Elysian Brewing Company

sleazo

New York

3.94/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Situated in a bit of a hipster part of town, this Elysian Fields operation offers a typical brewpub atmosphere. By that I mean semi industrial with some mash tuns in the corner. It happened to be one of the hottest days on record so the windows were all open and the fans were blaring. So it gave the place a tropical sort of feel in the Pac NW. No knock on it for that, it usually isnt this hot.

As this is in a hipster part of town, many of the patrons and servers were hipsters.

I had a few beers while here, a Wise on cask and a Pale ale and Sour collaborations with New Belgium. All the beers seemed fresh though the cask was a bit too warm(can't fault them on that what with the weather) . There were the other typical Elysian beers on tap as well as a few seasonals and one offs.

The bartender I had was pretty attentive. He set me up and refilled all patrons waters due to the heat and gave me a few samples as I decided what I wanted.

Two beers were $9.50 so that was reasonable enough.

Within walking distance of downtown, this location of Elysian is worth the trip. Their beers are all above average and the laid back feel is good for most BAs.

07-29-2009 05:22:04 | More by sleazo

astout

British Columbia (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Stopped in here for awhile before a Mariners game and I was very impressed by the variety of their beers on tap (I only concerned myself with Elysian since that is why i go to a brew pub). They also had to they were pouring from cask which was a fantastic bonus, alongside the probably 15 they had on tap. Made for a huge assortment and with everyone I was with getting a couple different beers we were able to taste quite a few, all reasonably good, with the cask pale being my personal favourite. The service was good, prompt, friendly and knowledgeable. The food was decent, only had an hummus pita platter thing that we shared but it was fine, not sure about the rest. Atmosphere was great for pre-game drinking, noisy reasonably busy and upbeat. Maybe not the best place to go for a quiet night, or to really get in to the beer, but a great casual place with awesome beer. For my money it also blew away the Pyramid brewery (at least in terms of a pre-game stop off point), I'd like to revisit either one at a slightly slower time.

If your in the area check it out it is definitely worth the stop.

06-25-2009 05:47:26 | More by astout

snaotheus

Washington

3.94/5  rDev -3.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$$

Went with about a dozen people. Everything seemed good, basically, except that it was too crowded and noisy. The beers were good, the server was attentive and knowledgable about the beers on tap. She handled our fairly large group very well.

There was a good selection of Elysian's brews -- in fact, I got to do a side-by-side tasting of their Prometheus IPA with their Cask Prometheus IPA. Very interesting.

The food looked fine, although I didn't try anything other than a couple of sweet potato fries (which were fine).

I'd definitely go back.

06-03-2009 13:50:22 | More by snaotheus

brdc

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -14.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Nice looking place, relatively easy to walk from downtown, with the usual appearance of a brewpub, with the tuns, bar, and tables. Good looking, but certainly nothing special.
A decent food selection, well done but nothing spectacular.
Decent selection of their own beers, mediocre selection if you are looking for something else. A nice number of their own beers covering most major styles, plus one on cask.
Decent service, some of them more knowledgeable than others.
Solid brewpub, easy to reach from downtown makes it worth a visit.

05-04-2009 02:54:25 | More by brdc

bigkingken

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

The building is pretty standard. The interior boasts a rather large bar protruding from a centralized kitchen. Tables extend from the entrance, along the opposite wall of the bar, to the opposite end of the building and on multiple levels. The lighting is low, the mood casual, the décor unassuming. It is a very nice place, but nothing that sets it apart from the other 100 brewpubs I've been to.

The menu is not very extensive but it is eclectic. There is something here for everyone, and they use their beer in many dishes.

The dishes are upscale versions of pub classics, and seem to be done quite well. I enjoyed a reuben with a twist - added sautéed mushrooms to the regular fare. Besides the bottom bread being soggy, which means it was probably sitting around for a while, it was very tasty.

The star of the meal, however, was the sweet potato fries. They were some of the best I've ever had, and I've had a ton. No dessert offerings knocks the score down a couple digits.

The beer selection is fantastic and extensive. Besides their standard six ales that you can find in bottles, the brewpub offers six to eight seasonal, pub-only brews that are imaginative and daring. My favorites were the Irish Stout and the Jasmine IPA. The latter had all the floral goodness of hops with the addition of some herbage that just took it over the edge.

The place was busy, but that does not excuse the terrible service. It took at least 10 minutes for our server to show up once we were sat. It then took about an hour for our food to come out. Apparently the food runner took our grub to the wrong table who gobbled it up even though it wasn't what they ordered. At least that's the excuse they gave us.

04-01-2009 18:13:36 | More by bigkingken

Trailmix242

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Visited Elysian on Capitol Hill as part of a long weekend of brewery and bar hopping around Seattle with Bostonjord. Of the entire weekend this was the place that provided the best service. Got a sampler that I guess was supposed to be predetermined but the bartender just had me pick what I wanted to try instead. He also gave two full tasters to Bostonjord so he could make up his mind what pint he wanted. I was also given two additional tasters of items I had not picked out which was just bonus. They had a couple of interesting beers on tap that are from a collaboration with New Belgium and I found most of their standard brews to be high quality. The food was good with a small but good selection. Shared a plate of their version of Steak Frites, flank steak over fries with a blue cheese sauce that was ridiculous. Would definitely frequent this place again.

01-21-2009 21:02:09 | More by Trailmix242

RoryGilmore

Washington

4.55/5  rDev +11%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Capitol Hill is easily my favorite of the three Elysian locations and overall my favorite brewpub in town. It's a fairly big place, but not too huge to feel cavernous. The decor is somewhat industrial, but there are plenty of warm wood tones and eclectic touches to make the atmosphere a perfect place to enjoy a beer.

The quality of the beer has never been in question. The brew you'll get will be exactly how the brewer intended it to be. One minor issue is that the serving temperature seems to be on the cold side, but that is a minor inconvenience.

In my 30 or so visits, I've never had a bad experience with service. The servers usually have basic knowledge of the beer they're serving, and are most of the time are prompt and attentive. Don't expect chain restaurant-type fake smiles and forced enthusiasm - you won't get that here. Fortunately, you'll avoid the "I'm too busy thinking about how cool I am to refill your water" service that is common of the neighborhood. Service hits the happy medium of being good without being annoyingly fake.

With 16 or so taps, usually a cask offering, and a guest tap there is always plenty to chose from. There is also a nice bottle list, which comes in handy if you're feeling like it's Belgian night instead of a Dragonstooth night.

Food goes the above-average pub grub route. Usually there is 3 or 4 vegetarian options, and the wedge fries are some of the best in Seattle. Some dishes, especially the ones that involve steak, can be on the small size. Stick with something that comes with fries if you're ravenous or a big eater.

10-30-2008 19:20:49 | More by RoryGilmore

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

We only had about 2 days in Seattle, so obviously we couldn't do every bar, brewpub and store. But I had my heart set on Elysian, and picked my B&B because it wasn't too far away. We had a full day of walking - including an impromptu visit of the grave of the coolest man who ever lived, or at least tied with Johnny Cash - so we were ready to sit down and have a good meal. It didn't disappoint, our plates were tasty, and the portions huge. Too large in fact. After only 2 pints and those thousands of calories, I was too full to have another drop. It was unfortunate, because the Beers I chose, who weren't the chart-toppers that I heard so much about (they weren't on tap) were excellent, and there were still a few more I would have liked to try, but it just wasn't in the cards. The atmosphere was cool; the old, historic building was gorgeous, décor was a bit worn but fun. It would have been nice to snag bar seats, but there weren't too many available, so we had more of an intimate dinner in the quieter section next to the brewhouse. I learned a hard lesson: if you're planning on drinking a bit, don't use up all of your stomach space for food.

10-28-2008 11:52:25 | More by Goldorak

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Corner of 13th and Pike up Cap Hill. Bank of America across the street where I usually park. Chop Suey across the street as well. Walking in you see the bar ahead of you and to the right. You can also see the tanks at the back. Seating around bar is very easy. Seating along the glass windown that face out to Pike St on the Right and some seating to the left. TVs around. Staff is urbanite staff. Not overly friendly just there to do a job and get the check. Beer selection is good. Usually have the largest selection of Elysian brews since it is the mothership. Had one or two cask beers on with normal taps(Dragoonstooth,Perseus,Immortal and so on) Has bottles to go but never filled a growler(not sure if you can). Food was pretty good pub grub. Always one of my favorite spots in Seattle.

10-15-2008 21:47:56 | More by barleywinefiend

GJ40

North Carolina

4.36/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I stopped in on a business trip to Seattle. It got my attention after trying their Immortal IPA while visiting Portland.

The pub is great. It's my favorite in Seattle. I find it a lot like the brewery pubs in Portland like Rogue, Deschutes, Bridgeport & Widmer Brothers. Seattle could use a few more.

The interior is very comfortable and authentic. The large bar is a solid slab of wood and there are massive wooden beams (uprights and crossbeams) and an exposed wooden slat roof. It's a brewery in a natural setting presenting their beer without trying to do too much more.

Their Immortal IPA is outstanding and The Wise ESB gives a nice Northwest twist on this traditional English style. They also offer a stout, a couple of other IPAs, a porter and several others including a cask. On one of my earlier visits they even had Russian River's Pliny the Elder as a guest tap which I started with. The bartender was very helpful as well.

Elysian is as good as it gets for fresh beer in Seattle. Check it out.

08-26-2008 04:03:36 | More by GJ40