July 24, 2007
I probably liked this place more than I would have otherwise since i just came from Golden Avalanche where things were horrid. Overall this is a really nice brewpub, about standard for what I’ve seen. Large room, long bar, dark lighting late at night when we arrived made it quite relaxed. The bartender was cool, because after we had the Berliner Weisse and one other thing, he let us know that Allentown Brew Works was a better place to go drink as they have a more interesting beer selection. Still, I liked this place well enough, and the bottle list for the Steelgaarden was a nice read but it didn’t contain anything incredibly rare.

April 27, 2007
Good food, decent service, nice beer. Always fun to stare at huge tanks of delicious beer as you eat and drink.

April 10, 2007
Unique place with some nice decor. Food was good and service was good for 3pm on a weekday. Sampler was awesome - some good seasonals including an Eisbock, Impy Stout, and Dunkelweizen - all in a cool looking cog-shaped container with eight 6-ounce beers. Best sampler ever! My only big complaint was the $3 or $4 upcharge due to the eisbock - acceptable, but why not tell me in advance?

March 13, 2007
Good brews with some really adventurous seasonals. I give them credit for maintaining only three regulars, and filling the beer list with rotating seasonals. Food selection is good, and they have some really nice regional items (weinerschnitzel, bratwurst, potaot pancakes) that are a REAL treat. Can’t make a trip to Bethlehem without a stop here. Service hasa always been good, except the last time, when the bartendress was more intersted in texting than getting me a refill or my food order.

February 18, 2007
I was happy to see this place open and help revitalize Bethlehem, Not that it is in as bad of shape as some of the surrounding towns, but a great new use for an old space. Beers on tap are well displayed and of good quality. Not all are brewed on site, Weyerbacher is doing some contract brewing for them.

January 23, 2007
Stopped by for lunch as I was passing through for work. The feel of the place is pretty much what any new future-chain brewpub is going for, noting some steel and Bethlehem star-themed items. The beer selection (8 by my count) was good, as there seemed to be something for everyone. I tried the oatmeal stout and the ESB, which were average to above average. Food was OK, but not great. The place definitely has a lot of room to grow into, and brewing equipment and lines are all out on the floor to take a gander at. Also noted was a sign stating the the Allentown Brew Works will open in March 2007.

November 18, 2006 [ Updated March 10, 2008 ]
I rather liked this place. Dontown Bethlehem seemed to be an area on the up and this place is pretty much at the heart of that. Steel themed as one might expect. Quiet midweek afternoon visit, so the staff was friendly and attentive. Eight of their own beers on tap. I think the sampler was supposed to be six beers, but I got all eight for the same price. The beers were a mix of mainstream (all rather well done) and more experimental (Cassis lambic). Although we found a nearby street parking spot pretty easily, it was 1hr maximum, so I rather struggled to get all eight beers down in the time available. Probably would have stayed longer but for the parking restriction.

May 19, 2006
This is a young, positive, upcoming place. Beau, the Brewmaster is maybe 35. The waitresses/female bartenders are positive though not very knowledgeable about the beer. The scoop is that they are planning to open a second brewpub in Allentown. This pub has already revived much of downtown Bethlehem. This place is huge. Parking is not too bad if you don’t mind going around the block. The Brewmaster does not mind some experimentation as observed by the in-house lambic on tap.IVery well lit mid-day and I could see why it is a popular local spot. Better than average beer.

April 23, 2006
What a huge disappointment this place was. Their sampler would have been a good idea if the customer got to pick which 6 they wanted to taste. Instead, the choice is made for you. Ok, moving on, I tasted 3 of their drafts, not impressed at all. Belgian bar downstairs has a a great selection. We ordered the 2 they had on draft. Again, huge disappointment...menu states draft, waitress says bottles only....and that’s after she’s brought you the open bottles. Loud, young crowd. I’m guessing mostly college students. Good food but a bit pricey. Poor waitress, had to spell out St. Bernardus for her. Nothing worse than an uneducated wait staff. This was a once and done spot for me.

April 1, 2006
I liked the feel of this place, kind of was like you were sitting right in the mist of a micro-brewery. Food was decent (I just got a wrap) and the beer was solid. Was expecting a little more from the beer. But the Framboise I had was very good. Also cool that they give you 6 beers in their sampler all in a close to 6 ounce glass. I did not get down to the Steelgarden though.