Heorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head Brewing

Heorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head BrewingHeorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head Brewing
Heorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head BrewingHeorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head Brewing
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

219 S Walnut St
Muncie, Indiana, 47305-2803
United States

(765) 287-0173 | map
theheorotpub.com
BEER STATS
Average:
4.52
Beers:
1
Ratings:
1
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.49
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
45
pDev:
10.69%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by spartan2k:
Photo of spartan2k
Reviewed by spartan2k from Indiana

4.75/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Visited The Heorot while in town over the weekend, and was blown away. The bar itself isn't anything special - just a viking themed bar with large wooden benches. A little too much smoke for my taste, but I am used to non-smoking bars.

Outstanding beer selection, and I was blown away by how cheap the prices were. They had craft beers for $1.75 a pint (Dark Horse Raspberry Ale, Red Seal, etc.). Other beers were extremely reasonable (like Hopslam for $3.75).

Bartenders were very nice and extremely helpful. I will definitely be frequenting this place when I move to Muncie this summer.
May 12, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.18 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 19, 2020
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Reviewed by NCSapiens from Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
World class beer selection. Game of Thrones mead-hall vibe is great for keeping college kids out. Like drinking in a dungeon without music. Serious beer drinkers only.
Jul 19, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by joeywheeler from Indiana

May 20, 2018
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Reviewed by wingedeel from Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -15.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 3.75
Been here quite a few times in the past, nothing has changed.Saturday afternoon is apparently not the time to go, as 10 kegs were blown, and they were going to tap a keg of their house mead "later in the evening". Also their online menu lists 8-9 meads available, they had only 3. Even the on tap IPA selection was lacking.

On the plus side, the little pizza we got was good for the price, and there were plenty of interesting bottles available. Probably a good place to go in the evening when all the taps are operational, but frankly it made far a rather dull Saturday afternoon stop.
Jul 23, 2017
 
Rated: 5 by WOLFGANG from South Carolina

Feb 05, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by stashcraft08 from Indiana

Jun 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4.13 by Steve_N from Indiana

May 03, 2016
 
Rated: 4.8 by HMAN6911 from Indiana

Oct 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.63 by jjwisenheimer from Indiana

Sep 17, 2015
 
Rated: 4.89 by Hopportunistic from North Carolina

Jun 20, 2015
Photo of kylegr
Reviewed by kylegr from Indiana

2.4/5  rDev -46.5%
vibe: 2 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 1
Tons of beer to select from, but it's usually warm, flat, or they haven't turned the keg in a year. Cramped and dirty. Smells like feet. Food options are even worse than the smell. Service is hit and miss.
Jun 18, 2015
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Rated by kdg119 from Indiana

4.11/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 1.5
Great service, Great atmospere & GREAT beer selection. Food prices are amazing, but don't expect very many options.
Jun 06, 2015
Photo of georgeaaron
Rated by georgeaaron from Indiana

4.85/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
Great staff and world class beer. This place has spoiled us in Muncie.
Apr 09, 2015
Photo of Leinie
Reviewed by Leinie from Indiana

5/5  rDev +11.4%
World class selection of bottles and drafts, and knowledgable bartenders. This bar rivals those in much bigger cities, and if you are nearby it is worth a side trip.
Nov 30, 2014
 
Photo of are_doubleyou
Reviewed by are_doubleyou from Illinois

4/5  rDev -10.9%
The selection: When I visited there were about a dozen beers on tap and many, many more in bottles that I would readily drink all night. The selection is top notch with plenty of national, regional and local favorites. One of the best I have ever come across with plenty of 3 Floyds.

The atmosphere: The bar's decor is done up like a Viking hall with animal heads and armor. It's very cool. They also have a Pacman arcade game. The locals weren't particularly friendly, but weren't rude. If I lived in Muncie I would enjoy coming here regularly.

The service: This is why I only gave a bar with this amazing of a beer selection a 4. The bartenders would vanish for 5-10 minutes at a time (often just before I finished a beer). The bar was practically empty, but they would never stop and talk about beer with you when you asked them questions. One bartender told me that he didn't like even like beer and didn't have any knowledge of what local brews were worth trying. And the icing on the cake was when the bartender walked up and asked us if we wanted anything for last call an hour before their posted closing time. My friends and I were taken aback and I wondered if I was having a time zone issue, but he told us that they close early if business is slow. It might be a cultural Indianan thing, but I was not happy to be kicked out of a bar when I was doing nothing wrong because the employees want to go home early. Your posted hours are your hours. If you have one customer, you leave the bar open. They were very polite about cutting us off when we were doing nothing wrong and the cab driver told us it was standard procedure in the town, but I'm still not very happy about it.

Overall, it has a great beer list and a cool atmosphere, but if you aren't from Indiana you might find yourself blindsided by Midwestern passive-aggressiveness. I'm from downstate Illinois and I was shocked at the cultural difference in bar etiquette.
Nov 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.64 by Jeraichel from Indiana

Nov 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by ArmyATCBrewer from Korea (South)

Oct 04, 2014
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Rated by indianabeerman from Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
good selection on tap but a great bottle selection . i have bought 15 yr old jw lees here . cool place
Sep 23, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by JamesTerry88 from Indiana

May 30, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by BsuCompSci from Indiana

Mar 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Mordhaus from Texas

Nov 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by tmneyer from Kentucky

Oct 20, 2013
Photo of neckbracesub
Reviewed by neckbracesub from Indiana

4.01/5  rDev -10.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.75 | selection: 5 | food: 3
The Heorot Pub and Draught House doesn't have a highly regarded reputation for no reason...this place has an extraordinary selection of craft beer both on draft and in bottles. For sheer volume of widespread variety, it is simply impossible to match up with this place. This is the main reason why I keep going back to this place.

With that being said, it's the area of service that puts a chink in the armor of the overall rating. It really just all depends on luck/what day and what time of day you go here to determine whether you'll get good service or not. The majority of the bartenders are not very personable, or they pick and choose which patrons to buddy up with and pretty much ignore others. It's a sad thing, really, because this place has absolutely everything going for it otherwise. I've given it many chances in the service department before making a quick judgment, but in the dozens of times I've been here I've had mediocre to poor service more than I've had a good experience.

The quality and selection are virtually incomparable, but the bartending (save for a couple of nice people) leaves something to be desired. The food is nothing to write home about, but that's not why you go here. I'll always go back due to its incredible rotating inventory of different beers. I just hope they address some of the service problems.
Aug 12, 2013
Photo of Mcvs1507
Reviewed by Mcvs1507 from Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.75
If you live in Muncie and you regularly attend the Heorot consider yourself lucky! I have been going to the Heorot for a few years now and their selection is hands down the best in Indiana! I have been spoiled because of this. Anytime I go out of town to "Beer Bars" I laugh and say, "Is this the best you got, Two Hearted and Upland Wheat!" At the Heorot not only can you get those, along with Bells and Upland's other mainstays, you have a selection of several other rotating taps and hundreds of bottles to choose from. Not to mention all at a reasonable price! Heorot is a great place to get drinks with friends! And if you want a challenge try to get your name on the bar before the last spots are filled! There are only a few left!
May 16, 2013
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Reviewed by ultimatesamwood from Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3.75
Near-world class beer selection. Great selection of taps and bottles.

Food is an afterthought, but you didn't come here for the food anyway.

Decor is medieval--Herot is the mead hall from Beowulf. Zero televisions, tall ceilings, a fire-breathing dragon along one wall, shields, axes, chain mail--and shitty macrodomestic cans skewered on swords!

Wolf's Head Brewery is now operating out of the Heorot. Good stuff!
Feb 25, 2013
Photo of jale
Reviewed by jale from Michigan

4.3/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 2
Walking into this place from the daylight you need night-vision goggles. Very dark and cluttered. Nothing fancy here just a great selection of beer. They have around 60 taps with a nice variety of styles. They also have a huge bottle list with bottles as old as 1988. Prices are very reasonable. They staff is very helpful and they seem to have a passion for good beer. The food selection is minimal. This place is a must stop if you are anywhere near Muncie. I was able to pick up 2 bottles of J.W. Lees harvest ale from 1988 for only 18 dollars each. Hard to believe you can find something that old anywhere.
Oct 30, 2011
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Reviewed by ModemMisuser from Indiana

5/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
What else can be said about this place? The decor and mood of the place are well-described, and I shan't try to add to that.

My wife and I have been here twice - the first time right at open, and it was dead. (Of course.) The second time after 10 on a Saturday night, and it was lively and fun. Both times were awesome; totally different mood, but both completely awesome.

The place is an 85 mile drive for us, and it's good enough that we'll be making said drive once a month or so, unless weather prevents us (winter).

Great staff, great decor/feel, and hell, you might see WOLVES. What else can you want?

Well - except Korpiklaani's "Wooden Pints" on the juke. :D
Jul 06, 2011
Photo of zrab11
Reviewed by zrab11 from Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5
This is the Best place in Muncie...heck BEST place in INDIANA.. If you have not been here you HAVE TO GO! The staff there is rediculous! They are soo knowledgeable. They have 300+ bottles of beer and 60 beers on tap. They update their menu and beer every 2 weeks! I will be going here for the rest of my life. Its the only thing keeping me in Muncie..haha

They are going to also become a Brew pub sometime this summer! can't wait!

IF you LOVE beer go here. You will fall in love with its medevil decor and great staff!
Feb 26, 2011
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Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

4.33/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The Herot is located in downtown Muncie on Walnut off Jackson. Street parking appears to be pretty abundant in the immediate area.

The inside is dark with a vaguely medieval look. Lots of wood, weapons on the walls, racks, etc. The bar runs along the right side with booth seating on the left. Taps are located at intervals along the entire bar. The only ding on atmosphere is the smoking they allow inside.

As for the beers, there is a very robust list both on draught and in bottles. There are around 50 taps with brewers like Sun King, Thirsty Dog, Three Floyds, New Albanian, Victory, DFH, Upland and more. They offer growlers for most if not all of these beers. In addition there are 100s of bottles, categorized by style in a handy menu. There are tons of domestic craft beers plus imports from just about everywhere.

Service on an early weekday afternoon was good. The bartenders were knowledgeable about their beer and were efficient.

The food I had was to-go, and no complaints about the pizza.

Overall this is a nice find in Muncie and is worth going out of the way to check out if you get the chance.
Aug 06, 2010
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Reviewed by brundo4 from Illinois

4.44/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Wow. This place is something. The beer is super cheap for the quality and the selection is out of this world. In one trip I had black biscuit, '07 Stone RIS, Left Hand Fade to Black, Ham on Rye, and many others which my now-sober ass can't even remember. I would go back here in a heart beat. There's a rumor that they have so much beer that some of it isn't very fresh, because the move it too slow, but I think that's speculation because everything I had here was on point. Seriously though, if you're within an hour and a half of this place, it would behoove you to check it out.
Mar 12, 2010
Photo of SwiftyMcBeer
Reviewed by SwiftyMcBeer from Indiana

4.35/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 2
A dark cavern of a place. I am thinking that the light of day is not the time to enjoy the Heorot. It's just to dingy and dark place. That being said, the selection is beyond reproach. World Class is an understatement. I was just swinging through so I only got to enjoy one of my favorite beers on tap, Double Trouble, while I scanned the bottle list and all the draft options. The list is completely mind boggling and I can not wait to while away a couple hours with a few friends and this list. The pizza we had was fine but a couple more options wouldn't hurt. With this beer selection though, they could serve stale crackers and I would be back.
Mar 09, 2009
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Reviewed by youngblood from Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 5
I love this place. I make the hour long trek or so a couple times a month. This place is very odd as far as atmosphere goes. It's decorated after the supposed hall that Beowulf had.

This place has the largest beer selection of any pub/bar I've ever been to. There are well over 40 taps in this place, plus some 600+ bottled. I remember being there when Bell's Oberon came out. They had a special going on that night. It was $3.50 for a pint plus the matching glassware. Refills were $2.50.

The pizza is amazing. Worth the drive just for that. If you live in Indiana, try to make it there just once for the new year.
Dec 30, 2008
Photo of xfactor9600
Reviewed by xfactor9600 from Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
The Heorot is worth the 30-45 minute drive from my house. Once or twice a quarter my friend (Ball State Grads) and I head to Muncie to have a pizza and an afternoon beer or 4 at the Heorot.

The selection on tap and in bottles is a rotating experience everytime we go. Never fear they have old standbys as well. Apparently they used to have some sort of drinking club when my friends were in college (in the round the world of beers type style).

The staff is great and is very helpful in selecting a new beer to try.

If you are within 2 hours of Muncie, it's worth a stop in.

Make sure you grab a pizza. Worth the trip alone.
Dec 20, 2008
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Reviewed by jtothamo from Indiana

4.9/5  rDev +9.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
The Heorot is the kind of place where you want to gather with friends to enjoy a tasty pint, a nice cigar, and hours of conversation. It is my absolute favorite pub, period.

The amazing selections of beers on tap and in bottles is practically mind-numbing. It's the kind of place where you could visit every day for two years and still not drink the same beer twice. They always have what you're looking for...and the knowledgeable staff makes great recommendations.

I could go on for hours about the selection, the atmosphere, the service, and the reasonable prices (don't drink anywhere else in Muncie...the Heorot has the best selection and the best prices).

I'll basically just say that you have to try it. If you are within 2 hours of Muncie, IN, you need to make the trip.

The lunch specials are fantastic (usually a great amount of food for less than $3 with purchase of a beverage...the Friday $2.50 pizzas are legendary).
Sep 29, 2008
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Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.48/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
The Heorot was on my list of must-stop beer places on a recent trip through Indiana. If you find yourself anywhere in vicinity, it's certainly worth a detour.

Lots of taps, I didn't bother counting. A binder lists draft beer by style, and bottled beer by state and country of origin. Eclectic tap selection. lots of regional & midwest stuff, with many quality imports mixed in. I had an Ar Dri from Upland, Bells Two Hearted, and a Warbird beer from Ft. Wayne IN (kinda old bottle). They have an annual cellar sale to rotate the old inventory for cheap, for what it's worth. Lots of Stone and 3 Floyds.

There were lofty ceilings, wood beams and benches, many antler racks and assorted weaponry on the walls. The taps were set into a row of nine old barrels. There were giant bottles of Corsendonk and Piraat available behind the bar.

Food was very tasty, I had a 12" pizza for under $5. Couldn't stop eating it, must have been the gloriously crispy bacon chunks it was topped with. Pizzas were made to order, and the menu had several other very affordable options. The digital jukebox was pretty extensive. Met some cool people here, and the crowd in general seemed friendly. I'll return again for sure someday.
Jun 23, 2008
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Reviewed by Halldog from Connecticut

5/5  rDev +11.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Amazing.... that is the only word to describe Heorot! My favorite pub by far! First heard of this place while attending school in nearby Anderson and have been going back ever since. I am not able to get there as often now that we live 800 miles away but we do visit family in Indianapolis at least once a year and we always make it a point to take the 50 mile trek to this place! Food is a decent pub fare. Decent cigar selection too! May have trouble finding this place as it is not greatly advertised. Has to be the best bar in Indiana, if not the whole midwest!
Apr 20, 2008
Photo of TheBierBand
Reviewed by TheBierBand from Ohio

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
WOW! Went to this place because I was in the area on business. What a discovery! This place is quite a BEER HAVEN. I couldn't believe that they could keep such a diverse selection fresh. But it seems that they rotate beers in and out. I had to give the selection a '5' for anything imagineable! They have an incredible selection!

The place seems to be 'hoppin'' all the time... people come from miles around just to sample the better beers available.

As for atmoshpere, it's a little small, crowded and smokey. They're trying for a medieval theme... but it's really just a lot of swords laying around and mounted on the walls with a lot of beer memorabilia mixed in... The real draw back is the smoke....

Food choices are limited but OK. I had one of their pizzas and it was OK. I'm not too sure that they offered much else.

It seems that they put all their money into procuring new and exciting beers.... that's what the people come for.... my opinion is that they could drop some good money and dress this place up.... but the clientel probably wouldn't care. It is what it is.

So there you go.... a mixed review. Selection, and service are top-notch. Atmosphere and food, average.
Mar 18, 2008
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Reviewed by hrking from Indiana

4.8/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3
The only reason this place is not listed as the #1 place in the USA to have a beer is the location..If this establishment was in a larger city it would be!
Let's just say i'm glad it's not because it is local for me and I frequent this place...It's nice to go where they know your name when you walk through he door..

54 Taps
500+ bottles
Imports
Microbrews
All I can say is this place is a must visit and well worth the short drive off the interstate if you're ever in the Muncie area..
Known as "STUDIO A" on the GOOD BEER SHOW this place is a beer lovers mecca of palette drool ...Tell them the gang at the GOOD BEER SHOW sent ya and you get a free beer!! No just kidding..LOL..But say hi and drop the info!..
The beer list is a whose who of Midwest Royality BELL's, FFF's, Upland, Founders..killer draft selection and the bottled selection is bar none the best you will find anywhere in the Midwest...oh and did I mention a cellar of vintage beers to DROOL for!!!

This place does serve food but have a brew with it ..Mid evil atmosphere full of Viking lore ala Beowulf's complete with a Dragon winding through the wall and swords and shields and skulls adorn the walls on this pub..You would swear you were somewhere in England or Ireland,Scotland having a brew inside this dimly lit beer hall...All I can say is that if you're in the area VISIT THIS PLACE!!! You won't be sorry ..At least put it on your bucket list for your coast to coast pub crawl... Hat's off to STAN (the owner) for maintaining this STELLAR establishment!
Mar 04, 2008
Heorot Pub and Draught House / Wolves' Head Brewing in Muncie, IN
Brewery rating: 4.52 out of 5 with 1 ratings