Blue Dog Pub

FelixLeech

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +34.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5

I'm actually going to start this review with the food - which is absolutely superb, including many dishes that are hard to find, or just don't exist (except here!) Go here for the beer, but make sure you go hungry! My personal favorites are the Garlicky BD wings and the Blue Burger (blue cheese on a cooked to order burger).

Now - the important stuff. The beer selection is really great for the area. The only reason I gave it a 4.5 was when I kicked one of the local brews they replaced it with Foster's. They always have several local brews on tap, and have a selection of other interesting beers, besides the usual (bad) beers that are kept there to pay the bills.

Then there is the cold case for carry out. The selection there is out of this world... nothing in the area compares. They have a case of singles that you use to make your own 6 packs. There are usually about 80 - 100 different choices, all of them microbrews or rare brews that are hard to find (sometimes a little of both) all at reasonable prices.

To summarize - food: fantastic; taps: fine selection; carry out: mind blowing. A great place to visit.

12-06-2003 03:02:52 | More by FelixLeech

slentz

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +24.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Figured it was time I update my review of this place.

The Blue Dog Pub in Lansdale is quite local to me. They have a great draft list and nice bottle shop. Some bottles are priced accordingly while a few are a bit overpriced. However, for the most part the bottle prices here are very good compared to other bottle shops in the area and I can usually find something that fits the bill. They regularly update their tap list and post on facebook about which beer was recently tapped. I regularly attend the beer event they hold on the first Friday of every month and my friends and I always have a great time.

In my opinion the food here has gotten much better lately. I had a Cajun ahi tuna sandwich a few weeks ago that was simply sublime. The specials menu is changed every week and there are always interesting things to find and challenge your palate.

Ultimately, the Blue Dog Lansdale has a great tap list, good/great bottle selection, and good food. Don't hesitate to check it out.

05-10-2011 17:08:44 | More by slentz

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +19.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4

This was quite a surprise for me. I just wandered in here to have a drink while waiting for my laundry thinking I was going to be having yeungling. To my surprise they offer several microbrews and even quite a few belgians. All of the bottled beer is available for take out. Any place where you can buy good beer by the bottle is a blessing in PA. They have a tap selection that is always changing. On my last visit, they had Kasteel (hard to find, especially on tap), Young's double chocolate stout, allegash white, and a few from local microbreweries like victory, flying fish, and fancy pants. It has a nice atmoshpere, but it's not exactly the beer loving crowd, which could change if they start trying some of better beers at this place.

08-07-2003 20:16:42 | More by dmarch

tubbnik

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +16.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Locals bar with a great beer selection. Ambience leaves something to be desired tho. Highlights are the food (A+) and the micros on tap. Usually about 6 to 10 on any given night. I haven't had a problem with dirty lines like some reviewers had. Sometime recently they tapped Troeg's Sunshine Pilsner and it tasted crisp and clean, as have the IPAs I've had lately. And their house beer, Blue Dog White Ale, is quite good, although I'm not sure who makes it. Certinally not anyone who works there. Also, the micro and import take out cooler is fabulous. Huge selection of hard to find beers, especially for the area. I suggest taking the beer home to drink to avoid the $2.25 drink-in surcharge. Theres just something wrong about paying more to open a bottle than the bottle costs itself.

EDIT: The tap handles and bottle shop have been getting insanely good over the past 18 months. The Blue Dog has become a must stop if you're in the area.

05-22-2006 15:27:25 | More by tubbnik

duff74

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +14.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

On Saturday I enjoyed their Lagunitas IPA and Stoudt's Double IPA on tap (nice selection). Previous posts stated the lines were not clean. Not so - both drafts were very fresh and bartendress corrected how I pronounced "Lagunitas". Take-out has a fantastic selection of craft beers and imports.

My experience eating here has always exceeded standard "pub grub" - some of the specials are very creative and tasty. I had a bison burger that surpassed anything I had in Wyoming.

Although the atmosphere is average right now, my understanding is that the owner will be expanding - all in all great things to come.

04-02-2007 20:17:29 | More by duff74

jrancan

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +12.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4

So you're in Lansdale and you're looking for a beer? Look no further than the Blue Dog in that strip mall off that road that looks like every other road in Landsdale.
Nothing that'll knock you're socks off, but a nice selection and a nice place overall for this area.
From what I remember: Celebrator, Ephemere, Legacy Euphoria, Murphy's, Golden Monkey...all on tap amongst others. Very good bottled selection with pretty much the whole Dogfish Head line-up, a few Stone and Rogue products being the highlights for me.
Nothing real cozy about the atmosphere, but good enough to throw down some quality beers.

04-25-2004 05:19:20 | More by jrancan

slander

New York

3.88/5  rDev +12.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I traded up slices in Schwenksville (yes, that’s a real place) for a beer & a better meal. My 3rd time out; I pretty know what I’m getting into. Located in a strip mall on 363, here, much like their other location, albeit not here. My ‘don’t feel like heading down to Philly proper alternative’, sort of kind of almost on the way back to the hotel the long way around...

Front corner beer, well it’s not exactly a store, no, it’s more its own room and then not really even that, more like a corner sectioned off with a ‘pay here’ cut through to the bar side. Singles & sixes, 22’s, 750’s, magnums, gifty stuff, warm & coolered cold. I see Bells, Port Brewing, Russian River, Great Lakes, Deschutes; things we don’t get in NY (fuckers!) and some girl’s getting’ her 40’s on; something for everyone, I suppose. The beer store piece gets some action.

Past there, the down and around ‘U’ shaped bar with a black laminate top, worn wood lip, panel base, and a brick foot box; seating for 2 dozen or so on wood chairs. Glassware stacked on a cooler at the end of the bar, wellings below all around.

Yellow panel & painted walls over slat wood lowers, and large sheet mirrors on the backside of the bar wall. Black & white marbled tiling looking floors, and strip mall store drop ceiling. 9 flatscreens for game (I’ll be looking for Yankees baseball on one of them in short order, please), viewable from anywhere you are in the place, and other than the dog prints on the far wall, the décor is that of brewery & pub signage, mirrors, neons, things that spin, etc. 5 booths on the wall and 4 tables sharing a bench length down past there. 2 hightops & a lowboy to the rear beyond the small pool table there, along with electronic darts and a juke.

On one side of the bar, 6 taps on a copper roundy tower, and a pair of solo handles. On the other side, a row of 10, a fruity beer duo, and a solo nitro. The paper beer menus list the lucky 21 taps on up atop and items coming soon down below. When something kicks, they cross it out and draw an arrow to show what’s just come up. Seems they rip through some beer here. Pretty quickly. It’s an, um, interesting mix. Roughly 1/3 craft beer (which I took nearly entirely in on a set of samplers, we’ll get to that), and the other 2/3 made up of mostly meh imports (Jandrain-Jandrenouille VI Saison, Palm, Konig Ludwig Weiss, Murphy’s Irish Stout, Lindemans Framboise, Van Diest Fruli Strawberry, Stella, Heineken), macros, big brands, and a cider (Miller Lite, Bud Light, Leinenkugel Big Eddy Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Yuengling, Woodchuck).

Monday is sampler night; 4 shorty 4oz glasses for $4.99 (down from their usual $6.50). I will play. First round brought the Bells Java Stout (lovely), Founders Centennial IPA (yes), Stoudts Housefest (Octo, pretty good), & Prism/Evil Genius/Round Guys collab Belgian Black IPA (just okay). The second round saw the Shawnee Apiarius Ale (an APA brewed with honey, actually not bad), Fish 10 Fish Tale Ale (‘cause I need to be drinking barleywine, almost DIPAish, this one did not suck), Arcadia Hop Rocket Impy IPA (okay), and I opted out of the last remaing craft beer (Manayunk Yunkers Noctornum) for the Jandrain Jandrenouille VI Saison (pleasant enough as Saisons go).

And the dinner I upgraded to from crappy pizza at work. Last time out, I had the salmon (kickin’), and the time before that, the twin chicken breasts with a mango salsa (seriously solid), so I’m expecting the food of the good again, good again, good again. Started with the French onion soup, which was pretty killer. With the ordering of an entrée, you’re dealt a side salad (dressings of the not French so I slummed it with something vinaigrette). It was a good croutony salad, I did dig. And the blackened twin chicken breasts (It’s a well known fact that the blackening of anything ups its base awesomeness threefold), with caramelized onions, avocado salad, & black bean sauce. This was yet another great entrée, arriving over smashed potatoes of really good and a veggie side, as usual. Portions, they are plentiful. Good kitchenings here.

Music is a mix of generally not my play list (Chili Peppers ‘Zephyr’ & The Four Tops ‘Baby, I need your loving’ intermingled), and has now done the country shift again. It’s dead here tonight, but usually there’s a funny mix of non craft beer regulars and not. Servers are pleasant, some more beery than others. Got a Founders Breakfast Stout once before that was not that beer. You can tell me otherwise all you want, and I don’t care what the tap marker says; I’m the 1% who would actually know the difference. Otherwise, it’s all been good. Tap selection goes hit or miss and carries a lot of meh, I get it. But they do do promos (Next up: High hops & extra rare beers), and I think you can get anything from the store upfront and consume here. Food is really good, and they mix it up some. This could become my Monday night house.

10-25-2012 17:37:29 | More by slander

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$$

I have been to the Blue Dog a few times to eat, many times to drink, altough lately more for to-go beer, as they have expanded from just the coolers to some shelves of warm bottles.

The atomsphere is more of sports bar, with a lot of TVs, a pool table and dart board. On weekend nights there is jukebox, and sometimes DJ or karaoke.

The quality of beers they have on tap is always great, ranging from Belgian to US craft brew from all over.

The selection for take-out is great too as previously mentioned. some of the rarer special release bombers and 750ml bottles are a little too pricey for me, but i'm probably not the only one, as some seem to sit for awhile. I more enjoy being able to try single 12oz bottles from some of the quality out-of-state breweries (like bells, founders, great divide, dark horse, etc) that they have carried.

the food is standard pub food, the cheese fries are a favorite late night snack

08-16-2010 18:32:08 | More by jmdrpi

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +7%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

This is a completely dichotomous place. It struck me as a cross between a sports bar (8 monitors), a neighborhood hang-out (2 pool tables and a large crowd watching the play), and at base, the end of a strip mall that could be anything, but thankfully, it is a good beer bar. Their motto, "Come. Sit. Stay." is either meant for the submissive set or the canine at heart.

They have three real claims to fame, as far as I could tell. The first is their bank of upright coolers for take-away beer, and especially the first two doors, where they have a lot of marvelous singles. The owner told me that he is not out to gouge people on singles and thusly charges the cost of a six-pack, divided by six. Fair dinkum, since I've been in some PA bottle/single places where they make their living by making you pay dearly for the privilege of buying something less than a sixer or a case. I was also told that once the renovations next door (the demolition of a Rite Aid) are complete, they will be expanding to nine (9) cooler "doors". The second is their array of ~ twenty (20) taps, which runs the gamut from BMC to locals like Troegs, LNCBC, and Legacy, who makes the house Wit, to Belgians, like Lindeman's. They have a hand pump and, on the night that I visited, a firkin of LNCBC A4G sitting on the bar under gravity-pour! Wow! I cannot remember the last time that I had A4G on cask at LNCBC, but there it was at this local place. The third is their extensive menu, which looked great, but since I had eaten prior to arrival, I wasn't in the mood for more food.

The Mens' and Ladies' rooms are all of the way aft on the left hand side. I always like to know where the are ahead of time to save a litle time, should the need arise. Clean and well-maintained, which is a plus.

Finally, The Idiot Test: Would I bring Mom? Nope. The menu would not be enough to sustain her and the atmosphere just wasn't all that pleasant.

06-03-2006 12:05:01 | More by woodychandler

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +6.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3 | $$

I have worked in the Lansdale area for a few years now and this place a definitely a diamond in the rough. The bottle shop in and of itself is worth a visit with an excellent selection of chilled and room temperature bottles at reasonable prices (for PA).

The draft selections are usually excellent and rotated constantly. My only gripe is that everything is served insanely cold so if you're ordering a big stout I'd order a 2nd beer of a different style just to allow the stout to warm.

The food has seemed to have improved slightly in the past few months. I know they brought on a new chef and he seems to be experimenting with a lot of game animals which is cool but it might be jumping the shark a bit. I usually get the grilled cheese with tomato and bacon (yum).

The staff is friendly and efficient. Courtney is super knowledgeable about what's on draft and what's pouring nicely and I would definitely throw any of your beer-related questions her way.

All in all, the Blue Dog stands out in Lansdale as a really nice drinking establishment with a fantastic selection. I'd look to get onto Chris' mailing list so you can stay abreast of what's new in the bottle shop. Highly recommended.

11-26-2011 14:29:25 | More by hippityhops85