Stoudts Brewing Co.

loveingminor

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

I walked into the restaurant, and I thought I was back in Germany. It is situated in Pennsylvania Dutch country, right in the middle of a "village" that looks like a town from Germany, right off of route 222. It had a homely feel, and it wasn't too crowded, but I went with my family at around noon, right when it opened.

Quality: The food was very good, and it comes recommended by Stan (me). After eating here, I was no longer hungry until about 7pm, but that was just for some potato chips.

Service: my standard rating of service is how often my water is refilled. Since I wasn't drinking water, I kept watch on my mother's water: it was always full. Thats why it gets such a high service score.

Selection: wide selection of food, with mostly German origins... but they had other things like seafood (which I stayed away from since seafood is gross)

Food: delicious. I had the kielbasa with saurkraut and onions... I'll probably have it again if I go back.

04-25-2011 20:03:10 | More by loveingminor

mcslain

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Stoudts is in many ways my corner/neighborhood bar. It's about a 10 minute drive, but hey, I live in the sticks and it is the closest quality beer option I have. So that said, I have the same affinity for it that most people have for their 'go to' bar. But at the same time Stoudts could really make a lot of improvements, so I have a bit of a love/hate thing going as well.

The beer is the main draw at Stoudts, with the best options being the Double IPA, the Abbey Triple and the Fat Dog Imperial Stout. The place has a nice vibe to it and is decorated with a lot of historical political memorabilia/propaganda. It is definitely classier than a typical brewery, although the bar area still feels comfortable if you are in jeans and a tshirt.

However, the bar area has only 12 stools. So while most people come to Stoudts for the beer, the overwhelming amount of space is dedicated to dining. When I compare Stoudts to a place like Victory, with the mega bar Victory offers their loyal customers, it drives me nuts. At Stoudts they have two options for bar expansion. On one side there is a completely unnecessary oyster/clam/shrimp display case. On the other side there is a lame extra dining room. Neither of these areas is needed and could be revamped to expand the mini-bar. With only 12 bar stools though, Stoudts will never become a great brew pub.

Aside from the lacking bar area, there are two dining options. The regular restaurant is nice and has a limited bar type menu. The food is mostly good (great burgers, average wurst however, and no vegetarian options for those who care) but is not consistently great. I've had bad meals there on occasion, but typically good ones. The other half of the dining area is aimed at fine dining and draws in a more elderly crowd. I've been to Stoudts hundreds of times and never felt the urge to eat in the fine dining section, although I will order a few items off the restaurant menu.

So in summary, Stoudts has great beer and I love to hang out there. However it sucks because I frequently can't even get a seat at the bar when the place isn't even crowded due to a lack of seating. Personalty, I'd love to see Stoudts embrace its role as a brew pub and build up the bar area. You can still serve good food, but realize that your greatest audience is there because they appreciate the brewery.

04-13-2011 01:27:48 | More by mcslain

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I really enjoy this place. My favorite spot is in the pub room to the left as you first enter the bar area. The spot by the window is particularly nice. The table is big and the chairs have arms.

They make good beer here! The food is quite good and you must try the beer battered fries or onion rings.

The beer fests are definitely worth attending. There's a beer hall and beyond the brewery is a retail area that looks like a german village.

Good beer, food, other entertainment and shopping make for a good place to seek out some fun. BTW, they sell bombers of their specialty brews. Take some home.

04-08-2011 20:54:55 | More by Tucquan

pcar333

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

If you like the atmosphere of a German Brauhaus, you'll love Stoudts. Not sure what to order? Sausages in a Brauhaus are almost always a good bet. Bratwurst was exceptional. Served with sauerkraut and rotkohl (red cabbage). If you've never had these dishes made in the German manner...loose your preconceptions about taste and dive in. Compliment your German dinner with a wonderfully fresh, clean, crisp helles in the form of a Stoudts Gold Lager.

I couldn't have been more impressed. To sum up, it took me right back to the Alps, to Switzerland...to Brauhaus's of my past. This comes as close as I have been in a very long time. Mahlzeit!

01-20-2011 03:02:22 | More by pcar333

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

A - A unique setting to enjoy some food and drink... A unique old building loaded with PA-centric brewerania, not just that from Stoudts... Nothing pretentious about this place, just a family owned establishment oozing with history and charm...

Q - No complaints in this department... Everything was as expected or better... Food, drink, service, etc...

Ser - Excellent knowledgeable servers...

Sel - The menu is a nice mix of pub food and slightly nicer restaurant fair... My only real complaint is in terms of beer selection... There really isn't much more than the widely available Stoudts offerings...

Food - Hands down the best french fries I have ever had... The burger was top notch too... No one else in our party of six had any complaints about their fare either...

Val - The prices were reasonable and I had no complaints in this category...

12-12-2010 18:30:36 | More by philbe311

BlitzShadow

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stoudts is mere blocks from where I live, so I know the place very well and try to visit often.

Atm - This place is HUGE on atmosphere. Adamstown is the Antique Capital and Stoudts fits right in. Check out the antique beer trays, the various political memorabilia, as well as the dozens of GABF metals.

Quality/Food - Quality of thier fine craft brews = 5. Quality of Artisanal Cheese and Bread = 5. French Onion Soup = 5 (always great!) Oysters = 5. Other food... hit or miss. Burger temp has been rough in the past, but steady in 2010. The French Onion Soup is truly awesome!! Something I must mention though... if you visit in the summer - bring a flyswatter. Every year since I moved here in 2006, when the weather gets warm that place seems to get hit with the Plague of Flies. This is an unfortunate ding on quality since nobody enjoys sharing their meal with a pesky fly (or two... or three).

Service - The servers are all very friendly. During the busy periods you might wait a little while for your food or check, but it's *usually* pretty fast.

Selection - You have the flagships, the big beers, the seasonals, and they also offer a special brew (i.e. Imperial Brown Ale). Add that to a rotating cask selection.

Value - This is an important note - there is a restaurant (walk in - on your right) and the pub (to your left). The "pub" does not mean you need to sit AT the bar. There are plenty of great, comfortable seats available. If it's your first visit, ask to sit in the pub. I've met folks who visit once, are directed to the restaurant, and never return because they think it's too darn expensive. The restaurant is recommended for special occasions, but for the average explorer of good beer - the pub will meet or exceed your expectations. While on the topic of value, the burgers are made from their own breads and since my first visit in 2006, the size of the "buns" have decreased (seemingly) significantly. Also, the big beers... they were once poured 16 oz at time and are now only available in 12 oz pours. That said, I believe this is more appropriate to the style and strength. (I would LOVE to see the Triple in a chalice someday!)

11-19-2010 18:57:35 | More by BlitzShadow

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.88/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in late Monday night for a few beers and some light fare.

The place is oddly opulent but also very kitschy. It works in a strange way. The place was virtually empty when we arrived, a few guys waiting for the delayed Monday Night Football game, and we took a table. Order some cheeses, the Dante, WI was the best (Sheep's milk). The tap list was solid, all the usual Stoudt's brews, with the Double IPA also available on cask.

Had a Triple (wonderful) and a cask Double IPA which was served at cellar temp with ample head. Well done. It was also somewhat drier than the CO2 version, I thought.

Our waitress was very attentive but not intrusive.

Beer to go in the coolers by the door, and I bought a 750mL Brewers Reserve Adamstown Brown to bring back to VT.

All in all a good stop, but was disappointed that all the draft was the usual suspects. Maybe I just hit it at the wrong time?

10-13-2010 04:16:04 | More by SFLpunk

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -21.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

What can I say? I'm a sucker for Stoudt's. Their beers are top-notch, the food is good, but then we go from there. The hours of the pub has changed so often in recent years it's been downright frustrating at times. The service has been suspect most times. Warning: if you're not a local, you'll wait a good bit to be served. This is what frustrates me the most: for as many times as I've been here, I still seem to get secondhand service and no compassion from any of the servers or main bartender. But in all honesty, I'm not looking for special service- just to be served on the same level as any other customer. Even still, with the excellent beer and good food, I'll still come back again & again.

06-10-2010 01:37:53 | More by jwhancher

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.8/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Have visited the restaurant portion of the brewery on several occasions, most recently after a beer event in Exton the other day.

This place has something of an upscale, gasthaus vibe to it, with some sizeable dining room areas in addition to the fairly small bar area. There is a considerable amount of brewery paraphanalia all around, and this place has a very comfortable feel to it... Sat at the main bar area, where I think there were approximately 10 seats. This day there were around 8 beers on tap, including the Old Abominable and Fat Dog stout (the two beers I got). Quality was quite good; both beers were well made and flavorful. While the service wasn't overly personable, it was still pretty quick and efficient. Never had to wait more then a minute for a beer. Food was good. I got the bratwurst dish, and was happy with the sausages and the sides (decent saurkraut and red cabbage).

I've been here twice now, and while I've enjoyed myself both times... I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just wish the staff were bit more friendly and engaging. They always seem a bit distracted to me. No matter.... this is stil a very solid place with above average beer and food. I'll certainly stop by again at some point.

03-14-2010 20:42:09 | More by johnmichaelsen

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in here for dinner on my way from Lancaster to Reading. Very cool entrance...like walking into a museum.

Sat at the bar and ordered up a DIPA while looking over the menu. The bar area has a number of tables and stools for seating. The main restaurant area is a little more family style.

The draft selection is clearly marked on place cards. The food menu is decent; nothing will jump out at you. The turkey wrap I ordered was good, but nothing to write home about.

They also sell bottles of beer to go. I picked up a big bottle of their BA Robust Porter and a pint glass before leaving. All in all, a great place that I would visit again if I am in the area.

01-25-2010 21:53:41 | More by mgbickel