Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Really odd experience. At times our server was great and attentive and other times she vanished for extended periods of time. I waited almost 10 minutes with an empty beer before she came back. I ordered the bratwurst and when it came there was no sauerkraut. I waited a for minutes for our server to come back but she didn't until I was almost done with it so I told her to forget it and I'll just finish it. The Mrs had a pasta dish, shrimp and sausage Cajun style and it was delicious, I would order that next time.

Non ada friendly. Refused serve becsuse of having a service dog. Very dissapointed in the decline of this place and the managments lack of proper training of employees

At a video game convention: Nice hostess type lady... BUT OMG! Their mustard is FREAKING AMAZING!!!! I don't even like mustard. Now I want to come down to Penn Brewery from an hour away just to eat bread and mustard, lol! No, seriously 100% try the mustard even if you think mustard is disgusting, this is FREAKING MIND BLOWING! I wrote a review because it's been resonating just how good it was for a day.

Awesome beer and German food here. Really cool rustic atmosphere as well. Will definitely go back!!

Visited here recently with a large family group. We arrived earlier than usual dinner time and were able to claim tables outside. The weather was ideal and everybody was comfortable. The menu had enough variety to find something for everyone, including kids. The place wasn’t that crowded, which was nice. We’ve been here a few times over the years but always seem to forget about it. Should probably come more often to dine outdoors.

Went on Sunday at 6pm, all the tables outside were empty, and plenty of open tables inside. A rude waitress told us that it will take 30 minutes to even sit us. We couldn’t sit at the bar because of our kids. Maybe they were understaffed which is understandable but they could have at least say you can sit outside and get drinks while you wait and above all don’t be rude!

We got to see one of our favorite bands "See the Summer" at Penn Brewery this evening. The dinner was excellent and the Octoberfest beer was also available!!

Food was good and Beer hit the spot.

The service here is really bad. When we went it wasn't even busy but it took half an hour to just get our appetizer. Two of our items we ordered were wrong and our server was nowhere to be found most of the time. My dinner was thoroughly lukewarm as though it had been sitting under a heat lamp for 20 minutes.

This is definitely a must-stop location for any craft beer enthustiast in the Pittsburgh area, simply to say you've been there. I sat at that bar with my girlfriend, and unfortunately, our sevice was rather poor. It wasnt too busy either. Food looked painfully average for the price, but our poutine was a good portion size and the cost didnt kill the wallet. Hofbrauhaus is similar on these fronts but i think i like it more Tldr; dont go out of your way to visit this place, and probably get food elsewhere. But if you want to have a beer or two in one of Pittsburgh's oldest and most iconic breweries, definitely stop in

Good beer and nice facility; food is not nearly as good as it used to be. The spatzle was made with an American Cheese, like velveta?! The schnitzel were very overcooked. Waitresses worked really hard and provided good service.

Good beer, good service, OK food.

We hosted a Welcome Wedding Party at Penn Brewery and could not have been happier. The food was wonderful as well as the beer and drinks that everyone loved. Our guests raved about the evening and the beer garden. It's a beautiful outdoor space that is full of character. There was a thunderstorm that ended right when the party was to begin and they were gracious enough to move us under a tent and then back to the outdoor courtyard when the rain stopped. It was a beautiful night at Penn Brewery.

Amazing brews and food, the best part was the bartender on 6/14 , he was so much fun and made the experience all that much better, kudos to him!!

We were greeted promptly and were told to sit where we chose. The waitress explained the beer menu and gave us water. Then, she disappeared for at least 15 minutes without taking a beer order and was no where in site. We decided to leave and told the bartender to let the waitress know. It's sad. There were two waitresses working and a bartender. It was about 3:30 pm with another's table of two in the dining room and two people sitting at the bar. The other waitress was on her phone and never looked at the only other table in the dining room and ended up walking downstairs while looking down at her phone. I do have to say the bartender was very attentive to his two patrons at the bar although I couldn't catch his attention until I told him we were leaving. I ignored all the bad reviews that said they had bad service because I really wanted to try their beers. Again, sad. However, it may have been a blessing, we had a great experience at our next stop.

So glad this place hasn't changed in the 12-15 years since we've been here. It was still exactly as I remember it. We sat in their outdoor area and man is it fabulous. They even have spooky cellar caves you can check out. The food was German and top notch. Even my kids nuggets were really good quality. My pierogi's were just as I remember them. Every beer I tried was spot on. This place makes me want to move to Pittsburgh.

Kelly served us on the patio and was more than charming and helpful! We will for sure be back and often. The rotating game sausages are a nice touch!

Pretty cool place, house IPA was super hoppy!

Great beers and goulash soup! It was pricy, but with a great atmosphere indoors and out.

We were greeted promptly and were told to sit where we chose. The waitress explained the beer menu and gave us water. Then, she disappeared for at least 15 minutes without taking a beer order and was no where in site. We decided to leave and told the bartender to let the waitress know. It's sad. There were two waitresses working and a bartender. It was about 3:30 pm with another's table of two in the dining room and two people sitting at the bar. The other waitress was on her phone and never looked at the only other table in the dining room and ended up walking downstairs while looking down at her phone. I do have to say the bartender was very attentive to his two patrons at the bar although I couldn't catch his attention until I told him we were leaving. I ignored all the bad reviews that said they had bad service because I really wanted to try their beers. Again, sad. However, it may have been a blessing, we had a great experience at our next stop.

Good beers, mediocre food, absolutely terribly forgetful and slow service. Don’t bother unless all you want is a pint and you have an hour to wait for it.

Best perogies and kraut I've ever had and I'm originally from this area. Friendly and helpful staff. Just wish we had one in Florida!

The beer, food and service are pretty decent it is simply a brewery. We decided to go on trivia night there were kids running around breaking things for the entire time I was there. I was assuming a brewery wouldn't be the place to bring your 8 uncontrolled kids. So screaming kids plus the very low tier hard to understand trivia presenter mumbling into a microphone made it difficult to hear yourself think. This place might be for some people but not for me.

I really like Penn Brewery but had stopped going a few years ago. Went again today and the restaurant was not clean, menus with food on them, plates/silverware not clean. Don't get me started on the restroom. I loved the beer and food was OK. Was thinking of taking work colleagues there, but no! I tried to find a contact address so I could give feedback discreetly but couldn't find it.

I love the German feel of this brewery. DJ was a great beertender with knowledge of the beers he was serving, which is greatly appreciated. Prost! 🍺

Great food, great beer, great atmosphere. The structure is awesome, sitting outside there's awesome looking historic building and architecture.

Fun time at Halfway to Octoberfest. Beautiful weather, music and good food

My experience was great, food was even better and washed it down with a chocolate, peanut butter beer!

Chill spot and wasn't very busy at all. The beer was good, and if that isn't up your alley, they do have wine and a full bar! It's a little pricy but worth it.

My husband stoped by with a friend on Saturday night. I asked him to bring me home potato pancakes. When I open the togo container I was suprised to see how small the potato pancakes were. I bit into the first one and it was bland. It also had a taste of dirty grill. I have always like their potato pancakes, but now on I will stay home and make my own which are much better.

Pierogi bun with bratwurst was really good! There were lots of fries but i ate most before the picture

Prepaid for a kid friendly event that provided us with a free drink and free appetizer. After the event we wanted to hangout and redeem our free drink and appetizer as well as order additional food and drinks. After standing at the host station for 10 minutes with our 2 kids, they told us they wouldn’t seat us so we could order said drink and appetizer because “we won’t seat you if you aren’t spending money” and that we should go stand at the bar. Finally got seated but the host let the servers know not to come by our table.. Planned to get lunch and other drinks but the host decided we didn’t need to. Works for us, won’t ever need to spend money there again.

Today was my first time attending Penn Brewery. They had an amazing pirate band playing and I was introduced to the most amazing and flavorful beers in all of Pittsburgh. From the delightfully fry of their cigars the the bold richness of their darks to the ever so flavorful and forward statements of their peanut butter stout to be released this month. You will not be disappointed no matter what your pallet brings you.

Was really a very great and exciting day with great service outstanding service really and all the people so very friendly and forthcoming had a tremendously great day clean facilities great seats and great drinks met a few new friends that I know now will probably be lifelong friends excited to go again

Since the new owner has taken over there have been good improvements to the facility. I haven’t needed to make a dinner reservation on a Saturday, typically just walk in and get sat. This past weekend four of us walk in for a table and get turned away as they have reservations for the next three hours. There were at least 5 open tables and other party’s were also turned away. The price of the beer and other things make me make me not want to go back any time soon.

A very traditional German-style brewery with a flare for skeletons. Decent food, very good beer (didn't mention flights but do them regularly). Lots of outdoor space including caves but not a lot of signage pointing to the actual door. Parking seems to be in the "garage" up the hill on Troy Hill Rd but it's not well marked. Not too much either, 40 spots max; wouldn't count on it on a weekend.

This place was amazing! The food and beer were great. I’d recommend the Kaiser beer. The management was super helpful when we asked them questions and the atmosphere was really cool. I’m from out of town but if I ever find myself back in Pittsburgh this will be one of my first stops.

Had a good time, service was great, food was good, beer was good, and I liked the layout of the place. I'm from out of town and I found the staff to be very friendly and welcoming. I thought the beer caves was cool and to my surprise they even had a cigar and beer pairing! Will definitely stop by again

If I could give this a 0 star I would! We were there on Saturday for dinner before a show and I'm very glad we got there 3 hours before. Our waitress looked like she should work at a truck stop. We named her Methamphetamine Mary. She came to our table after about 5 mins of being seated. Now it was about 5:00 so not a busy time. She looked like and acted all coked up. She had nothing to write on, had to run and get reciept paper to take our order. Acted all rushed the whole time. We put our order in and after about 40 mins of sitting there, she came back over to make sure she wrote our order right cause she couldn't read her own writing. Even after that, when she brought the order, of course 2 out of the 5 orders were wrong. I didn't get potato pancakes that I ordered. After waiting that long I tole her just to forget them if she didn't put them in. My spatzel was cold and glumpy like it sat there for 30 mins before she brought it out. Then....after about 10 mins of us eating, she came out to me and said there were some leftover pierogis someone didn't want and wanted to know if I wanted them! Like seriously! I didn't even order pierogis and why would you think it's OK to give me someone's leftovers! Place is dirty, bathrooms all broke down and filthy. Save yourself time and agony and go somewhere else. This joint needs shut down and Meth Mary needs to go back to whatever hole she crawled out of!

Good food and beers, when they get your orders correct. I've had good experiences during the day, but they seem to struggle in the evening with service.

American brewery offers German-style beers, primarily lagers and ales, along with a single porter. Decent selection. I'll return to try their menu items.

Went to Penn brew U. I find that penn brewery when not holding a large event is awesome. Last Oktoberfest and this attempt to create a beer enthusiasts day at beer U fall short. I’ll continue to visit but not at 75 bucks a pop for special events that just dont meet expectations. Everything was rushed, poor sound system, to many people and a big “ol chicken” for lunch? No German food at the buffet? That may be the most egregious miss of the day…. Not my last visit, but last event for sure. 0 for 2

Best German food in Pittsburgh and the beer is out of this world. Every single one I tried was phenomenal. The owner brought us out samples and showed us around the caves, so cool!! Can’t recommend this place enough, five star food drinks and service 👏

Stopped in with my wife after seeing the fish sandwich online and had to try it. Amazing sandwich, plenty of flavor, breading was crisp and the inside was still flaking. We also got the Cajun Alfredo, I diddnt ask but the sauce excellent and had to be homemade. We will definitely be back.

The food was good and the service was top notch.

The worst food we've had in a long time and the service was TERRIBLE! An hour and 45 minutes for lunch...at 2:00. First, we waited 15 minutes for a server. We ordered drinks and meals at the same time. It took close to 30 minutes to get our food. The server only came back one time to check on us after our food came. When we were finished eating, our server was nowhere to be found... We waited 30 minutes to get the check. She finally came and apologized and discounted the check 10%. That is the LAST TIME we ever go there! There are plenty of other food establishments in the Pittsburgh area. NEVER AGAIN!

After calling ahead and being told the kitchen closes at 8:15 then arriving at 8:00, we were then told the kitchen just closed. This is the second time this happened, and why I'm writing the review. "My bad" doesn't cut it, do better

Kewl old building, great German-inspired beers and food.

I need to tell more people about the seasonal nut roll ale. It’s the perfect holiday beer in my humble and uneducated opinion. Just a touch of sweet, a little chocolate and cinnamon, and the slight bitterness of walnut. It tastes curling up by a cozy fire with a plate of grandmas cookies and a hot chocolate. I get what all the Hallmark movies were trying to tell me now. Please if you see it, grab it and save me one.

Just recently got a twelve pack of the nut roll and it is a perfect Christmas beer. Deep in flavor with a touch of sweetness, a perfect companion to a warm, cozy night in.

Great beer. Great food. It's a Pittsburgh classic

Penn Brewery is the oldest and largest brewery in Pittsburgh. I visited this business, though, not for their beer but rather for their food. Their restaurant has a German-inspired menu, and my husband and I ate lunch here. Our favorite foods were the pretzels, mashed potatoes, German potato salad, and apple strudel. We thought that the potato pancakes, wienerschnitzel, and cod sandwich tasted OK. Our waitress made friendly conversation, and the prices were average. Please note that this business has multiple buildings with multiple entrances. To enter the main restaurant, we parked our vehicle in a free garage, and then we walked down steps, past stone caves, and up other steps.

Absolutely the worst food ever. Went there for a birthday dinner for a family who loves German food. This not authentic German food. The food was unseasoned, cold a mostly unedible and a $350 meal. The potato pancakes tasted like frozen hashbrowns with absolutely no seasoning at all. Nothing was taken with us, all of the food was left behind and uneaten. The server wrote on her hand and cursed the entire time. We had two nuns with us and were totally embarrassed. We will NEVER EVER return.

Beer was good, service was good , food sucked.

I love the idea of the old brewery. Unfortunately I find all the sports bars TVs loud, and the windows just are not clean so cleanliness is part of the food, so hopefully that can improve.!

Attended the Pop-Up Brick Burger event. Love the historic building.

Walked in and sat at table near bar. 3 waitstaff walked past without eye contact. Finally asked someone if we were invisible. When we finally were waited on I asked for a dunkel. She didn’t know what that was. ????

Went here for their Octoberfest beer. They were having a big celebration with live music. Place had decent food and beer, and the place is decorated very nice. However there were a couple young servers that did not want us there since the beginning, they appeared to be very unhappy to be there at all. Our waitress was very nice and efficient with our order. However after about an hour of consistently ordering food and drinks and enjoying the live music, we were told we had to leave despite just being sold a jug of beer. We asked if we could at least finish the beer they had served us and they said we could drink it outside because we had already overstayed the 90min dine in time. We were told to leave or be kicked out by management. Terrible experience and management said they would call us about the incident and never did.

Had dinner on Sunday at Penn Brewery. Schnitzel was excellent. Wife’s fish sandwich was excellent also.

What a great pub! Celebrated our sons 21st birthday there while we were visiting from Florida. Our bartender DJ was absolutely amazing!! He was so fun and took his time explaining the unique taste of the different types of beers. He definitely made our visit memorable. We will be sure ti visit again. We highly recommend this brewery.

Walked out after 10 minutes of no service. Basically empty restaurant. Avoid at all cost.

First time coming here and service was absolutely atrocious. Took an hour and 20 minutes to get food. Food was bland. Every time we requested something from the waitress took minimum 10 minutes. Brutal experience overall and won’t come back

One of my favorite spots in Pittsburgh. Outstanding beers, Penn Pilsner is a personal favorite. Traditional German fare is great. The potato salad is rock solid. I had lobster this time. It was awesome. You should definitely visit.

Beer is great. Service and food not so great. Burnt potato pancakes. Luke warm food. Food used to be much better¡

Great atmosphere, awesome food and Beer. Met the owner and the brew master. He actually stopped a project he was working on Th find me a shirt and Hoodie. If in the Burg it's a must visit

Good food, great beer. Appreciate the fact they do a lot of awesome events to keep things feel fresh and new.

This place is doing it right. New ownership is bringing energy. It’s great to see an OG craft brand putting their foot down.

Missed Octoberfest, but learned why. Cool place, great food, awesome food, parked right out front. Had a blast 👍

Penn Brewery is unique. You go for the experience. The food was very good. The potato pancakes were excellent and unique. The beer on tap was average. None of the beer knocked my socks off. The service was quick.

The beer was eh, the food was overcooked with a hair curling around our French fries, but the worst was the quality of service. Don't waste your time.

Very disappointed. We arrived and walked over to get a table. The restaurant was less than half full at about 630 PM. We were told we could not be seated without a reservation. I counted 10 empty tables as we left. No one was arriving to the parking lot when we got to the car.

Having experienced Oktoberfest at Penn Brewery several times, this year's event was disappointing. The beer was excellent which is most important, but VIP accommodations were dirty from the previous weekend. The food was disappointing. While the musicians were very talented, I didn't think Free Bird as a polka was enjoyable at all.The t-shirts that we pre-ordered for pickup were not available even though there were stacks on the table for sale. They did mail them to us. While the musicians were very talented, I didn't think Free Bird as a polka was enjoyable at all. Missing the tradition.

The service was very slow even though they were not busy. The prices were terrible for food that wasn't that great. The pork schnitzel wasn't tender and too much breading. The potato pancakes were too wet. Very disappointed.

Was thinking of giving this place another shot. Had a bad experience with slow service and cold food. Looking at these newer reviews the place hasn't changed a bit. The ONLY thing penn brewery has going for it is the building itself.

This place has gone downhill in recent years. There are other places nearby with better food, faster service, and can easily handle breaking up the bill for a party of 6 when there are only 10 people in the place for lunch.

About the Brewery: This brewery offers a good ambiance, spread across a very big location that's divided into different parts, each with its unique charm. An interesting historical touch was the tunnels where beer was once stored to maintain its coolness, now beautifully decorated with lights, adding to the overall appeal. About the Experience: I ordered a beer and found it to be just okay, not leaving a strong impression. The lower level of the brewery was quite empty during my visit, which affected the overall atmosphere. While the brewery has a lot of potential, the experience fell a bit short of expectations. The ambiance and historical elements were intriguing, but the beer and the lack of lively atmosphere on the lower level left room for improvement. A three-star rating seems appropriate for this brewery.

Truly disappointing experience. The food was overpriced and disgusting. $24 schnitzel over fried to the point of being hard and disgusting. Side was vegetables that were half cooked and unseasoned. Game sausage on a pretzel bun was $17 with a side of fifty cents Lays Classic still in the bag. Service nonexistent. I will never ever come back.

Came for Oktoberfest on Sunday at 2:00. Website said Oktoberfest Festivities (live music, food, drinks from 12-9). Nothing was set-up for food or music and no one could provide any details of when things would start. Very disappointing!

Disappointed, they did not provide the German food and music experience as anticipated. The beer was good but the food and music was more like fast food. Glorified tater tots for potato pancakes and Neil Diamond isn't OKTOBERFEST to me.

Came here with a few friends for Oktoberfest The customer service was absolutely Amazing! The staff was so nice and friendly and very accommodating! 10/10 recommend! 😀

Took them ten minutes to get our waters. We then waited another fifteen minutes for my soup. The waitress was checking to see if they still had broccoli cheese soup. She came back after fifteen minutes. Said they still had it but she'd never eat it. So after 25 minutes of sitting there in an almost empty restaurant all we had received was water, so we left and went somewhere else. When we told the waitress we were leaving all she said was oh ok

The night I came in to eat at Penn Brewery (a Wednesday), it took 40 minutes to get a beer. The service was so painfully slow. I don't know if the issue was the server or the kitchen or what. I try to be very patient with restaurants having staffing issues, but other tables that were seated after me received their food before I did. My party was a party of two, and we both ordered a burger so it didn't really make much sense to me. The owner was on-site for what looked like a gathering with his friends and seemed to not be aware of the service issues in the restaurant like it taking 40 minutes to get a beer brought to the table.

I gave 2 stars because I have always loved their beer and the waitress tried her best under the circumstances. However the food here has always been up and down over the last 30 years. This visit was the all time worst. We were here between the 2 Octoberfest weekends. The menu was sparse. When our potato pancakes arrived I had to ask what they were as they looked like fried meatballs except the potatoes inside were raw. My husband's chicken sandwich was all burnt breading and my vegetable sandwich had 3 thin slices of zucchini, 2 roasted peppers and 1 tiny mushroom, plus a piece of prepackaged cheese. Each had a side consisting of a bag of Lays potato chips.While our waitress tried to take care of 30+ people other staff members drifted in and out, talked, went for a smoke or sat at the bar. I think we finally won't be back after this meal and will buy the beer at the beer distributor.

Great place. Octoberfest was really fun. Band was great. Great beer and food.

Over priced food. The burger that I ordered for take our was two piece of hamburger not a single paddy. The hamburger also tasted like a dirty grille. The beer is safe.

This place was a complete and total waste of my time. My family and I went here after a baseball game that was canceled to have so apps. It literally took them over an hour to get us three orders of some very simple apps and they were a poor excuse for apps. Not to mention that during the entire hour we waited the waitress never bothered to check on us until my wife had to ask her "How much longer for our order". That's when she went to check on it. As if she had forgotten about us. When the food came to the table. I regretted ordering anything. Very poor service. I don't recommend you down your money here when Pittsburg has so many other places to eat. Just simply pick another place to send your money.

Overall a great place. Had plenty German style beers that were tasty. Wife had the lobster spatzle and I had the pork schnitzel. Both were very good. The lobster dish had plenty of lobster pieces. The schnitzel was tasty. Would recommend if you’re in the area.

Great Octoberfest beer stop on our bike ride.

Friendly staff and good food plus a cool building!

Nestled outside the heart of Pittsburgh, with a friendly atmosphere and some great beer!

Beer was good and the food was excellent. The schnitzel and potato pancakes made me feel like I was a kid back at home. Was not expecting that at a brewery.

Their IPA is one of the best in the city of Pittsburgh. The staff is professional. Never had a bad experience at Penn Brewery.

Good German and American fare. Good selection of great craft beers. Nice venue, with an interesting outdoor beer garden and seating in old lagering caves.

Our recent visit to Penn Brewery was extremely good. The cod sandwich with the pretzel crust was honestly the best fish sandwichI have had anywhere. Even tho I am typically not a fan of German beer, the dunkel was so fresh and crisp, and the German Chocolate Cake Nitro was to die for. Very very impressed with what the new owner has done with the place. We went back a week later and will probably make this one of our go to places when traveling around Pittsburgh. Great staff, great location, easy parking, terrific food, historic space, many seating options, great beer. Highly highly recommend. If there were 6 stars, I would rate that.

Very cool location. I think the beer is okay (worth seeking out if you like German beer, otherwise not worth seeking out) and the food is good but overpriced. Great outdoor seating area

We love this place. The beer and food are always good and the staff is very friendly.

Food gets worse every time we go. Chicken sandwiches were nearly burnt and very dry. German sides were old tasting. Dessert apple strudel tasted frozen and bland. Just disappointed for the price. Definitely eat elsewhere, but the beer was good.

Favorite of my husband's late uncle so we stop here often when in Pittsburgh. Hubsy isn't a fan of Geman style beers overall but managed to build a flight. I had the Märzen which was true to style, then had a Sampler of a Mexican stout, Chico de Mayo which was spicy and fun, just like me!, lol. He also had goulash which hit the spot, evidenced by the empty cup.

Menu has taken a decided turn for the worse! We used to come here for the German potato salad (boiled potatoes with bacon in a cidery vinaigrette) and Hungarian goulash (chunks of stewed beef and potatoes in a delicious paprika broth). Went last week to find friend potatoes with lemon vinaigrette as the hot potato salad, and what tasted like a jarred tomato sauce with teeny bits of meat for the soup. Really depressing. That said, the building is still very cool, beer the classic they’ve brewed for years, and we had the greatest server waiting on us.

The atmosphere is cool (especially the outdoor area), the beer is solid, but the food is very disappointing.