Dillon Dam Brewery

bditty187

Nebraska

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$$

Not sure why it took so many visits before I reviewed this place.

Upon walking in the first thing that strikes me is how similar this looks to a million other brewpubs. The U-shaped bar sits right as you enter, dining areas on both sides, stairs to the left, as well as the brewing equipment. Bathrooms just past the bar on the left as well. TV placed throughout the bar area... you've been here, I'm sure. I am not knocking it, just saying.

The beer list is standard, solid, with safe seasonal offerings (on all but one of my visits). On the latest stop they were out of three beers. I opted for the EPA and it was as average as I recalled. Not bad, just average. We stop at Dillon Dam Brewery because of its location and we like the food. Good burgers, French Dip... you know, solid "upscale" pub grub stuff. No complaints about the food. Just a note... the veggie burger is very good here!

Service... well, generally it is okay. Maybe a tad slow but we've never had any real issues.

Prices, maybe a tad high; prices for their gear are moronically high. Pass.

There really isn't much to say about Dillon Dam Brewery... clean, warm, friendly brewpub with good food and safe beer options. It is a worth wise stop while traveling on I-70.

01-12-2011 18:17:29 | More by bditty187

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.69/5  rDev -5.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4 | $$

neat place not too far off of i70. the place is pretty big, with a huge bar and and sprawling dining room. maybe 8 beers on, and the three I had were all B to B+ quality. service was a little indifferent, but wasn't slow or mean or anything. lots of windows so it was bright and sunny and warm in there, very comfortable. menu was impressive for lunch, and everything coming out looked great. the French onion soup was a hit, and the salad dressings were also homemade and yummy. things were fresh and fast, and the prices were fair. a place I would definitely stop in at again. I wish they bottles some other of their beers though. I think they few that they do are not a good illustration of the quality level they are capable of. don't write them off after a bottle of the extra pale, go in and have a fresh on, its a class better.

03-13-2013 16:03:00 | More by StonedTrippin

bradybeer

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

Stop #6

As you head west on Interstate 70 you will eventually run into the ski areas such as Dillon, Frisco, etc.

Located in Dillon not far off of 70 is Dillon Dam Brewing. You can’t miss the extra large green grain silo that marks the brewpub. Let’s face it this is a ski town, though it doesn’t do much for me, the aesthetic is nice. Walking into the brewpub the bar is located directly in front of the door, with seating around the bar. We opted for the patio. We didn’t try a sampler but did have a pint of the ESB and the Pils. We enjoyed both beers as we thought they were on style. By this time we were hungry and split a chopped Greek Salad and a Bison burger-both of which were very good. Service was good.

If you do visit this brewery take the very short self-guided tour of the brewery. Walk up the stairs near the entrance and follow the signage. It is a nice change of pace to get a eagle eye view of a brewery.

07-18-2012 21:20:37 | More by bradybeer

syrupjoe

Minnesota

4.3/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Came here for the first time while staying in the area. Hadn't heard much about it so I figured it was somewhat of a shot in the dark. Very cool building from the outside, with the grain silo (unsure whether it's active or not) a clear indicator that it's a brewery. The inside is laid out such that you can very easily pull up to the bar for a pint or grab a table and enjoy some food. Great atmosphere - very fast-paced and fun, definitely a family-friendly place. I was pleasantly surprised at how un-touristy it was. Pretty decent beer - the Pale Ale is to die for. George runs a great place and has great people working for him. All of the servers I interacted with were very knowledgeable. Will definitely be coming back here!

08-31-2011 05:02:45 | More by syrupjoe

StLThrash

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $

Went there this past Friday after a great day of skiing at Copper Mountain. Nice, big, round bar with several tables to the left of the bar and a seating / restaurant area to the right and also an upstairs with more restaurant seating.

The place was absolutely packed. We got there before 5:00 on a Friday and it was already jam-packed. By the time we left at 8:00 there was a line out the door and a wait. We cozied up to a great spot at the bar right next to the tap.

Lots of TV's around the bar to get your sports fix on - that night just happened to be NCAA Basketball.

On to the beer: My buddy and I tried almost all of them. Sweet George's Brown Ale, Extra Pale Ale, Dam Straight Lager, McLuhr's Irish Stout, Porter, Wildernest Wheat and their specialty Neapolitan Porter. I'll review beers separately, but they were all good. My favorites were the EPA, the Brown and the Neapolitan. My only complaint is that they didn't have an IPA as a 'regular'. Manager said they have it throughout the year sometimes. Their EPA was very hoppy and reminiscent of an IPA, but that was my only complaint here. Good selection of beers on tap.

Food: Had wings as an appetizer and they were great. I'm a wing guy and this place had some good wings. 2 good sauces (ranch and bleu cheese) to dip in. Served with celery and carrots. For an entree I had the chicken fried chicken which was fabulous. My buddy had the prime rib which again was great.

If in the area - you have to check it out. During happy hour, they had $2.50 pints! Cheap and good beers, great food, great service, and BONUS! 15% off for homebrewers. The place to go in Summit County!

03-13-2011 14:23:40 | More by StLThrash

MilwaukeeCrusher

Wisconsin

3.56/5  rDev -8.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I stopped here for a pint or two heading back from Vail to Denver. Modern place that has the feel of an Appleby's. Beer was standard issue and nothing challenging, but then again that seems to be the targeted demographic here. Food looked good but was in too much of a hurry to try. Seemed like the typical mall/big box type brewpub and will likely not go back again. Still if one was on vacation in this area and wanted to go out and have a few crafted beers without going elsewhere, this would be a solid choice.

01-08-2011 22:15:48 | More by MilwaukeeCrusher

Rayek

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I was here for an early lunch on what turned out to be the first Saturday of the college football season. Because they had four different games on the TVs, the place was quite full.

Dillon Dam is near a bunch of ski areas, and the brewpub follows through with a scaled down ski lodge feel that fits the area well. Inside is lots of pale wood. The bar sits in the middle surrounded by TVs showing sports. It's flanked by two areas of free standing tables. A u-shaped balcony is upstairs and looks into the bar area. It has additional wood tables and chairs. By the exit is a large cooler filled with the brewery's beers for sale in six-packs, bombers and mini-kegs. They also sell filled growlers for $12 or will refill yours for $8.00, which is a pretty moderate price for a mountain town. The brewing equipment can be seen behind windows at the far side of the building.

On my visit, there were six year-round and three seasonal beers on tap. I had the Black Weiss, which I enjoyed. The food consists of the typical mixed pub fare of burgers, wraps and salads, plus a some traditional dinner entrees. On Saturday and Sunday they serve brunch. Food prices are reasonable and the serving sizes border on excessive. I had a hummus plate that was quite nice.

Service was good and laid back. My waiter was quite knowledgeable and the food arrived very quickly.

Next time I'm in Dillon, I will be back here.

09-06-2010 19:20:37 | More by Rayek

hardy008

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +7.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

I found this place off of I-70 in Dillon Colorado. Close to a hotel my family was staying at. Both the food and the beer prices are very reasonable.

They have a nice selection of beers, including the Sweet George's Brown which I had last summer. I just now found the notes I took. Notes or not, the place is unforgettable.

The menu is very good. They have an outstanding Seafood Chowder, and the Pan-Asian Salmon was also very good.

It was the perfect place to go while on vacation. It is a very laid back and fun place to be. Highly recommended.

03-22-2009 19:59:20 | More by hardy008

Billolick

New York

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

Just of the highway in ski town Dillon, this is a western themed multi leveled place. U shaped bar dominates the ground level. Typical sand wedges, burgers, tex-mex type food offerings, they brew about ½ dozen of there own beers. The pale ale I had was decent if unspectacular. Friendly enough crowd that seemed to be a mix of locals and visiting skiers. The staff seemed a bit on the sleepy side, but maybe that's just the New Yorker in me speaking. Not a bad place for a respectable brew or two and a bite to eat after skiing.

03-02-2009 14:39:08 | More by Billolick

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in here for a late lunch on 6 Feb 2009.

Dining area was about 2/3 full, seemed like a decent crowd for the time (~2pm). Service was good but a little on the slow side. Most tables seemed to be drinking beer, which is a good thing. I've been in far too many places like this where only a few people are drinking beer.

Menu was typical pub fare. I ordered the onion soup and the sampler (pils, lager, brown, pale ale, bock and stout) while my buddy ordered the chowder and a Sweet George's Brown. The onion soup was quite good, oniony and cheesy. The chowder smelled a little fishy to me, turns out it was fish chowder, not clam. My pal said it was good.

Price out the door was about $23, not too bad for two.

02-15-2009 06:24:44 | More by htomsirveaux