Popped in hungry and hot after walking around McCormick's Creek State Park. The space itself isn't especially appealing; the exterior is an unassuming brick building-we almost missed it-and the interior is fairly minimal as well. If you have a large crowd you might be challenged. But we weren't there to take in a scene and icy water was brought immediately after we seated ourselves. We were provided paper menus but also check out the digital versions! There were a couple of differences, one was only wording but did result in a side upgrade for one in our party. I got the standard burger and, with the server's recommendation, added bacon jam and aioli to make a smaller version of the double-pattied civilian burger. Delicious and right sized for me. The fries are a must. They're beer battered steak fries, crispy outside, soft and steamy inside. The pulled pork got positive reviews but looked messier than what I wanted to manage in that moment. The menu has a good variety, including a couple of vegetarian options. I was also very happy to find a rye beer with a more modest ABV as I like the spicy bitterness of rye beers but they tend to be more than I want after hiking around on a hot day. Service was great. Our server was familiar with the menu and super friendly. This spot is a great option after a hike in the area, especially if you're cringing at the thought of navigating the student crowd in Bloomington but still want a good meal and beer. Added bonus: fantastic prices. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Burger and fries - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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We stopped in on a Sunday looking for a Bloody Mary, unfortunately they only served about 5-8 craft beers. I tried the Pilsner they had on tap and it was decent, my wife got a sour that she really enjoyed. The brewery was clean and had a welcoming vibe. We sat at the bar too and the service was excellent! I ordered the Cuban to eat, I thought it was just ok, however the mustard seed brown mustard was very tasty! The Civilian burger with bacon jam was very flavorful! read more

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My family had a wonderful lunch at this hidden gem in Spencer, Indiana. Everyone in our party thoroughly enjoyed their meal, and my mom even said she would be willing to make the trip down from Indianapolis to eat there again. We enjoyed a beautiful Friday afternoon on the patio, which provided a relaxing experience and a space for my uncle's dog to join us. Even though things started to pick up, the service was outstanding. If you are in the area, this is a must stop. read more

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This is the best brewery, restaurant and vibes in all of Spencer! Very friendly and accommodating staff for our crew and pups. Everyone loved their beers and food. Definitely get the pretzel as a starter. Fat K. can quit the spit because this place is legit! read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Outdoor space!! - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

Service was excellent. Nice people. Burger and fries good but not stellar. Burger could have been a little juicier, fries a little hotter.

Was seated immediately, by the door. Atmosphere was very loud, wish it was a bit quieter, had a hard time hearing people with us. Restaurant was clean, well lit and full of people, they have a deserved, good reputation. Our servers were amazing, super nice, attentive-had several check on us so I feel like it was good teamwork on their part. I ordered the grilled cheese, side salad and side of pulled pork. Pork was super dry, requested side of bbq sauce which resolved the dryness. Grilled cheese was AMAZING!! Will def reorder that, it was gooey, cheesy happiness. Salad was good-liked the spring mix that was the base. Will be back, great place! read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Grilled cheese, salad and side of pork. - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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Pics of food look good on here. Unfortunately for some reason they are open only for Beer on Tuesday well ya lost me there. Loosing money on Tuesday sounds like great business plan read more

The civilian burger is fantastic along with their sweet potato fries, The burger is a bit different but so delicious, with the condiments that it comes with. Their food is delicious and they have something that anyone would love. Brew is excellent also, no matter what you try. I like the lighter beers. read more

Surprised to find a great little craft brewery with fantastic food in Spencer, IN. Pretty minimalist decor, but who cares when the food is so good! Here are the highlights from the orders of our party of 5. First the chicken mac-n-cheese was excellent. The chicken was tender, seasoned well and there were plenty of pieces piled onto the mac-n-cheese. The cheese sauce was just the right amount of cheesy flavor without being too heavy. My side salad was beautiful, with some of the freshest veggies I've had in a restaurant salad in ages. The garlic vinegar dressing was also good: just enough garlic to taste without being overwhelming. The pulled pork sandwich was also superb. The pork was tender and flavorful and the barbeque sauce had just the right amount of sweet at the front and spicy at the back. We tried to buy some of the sauce, but they don't sell it there. The chicken breast nuggets were huge with great breading and all tender white meat. Great to dip in the barbeque sauce. The sweet potato waffle fries were also incredible. I had a wheat beer that was very good. Service was excellent. Prices are very reasonable for the food quality. This place could compete well with the craft breweries in my home town of Asheville, NC. It's a gem of a restaurant in rural Spencer (worth the short drive from Bloomington). read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Chicken mac-and-cheese with side salad and German-style wheat beer - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

Food was awesome! Great atmosphere and service! My husband had the Cuban and I had the grown up grilled cheese. read more

The Beer, the food and service all spot on. I recommend coming here if you are in the area.

Super nice folks, very busy even on a Wednesday evening. Really good beer. We really don't speak beer so samples were offered and we chose our pints - the Amber ale, and it was really good and only six dollars. I had a brat which was much different than Wisconsin Brotz, which I'm used to but flavorful. My husband had a burger and really enjoyed it. We split the fries as an appetizer and they were yummy with interesting Dips. My only complaint is the mac & cheese was very bland, and the coleslaw was kind of weird. We try something else when we go back. read more

My husband and I have visited Civilian Brewing a couple of times over the last year, and we love their beer, food, and friendly service. We just wish it was closer to us! My husband had The Standard burger with fries on a pretzel bun, and he said it was excellent. I enjoyed the Hot Chicken Sandwich with fries, and it was delicious. The fries were perfectly seasoned and hot. We love the atmosphere here and will definitely return when we are in the area! read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - The Standard - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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Great local brewery and restaurant! Cold beer and good food. The staff were very friendly as well.

In a small Indiana town in the middle of nowhere stands a shiny light among fast food joints. How is this brewery with craft foods surviving in Spencer? First of all, I don't drink beer but there is fresh-brewed sweet tea! Second, there is a menu loaded with a lot of options from wings to salad to burgers to spicy hot chicken sandwich and even vegan options. For my entree, I went with the Civilian burger. The Civilian came with 2 1/4lb. meat patties, choice of cheese, bacon jam, and garlic aioli. The burger was satisfying with its unique ingredients but at the end, I felt like it was a super duper better than average fast food burger. The fries were more impressive to me as they were beer battered steak fries. If you are looking for a brew and not fast food in Spencer, Indiana, then Civilian Corps Brewery is the place to go. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Food menu - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

For a small town, this place was excellent. The Mas Padre beer was perfect. Food was delicious and well prepared. I had the boneless wings and so perfect. Service was spot on. The owner Kylene and our waitress Abel took very good care of us. Would highly recommend when looking or passing thru Spencer. Well worth the stop read more

We stopped at Civilian Brewing on our way into Bloomington and had never noticed it tucked into the little side street downtown. They were busy but we were seated right away. The bartender was serving our table and we definitely came second to her filling drink orders. We really enjoyed the beer we tried and our food wasn't bad. It was quite greasy, but we order burgers and fries so I guess we can't judge too harshly. We may stop in again in the future. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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A great casual stop in after shopping on the Spencer square or hiking through McCormicks Creek! The beer menu isn't extensive, but offers a wide variety of styles. Not in to beer? No problem! Fresh brewed sweet tea and craft fountain sodas also grace the menu! Staff was very friendly and helped my Mom find a beer that she would enjoy. Food menu includes typical brewery fare (burgers, sandwiches etc), but does include some vegetarian options (falafel and bean burger, in addition to Bavarian pretzels and salads!) I had the Pimento burger with a side of Mac and cheese. Burger was very good, which how could it not be when it's smothered in cheese, yum! Mac and cheese was a little bland. Pricing was very reasonable for the larger and filling portion sizes. Will definitely be back to try more beers! read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - The Summer (Pilsner) - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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We had a great dining experience here. The service was very friendly and the food was delicious. If you spend the day in McCormick's Creek, it's close enough to make it there and get fed before you're absolutely starving. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Pretzel with the best mustard you'll ever have. - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

This brewery rivals any that you would find with big names in big cities. It is an absolute gem. The drafts and the food are delicious. You can't go wrong with any choice. My biggest complaint? That I'm not local to the area and can't enjoy this every week! read more

it's great to see a small town being brought to life with great business located right downtown off the square offering both drink and food and Great service read more

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We stopped on a Sunday after a hike and were amazed at this little joint. The food and beer were fantastic. Our college student loved the burger. Our high school student wolfed down the spicy chicken sandwich. Both of us adults enjoyed our salads--really fresh ä--and the beers, which were perfect ä. We wished we didn't live in Indy so we could visit more often. The service was attentive and very friendly. We're going to find another excuse to come back. read more

I love the owner and food is good. You can tell when they're diff chefs. Def difference taste.

We went to McCormick's Creek and then came here! You can get a flight of 4 in 5oz each. Their beers right now are so good! The horchata ale is AMAZING; it's a cinnamon and vanilla flavor which tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. We also ordered poutine which was so delicious. They have some yummy options here and the service is pretty quick too. There is an outdoor patio for nice days! read more

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This place is a hidden gem! We brought the fam and sat outside. The kids meals were "delicious" per my five year old and I highly recommend the soft pretzel with cheese and the hot chicken sandwich was SO Good! Don't leave with the fries and the beer - I can personally recommend the Amberweizen! The fries are crispy on the outside and soft in the center just like they should be! The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and we felt well taken care of. Everyone is masked up and there's sanitizer right at the door. They are setting the standard high for Safety in a crazy quarantined world! read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Bar - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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At the end of a long day road trip, I wanted to find a comfy spot with good beer and friendly service. I found that at Civilian Brewing. It has been open about six months now and some of the beers have turned over. (Note to Yelpers: if you post a menu/beer list, show the date in your description.) From what I've read online, they have had quite a wide variety available in their short existence. I went with my usual flight whenever I go to a brewery for the first time. They had seven beers on tap and the flight allows four 5-oz pours for $8, with additional flight sized samples for $2 apiece. I tried the Summer traditional ale (5.6% 15 IBU) as my first selection. I followed with the Dry Wit Witbier (5.8% 24), then the Weizenbock (7.3% 15) and finished with the Imperial IPA (8.2% 90). I am a big fan of Hefeweizen and could pick up similarities in the Weizenbock which was my favorite. The Imperial was mighty with that high ABV and hoppiness. The other beers were good too, just nothing really stood out about them. Civilian is also a restaurant which opens in time for lunch (Yea!!) However, since I had already eaten just a couple hours earlier, I passed on trying their sandwiches on this trip. I like that they have a "Build your own" Beer-B-Q where you get a number of choices to tailor your sandwich to your tastes. Friendly staff and customers made for a pleasant rest. The place was clean and easy to get around. I look forward to stopping for lunch the next time I am visiting the area. Review #2988 read more

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Stopped in traveling through to Bloomington. Had a great dinner and some delicious beer! The service was great and the beer cold!

Gave Civilian Brewing Corps a try this past Saturday. Had been looking forward to checking it out since it opened. Service was great, very friendly server. She told us about the beers and shared what menu items were her favorites. We ended up getting a flight of beers, a Cuban sandwich, and a hot chicken sandwich. We also got a couple of spent grain cookies. The beers were okay. I liked the "Summer" beer and the Stout. Decent sized pours for a flight. I wasn't wowed by the beers but I know this is a new operation and I have a feeling the beers will improve. The food, I was disappointed. It looked great. The Cuban had barbequed pork which was strange and not nearly enough of the house-made mustard. It tasted bland to me. My partner enjoyed her hot chicken sandwich and especially the slaw. We both liked the spent grain cookies. Looking forward to trying Civilian again. Great to have a new brewery in the area. read more

Another yummy visit! Added a few new photos! The mozzarella sticks aren't on the paper menu but are on the digital one. So good!!!! The burger I got was huge!!! Well worth the price! read more

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We stopped in Civilian Brewing Corps after a morning of hiking at McCormick's Creek State Park. Our friendly server greeted us immediately and answered our questions about the beer on tap. She let us try a few but we ended up ordering the delicious grape soda. It's made with grapes from the nearby Owen Valley Winery. Yum! The soda on tap changes frequently so keep that in mind. We ordered the fries based on our servers recommendation and they were amazing! The sauces were fantastic. We would definitely go back next time we are in the area. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Grape soda - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

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Great food and beer selection. Must stop if you are in the Spencer area. Owner ran business and great costumer service!!! read more

Food was excellent. Plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Prices were fair, and service was great. Will plan on going back next time I pass through the area. read more

I wanted to love this local spot so much! Let's start with the things they are doing great at: Staff- very friendly and accommodating Steak fries- Yes. Please. These were so crispy and a great ratio of potato to fried crunch. Pretzel roll- it didn't overwhelm the experience. You've been there when you get a pretzel roll and it's so giant it's all you can taste? This was an appropriate size for the burger. COVID things- staff were all appropriately masked. I ordered by phone without difficulty and picked up to go. The pen to sign was in a sanitizing solution. There is a small amount of outdoor seating while the weather is still nice. Unfortunately, the burger itself was super dry and overcooked. I came for the burger and the burger let me down. read more

Cute little brewery!! I got a tasty cider and Mac and cheese. Worth a stop if passing through town!!

Nice find in Spencer with this brewery and restaurant. The wings and mozzarella sticks were great. High recommend the smash brew! Neat little outdoor area but too hot this time. read more

Civilian Brewing Corps - Tap room. - Brewpubs Near Me - Spencer, Indiana

Great hole in the wall. Bean burger and motz sticks were excellent. Always fast service for a legit restaurant.

Just had a great time with my wife and granddaughter. Waitress was super attentive. Plan to return from Orleans Indiana

This is by far the best place in town to get food. I always get the standard burger with french fries and it's always good. The civilian comes with bacon jam on it which is what a lot of my coworkers get. I would highly recommend this place. read more

We have been to CBC many times since they opened. Historically the food is good, the poutine is fabulous and the pimento cheese is on point. The beers are good. The last 3 times we have been to CBC we've waited 45+ minutes for our food, regardless of how crowded they are. The kitchen is unreasonably slow, and I'm being considerate of staffing shortages. It's also obnoxiously loud in the restaurant, as the owners have put nothing in the way of art or decor to tamper the sound of dozens of patrons talking. You cannot hear the person across from you on a busy day, and having to sit there and wait 20-30 minutes longer for your food than you should have to is almost tortuous with the noise. We will likely return to CBC some day, but we won't be quick about it, and we won't go ravenously hungry or when it's crowded. read more

Always a good experience here. Service is good, the food is always great, as well as the variety of brews.