November 29, 2009
Wow definitely the coolest looking place I have ever had a beer at. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the beer. They had a pale ale, oatmeal stout, trippel, doppelbock, wheat and a dunkel on tap. Food was excellent, though a tad on the pricey side. An awesome atmosphere, decent beer, good service = an awesome place that I will be returning to.

November 21, 2009
Church Brew Works continues to excel at both brewing beer and food. I was back recently to try their Oktoberfest. While it was good I was a little disappointed in its lack of a “kick”. It seemed a little mild for an Oktoberfest. But their standards remain very good. Their stout is very tasty and the Pious Monk Dunkel remains one of my favorite brews anywhere. The food has always been excellent. Everything from simple burgers and fries or pizza to the more upscale meals are always tasty. Of all the brewpubs to go under recently in the ‘Burg area, I’m glad this one has remained. Let’s hope it continues. We need more local brewpubs to contrast the blandness of the chains.

November 18, 2009
Second stop on the super ultimate OSU vs. Penn State slash beer adventure weekend. Let’s face it, this place might be the coolest place you’ve ever seen. An actual church with the brewing equipment at the altar? Nice. Place is jumping on a Friday night, but it’s huge and we had to wait longer for a parking spot than a table. I had heard the food is good and the beer isn’t so much, but their beers weren’t bad. They had a few that weren’t my style, but were respectable and some others that were tasty. I really liked the Pipe Organ Pale Ale and am still kicking myself for not buying any Thunderhop DIPA to bring back. Food was as good as advertised. The mushroom ravioli was fantastic and the buffalo meatloaf my friend ordered was tasty (minus the sauce they put on top). Service was spot on the whole time and made for a completely satisfying dining experience.

November 8, 2009
I’ve been to the CBW on many occasions, and have been generally pleased with the outcome of the experience on each. The ambiance and environment of the place are spectacular. Set in a turn-of-the-century church that has been retrofitted to be a brewpub, it is a near spiritual experience to sit and eat and drink here. In general, the place still retains the smell of being a church. The food contains a variety of variations of the Eastern European cum Pittsburgh classic pierogies. Each incarnation is good. The pizza is good and a good value, as well. Entrees tend to be more complex than most beer bars, but remain reasonably priced and generally competently prepared. CBW has four beers that are year-round standards, with only Blast Furnace Stout being anything to get excited about. Occasionally, they will have a special or seasonal beer that captures interest, but they are generally not extremely brewed or formulated. Coming here is really more about the experience itself than drinking anything that is going to be transcendent. Still, very much worth a try.

October 16, 2009
This place could be so cool if they worked harder on making good beer and less on appealing to the masses. Although I understand you have to stay in business so that probably explains how all their beer tastes the same excepting a few which leaves the average person walking out with a feeling that they tried some "great" microbrews." The bartender we had was rude and condescending and had terrible customer service. The food is really good. The strength of this place is how cool the building is. For this reason alone it is worth the trip at least one time. I loved the architecture and how much of the original stuff is there. The food is quite tasty, but as I said, the beer is lacking. Sampler tray is expensive, but they are big samples so worth it.

July 31, 2009
Ah, Church Brew Works. Very interesting/good/controversial setting to have a beer. You need to talk loud inside as your voice gets lost in the big church. The bar area is shaped strangely and often times you find yourself in a awkward nook or talking around a church pillar. Outside has a really nice courtyard area with flags hanging down (don’t ask the waitresses and waiters where they are from, they don’t know). Bathrooms are neat. Food is good, way over priced though. Beer is Not Good. I have not had a beer there that leaves me wanting more, which appears on par with other comments. Definiately worth a trip or two. -Sincerely

July 21, 2009
This is one of the coolest Brewpubs you may ever step foot. The beer is’nt too bad either.

July 12, 2009
I feel like I missed out if I go to Pittsburgh and miss a trip to Church. The food is good (if pricy - I’d call it fair value) and the service is usually great. I find the beer pretty reliably good - especially if you can get the cask-conditioned ale, which they don’t always advertise.

June 7, 2009 [ Updated August 21, 2009 ]
you can buy mixed cases of the brew. how freakin cool is that! BEAUTIFUL place it is a brewery set up in a church. clean and well taken care of... of AND the beers are interesting. the value is there as is just about everywhere in beautiful Pittsburgh PA. A must see! good and friendly service and the place gives off a feel like a four star restaurant. brews are defined on different chalkboards suspended about.

May 29, 2009
This place was pretty freakin’ cool. I don’t think I need to say much about atmosphere. By now, everyone knows that it’s the main reason this is such a destination. The waitstaff was super-friendly, the food delicious, and the beer decent. I thought the prices were fair. The bottles to go seemed a little expensive.