Latest reviews from Frankenmuth

“I was in frankenmuth to visit bronner's christmas wonderland at request of my wife. So, I thought we'd check out this place. First let me tell you that the city of Frankenmuth is a tourist trap destination and the town itself was packed, so be it with this place as well. I wanted to walk out but wifey persuaded me to stay since we spent so much time finding a parking space. So, we waited for a half hour to get seated and then we were placed at the bar squashed in between other dudes. The seating help had no empathy for the people who had to wait, they were very matter of fact and did not care. However, the service was fast once seated and they had a large selection of brews. The food was over priced and many of the beers had the same flavor even tho they had different names. They advertise themselves as the oldest brewpub in america, but I don't think that's true. The place was very large inside and either its built to look like an old place or perhaps they redid an older building. Pretty much a hipster place and the parking was difficult as it is anyplace in the city. One bright spot was their berleiner weiss, not bad. If it wasn't so crowded, I think my experience would have fared better. I had a few drafts but they did have flights of 4 small 3oz glasses for 12$. They also did have bottled cases of their beers for $30 each.“

cheap 2392 days ago

“A large brewery/taproom/brewpub in downtown Frankenmuth. A dark wood interior with a large bar, TBs throughout and plenty of seating. Also a nice outdoor area overlooking the river. Service was decent. Seemed like 16ish taps with flights of 4 available. Food was pretty good and prices weren't bad. A decent spot.“

deyholla 2427 days ago

“Nice little basement liquor store with a decent selection of beers, liquors and wine. Very clean, well lit with a nice friendly staff. Would go back when in Frakenmuth, but probably wouldn’t go out of my way just for a visit.“

Bulk_Carrier 2728 days ago

“Only reviewing this for lack of reviews on here, though I’ve been here a ton of times in life while I lived in Michigan. Beer selection does leave a bit to be desired but just like the guy below me, yes, don’t go here during the Christmas season, you’re just asking for it.“

Bulk_Carrier 2728 days ago

“Another place worth visiting in Frankenmuth. Good service, not just their beers but some macro and BMC-ish stuff for non-craft drinkers. Decent liquor bar for non-beer drinkers along with the wine. I never had bad service in here. Always clean, if I lived closer, probably could go back.“

Bulk_Carrier 2728 days ago

“Reviewed from notes. When I was married and visiting this part of Michigan, my then wife and I would go to Zehnder’s and get our fill of fried chicken dinners, thus me finding this little beer store just down the street and finding some great beers. Always clean and had great service. Good selection. If I lived closer, I’d go back.“

Bulk_Carrier 2728 days ago

“We visited the brewery in a rainy day. There was a patio with the river view we couldn’t enjoy. The food was quite alright and the service friendly. They had 18 beers on tap and they serve flights. Next time I feel Christmassy and visit Bronner’s I will definitely pay them a visit again.“

rosenbergh 2783 days ago

“Walked down here from my hotel for dinner and a few cold ones during the hottest day in summer for this part if the world. Sat at the bar. Service was quick, beer was mediocre, food was ok, price was alittle high. Resturuant was way to hot.“

UDBeernut 3215 days ago

“Loved this place. It was large, spacious and clean. Liked that you could watch them making the beer while you were sitting at the bar. I liked all the beers, some more than others. The appetizer I had was tasty. I’m just sorry that they can’t ship.“

HopTsing 3436 days ago

“I’m really suprised by some of the ratings for this brewery. I reallly liked it. I think the brewery itself is really nice and in a good location. I also really like their beers. I hope to make a trip back soon.“

hubermi12 3742 days ago

“This place is NO LONGER a Brew Pub ... they sold off their brewing equipment and have all guest taps (they had 3 left over brewed beers when I was there). Nothing special (especially since they are not brewing their own any more - no reason to stop by). Food was OK.“

hopdog 3825 days ago

“This review is overdue, we were at the brewpub about a week ago. I still remember the server that poured my last beer and she is the reason for the low rating of this brewpub. I saw two unmarked tap handles and asked if they were empty and was told one was for their black IPA. Later I asked another server for a black IPA and was promptly told they were out of the black IPA, when I told the server one of the untagged taps had the IPA she took my used glass and started filling it with the black IPA. I stopped her and got a clean glass. I wonder what else is done behind the patron’s back.“

UNLVFan 3947 days ago

“If you are in this area, stop by for lunch or dinner and a beer or two. The food isn’t bad and the beer is surprising good or at least the IPA that I had. The brewmaster may not set the world on fire with his beers but they are solid. As for service, we were allowed to enjoy our drinks before ordering our meal. When asked our server gave an honest opinion. If travel plans bring us back to Frankenmuth, we will stop in again.“

UNLVFan 3952 days ago

“Happened upon this place ... saw an advertisement flyer and decided to stop by. Picked up a case of mixed singles / bombers that I have not rated.“

hopdog 3964 days ago

“OK beer. Food was decent. Service was bad. I hate waiting 25 min for a table to be seated and see there are more empty tables than full - someone did not staff up correctly. Waitress immediately tells us how busy she is. Food order took forever to come, got our appetizers 2 min before the main dishes. Ordered a beer and saw it sit at the bar for 10 min. At least the bar tender poured it out and gave my waitress a fresh one before bringing it to me. Enough to make me not want to come back ....“

hopdog 3964 days ago

“It is a grocery store with a pretty nice selection. they have Stone Ruination and Dogfish Head 120 min IPA. They also sell singles too.“

andrewmb83 4107 days ago

“A nice place to go and eat, great food and okay beer. It is a beautiful building, very limited parking.“

andrewmb83 4128 days ago

“Reasonable prices. Staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. They do have limited shelf space, but they will order anything that you want.“

andrewmb83 4150 days ago

“Very interesting place. This is the only place you even need to stop in the realm of beer stores while in Frankenmuth. They have a museum about brewing, but I didn’t have time to go through it. It is in an old saw mill and the history adds pretty well to it. Anyway, back to the beer. The staff is really knowledgeable and big beer fans themselves. There is a small amount of meads, wines, and ciders, but the vast majority of everything is beer...and a few knick knacks. The prices are surprisingly fair, which normally never happens in these places. This place isn’t world class compared to many Detroit area places, but given where it is and the availability otherwise, it scores high in my books.“

dmschefke 4404 days ago

“Great ambiance with large ceilings and dark wood interior. Food was spectacular as was the service. Great prices and the portions were huge. The beer selection is very limited and none of them are very good. I would go again for the food though.“

polomagnifico 4424 days ago

“The place to go in Frankenmuth for your beers. Staff is very knowledgeble. Prices are about what you would expect but they pack quite a bit into the coolers. Good number of michigan and US micro offerings, and a fairly good (and sometimes pricey) selection of imports. I’m in the area a lot and make it a point to stop here every time.“

Johnsense 4667 days ago

“Very much geared toward the tourist with shotglasses, Tshirts, a tiny grocery market, and other touristy offerings. Staff doesn’t know two licks about Beer, however the beer selection is quite good! A good number of Michigan beers (North Peak, Bells, Founders, Sark Horse, Shorts) a handful of other micros (and some macros) and a decent number of German offerings as well. Lager Mill is #1 in Frankenmuth but there are some very solid offerings here. BTW the schnitzel upstairs is deadly!“

Johnsense 4667 days ago

“Beautifully done brewpub with outstanding tiered outdoor seating overlooking the river. Food very good. Not to the bad part - the beer. Little to choose from, so I got an IPA which was served very cloudy and not at all hoppy. I asked the bartender why it so cloudy and he said that they got the lines crossed with the Hefeweizen. He didn’t really seem to think that was a problem. Shame...shame...shame.“

paintedmaple 4701 days ago

“I was given really good reviews by other beer geeks about Black Forest, so I was pumped up to give it a try. Ordered the super sampler, and that was the end of my excitement. I really can’t say that I liked any of the 9 beers I tried. The styles were not at all diverse, and the tastes were pretty under par with the Michigan beer scene. The inside of the brewpub is very dated, and makes me think of Frankenmuth in 1996 (when I was 10). I’m pretty sure I won’t be back. The bartender was very friendly though.“

RudiNicole 4717 days ago

“Nice place, good food, and beers which are just alright. They are solid examples of their styles, but nothing special. We were given a private tour of the brewery, which was cool and informative. I really enjoyed the layout of the brewery and seating areas, and everything was clean. I wasn’t very excited about any of the beers in particular, so I ended up with the sampler. I liked the red, and the stout... but they were not particularly impressive.“

RudiNicole 4717 days ago

“Very nice Micro Brewery, located in the heart of downtown Frankenmuth on the banks of the Cass River. The building atmosphere was awesome, I went in on a wednesday afternoon and it was $5 growler refill day so I bought a German grolsche top growler and filled it with my favorite brew on tap, the Dunkel! The bartender was very friendly and walked me through a 4oz sampling of each brew they had to offer. I would like to see more bottle selection up front in the retail area. Prices were reasonable and the food menu was diverse. Overall I would highly recommend sampling all the frankenmuth brews, and visiting the Brewery is a must.“

ChuckCharles 4788 days ago

“Great little shop in the basement of the inn. They have a nice selection of regional beers as well as many additional micro brews from across the country. Definitely worth a stop if you are in Frankenmuth.“

MikeF 4888 days ago

“A somewhat odd brewpub (maybe more of a restaurant) located in a little Germany in Frankenmuth. You’d think that the place would serve German food or even German beers, but it didn’t. The place was fairly empty at ~3:00pm on a Friday - however, I saw that when another party came in later, they were told to wait for their table, even though there were clearly many tables available. Also, apparently this place hosts wedding parties upstairs. The beer was surprisingly very good (especially the Lost Sailor IPA - definitely try if you can) and they have a large selection of taps (maybe 9 or 10). The food menu was a little uninspiring (maybe perhaps because I was hoping for German food) so we just got a sausage plate and that was pretty tasty. Anyway, this place is worth a stop for the beer alone, although the atmosphere leaves something to be desired.“

LilBeerDoctor 5070 days ago

“Family-style meals served in a huge dining room. Famous fried chicken along with german-style side dishes. A true Michigan institution. Great food, great service. A "must do" in Frankenmuth, but don’t go during Chrismas season if you don’t like crowds.“

djredpop 5238 days ago

“Went there today. had a few beers didn’t eat. nice place , big with a lot of seating with a outdoor seating area. look at a few things on the menue sandwiches ran around $8.00 enrties $10/18. Next visit I plan on trying the food.“

walleye 5354 days ago

“Ambiance is poor. Very dated interior. Good beer selection, beers are not bad. Food OK. Average brew pub.“

mallons72 5403 days ago

“Decent food, above average beer, but the decor. Seriously? They seem to be trying a bit to hard to fit into a non-descript family restaurant. I felt like I was drinking in a Denny’s. Our bartender was great and even had a conversion with us about how hop prices were putting a pinch on their ipa. I tried a weizenbock, porter, ipa and pils and all we solid. The food was typical, nothing special, but a good pair to the beers. Frankenmuth is worth the trip alone - little Germay would be a good description. We saw a meat haus, cheese haus and chocolate haus on the way to the brew haus. Other than the ambiance, my only other gripe is that they only had one guest tap - Framboise Lambic - a few more local beers would be gladly welcomed.“

SpudClampDawg 5798 days ago

“Stopped in here before the World Expo of Beer. More of a restaurant layout than a brewpub, but’s it’s pretty nice inside. The service was good considering they were pretty busy. They were out of the chicken cordon blue pizza so we settled for the steak and cheese instead. It was pretty good too, but there were way too many pepper rings on it....that’s all I tasted. They had a nice selection of beer. We had the farmhouse ale and hefeweizen which were some of the best of those styles I’ve had at a brewbup. They also had a porter, IPA, red, bitter, light and lindemans framboise on tap. Definitely worth checking out if you are in birch run or frankenmuth.“

northernbrews 5842 days ago

“(Visited 10/2006): Found this place completely by accident traveling from Bronner’s to Frankenmuth Brewery. It is located on Heinlein, which runs pretty much parallel to the main drag and is in walking distance from Bronner’s. There is a large parking lot in front of the establishment. Inside, the atmosphere does not lend itself to a brewpub look and feel. It looks more like a Perkin’s. Unattractive green color scheme and chain-restaurant look really hurt the appearance. However, a live piano player and a really impressive collection of coasters behind the bar are a couple of saving graces. The bar is on the left side of the seating area. As for the beers, the selection is decent. Black Forest offers 7 beers from a Light to a Robust Porter and Stout, along with the usual brewpub offerings and a couple interesting seasonals. There are also a few guest taps available. The beers are available in a sampler as well. Service here is solid. The bartender was well-versed in the beers that are on draught and was happy to fill us in a little on the history of the establishment. The only food we had here was an appetizer called Brew Haus Nacho Fries and frankly it was unique and delicious. Overall I am happy to have stumbled across this place. Putting aside the lack of imagination on the interior design, the beers and food make up for it. I would definitely visit again.“

Dogbrick 5971 days ago

“(Visited 10/2006): Frankenmuth Brewery is located right in the thick of Main St in Frankenmuth. Parking is tricky as there is only a tiny lot in front. However they have a free valet and additional parking across the street. The building is pretty and keeps with the German/Bavarian theme that permeates the area. Inside, there is a gift shop at the entrance and the bar/restaurant is in a large adjacent room. The bar is along the left side and offers a closeup view of the brewing equipment. I was a little let down by the beer situation on my visit. There were only 3 beers available, with everything else either being out (the Dunkel) or not suitable for consumption due to problems with the lines (Dry Stout). They also only had one available beer in bottles (Geyer’s). Luckily there were some guest taps to pick up the slack from Victory and New Holland. They also offer their available beers in samples. Service was as good as could be expected considering how packed the place was. The bartenders were happy to talk about the beers they did have available. I did not try the food on this visit, but the German fare I saw sure looked good. All in all I was disappointed with this visit but will definitely give it another shot, as there is obviously potential with this place. Also a good place to kill time if someone else in your group wants to spend 2 hours at Bronner’s.“

Dogbrick 5971 days ago

“This joint shares the ambiance of all of Frankenmuth in that it feels a bit like being in a retirement home with the gentle pastel colors and average age of the clientele during my visit hovering somewhere above 60. Regarldess they put out some decent brews, bartender was knowledgeable and friendly. Locally made sausage platter was very good.“

kseecs16 6101 days ago

“Slow service. No selection of beers. Otherwise, a very cool atmosphere.“

rsistare 6201 days ago

“There were 8 house taps and a guest tap available during my visit with samples offered. I didn’t try their food. The place looks kind of ski lodge like from the outside. Really nice. The inside looks like a mid 80s Denny’s with the Miami Vice color scheme. The departure from this was the brew equipment, behind plexiglass, that sort of juts out into the restaurant area. A couple of the beers were pretty good but they have brought on a new brewer who will be changing things up a bit.“

Ibrew2or3 6345 days ago

“Really good beers. Black and Blue (cheese) Top Sirloin was excellent. Really good beer. Stuffed trout was pretty good- and their fried fish was average. Really good beers though. They have package too. I should have bought more...“

SoylentBlack 6358 days ago

“Nice looking brewery located almost in the heart of everything and accross the street from my hotel .. Added bonus.. The brewery was a beautiful brick building with the brew kettles on disply up front with the old kettles outside for added look.. The brewery seemed like a food place more than a brewery.. The beer selection in my opinion was rather weak. They had a few guest taps on four to be exact but still on the lighter side.... Did not eat but looked at the menu a decent selection at moderate to high prices... This brewery could use at least one decent beer though. Service was friendly...“

MikeMac 6524 days ago

“Kind of a silly looking place, but the beers aren’t bad and there is a good selection of their own stuff, along with a couple of guest taps. Samples!“

auerbrau 6585 days ago

“Decent place, with well constructed brews, but they tend to stick to only the lighter styles. Samples! They also sold some of their beers in bottles, but at high prices. Food was excellent german fare.“

auerbrau 6585 days ago

“Nice little shop with singles! Hard to find a place that breaks up everything into singles and has a half way decent selection of local beers and some imports. Didn’t buy anything, but it looked decent. Not a lot of breadth.“

auerbrau 6688 days ago

“I enjoyed this stop, fairly modern looking brewery with a great location right on the river. All beers on tap are ones they brew on the premesis. None are overwhelmingly good, but they are all decent offerings. They have a sampler that you can order and the food appeared to be good as well although I didn’t have any. Brewery tours happen frequently as well, beer was served pretty cold...“

can8ianben 6796 days ago

“What a little gem! Located in the Castle Shops in the basement of the Bavarian Inn. Mostly a well-lit wine store, there is a nice little area for beer, which I would consider appropriately dark with spot lighting. Very nice selection of rare, import, and local beers. Most notable are the Hofbrauhaus beers and the Bavarian Inn house beverages (the dark beer and root beer). If I remember correctly, there’s a percentage discount if you buy a mixed 6-pack. Even if there isn’t a discount, it makes for a nice option if you’re interested in sampling a wide range. They also stock a wide range of glassware, as well as a large selection of Hofbrauhaus merchandise. The only reason for the low service rating is that the attendants stay behind the counters for the most part and aren’t able to offer much advice if you’re looking to try a particular style. Otherwise, they’re very friendly. Highly recommended if you’re heading to mid-Michigan or live in the area. About an hour or so north of the Detroit metro area.“

BigNasty 6811 days ago