Old Forge Brewing Company

mattrepko

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped here early in the afternoon on a Saturday beer road trip with a friend. We were able to get a seat at the bar on the lower level and spent the next couple of hours drinking beers, having some food and talking to the locals. Everyone was really friendly and gave us some tips on other beer places to check out in the area since we weren't familiar with the area.

The bar itself is small but has a nice feel. If you aren't specifically looking for it, I think you could walk right past the place as you walk down the street in Danville. Once inside it was cool to see all the Mug club mugs hanging on the wall. Service from the bartender was good and she was more than willing to recommend beers and food.

I'm a pale ale and IPA guy so the T-Rail Pale ale and Underbite IPA were right in my wheelhouse. They can their beers at Old Forge and we were able to get a very reasonably priced case of 16 ounce cans for $36 at the distributor behind the brewery. Great value there.

The food we had was good. Seemed like typical pub food but I really liked the chili. I pride myself on my chili recipe and I swear their chef must have stolen my recipe because they were so similar.

We plan to make the trip back here and I'm going to need to buy more cases of beer the next time because I have a number of friends that want their own after trying the T-Rail. Well done Old Forge

12-14-2012 00:40:30 | More by mattrepko

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

As far as word of mouth goes, I've gotten mixed reviews of this place, but despite my sleep-deprived state when I first visited, I had an enjoyable experience. There are two floors, but I only saw the bottom floor. There's a small bar, and quite a few tables for the smaller floor space of the place, so it's pretty intimate...I'd imagine it'd be a little tight during busy hours. Vibe is plain and simple, no real "theme" going on, but it was nice and homey.

The quality of the beer here is good--nothing spectacular, but all generally good and easily drinkable. They have a good selection and variety of styles, with enough to keep the casual beer drinker happy, and enough to maintain a basic but good quality session for the geeks.

The service was a little bit shaky, but really nothing to complain about; my bartender was a bit young and green, but she held her own.

Food was very good, with basic pub grub and sandwiches, with a few unique options. I believe I had the Bleu Jerk burger, which was mighty tasty. Prices were friendly.

Overall a nice spot, and I'm glad I was able to visit. Would I go back again? Sure.

05-10-2013 23:55:48 | More by Rifugium

JennyRuth81

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75 | $$

Old Forge started out as a small little place in this small but bustling town (home to one of the largest medical centers in the state) and its grown and expanded to accomodate its popularity. The brews are solid. A great selection with ongoing tap variety; there's something here for everyone. You'll want to go home with a growler or two or three...or you can pick up their canned selection at a local distributor.

The food is spot on. A nice mix of healthy/local with traditional bar grub. I recommend the blue jerk burger - jamaician jerk seasoning mixed in with local beef then dressed in blue cheese. The only thing as interesting as the menu is the decor! The forge theme is played out in some fun ways with custom scultupe that fits into the flow of the restuarant.

05-01-2013 02:46:24 | More by JennyRuth81

chetw

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Nice place in a quite little town. I sample several stouts: double chocolate, rye, chili all were good with the rye standing out. I enjoyed the IPL lager and the wheat IPA. Would have licked to try the regular IPA but that had just run out.

The food was good and I would stop again if I was in that area.

02-23-2013 13:42:40 | More by chetw

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -18.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$

It was a family day trip to Knoebels grove and I was desperate for some "adult time." Old Forge is like ~12 minutes away so I had to stop by for a bite and a couple of brews. 8 house beers on tap and 1 gravity fed firkin. We were seated towards the back, along side the bar. A fan and lights were overhead that created a strobe-light effect which was mildly annoying.

The quality of the beer is decent. During my visit, there was a nice spread of selections that anyone could pick something to enjoy. From memory there was an Alt, Blonde, Pale Ale, IPA, Dunkelweizen, Bourbon Barrel Stout (on nitro) and a black ipa. The food we had was interesting. The skewers of grilled veggies my wife got were not good at all. The tomatoes looked like tomatoes but tasted horrible and the onions/peppers were luke-warm at best upon delivery. My soup was fantastic but the pulled pork we had was troubling. It looked and tasted like cafeteria-style, pre-portioned and reheated from last week. Think spam but with just slightly better texture. This "house smoked" pulled pork was glorified mystery meat. My wife and I went back and forth on whether it was actually beef or pork, we honestly couldnt tell.

While the service was attentive, it was also frustrating. Seeing the firkin sitting on the bar made me inquisitive. I asked what the cask beer was and was told it wasn't cask, it was a firkin. I then received a lecture about how hops were put directly into it and it would be served warm. I honestly dont know if she ever actually told me what was in the god damn firkin. I think the look on my face said enough. She brought me a taste of it anyway and when I asked what it was, I had to ask her to repeat herself twice as i still couldnt understand her. I guess I made her nervous because she spoke very fast and was quick to run away.

I have mixed feelings about this place. On one hand, maybe it was just a bad day. On the other, it was a Saturday afternoon and by no means busy. I would possibly stop by to have a beer if i was in the area again but I would not bother with the food. If I want reheated fast food, there are cheaper options available.

08-06-2012 16:34:54 | More by stakem

GJ40

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I stopped in with some co-workers while in town on business.

The atmosphere downstairs is very comfortable and the crowd is very friendly. It was mostly locals and they were very outgoing and open to conversation. The bar is on the small side but that certainly gives it a more intimate feel; especially as it fills up. The exposed brick walls and handmade mugs from the mug club add to the simple but authentic feel. We didn't make it up to the second floor.

They had several beers on tap. We tried the American IPA, Black IPA, Belgian Pale and ESB. They were all good. The bartender was very helpful and outgoing.

I enjoyed the visit and would certainly return next time I'm in the area.

04-25-2012 10:38:07 | More by GJ40

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5 | $

Stopped in as part of the neverending PA brewery tour and unemployment chaos. Went in on a Thursday in the early afternoon and got a table near the back. Five beers on tap, and apparently two had just kicked the night before. Darn. I got the sampler (which was a bargain at 6.25 for five 4oz samples), which featured the pale ale, ESB, stout, blonde, and a single malt fuggles pale ale. I think the ESB was the standout of the bunch while the blonde was the worse, really lemony and a tad boozy. The fuggles was an interesting beer that I had never seen in any of my single hop quests in the past, and wasn't bad at all. The food, I got a "colossal" club wrap, which resulted in me getting a wrap the size of my arm loaded with ham, turkey and bacon, along with a side of tortilla chips with homemade hot cheese. It was delicious. My buddy got a huge ham & cheese sandwich loaded with bacon, and he could only eat half of it. Service was great, as our guy (who I think was also the main bartender) kept coming back to us and was very friendly. My five samples and huge wrap cost me 15 bucks after tax. Really good deal. Nice place, I'd come back after checking out what's on tap and seeing if there's new stuff for me to try.

02-03-2012 00:43:26 | More by bigfnjoe

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $

Stopped in Dec 22, on our way home to Pittsburgh for Christmas. Drove by it the first time on the main drag in Danville but easily found a place to park on the street. The first floor has a handful of tables and hosts the primary bar, but it was way too chilly to be sitting near the front door, so we headed up the stairs. There we found more tables and a smaller bar, and around the corner is yet another room with more tables and booths... I think that part is new. We settled on the upstairs bar and set our eyes on the beer menu.

10 offerings that night, 9 of which were explained on the menu. Four Belgian styles were offered, but that's not my thing. As with any small town brewpub, you have to serve a light lager, and there it is: Celestial Blond Ale. I also skipped the Endless Summer pale wheat, so that leaves four for my sample. The Slack Tub Stout was the best of the group: smooth and silky, just like the description. By a nose I liked the more balanced T-Rail Pale Ale over the Overbite IPA. Ludwig's Oktoberfest felt a little thin but was still close to the mark. Everything was very drinkable, and most beers on the menu were right around 5% with a max of around 7%.

The menu is appetizers and sandwiches only, but everything we ate was fantastic. We started with a soft pretzel, and that beer cheese dip is out of this world. My wife enjoyed the Ranch BLT wrap, and I had the pulled pork sandwich. It was served on that same pretzel bread, and it was nice and dry (in a good way). What I mean is, you could really taste the tender meat instead of it being oversauced like so many others. There was a side of sauce if I needed more (I didn't) and the cole slaw came on the sandwich. It was surprising and disappointing to not see any french fries on the menu, but that's at least partially forgotten because every sandwich comes with tortilla chips and another cup of that slightly spicy beer cheese.

As my wife has a severe nut allergy, we were a little apprehensive due to the prevalence of nuts on various menu items, but the staff was very attentive and accommodating... no problems there. As expected in lil' ole Danville, everyone there exuded friendliness.

And cheap! 5oz samples were a buck each (except for the IPA, which was $2). My wife's pint of stout was $3.75. Crazy that beers, appetizer and two sandwiches were less than $30 before tip. The decor felt like a mix of local and modern, and to be honest it was a little more plain/sterile/bright than the rustic look I was expecting, but I'm sure that will change as the newness wears off.

One note: upstairs/downstairs, bar/table/booth, EVERYTHING is self-seating. There is a sign, but we chuckled at more than one couple who waited patiently at the top of the stairs for a hostess that never appeared.

12-27-2010 23:37:09 | More by coachdonovan

gestyr

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Overall, my wyfe and I enjoyed our experience. We got there at 11:50 on a Thursday morning. We didn't go to the upstairs room so I cannot comment on that but the downstairs was very comfortable. The decor was a mixture of rustic and modern. The staff was very friendly and efficient. They made you feel like you were an invited guest as opposed to being a customer. The food was very good and the prices reasonable. They had a very good beer selection. If I lived in Danville I would be there daily. We will go there again. Overall a very good visit.

12-02-2010 23:05:09 | More by gestyr

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Transcribed from notes dated Sa, 28 Nov 2009.

This was a narrow space, well off of the beaten path in north-central PA. The doorway opened onto the brewhouse to the immediate left, which was very reminiscent of many of the early brewpubs of the late 1980's and early 1990's. The short, blonde-wood bar ran about 3/4 of the remaining length of the left-hand side of the space. Blackboards on the wall, behind the bar, detailed their available beers, in addition to a laminated list at each of the tables. It was pretty busy on a Saturday night when I visited, so we were escorted aft to a stairway on the right hand side that led up to their second floor. They had an outdoor deck up there but it was closed for the season. The second floor also housed another bar along the left side and a series of booths along the right side. It was a pleasant place to have dinner and my notes say that they celebrated their one-year anniversary on 05 December 2009.

Beers: Six (6) were available on the occasion of my visit. They included T-Rail Pale Ale; Endless Summer Ale; Bellows Brown Ale; Old Foge Alt; Slack Tub Stout and Ludwig's Anniversary Lager. They were decent, but whatever temperature they had the serving room set to, it was too cold to enjoy the beers immediately.

09-01-2010 17:50:05 | More by woodychandler