Downtown Grill & Brewery

Photekut

Azerbaijan

3.25/5  rDev -14%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $

This used to be the place I hung out on Friday nights before the kid was born.

Looks like some things have changed since then.

The porter used to be my favorite beer, it seems to have lost a lot of its bite. Now I like the IPA, but it is nothing special. ( I hear a newer brewer too? )

I joined the mug club about 2 years ago which was really cool. You got a large mug fill for $2 during happy hour. That is still a good deal.

Last time I was there, however, the service was pretty crappy. The bartender was too good to get my mug and took forever to get my beer. After that the mug went empty a few time and had to flag people down.

I recommend not sitting at or near the bar if you want any service at all because they are too good for you.

Not sure how often I will be going back.

The food is very good though here. I would come here to eat and have a beer anymore instead of just to kick back and have a few.

10-13-2008 00:11:04 | More by Photekut

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $

Went to the Downtown Grill and Brewery w/ some co-workers for some late dinner/beer on a Saturday night. The place was jam packed- mostly w/ college age kids, but the atmosphere was pretty good. That is, until the band started to play. Even though we were on the second floor halfway back- it was almost impossible to carry on a conversation it was so loud. That was a major drag. I tried 3 of their beers, the nut brown, the stout and the IPA. All were decent, but not great. I imagine the average person who just wanted a beer would have no problem w/ these beers. The stout was probably my favorite of the 3. Service was good, as was the food. It was a very reasonable priced place as well, which was nice. Overall this was an average place that would've been much nicer if the band had turned down from 11. I've also tried to not let the noise influence my ratings.

03-20-2011 13:33:01 | More by jayhawk73

KYBrewgrass

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

My wife and I stopped here back in October 2010 for a quick drink as we were passing through town that evening. The place was packed!! We were lucky to find a corner at the bar (not a stool available anywhere!). It was a Friday night with pleasant weather so I see why people were out.

The bartender that served us was really friendly and helpful. He made his recommendations and we followed. I enjoyed their nut brown so much that we actually decided to get a growler filled with it to take with us on our way out of town. He offered to put it in their fridge behind the bar for us until we left, which he didn't have to do. My wife enjoyed a pint of the White Mule pale ale and I remember it being quite refreshing.

This place was popping for a reason that night. I'd like to go back for a meal sometime if I'm ever in Knoxville again.

03-14-2011 17:42:33 | More by KYBrewgrass

beersensei305

Florida

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$

The atmosphere here is pretty amazing. This is a huge two leve establishment with pool tables in the back, and old english style bar in the middle, which huge coper tanks to 'brew beer in.' There was a band playing the night I was there. The quality of everything was great even the service, except the bartenders- all the beer was sold out they had a couple brews available but the were pretty nasty. Jack Daniels is what I had that night. The server we had, was also a veggietraian so it made it tough to order things from him. Other than that the food was good and prcied reasonably. If your ever in downtown Knoxsville, check it out.

01-25-2011 23:00:16 | More by beersensei305

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.26/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | $

Convenient in downtown Knoxville, in the Market Square area. We went on a Tuesday night, and all drafts were $1.50(!). Too bad the beer wasn't more to my liking, but the price was right.

This is a huge establishment, 2 floors with a bar on each one, seating for hundreds, mostly tables but also plenty of bar stools. Several copper tanks provide ambiance, otherwise a little wood and just generally huge rooms. Pool tables upstairs but the place was packed so no dice on using them.

I didn't order food so I can't rate that, but the beer itself was mediocre. I tried the IPA but it was a bitter mess with no redeeming flavors, then went to the alt which was better but nothing to write home about. Oh well, it was cheap.

10-07-2010 21:32:16 | More by TurdFurgison

Schwarzwald

Tennessee

3.33/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Downtown Grill & Brewery is a great place to stop for food and drink. They have a lot of their own beers on tap and many are quite good; however, every time I drink one of their beers, I get a killer headache. Not sure if it something in their process or their beer lines, but it is not good! They have a lot of bottle import and domestic options so maybe stick with one of those. Not sure what the issue is, maybe it's just me. Anyway, well worth the trip and visit. The food has always been very good!

07-22-2010 13:35:04 | More by Schwarzwald

frazbri

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $

I came across Downtown Grill and Brewery as I wandered through Knoxville. I really liked the exterior of the brewpub, it was like taking a step into the past.

The centerpiece of the interior is the large boxed bar in the middle of the room. Tables circled the lower level, and a balcony surrounded the bar from above. Very cool.

Downtown featured about seven beers on tap. They were the brewpub essentials; a good range of beer, but nothing too wild. I liked the stout very well.

The food menu featured pub classics. Sandwiches, salads, and pizza were served along with pasta, burritos and fajitas. I ordered chicken tenders, and I got a lot of tasty food for a very reasonable price.

Service was mixed. The place was hammered, so I can't be too critical. One bartender was super, and the other was super with the couple next to me.

Really cool place, and I got a super good deal.

02-20-2010 02:41:55 | More by frazbri

Rchap1

Tennessee

4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Came in with 9 other folks, and the awesome staff gave us $1.50 pints for the night! Baddass. The restaurant is nice and open, two full levels with an upstairs bar and a downstairs bar. We never made it upstairs, but stayed in the restaurant portion downstairs. Food-wise, the offerings were pretty standard and what you'd expect from a brewery/restaurant, burgers, pastas, some salads, etc. I had some kind of pasta with diced fried chicken in it, which was pretty tasty. Their beers are nothing spectacular, but for $1.50 pints I wasn't complaining. Had mostly stout for the night, pretty straightforward, and their alt was good as well. Overall, not a bad choice if you have a night in downtown Knoxville.

01-09-2010 03:43:22 | More by Rchap1

soupermirl

Mississippi

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

Cool place, great open air in front, under awning. Inside was cool also. Upstairs, downstairs, wrap around bar, brewing equipment for all to see. Nice. Service was good, selection was decent, food was average, beer was decent. I had the sampler. Very good portions in the sampler glasses. The Blond was more tasty than most brewpub blonds I've had, but the other beers were nothing special. Good, but not great. The IPA was good, but more like a regular Pale Ale. The stout was a solid stout but was missing that usual stout, stout. The flavor was lacking a bit. The porter was good, solid and tasty. The bits of coffee and somewhere in there I could just taste a bit of chocolate. The brown was just decent. Very drinkable, but nothing special. The Alt was o.k. and a white ale I think... You can check the site or here at beer advocate for the selection, but it wasn't memorable. It would be a good place to hang and have a few pints, lots of people, lots of beers. Decent food. Great atmosphere. I'd go again when in Knoxville. It's worth a visit.

06-27-2009 00:29:45 | More by soupermirl

bluegrassbrew

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in to this place for some lunch and brews with three friends. The place itself is cool. Old building with a purposefully historic feel to it. Brewing equiptment was visible in the back but did not seem to be in use, more for show. My friends and I decided to get the beer sampler and try everything they had. Great value. I think is was like $8 for 7 generous sample glasses. The beers themselves were not impressive overall. The IPA was decent, the porter was solid and the alt was pretty tasty. The others though, not so much. As for the food, I ordered the lunch special which was bratwurst cooked with their ipa with saurkraut and german mashed potatoes. Very tasty. Everyone at my table seemed to enjoy what they ordered as well. This place is worth a visit if you are in the area. Atmosphere and location are really good. Food is tasty and beer is average but not bad.

06-18-2009 22:12:17 | More by bluegrassbrew