Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub (Portland)

7/3/2008 7:06:15 PM, thursday, july 03, 2008
An obvious place to go should you have the good fortune to find yourself in Portland, ME. There’s a nice friendly atmosphere in the place, although I wouldn’t say I felt completely at home the first time I went in there, second time around I sat at the bar and the barman was very talkative and friendly. The Gritty beers are definitely worth trying, although some are better than others they’re all worth a try. The Long Winter ESB was my personal favourite. The prices are reasonable in Gritty’s for both food and drink, the food menu was a good quality standard fare, as I remember (I’d had a few when I ate in there).

6/8/2008 3:31:40 PM, sunday, june 08, 2008
I really liked the interior of the place. Brick everywhere, nice bar area, and just a decent place to grab a quick drink. Only Gritty’s beers available, but they did have a couple casks including a smoked brown ale that was definitely above average. Service was good, food looked pretty good as well. Pretty solid stop in Old Port.

5/4/2008 4:54:11 PM, sunday, may 04, 2008
Pretty average pub. Visited on a damp cold Saturday. Place was fairly crowded. Service was average. Didn’t sample any food. Just had a couple pints before going to dinner elsewhere. Limited amount of brews available ( 4 or 5 ). I wanted to try their Scottish Ale, but apparently it’s a winter seasonal.

10/1/2007 4:09:46 PM, monday, october 01, 2007
Went to this place twice, once at night at the bar downstairs. Nice friendly atmosphere, great service. The second time was for lunch in the maine dining area, the food was your usual pub fare. The service was also freindly. I would go back with pleasure.

7/12/2007 3:15:11 PM, thursday, july 12, 2007
Visité deux fois, une pour boire et l’autre pour diner. Le service est très bien, la nouriture est assez bonne et leur bières sont bonnes mais rien extraodinaire. Le pub a deux section qui sont conecté, le pub principal par la rue Fore (à côté de la boutique) et un plus petit bar (et plus intime) en bas, par le rue Wharf, avec un petit terrasse.

4/17/2007 5:48:45 PM, tuesday, april 17, 2007
One of the many stops on a Portland beer bar/brew pub tour. Only three beers were on tap that were made there? The other two were from Sebago Brewing Co. The Black Fly Stout was awsome, just what I look for in a Stout, Yum! The other two offerings had a fair amount of Diacetyl to the aroma and flavor. The service was nothing special. It had been ten years since I stopped in here and I had the Chili then too, which was not bad. The corn bread that was given with it had not changed either, hard as a rock. Basically all the beers offered here are simple session beers and nothing stands out at all. The curious all Stainless Steel bathroom was interesting though. If you happen to be walking by, it’s worth a stop.

7/24/2006 5:49:52 PM, monday, july 24, 2006
This is a great pub to come and enjoy some beers with friends in Portland! Nice wooden appearance and overall enjoyable atmosphere. I must say, in the summer months, I prefer the Freeport pub for its decks and outdoor service.

4/5/2006 7:39:44 PM, wednesday, april 05, 2006
Great Food. You can only get Gritty beer so you have to be in the mood for that. The chili is amazing, the location is great, the beer is great, and the brew shop nextdoor lets you pick up your beer to go after you eat.

1/15/2006 1:05:35 PM, sunday, january 15, 2006 [ Updated sunday, january 15, 2006 ]
Good place to grab good beer in Portland. I went there on a Saturday afternoon and snagged a black fly stout, which is deffinitely much better on tap, and some decent bar-fare food. Gritty’s is probably one of my favorite, if not my favorite Maine brewer and I buy and consume more of theirs’ than others’.... But this was a nice little brewpub/restaurant, though I haven’t been to the basement part (but I’ve heard that’s nice too). Friendly service and nice atmosphere, unlike some brewpubs.

11/7/2005 9:37:46 AM, monday, november 07, 2005 [ Updated sunday, july 16, 2006 ]
Got there before they opened on Saturday morning for lunch and waited on the curb. Quite a line had formed by the time we got in! Cozy atmosphere I actually really liked the long tables and open spaces. Big flatscreen is unobtrusive. Ordered the pulled pork sandwich. The pork was delicious but the straight from the bottle bbq sauce on the side was surprising. Beans were mediocre, coleslaw was delicious. Gritty Chips were intriguing but the sweet potatoe fries are the better choice. The beers were all disappointing frankly. A couple were clearly a bit oxidised/old. The Halloween Ale clearly did not benefit from being on Nitro - especially when the waitress kept telling people that it was "like a stout". Service was quick and friendly and easy on the eyes, but all of them had an air of apathy about them that I only just now realised is probably a sign that they had had a big friday night and were tired/hungover. Lol. Overall, I really liked the place and the food was adequate if not mind blowing, but when the beer is just decent, you better make sure its in good shape if you want repeat visits.