good too. They had on four house beers, eight guest taps and a load of bottles with no crap in sight. nice.

Service was all right. There are a few kinks to be worked out, but I couldn't complain.

Food was fantastic. I started with the house salad consisting of greens, a vinaigrette, green apples, cranberry, onion, goat cheese and walnuts. It was surprisingly good. I then moved onto the seed pizza which had pumpkin, sesame, sunflower seeds and pine nuts over cheese and a garlic sauce. The garlic had a little bite to it, but nothing that I regretted. Both were delicious choices, oozing with quality.

Wow. What can I say (other than my review)? I wish EB+B the very best. I have no reservations saying that this place will be a land mark for Mt Airy for decades to come. Well done!

10-10-2008 02:29:47 | More by DarkerTheBetter

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$

Been here a few times, now on to a review.

The vibe is ok here. Nice people, nice beer, nice food. Alot of the staff and most of the patrons are very uppity and snobby, the only drawback in my eye. Earth is a very open and clean space with plenty of seating and limited at the bar seating. Earth is very kid friendly from what I can see and it gets old real quick The quality is top notch in terms of cleanliness and the beer is brewed in house so fresh as can be.

The beer list consists of 4-5 in house brewed beers of varying styles. Most of what's offered is sessionable in alcohol range which makes it easier afterwards, I love session beers. The other 7 or so taps are dedicated to local brews and anything else we can get in PA that does not go over the owner's budget, don't expect many gems. The flatbread's are oven baked, nuff said.

The service is attentive and on top of their game when they think they will get a good tip out of you. If they don't, expect to be treated not as a customer but as in the way. When sitting at the bar good service is pretty much guarenteed but while sitting at a table the service could be spotty. EBB is a big place so I can understand a little delay but there were bigger gaps than that during some visits. While not being beer experts the servers/bartenders did know what they were serving so that's a plus.

The food is mostly flatbread pizza's with a few varieties of styles that you can get. You can also build your own. Smaller side dishes are also on the menu with some non alcoholic beverages for the not of age yet peoples. The ingredients for the prep of these flatbreads is not all that expensive, so I wish earth could expand a bit on it's menu, as is, it's pretty dull.

Edit- If a large portion of your patrons really dug a beer, why would you not brew it again to appease them. It gives off a 'holier than thou' attitude that has no place in this thing of ours(Good beer), but in Earths case it's this 'thing of theirs'. Good beer is good beer and I want it again. A major turnoff for me is their unwillingness to brew great beer again, but over and over again they 'earth' will brew shitty ALT after shitty ALT and brew 10 IPA's per year that all taste the same, read: Not good.

04-18-2011 21:16:03 | More by onix1agr