The food is pretty good for the most part but expensive for what it is. I ordered the Beer-y-ah tacos and the jerk shrimp bowl. The tacos were delicious especially paired with the light cilantro lime sauce. The jerk shrimp bowl was ok, the choice of items did not go well together. The place was relatively empty when we arrived and was empty throughout. Our server was nowhere to be found most of the night. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Beer-y-ah tacos - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Went to this place for lunch. It was a good pick. The interiors were tastefully done with the microbrewery equipment on the mezzanine and a tastefully decorated bar with plenty of tables and communal tables lined up. There is a garage door to bring in the outdoors/ patio vibe to the interior. I had a hoppy ale and braised beef burger ( delicious). The cauliflower steak was ok too but on the hotter side with a lot of Siracha sauce. The kitchen could have gone lighter on it. The service was efficient, friendly and prompt though I could not gauge how it would be during busy periods. With the universities closed for the summer break this uptown Waterloo place was pretty empty. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - The interior - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Very good "bar" food. Great service and positive ambiance-- not too loud but with a good vib.

As it's patio season and I was craving for a refreshing drink, we decided to grab dinner at Abe Erb! We got a table at the patio located at the back parking lot, where we were seated at a picnic table. Ordered a drink I had trouble with pronouncing (peach berliner weisse). It tasted peachy indeed and was refreshing! For my main, I had the seared tuna and vermicelli bowl. The tuna slices were thick and covered with sesame seeds, which was yummy! However, there was a lot of soy sauce at the bottom of the bowl which soaked up the vermicelli noodles and snap peas. I ended up not eating these at the bottom as it was too salty. I also noticed on the menu that the bowl was supposed to come with shredded carrots but it was missing in my bowl :( I think there wasn't much flavour to the dish - if I could compare it to something, it would be like sushi without the rice and heck lot of soy sauce. At the $19 price point, I found the dish was filling, but I probably wouldn't order it again. I would be open to coming back to try the other items on the menu though. read more

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Excellent Brewpub with great beer, food, and service. Trendy environment that seems to be a college student favorite. Thursday night trivia will pack the house so be sure to make a reservation then. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Ribs were competition quality. Cooked perfectly with amazing flavor. - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Waited. Waited. Waited. No acknowledgement, just ignored, horrible service. HOTTER inside than outside. WAITED. Awful. read more

This is an interesting sit-down brewery. The lack of service and feeling pretty ignored will probably mean we'd never be back, but it definitely feels like the place has the ability to be pretty amazing. PROS: -Gorgeous, gorgeous interior. There are lots of full-sized and half-sized tables and chairs to sit at, and there's a large giant window that opens into an open-air bar. The decor is very "industrial", and it's very naturally lit. I'm pretty in love with the interior. Less in love with the construction right outside their door, but that's not their fault. -Decent food options. They don't have some of the standard pub fair (Pretzels, etc.), but they do have lots of burgers, sandwiches, and fries. -Flights are reasonably priced. You can choose 4 of their 7 home-made brews for a flight. They bring the flights out with a small card that labels which type of beer each one of the numbers on the paddle is. -Sweet potatoe fries were definitely different. Not in a bad way. They actually still really tasted like sweet potatoes. It was a very minimalist way of preparing the fries, and I'm certainly not complaining. They paired well with their chipotle aioli sauce and with ketchup. -Beers were pretty decent. We were told that most of them were only available for a flight (odd?), but we enjoyed the few in-house brews that we had. Quite a few of them (at the moment) are described as "banana tasting" which is not really my favorite thought for a beer. CONS: -Service was very, very slow. Did not feel particularly valued nor cared about as a customer. It took awhile to get our check, our order, and we really weren't checked in on. Our waitress seemed almost annoyed to have to be serving us. The lack of service really, really tainted our experience pretty badly as we were in a slight hurry. -We were looking to buy a couple bottles to go. We were told that we couldn't just buy them with our meal - that we'd have to go through an entirely different checkout process in the back of the store with someone else. We just chose not to worry about getting any. read more

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Came here for brunch on a Saturday morning and we were one of the first ones here. It's not surprising though because breweries tend to be more popular later on in the day. The waitress was really nice and the decor of this place is beautiful as well (bonus star for the decor). As for the food itself, breakfast selections are limited to the usual eggs, home fries and meat styled breakfasts. We decided to get the Eggs Benedict and the Breakfast Burrito which were $12 and $12.50. This is pretty expensive compared to other breakfast places, but it comes with unlimited coffee that you can make yourself. Unfortunately, I don't drink coffee, so this was not an added bonus for me. I got the eggs benedict and the size of the eggs benedict was perfect size served on half of an English muffin with a thick juicy tomato. When I cut into the egg, I was a little dissapointed because it was fully cooked. The home fries were seasoned very well, but they were cut a little too large for me to enjoy. Out of both plates of home fries, I think one of the home fries weren't cooked completely, though most of them were done well. read more

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I heard about this place from friends in Waterloo, they passed along a video abut the place and after seeing it, I knew this was the place I had to be for dinner on my visit to the 'loo this past weekend. Entering in, it has that industrial style aesthetic that I've come to love and that's become so popular recently in bars and restaurants. One previous reviewer described it as almost "steampunk" in likeness and I would have to agree. The place is gorgeous. Add to the design the fact that there are kegs brewing beer all around you and you've got a recipe for amazing. The wait time gets long later in the evening but we arrived early and were seated within 15 minutes. Once seated I found the service to be spotty, understandably as they were getting busier and that the place is new, but here is where I found the inconsistencies during my visit: - There is a great, and I mean GREAT story here about the history of Abe Erb one of the founders of the K-W area, the servers weren't excited about this story, didn't show pride in the place they worked, just took orders and disappeared - Server never offered water as part of the service - Server was hard to reach and seldom around - Those orders were taken with inaccuracies and mistakes were made, no big deal. Just needs to worked on - Beers were completely sold out except for their IPA - Caesar (Kale and romaine mix) was mostly lettuce and the kale was indistinguishable/non-existent and the salad was dripping with dressing *The Good* - Pork belly Korean taco appetizer was very good - The IPA was very good. My recommendation was to have it as a pre-dinner pint, as I found it didn't mix well with the food we ordered - The Abe Burger (which had chorizo mixed in with the beef) was VERY tasty and could stand on it's own without any toppings. My one criticism would be that they've gone THIS far to create a unique and delicious burger, simply serving with with raw lettuce, tomato and red onion like some diner burger does it an injustice, I think a little more originality with the toppings and this burger would be perfect bun to bun. Final word, this place is experiencing some growing pains in it's early days. There is a lot of excitement from folks, as there should be, as it's totally a unique spot for the KW region. The good spots are bright shining stars and signs that this place is going to be AMAZING. The concept is one of kind for the KW-C area and one you definitely need to check out. Eatcrest out! read more

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I really like Abe Erb! The vibe, service, and live music make it a really good environment to just chill and hang out with friends. They usually have daily specials that change day to day (but they don't have it on Sundays :( ) Foodwise... Jambaleya - shrimp, mussels, sausage, other meaty bits blended with rice and seasoned with cajun and lime dressing - pleasantly surpried by how amount of seafood for its price :) - very hearty meal that isn't OVERLY heavy but fills you up Steak Frites - overcooked the temperature slightly but still tasted good - comes with this very smokey and savoury chipotle sauce that pairs well with the fries - portion size is a little small for its price, you may want to order a few appetizers Overall, definitely a great place for casual conversation and hanging out :D read more

This is one of those brewpubs that looks like it's trying to look like a hipster coffee house. Great place to come and sit for hours with your Macbook and a pint, or three. I assume happy hour and weekends get louder and more crowded, in which case your Macbook might get slopped on (better just bring the iPhone). Other reviewers to bang on about the food, but really--you can get a gourmet burger almost anywhere (Red Robin, for example). I don't know about you, but I go to brewpubs for the beer. And the beer here was excellent. I particularly liked their amber ale (yeah, it's got a special name, but it's really amber ale), and their second tier IPA (not the fancy one that you can't get with the sampler.. the *other* IPA). I can't envision ever returning to Waterloo, ON, but if for some reason I must, I will be camping out at Abe Erb Brewing Co. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Big Rig, Ms Conduct, Barrel House, Buggywhip - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I got the men in the stout, has the dark chocolate taste in it, it was very good but personally I didn't like bitter stuff. My friend got their blueberry beer which is very very good. The place was so nice and not too noisy so good for chatting. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

Stopped in for a beverage after a seminar. Great vibe. Packed at 7:30 on a Thursday evening. Had the Krolsch and will definitely come back for another. Had already had dinner so we didn't eat (but we checked out the menu). A bit eclectic and expensive, but the food I saw at the near by tables certainly looked enticing. My only complaint was that the seating was very crowded so the noise level made it hard to hear the person sitting across the table. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - A great view for a beer - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Cheers to Abe Erb!!! It is easy to see the careful thought that went into this place. From the cool mirror that looks like the railway tracks run all the way through to the charcoal drawn mural on the wall to the wooden bar (which i'm told was one of the main beams from the burned down St. Jacob's Farmer's Market). It's hard to know what to look at first! The decor is so well orcistrated. Unique and inviting. It feels like this place belongs there. Right in the heart of uptown Waterloo. I was eager to try their beer and I'm glad i went opening day for a couple pints because when i went back a week later they had sold out of some of their beers! I their first week was well attended ;). I loved every sip of the smooth and light drinking 1857 Koalsh. The Das Spritzhaus (their wheat beer) was tasty too. I'm not pesonally a fan of IPA beers but I'm told by friends that their Buggywhip is really good. I will definately try out the 20 Bushels next time. I love that they are making a cider. On my second visit I enjoyed sampling sime of their guest taps. I like that they offer those too. It's nice to see a local business supporting other small brewers. I had the quinoa burger with fries (which i was a little unsure about because they are cooked in duck fat). Turns out...I LOVE duck fat fries...who knew? I'm told that the Abe burger was quite delish with a bit of a kick. I was pleased with the service too. I often stay away from a place when it first opens to let them workbout their kinks but I was too excited about this place to stay away. The wait staff was friendly and knew their stuff. It was really busy but they seemed to handle it well. Overall I am just really pumped to have a place like this in Waterloo and based on the crowds of people lining up to try it along with me, I'm not the only one! read more

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Came here on the recommendation of a good friend. Located in the heart of uptown Waterloo, this place serves a large variety of purposes - weekend breakfast and brunches, from lunch to dinner and finally becoming a bar or pub-like place to hang and chill. First of all it's a very hipster and trendy environment, they have really high like 20 feet ceilings and on the upper level they have all the brewing equipment and you can see how it connects with the taps in the bar. It's pretty neat because not only do they brew it in house, but almost in reach of customers. Since we only came here for breakfast / brunch, this review will be mainly based off my experience with the brunch menu. It was quiet and the servers were very polite. We had the breakfast burrito and the spinach eggs benedict. It was an alright meal, both came with home fried potatoes, you can tell they made it from scratch and attempted to bake them just long enough to keep them wet on the inside, but some of the potatoes weren't cooked fully and it was very obvious when it wasn't. The burrito I liked more than the eggs benedict, the burrito was decently tasty. But you can tell it wasn't their strong suit. The eggs benedict wasn't made that well, with the egg being overcooked and it was kind of soggy when it was served to us. Also pretty bland, and felt like there was no flavouring on the eggs benedict. One bonus was they have free coffee! I'd like to come back and try either the lunch, dinner, or the fresh brewed lager they serve at nights! read more

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The food here is pretty good :) Their lunch menu is the Abe burger ($16), sandwiches (all $13), and a daily special. I got the pork belly grilled cheese and I really enjoyed the combination of their pears & brie. But the bread was overly grilled. The fries were pretty good. Also, their service was really not the best. I went during lunch so it was not that busy, yet it took them forever to do everything. I came with a group of nine people and it took them around 45 minutes for all our food to come out. :( I was so hungry. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - The Abe burger with fries. - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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I've been here twice now and had a weak stomach the day after both times. The service is definitely sub par- you have to call a waiter anytime you need something. They don't offer to get another drink for you, you have to ask. Once your food arrives you don't see your waiter until you need to flag them down for a bill. Also, you don't get to give less than mediocre service and literally frown at a less than mediocre tip. read more

I have a mixed review: - customer service is outstanding. Really friendly, will come talk to you. They engaged with our kids. That is fantastic - duplo for my kids was wicked. - beer selection is outstanding. This time they actually had their beer available which was the primary reason we came. My husband is a huge craft beer fan and was disappointed they run out so quickly. They seem to be remedying that as they have been open for a few months now. - the food I find under whelming. I don't feel the vibe of the place as a breakfast/brunch place. They seem weirdly obsessed with serving only breakfast until 3 on Saturdays. I don't get beer with brunch? Maybe that's just me. I will just not buy food here from now on. - they don't serve dessert - if you're going on a date that make be a deal breaker. I understand it is probably healthier this way but I would have bought dessert today had they had it. Maybe I'll go next door afterwards. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Glass half full - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

In town for octoberfest and thought we'd try this place. F@$€ing great beer! Had flights of everything on tap and only hated one or two. Our server was super knowledgeable about everything on tap. Menu looks good...will be back to try. Great atmosphere. If you want beer thats brewed out of the box this is your place. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I went in a Friday night around 11. The place had a decent amount of people. There was live music - a guy singing and playing guitar. We ordered the charcuterie board and the full sized nachos. The charcuterie board was very worth the money at $20. There was 3 types of cheeses and 3 types of meats, with olives, 2 types of spreads and pretzel bites. The nachos I would pass on. I ordered a pick your own flight for 12.50 which included 4 picks. Service was fine when they were around, although it could be a bit slow as they tend to sit around. read more

The food is horrible here. All of my friends ordered different types of food and none of us liked it. I got the steak and frites and the entire steak came ice cold. There was a heap of butter on top that never melted because the steak was cold. The lump on the top right of the picture attached is the butter that never melted. Will never come here again, please save ur money. read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Cold steak with a chuck of unmelted butter on top - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I think this is more than a feedback for chef/manager or whoever responsible for the gourmet taco Thursday. I have a below average meal, and for sure overpriced. I order gourmet taco with an ambiguous description of "chicken-waffle alike". What I get is: taco shields were made from waffle batter with a hint of cinnamon, grill bland chicken, drench in corn syrup and a dollop of whip cream?!. I'm the easiest customer you can find out there. Plus, I also like innovative concept of food, and an interesting interpretation of certain dishes. But i definitely don't want to eat this (A dinner? A dessert?). And I thought the person who invented this concept was just got so drunk and woke up the next morning hangover as hell, they decided to gather everything they have in the fridge, and making this 'edible' breakfast. As a university student, i have my fair share in eating weird food inventions that i can gather around my almost empty dorm room. But more outrageous, someone who actually approves this recipe (it is even being test by other cooker in the team?) and pushing it to any unfortunate customers. There is a fine line between delicious and disgusting. The dish has no identity (hello, are you a dinner or a dessert? ). It was bland. It was drench with sugar syrup, taco shield taste more like pancake, and whip cream that melted so fast it look like scum on top of the chicken. The flavour is weird, it is like eating your average chicken waffle with less waffle, and a peculiar creaminess thanks for the whip cream. It is not your bacon pancake maple syrup guilty pleasure taste, but a taste of regret and bad decisions, which must be exactly how the cook must felt while cooking this dish after a wild night out. There are many thing gone wrong in this dish, and I'm sure the one who made it fails any type of goal they are conceptualize in mind about this. If the goal is constructing "umami" flavour, you failed. If the goal is making chicken waffle more enjoyable than it was, you failed. If the goal is making your customer happy and content after a snack, you failed. Because this dish is so disrespect to us customer and to anyone who love foods, and that is not okay I kept eating the odd creation named "gourmet taco" and thought about many way to deconstructing the flavour in a more "sensible" way. So I hope, the cook or manager can read this comment and taking in consider the creating new disk process. I hope no one will eat this ever again, and if the waitress failed to describe the disk for you, dont order it!!!. P/s: everything else are great, attentive staff, nice atmosphere. read more

Been here a few times since it first opened and it's getting better and better. The food has improved greatly. Lots of beer to try, I recommend doing a flight to sample a number of them and going from there. Our last visit was on Wednesday night after 7pm and it wasn't busy at all. It has become a regular spot for us to stop in at. read more

We have been here a couple times for beers and enjoyed the experience. We love microbrews and high end cocktails, and really liked the beers we tasted previously. Today, however, I came in alone and just wanted a vodka soda. The waitress, polite though she was, told me I was out of luck on the vodka soda as they "specialize in craft beers and specialty cocktails" and opened the menu to physically show me the list. Though they did indeed have vodka in various cocktails (and one would assume sparkling water/seltzer/club soda), I was told that I could not have a vodka soda. I asked if they couldn't just make me a mixed drink, and she said no. I thanked her and left. Whether it was a rogue bartender who turned her down or a manager who told her to say that, I can't blame the server. However, this is a bar and I've asked for the simplest possible drink. Look, I get why a dive bar can't make me a passionfruit and goji berry mojito, sure, but you literally have the two ingredients I want and you're saying it would be beneath you to put them together and sell them to me. Laughably pretentious for a beer joint in Waterloo of all places. They lost my business today and in future. read more

Never stepping foot in this place ever again. They act like they're better than their customers and don't know how to deal with complaints. The food is average to poor (WORST chicken tenders I've ever had the misfortune of trying, and they made me order a double portion - couldn't even finish them), their beers are typical, and wait staff is arrogant. Additionally they really need to be more careful with allergens. Went in a work group, and they put out chicken wings in a peanut sauce, without telling anyone that it was a peanut sauce. I'm deathly allergic to peanuts and only avoided it because I noticed on the menu that one of the sauce options was peanuts and had my coworker try one first to find out what it was. I will never go here again. read more

Very unique atmosphere, with a mellow ambiance making it a very relaxing time to sit for a drink or to eat. On busier nights, it is very lively, great for going out with friends when you want a different environment. The waiters are incredibly nice, trying to cater to you preferences in beer and food. They were able to accommodate my friend's order from a soup which was not to her taste into a salad. While the food was really good, the portion sizes were smaller than expected for the price. Overall it is a local fave and i highly recommend their brewmaster poutine and their das spritzhaus!! read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

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Great Atmosphere and exceptional wait staff. We came with a group of 10 on a Friday and some of the people in our group weren't initially happy with their drinks but the wait staff went above and beyond to make sure they were satisfied. I ordered wings and another person in our group order the ribs. Both were ok and weren't that great to be honest. I've had the wings here before and they were awesome so I just had to get them again but least to say they didn't suffice this time. The salads were really great according to other people in our group Food menu does seem really limited and would do well to offer some more options Overall grey experience just not that satisfied read more

We went on opening day for breakfast. Service was fast and efficient. I had the blueberry pancakes with maple syrup which were delicious. Everyone else had the Founder's Breakfast that came with 2 eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries, and toast. This too was very good. There is a great variety of items to choose from for breakfast. Coffee is self serve. We would all go again. read more

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Atmosphere is good, the menu has a nice variety - for the vegetarian and the meat lovers. The staff was friendly, but the wait was long. The food was nothing all that special, their burgers were good, but nothing I would be craving or wanting to eat more of. read more

It's not bad. When I went though, they were completely out of the Founder's Brews, so I was left selecting from the guest taps. It's probably a sign of success but I don't understand why I would go here except to try their house beers. I could have walked down the street to the LCBO and gotten more beer for the money. The atmosphere is nice, which is probably the main reason to come. The service is a bit hit or miss. I didn't try the food. read more

Fantastic breakfast in Uptown Waterloo. They have a simple menu that's well priced, and great coffee to match the food. For lunch or dinner you'll also find a simple but complete menu that matches the beer available on tap. From a couple in house brews to some local classics you'll find something you like. read more

Went with friends for my birthday. First I had their Krolsch on tap and it was a great brew. For dinner I had the steak frites. Fries were some of the best I've had in the area. The steak was cooked so well right to medium that I actually double checked I was surprised. It was well seasoned and delicious. Even the greens served with it had a nice dressing on it. My only knock is we felt a bit awkward sitting at a communal table. There was six of us and two of them and felt we had to angle our chairs. Small complaint though. read more

This place is really cosy, I love their long tables, it really makes people to interconnect with others. You can even show up to the place alone and maybe pick up some friends while enjoying your meal! Although, the foods are quite average and there weren't many options to choose from. On top of that, their sparkling wines were good but probably not as good as their signature beers (unfortunately I did not get a chance to try some out)! Cute place, worth a try! read more

ABE ERB - Uptown Waterloo - Pubs Near Me - Waterloo, Ontario

I haven't had a chance to try the food but I did take a look at the menu and was intrigued. Very hip and current ambiance. Some great beer offerings. Although they are brand new the staff seemed to have everything under control and running smoothly. I can really appreciate that. I look forward to my next visit! read more

We recently came here with the kids because our preferred restaurant at the time was too busy. Good thing. We really enjoyed our meal and the kids had a great time. I had the burger which was really good. The fries were tasty. My wife had the mussels and they were quite tasty. I would defiantly get those on a future visit. They had a subtle spicy flavour which was great. I had one of their lighter tasting brews which was quite refreshing. Overall we had a great server and we will be coming back sometime in the future for sure. read more

I was visiting Waterloo for business and I was recommended to try this place by a local...and wow was I thankful!! For one this place was really cool inside. I sat at the bar and the bartender from New Zealand (Srry did not get his name) told me some of the history about the displays inside. I sat at the bar and enjoyed some nice (non work related) conversation that I had really missed. The beers were great, I tried a blueberry blonde and an IPA and got the BBQ chicken for dinner. That was delicious! I missed this place when I left and I wished I had this at home. read more

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It was the first time going and I was impressed with the service and the quality of the burgers. I didn't know which beer to order, and was able to sample some before ordering. The burgers here are definitely the best ones in Waterloo. read more

Went there this past weekend with the girlfriend. Atmosphere is incredible, very industrial feel. Our server gave us a bunch of information about the decor, really neat stuff. You can tell a lot of thought went into the design of the place. Menu was really nice, great varying selection of things. We had dinner, both of us grabbed the burgers. They were incredible, probably one of the best I've had in town. Was a little disappointed that they were in the process of brewing their founders brews, but our server was very knowledgeable about beer and about all the beers on tap and recommended some for the gf and I. It was also good to know when their brews would be back on tap. Service was great, can't recall her name but very friendly, long hair with glasses. The little things made the trip to Abe Erb great, like getting waters without asking for them, having them topped off whenever low, having knowledge of the place and menu, and giving suggestions. We had the brownie dessert at the end of our meals, it was amazing. The gf really enjoyed it, too. We'll definitely be back, can't wait to try the home brews. read more

This place is overrated for sure. If you come in with more than I forgot how many people, you have to pay an extra fee of 18%. This is outrageous. The price is ok. A beer and wings combo would cost around 20. Their food isn't too bad tho. I like how they have their own tap beer. Last thing, don't come here unless you can eat spicy. Almost everything is spicy af. read more

Real cool place located in uptown Waterloo. Industrial decor, large windows and natural lighting makes it feel cozy (especially when it's snowimg out!). As funny as it sounds, I actually never tried their beer. But their pesto pasta is amazing! read more