Surly Brewing Co. Beer Hall and Restaurant, Minneapolis MN

As we follow our GPS deeper into what looks like a very industrial area with warehouses and somewhat dilapidated roads and old buildings, we cross a set of railroad tracks and there it is. A beautifully built and very modern looking place with a giant rhino of rebar and concrete to greet you. This modern architectural beauty shines like a black star amongst the rest of the neighborhood. I park the car and as soon as I open the door my nose is greeted by the unmistakable aroma of brewing beer. As soon as that smell hits my nose I immediately want to run for the doors like a 5th grader headed out for recess but I keep my cool and we walk into an amazing food and beer experience at Surly Brewing Co.

Surly Brewing Co. has an amazing and extensive line up of really great beers so once we decided on the twin cities for our trip and booked everything through Expedia I looked them up immediately and knew I had to check it out. I did my research a few cans at a time and then learned about their kitchen at the beer hall. Being a huge Top Chef fan once I learned that the head chef at Surly, Jorge Guzman, was a James Beard finalist for best chef Midwest I was all in.

We walk through the doors into a beer hall atmosphere that was definitely bustling. There were some long beer hall tables for large groups but they also had plenty of different sized tables to fit most any size group. As we rounded the corner there was also a kids area with a little table and a book shelf full of fun books for the little ones. The hostess greeted us and got us to a table right away, then she was back in a second with a metal lunch box for Aliceana full of not only crayons but also a 3d puzzle which she quickly started to build. That was enough right there to impress the hell out of us and we gave them 5 stars right then and there.

There is one wall of the beer hall that is glass from floor to ceiling so you have an excellent view of the brewery, so much shiny stainless steel. The tap menu hanging above the bar has a chrome feel and the servers all wear surly T-shirts so it looks like they are going to a rock concert which is just awesome. Can you believe we haven’t even gotten our food yet.

As you can probably guess the food was amazing we both ordered the brisket, I chose the grits for my side and Brittany got the skillet cornbread with honey butter. Aliceana’s kids cheeseburger was not just some slop show either it was on a beautiful bun and came with a mountain of seasoned fries that were really delicious.

As for the beer I had to try the 2016 Darkness, it is their Russian imperial stout and is blacker than the darkest night. What an amazing experience this was, it’s smooth body held delicious flavors that completely hid the 12% ABV so definitely be careful with this beast. I also enjoyed their Witch’s Tower which has such a unique flavor combination that comes from roasted cardamom and toasted ash such a new and great experience. It was really balanced with a finish that had a slight bite to it and was just a great beer to enjoy.

We definitely recommend heading to Surly Brewing and checking out their beer hall and restaurant it is a must see destination if you are in the Minneapolis area. It is very kid friendly with a great atmosphere, awesome food, and amazing beer.