Lafayette Brewing Co.

Brewery, Bar, Eatery

622 Main St
Lafayette, Indiana, 47901
United States

(765) 742-2591 | map
lafbrew.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.64
Beers:
50
Ratings:
194
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.79
Reviews:
41
Ratings:
60
pDev:
16.36%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

3.84/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Stopped in for lunch while in town on a Thursday around 1pm. Not busy. Laid out like an old school dive bar with music, a handful of tvs and various seating spots. The beer I had was very good. Sandwich was good as well. Laid back with friendly staff. Nice variety on the tap list. Would definitely come back.
Dec 15, 2022
 
Rated: 3.99 by Viperman1316 from Indiana

Dec 12, 2018
Photo of NoYouDidnt
Reviewed by NoYouDidnt from Indiana

3.88/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.25
Vibe-old school brewpub atmosphere. Dilapidatedosh hardwood downtown interior building. Oldschool seating too. Not tacky. But old school. Quality- Semi clean. Well served beers. Service- knowledgeable staff, can help you find a beer and make a recommendation. Attentive and nice. Selection- they serve their own beers. Which is standard old school brewpub beers. Nothing terribly exciting. But, you can go in with anyone and they would probly be able to find a beer they think tastes good. Food- is alright. Fine food. Nothing terribly special or exciting.
Dec 04, 2017
 
Rated: 3.88 by warpig372 from Indiana

Jun 19, 2016
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Rated by BaileySliger from Indiana

5/5  rDev +31.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
This place is awesome! The bar is super cool because of it's historical vibe. Definitely a place to visit for people who enjoy craft beer.
Jun 09, 2016
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Reviewed by BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

3.46/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.5
Tall ceilings, in a historic building. Sandwich was decent, beer average, or better. Local vibe. Parking a bit difficult. I need to visit again to see more beer selection.
May 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by PUbeer from Indiana

Apr 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.67 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Nov 08, 2015
Photo of mlockman
Reviewed by mlockman from Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
If you're seeking a sports bar, this is not the place for you (go to DT Kirby's for that, folks). Comparatively quiet and laid back, there is only one TV but 15 taps and an excellent food menu whose quality rivals that of the beer for which most come.
Sep 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by JDoHo from Michigan

Feb 14, 2015
 
Rated: 3.74 by Moun10 from Illinois

Dec 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.72 by Drwpiersonindy from Florida

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 2.24 by Clumsy from Indiana

Oct 07, 2014
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Reviewed by BriaCloette from Indiana

5/5  rDev +31.9%
Everything you need in a brewery. Excellent selection of beers, none of which I've ever been disappointed by. Delicious food that doesn't cost too much. The bar has great atmosphere. This place has become the gold-standard for me - hence the 5.
Aug 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by chewymangos from Indiana

Aug 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Dief88 from Indiana

Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 1 by vainqueur59 from Indiana

Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Phoneguy from Indiana

May 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by BeerLover99 from Illinois

Mar 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by scerbin from Michigan

Mar 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by rxthree from Ohio

Feb 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by trytoketchup from Colorado

Dec 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Katoptrizo from Indiana

Dec 03, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by shirtless_mike from Indiana

Dec 01, 2013
Photo of neckbracesub
Reviewed by neckbracesub from Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
The finished wood atmosphere flowing through this spacious restaurant/brewery really ended up being the most impressive part of our visit. There's a nice & inviting feeling about this place.

The quality of both their food and beer, however, were just a tad of a letdown. I can't say anything too harsh or negative because I did overall enjoy the Eighty-Five IPA that I drank, and the Fish & Chips were adequate, but I was expecting more.

The waiters that interacted with us during our visit were very friendly and helpful.

The selection of beers wasn't anything special, and there was simply no offering for lovers of higher ABV beers.

I like this place alright, but I didn't love it like I wanted to.
Aug 29, 2013
Photo of Jason417
Reviewed by Jason417 from Indiana

4.09/5  rDev +7.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
This is a casual, laid back brew pub, with no pretense or airs. All are welcome, all feel welcome. There is a large bar area with good seating and wide open views of the bar and the large screen TVs. The restaurant seating is spacious and can accommodate parties from 2 to 50. There is a good view of the brewing kettles and collegiate/olde tyme decor on the walls.

The food is simply prepared but excellent in both quality and value. Wednesdays are typically discount pint night, and nightly specials keep most menu items under $10. There is a good selection of food to choose from, from typical Irish pub fare to more cross-cultural items. The kitchen usually has fresh fish specials, as well as creative meals only available once a week.

You simply must have the onion rings. The largest, best battered rings I have ever personally witnessed. One basket will feed two easily, three comfortably, four if two are dieting. At last glance, the menu item was $4.50.

The fish and chips are equally impressive. Shepherd's Pie is well done, as well as the buffalo burgers, wraps, and soups.

I recommend sitting in the window, better for people watching.
Jun 28, 2013
Photo of GJ40
Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I stopped by while traveling to Chicago.

It's in a nice historic area of West Lafayette not far from Purdue University. The interior is fairly traditional pub decor with low light, good space and a comfortable atmosphere.

The beer was decent. I had a pale ale and a scottish ale. Both had a real cask like feel which I like but may not be for everyone. Great 20oz tulip glasses.

The food is good. We had a couple of apps, the pub burger and the brisket sandwich. There were no disappointments. The service was good.

The reviews for LB seem varied. I thought it was pretty good but not remarkable.
Jul 02, 2012
Photo of wisrarebeer
Reviewed by wisrarebeer from Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Lafayette Brewing Company is a cavernous place broken up by a mock wall that separates the bar from the general dining area. Food was decent but nothing unusual or outstanding. Mostly American-style food.Definitely cheerful and very good service from Kait. Biggest disappointment was the second floor where a band or DJ was playing - the bass music was so loud that you could barely hear the piped in music in the bar area. Very distracting. Only two beers available in bombers at the time I was there.
Feb 15, 2012
Photo of bozodogbreath
Reviewed by bozodogbreath from Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Stopped in at the LBC for lunch with my wife and son right after noon on a Sunday. One of my son's professors talks up the fish and chips so we thought we would give them a try. The dining area was wide open when we arrived but began to fill as we were nearing the end of our lunch.

They were playing Led Zepplin I when we arrived and Bruce Cockburn's Stealing Fire when we left. Gotta love some classic rock with lunch!

I was impressed with our waiter's understanding of the available beers on tap. It was obvious he had an understanding of hops and malts.

We thoroughly enjoyed the fish and chips with waffle fries and cole slaw. I also enjoyed a pint of their Scotish Ale.

We will certainly make our way back to the LBC in the coming months.
Jan 29, 2012
Photo of salvo
Reviewed by salvo from Indiana

3.6/5  rDev -5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3
Hadn't been in for at least 6 months. Stopped by and enjoyed the new Cascadian Christmas Ale and the Battleground Double IPA. Both excellent and a full notch up on the professionalism meter and my taste-satisfaction than my disappointed memories. Shared bar-b-que wings and pub-cheese snacks -- again, both were well executed, delivered hot, tasty, and generally good, respectable offerings. I will return and try some of the bar-b-que offerings, which are new on the menu (See above: I hadn't been in a while).

Some insider advice: There are a lot of servers, some of whom know nothing of beer. LBC is a firt job for lots of local teens/21yo, so I forgive less knowledgeable staff. Also, it's a huge space and when crowded, tables can get lost. Speak up. Go to the bar for beer questions: most of the bartenders are knowledgeable. And the Brew Crew at the upstairs bar on Thursday evenings are a fun group to hang around with. And the pizza upstairs is quite good, and there's a full bar.

I'm especially looking forward to the upcoming Harrison American Pale Ale, with all Michigan-grown hops. LBC had been lagging in its experimentation: this is a happy sign of return to creativity. The whole place was clean, the staff better trained than I remember, and everything was just better than I remember: closer to what I have always expected of them. Yay!

I've been a fairly disappointed irregular LBC customer over the last few years. I thought the brewery and restaurant had really declined over the last year and hadn't been in for months. But I was really pleasantly surprised that the food was a full notch better than I remember and their beers are growing more adventurous and up-to-date. More American hops may change the character of the English style malty brews on offer, but the Brits themselves have been more adventurous. Anyway, give LBC a try and let me know if you agree.
Dec 04, 2011
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
My wife and I hit Lafayette Brewing year or two when we head down for an annual football game at the alma mater. LBC is easy to find in the downtown area, and generally easier to park across the street or farther down on side streets. When we've been there, the place is generally packed in the post football game hubbub and seems to enjoy a good reputation locally. Generally, there's one new beer on tap to try, and the rest stay pretty standard through the year. All of the beers are good to very good, but nothing to really test the beer limits of many geeks. Nice if you're in town, but I wouldn't go too far out of the way for it. We would've skipped it this trip, but Chumley's down the street is a bar only, and our freshmen Boilermaker niece wasn't allowed in, so we headed down to the more family friendly LBC.

Go to beer for the place is the Black Angus Oatmeal Stout, which I like drinking, in part, for the irony that I'm a vegetarian. Of which, the food choices are bad for veggies--two entrees, a salad and a couple of appetizers. No food this trip because of the earlier pizza run to Arnie's, but have eaten at LBC before and not been disappointed. New beer for this trip was an Aussie Red Ale called Bushmen's Bitter. Not bad. Hoppier than I expected, and I assume with Australian hops because of the extreme fruitiness of the nose, but the amber ale was very light and almost watery. Great transition beer since nothing was 'scary' except the hop forward character of the beer.

Good stop, nice place, sure bet if you're visiting Purdue. And, unlike the bar down the street--LBC is smoke free; evidently, not a given in Indiana.
Oct 26, 2011
Photo of boilermakerbrew
Reviewed by boilermakerbrew from Indiana

4/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
Went here for dinner on a Friday night. Food selection was ok, a lot in the line of what I like to call traditional Indiana food. Burgers, chicken, BBQ pork, and the usual line up of salads and sandwiches. Fish and chips and some more pub-type food was there too.

Beer selection wasn't huge, but the quality of my brew was good. I only had a pint of their Black Angus Oatmeal Stout. Pretty darn good.

Beer prices were ok, but the food prices were pretty good. Growler $4, fill $9, with specials on different days of the week for fills also. They offer a 1-liter growler also, which I had never seen before.

Overall, I'm going back and recommending this to friends. It's a good place to just go and relax without needing to get dressed up, but still can count as a nice meal too.
Oct 23, 2011
Photo of ElizabethCraig
Reviewed by ElizabethCraig from Indiana

4.53/5  rDev +19.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I started going to Lafayette Brewing Co before we started home brewing and before we started our appreciation for craft beer.

Through the years we've changed in our food tastes (from fish and chips to their lighter dinner salads/entrees) and our beer tastes (from "grab us something" to "Any cask conditioned beers today?"). We've watched the kitchen staff change, and the people working on brewing their beer change.

I've brought the kitchen staff loads of candy on Halloween. I've bonded with waitstaff about things as diverse as online games, big weird dogs and dealing with other customers. I've seen the same core waitstaff there for years, which is exceptional in such a fluid industry.

So, where I'm going with this is that, I can't be neutral about LBC. Though our experiences and memories associated with a place always color our reviews, I'm REALLY not neutral in this case.

The beer is good to very good - I prefer maltier beers generally and theirs don't disappoint. The opening of People's Brewing Company in town really upped their beer selections, I think they're branching out and their recent beers (Oatis Brown, the Bumpyface agave beer) have been excellent.

The food perception depends on what you like and how you like to eat. I avoid a lot of wheat, and fat/fried things - so there's not always a lot here for me. That being said, I always find something that I want, and always enjoy it muchly. =) Their smoked meats are exceptionally good, as are almost all of their soups. Two things that are so easy to mess up.

On Thursdays they sometimes have their upstairs open and have their pizza. Their pizza is *quite* good. If you happen to arrive when there is a show upstairs, generally it's an interesting band that offers something different. Go see them. =)

If you are looking for good, and very well respected beers along with good food and some interesting conversation, head to Lafayette Brewing Company.
Jun 28, 2011
Photo of mrnasty
Reviewed by mrnasty from Indiana

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Been here a few times. First beer I had there was the Prophet's Rock Pale Ale. I really enjoyed. Also had the Tippecanoe Common Ale and the Eighty-Five. Really enjoyed all of them. I love going to this place because they are one of just a couple places in central Indiana where I can get my favorite appetizer, scotch eggs. I usually get those and the fish and chips and am never disappointed. Never heard a complaint about the food. Its a great place to hang out with friends and chat with a good brew. Definately recommend.
May 20, 2011
Photo of jamescain
Reviewed by jamescain from Texas

3.08/5  rDev -18.7%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
The atmosphere varies depending on the night. Some nights they have live shows upstairs and if you happen to be there before the show you are treated to the wonderful melody of sound checks. If it wasn't for that it would probably have been more enjoyable.

The food is decent, better than most places you would find in Lafayette, IN. I had the jerked chicken sandwich which was tasty and my girlfriend had the blue cheese bison burger. Her burger was more so a blue cheese burger than a bison burger.

The service is not the best. The waitress we had honestly was not that knowledgeable about what they served. My girlfriend asked her about how the oatmeal stout was and her answer was "its a dark beer." Thanks.

Their selection was about 6 beers, none of which are really all that outstanding.

It was not that expensive, but for Lafayette, IN it was a little pricy. In my 4 years at Purdue I only went there once.
May 11, 2011
Photo of cnally
Reviewed by cnally from Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Stopped in here as a middle point in picking up my son from a weekend with the grandparents.

The atmosphere is a hit and a miss at the same time. The carpeting is god awful and tables and chairs are pizzeria worthy. I enjoyed the feel of the bar area with its wood grain and old-style taps.

The beers left me neither underwhelmed or excited. We had Oatmeal Stout (decent), Common Ale (OK), Eighty-Five (Good), Bitter (Good), and Scottish Ale (OK). All beers seemed undercarbonated and watery. There were some genuinely good aspects to each of them, but there were lots of critical misfirings keeping them from making me want to return.

Our server was knowledgeable enough and very attentive, and the bartender seemed like he knew what he was talking about (while seemingly disinterested in making conversation). I spoke with one of the brewers and he gave me a good rundown of the specs and ins and outs of their process. Service ended up being the highlight.

Better drink their beers, there ain't much else, and the food was fairly average. We had burgers and fish and chips which were a notch above average, and wings and french onion soup which were pretty meh. Their onion rings are amazing. Hands down, some of the best I've ever had.

Prices were right and appetizers were two-for-one, but I get this nagging feeling I won't be craving their beer anytime soon.
Apr 04, 2011
Photo of Fatehunter
Reviewed by Fatehunter from Oregon

2.68/5  rDev -29.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3
I stopped in here for some dinner and drinks. It was a Friday night, but Spring Break had just started so the place was half-full (I assume that's why it was half-full). Six of us went up to the bar, empty save one other person, and waited five minutes for the bartender to ask up what we wanted. We ordered beers and found a table hoping for better service from the server. The server was excellent. That is what saved the "service" rating. She was very familiar with the beers and menu and gave good recommendations.
Between the six of us we ordered the stout, common ale, and porter. Unanimously we all thought the beers did not taste that great. Odd flavors in the porter (though it was served in a snifter) and the stout and common ale tasted watered down and weak.
The food was okay. I had Barvarian Nuggets. Unique and tasty. My friends that had the burgers said they were average.
Prices were normal for the area. The atmosphere was promising but lacked the customers at the time.
I honesty hope to never find myself in West Lafayette again but if I am I'll find somewhere else to get dinner and drinks.
Mar 14, 2011
Photo of treepaul
Reviewed by treepaul from Indiana

4/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I stopped by the LBC on a Colts Game Sunday for lunch and was pleased to find the place pretty quiet so I grabbed a seat at the fair sized copper topped bar. Being a bit off my usual beer sampling game for lack of my usual compardre I failed to do a sample flight before jumping into lunch, but was quite pleased with the bartender's suggestion of the "Eighty-Five" - so named for it's tasty 85 IBUs. The fish and chips platter (the meal that I usually fall back on when comparing pub grub) was excellent and substantial.

The LBC was a very pleasant surprise with a comfortable laid back atmosphere. If the LBC had been around while I was at Purdue I could have skipped a few trips to the campus meat market bars.

My only complaint is in the selection catagory. I am a strong advocate of drinking the house brews, but for a place to become a favorite for me it needs to have some depth. I love to walk into a brewpub and see a strong selection of "guest beers." It is a sign that the proprietor appreciates good beer and even better, thinks that their product can stand up to a little competition and it usually does.
Sep 15, 2010
Photo of Yetiman420
Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
I drive by Lafayette, IN on the way form Cincinnati to Chicago and finally worked out a trip were I could stay the night in Lafayette and enjoy Lafayette Brewing.

A brewpub located in a historic building in a historic downtown city center should equal more than this. I was a bit let down with the run down nature of the interior. I guess just a matter of expectations and I prefer this over something in a suburban strip mall.

My visit was around 9:30 pm on a Wednesday. LBC was the heartbeat of downtown Lafayette on this night. Not much else around.

The beer list was uninspiring. I struggled between the wit and the pale and went with the pale. Turned out to be pedestrian with a malt profile that made it hard to distinguish hop character.

I ordered the BLT which was good. The service was also attentive and the floor manager was the hardest working guy in town.

A good place that's worth a visit and worth supporting local, independent brewers.
Jun 24, 2010
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Reviewed by pwoods from Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
I've stopped here a few times on the way to DLD. I've enjoyed myself each time but we'll probably be looking for someplace else next time. It'd be a great local place, especially for a casaul lunch or dinner, but if you're just passing through, once you've been there then you've been there... if that makes sense. The atmosphere is nice. Lots of wood and a big bar. They only serve their own beers, which financially makes sense for them, but maybe a couple Indy locals would be nice. They keep 8 or so beers on tap and always a cask. Their 85 is pretty decent and I've had a couple others that were good. Nothing really great, though. Service has always been good and knowledgeable. The food is pretty good, but again, nothing great. I did like the huge pile of fish and chips I had last time. Prices are fine.
May 11, 2010
Lafayette Brewing Co. in Lafayette, IN
Brewery rating: 3.64 out of 5 with 194 ratings