Stoudts Brewing Co.

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4

I am reviewing the brewing company as well as the restaurant and brewpub, but they are only facets of the entire sprawling complex known as Stoudtsburg in the far northeastern quadrant of my county (Lancaster Co., PA). Carol and Eddie Stoudt have not only what I will be discussing in this review, but also an antiques mall and a group of private shops and homes, all under their survey and purvey.


Let us start from the east and work our way west. The easternmost facility is the Black Angus, which one enters through a pair of blue doors. Upon stepping over the threshold, one is immediately transported back in time. There is an old wooden phone booth, a large mirror and a vintage car, all in the lobby. As you continue into the restaurant, the bar will be to your left, with a raw oyster bar directly in front of you and a set of dining rooms to your right. These include the Tom Sawyer Room, with its prints depicting Huckleberry Finn; the Picasso Room with its authentic lithographs(!); and the Main Dining Room, with its rich, red velvet decor which is straight out of a Victorian-era sporting house. In fact, I am convinced that Carol may be a procuress and the girls lie in wait in the upper floors of the building, but every time that I inquire, she smiles very slyly and shakes her head. Carol also proudly points out the oyster plates and the ceramics that were handcrafted by her daughter. Coming back into the reception area, and turning towrds the bar, there is a gorgeous hand-carved wooden bar with a mirror behind it, as well as a beer engine. The servers are all in the very traditional B & W uniforms with black vests. The ceiling is pressed tin, painted gold and bright red. Passing the bar and going into the last room, we enter the Brewery Room, which is a dining room/museum. There is a great collection of bottles, including ones with their early labels; beer trays, including one that my uncle covets, with its depiction of Bob and Ray; steins, and finally, the chandelier from the Bellvue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, which is where the outbreak of Legionnaire's Disease originated. Finally, a trip to the Men's head, where B&W photographs of Victorian-era nudes abound, reinforcing my belief that Carol may have a side enterprise. ;=) For the Ladies', Carol points out that their photos are "cute, but covered up."


On to the beirgarten! We must go out and around to the side of the building, through a stone archway. This is where the Invitational Micro Fests take place. There is a fun house mirror which stands at the entry to the picnic area; Ed's 10 Kommandments (in German) posted on the wall; a stage and dance floor; a wine and beer bar; and a courtyard. The overhead is festooned with vintage sleds, advertisements for the circus, and other various and sundry eclectic things. It must help to have an antiques mall right next door. Finally, in the back of the Biergarten is the bakery, where Ed's Breads come into existance. Also, in the Men's, more Victorian-era B&W nudes. I love this place!

08-08-2004 20:53:25 | More by woodychandler

slander

New York

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5

We took Stoudt's in after the beerfest a little while back. Upon entering, the first thing you hit is a '28 Packard in the front foyer. And then you're in the bar, which seats a dozen and houses 2 towers of 5 beers a piece and a cask. There's a most impressive large case on the wall behind the bar displaying the many GABF metals they've won. Seating in a room at one end of the bar, in the bar area itself, in a small enclosed private room which holds a handful of tables, and off the other end of the bar, a most amazing room... A large red room with a black ceiling and red plaid carpet, a dozen tables, a mirrored mantle above the fireplace, a pair of comfy chairs in the corner, stained glass skylights and a large wooden chandelier which Yen described by saying, "That is one bad ass chandelier". True that. The room holds a good collection of ancient brewerania... Three glass cases of beer steins, Pabst, Yuengling, Carling Black Label, Iron City and Piels posters, beer trays from Rhinegold, Ballantine & brewers long gone, pictures of horse drawn wagons delivering beer, old breweries and ancient cars with barrels. There's a second floor perch that wraps around 3 sides of this room with old beer bottles, growlers and mini kegs of all sizes and shapes lining the walls. There's an old green Rodenbach bottle up there. It smiled at me, knowingly.
In the dining area off the bar... a bunch of tables, a low red pressed tin ceiling, with French theatre posters and old political campaign posters (Jefferson Davis, Rutherford B Hayes, Teddy Roosevelt). Good stuff. There's a raw bar down towards the end of the room with had, according to Yen, "Giant freakin' Oysters", which he also described as being, "Creepy big". They've also got cheeses and smoked fish.
And on tap... 10 house beers (Pils, Double, Triple, Weizen, Lager, ESB, Fest, Stout, American Pale Ale, Maibock) and the cask IPA. Outstanding. You really want to see this place.

07-19-2004 03:24:38 | More by slander

MsRogueRed

Maine

3.58/5  rDev -15%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3

I love Scarlet Lady the most, but I enjoy Fest also. Scarlet Lady has a nice "bite" to it without being bitter even though its an ESB ;)

I've been the Stoudt's about once a year or so for the past 10 years and man has it grown. I haven't enjoyed the outdoor beer garden yet because we seem to hit it in the colder months.

The atmosphere inside is great and they serve a full bar. You can get their beers to go in 22oz or so size bottles for 3.50 and 4.25 for the "better" selections....what a bargain.

The one bartender hands out trivia sheets for you to entertain yourself if you're into that type of thing.

Very clean and relaxing atmosphere. They also have a dinner menu.

Worth a trip.

05-22-2004 20:31:05 | More by MsRogueRed

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.44/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5

I stopped in here on the way out of the rehearsal dinner for a wedding I am in in Reading. WE went to the bar area and it was very posh in decor. Lots of large cushy chairs around tables and some booths. Also a standard rectangle bar with about 15 stools. There were tons of late 1800s pictures and other memorabilia on the walls. 10-11 beers on tap with one on beer engine. Behind the bar was a frame with about 20 GABF medals encased. Pretty impressive!
You can also walk out with bombers ( a limit of 7 at a time) but this will be changing as Stoudts is planning on going exclusively 12 oz bottles of all styles. They will also not be contracting this out to Frederick Brewing in MD any longer, but will start to do all in house.
I did not try the food but others at the bar had some tasty looking dishes.
The bar and restaurant is only a portion of this location. They also have a large bier garden for fests, receptions etc. I have also attended a fest here and enjoyed it thoroughly. The garden area is similar to a german bier garden setup.
There is also an antique center and some other stuff on the premise. I recommend stopping by here if you ever travel form Reading to Lancaster on route 222 or between Philly and Harrisburg on the turnpike. Definitely some good brews and good times to be had here.

05-01-2004 04:10:21 | More by sulldaddy

Edwin

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -6.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4

Atmosphere - Not at all what I was expecting. A lot more posh than I would have ever imagined. A beautiful setting, but quiet and more reserved than I would have thought. Still, a nice place.

Quality - Very well presented and quite nice.

Service - It is a small bar area, so the service is good almost by default. The bartender passed my empty about twice, but I guess I can forgive that.

Selection - A nice selection of the Stoudt's family of brews on hand. Also 22 oz bottles available to tak home. Some nice souvenirs in the gift shop.

Food - Did not try. Everyone else's looked pretty damn good, though.

Overall - I enjoyed my time at Stoudt's, but it was a little too quiet for my tastes. If you want to sample some of the good Stoudt's brews and have a quiet dinner, this is your place. If you're looking for more of a "beer" experience, it may not be for you. Worth at least a short visit.

01-25-2004 20:44:15 | More by Edwin

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4

Well if you can't go to Germany this is as close as you get in Pennsylvania. Nice beergarten and an excellent selection of beer. You can't go wrong here with the atmosphere and the food also can't misses. The beers are fresh and flavorful as the place and music reminds one of the German halls.

03-04-2003 15:35:32 | More by bierman2000

SchmichaelJ

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5

The Stoudt brewpub is but a small part of the sprawling Stoudt Village, which includes the Black Angus Restaurant, a giant beer hall, an antique shop, and other establishments run by the Stoudt family. But their annual beer and German festivals (held 3 times a year) are lots of fun and are a can't miss for any beer afficionado. Each beer-related component of the Stoudt complex deserves its own review; however, this one will be limited to the brewpub. The Black Angus portion of the building is a wonderful steak house / fine dining establishment with exquisite food (and appropriately pricey cuisine). I usually opt to be seated in the pub, however, where I can enjoy the great beer with a burger or other wallet-friendly fare. Much of the menu features German style food, replete with schnitzel and PA Dutch specialties. Almost any dish can be complemented by Stoudt's wide slection of craft-brewed beer, including popular seasonals. Every brew rates high in my book, although my personal favorites are the Scarlet Lady ESB and the Gold. Both food and drink are of high quality, and the wide selection allows you to go back again and again, while trying something new every time. Service at Stoudt's can be a little slow at times (even later in the evening), and this remains its only real foreseeable drawback. The highlight of my visits to Stoudt's, however, is the superb atmosphere. As you walk in the main entrance of the pub, you're greeted by an authentic 1928 Packard, transporting you to a simpler time in American history. This theme, coupled with the rich Pennsylvania brewing tradition, envelops you as you enjoy your food and drink. If you're not a smoker, request to be seated in the non-smoking portion of the pub...or, as I like to call it, "the Red Room." This room is amazing. The crimson walls are covered with decorative plates, posters, portraits, bottles and artifacts from the dozens of now-extinct PA breweries (Yuengling and Stoudt's being among the few exceptions). You can't help but gaze around and take pride in drinking fresh, microbrewed beer, similar to what was produced in almost every small town in PA prior to prohibition. It really is quite an experience. Dining at Stoudt's, or just sitting at the bar, is a genuine treat for the beer lover. Its quality and overall atmosphere are amazing. Any fan of beer and the rich tradition of brewing will find this establishment to be among the best.

02-03-2003 19:29:48 | More by SchmichaelJ

psugrad98

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5

Now, this review is of the Bravarian festival. I go every year, and have since I was a kid. I remember the first year Stoudts was brewing, and my dad passing me some illicit sips of the sweet nectar of the Gods. This was my first sip of good beer.
Very fun atmosphere, good german music and food. Of course they mostly have Stoudts beer on draught. But some others like Yuengling and other quality macros/regionals.
Fun time and reasonably priced. Carol and Ed Stoudt are always there participating in the fun. I especially like the dance line when Ed Stoudt plays his tuba and leads everyone around then entire place. fun fun fun.

07-23-2002 07:32:49 | More by psugrad98