Went here for the first time last night and it was great. Definitely get a reservation, and I believe they are two hours. They even came around to let us know we had five minutes left on our reservation. Popular place so I supposed that's what they have to do during Covid. It is dog friendly both inside and out. Very casual vibe- you can bring outside food in, our friends for door dash delivered. There were lots of tables with fire pits outside, both real and gas. You order up at the counter and take to your table. read more

Was at this place for 2.5 hours and the bartender with blue hair cut me off after I had 2 drinks??? I would love to hear from management about policies for that. hadn't even been dealing with that bartender before that point in the night when I was trying to order another drink. they said my eyes were "glossy", but I was 100% coherent and very confused. It's literally allergy season. would not recommend going to this place if you're trying to have a good time, ESPECIALLY if you're spending money on Ubers to and from. my Lyft driver was just as shocked as I was when I told her I was cut off because I clearly wasnt drunk. Very awkward experience due to bartender with BLUE HAIR. so Lame read more

Loved the Beer and the setting. Patio looks awesome. Will need to come back when it's warmer.

Very cool brewing company. As the third stop on our brewery tour, this brewery proved itself from the beginning. It was busy, but with so many seats we were able to grab a beer and food quick. The beer was very tasty and made just right, everyone was satisfied. Not too many complaints, I just wish there was a little bit wider of a selection to choose from. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Art on the wall - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Lake Monster has done a very good job with adapting to COVID-19. I'd been there twice before, but when I went the other week I was very impressed. They still have a great tap list and they've modified their seating accommodations quite well for social distancing. The seating was all outdoors, but they did have a massive tent set up with tables underneath, plus the tables out in the sunlight on a gorgeous Minnesota summer afternoon. I had two beers and ordered a crowler to go. The first beer was a mango sour, and it was pretty fruity and refreshing. The second beer was a nice, dry, crisp Italian-style Pilsner. Finally, I ordered their Monday special crowler, which was the sour they had on tap plus rhubarb. When I got home and enjoyed the crowler, I thoroughly enjoyed the extra layer of flavor the rhubarb added. The original sour on tap was a little on the sweet side, but the rhubarb's tartness cut that perfectly! Overall, Lake Monster is a great place to spend a couple hours on a summer afternoon! read more

Great assortment of beers, friendly staff, and Board Games! Lake Monster is a huge venue and great place to hang out while sampling the many delicious beers in Lake Monster's repertoire. Staff was very friendly, welcoming, and provided great recommendations. They also have a great assortment of Board Games to keep you busy with friends while enjoying the beer. Since this is a large venue, you also feel like you have your own space and can be set apart to enjoy time with friends. read more

During this second shut down we're buzzing around the metro and grabbing a crawler or two each weekend. We loved discovering lake monster brewing and the friendliness of their staff. The IPAs were great, definitely get the empty rowboat! the blackberry sour is probably good but the crawler was just too full and it didn't seem to be sealed right / so it was flat. Even though this guy was a dud, we do recommend stopping at LMB because they have such a good selection and pick-up couldn't have been easier! read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I really love all the outdoor space they have here when it's nice weather! They have plenty of great different beers as well! Nice vibes

I'm not sure why Lake Monster has such a low rating... It truly was a 5 Star Brewery. The tap room is large and has plenty of seating, and a HUGE bar so it's really easy to get a drink. Drinks are reasonably priced and the menu is very clear at explaining what the beers are like, so you're bound to find something you enjoy. We came for a birthday party, and I was very pleased by the board games (some missing pieces, but you can improvise) and by the fact that they gave the birthday girl a free beer. I loved it, and I hope you do, too. read more

Our last stop on a fun night of brewery hopping in the St. Paul area! It was a little later, and therefore kind of empty, but it was still a pretty cool place to check out. I got a lighter beer, and really enjoyed it. They had a ton of options, so it was a little bit difficult for me to pick just one, but the bartender was nice enough to let us sample a few. I'm glad I did, because the first one I tried (which I thought I'd love), was not my favorite. Great patio too, so be sure to go on a night where you can hang out for a while! read more

The lake monster is alive and well here. Well the beer is anyways. What I like about Lake Monster is the location and what they have done with it. There is ample free parking and a large outdoor seating area. Inside there is large selections tables. It's as if they positioned themselves to host nightly events. And they live up to that. For instance a couple of their nights involve chess and board games. read more

Their patio and fire pits are great and COVID friendly. Perfect spot for a sunny winter day to enjoy not only their beer but their hot cider. I appreciated that the staff reinforced the use of masks when people were not sitting down, even outside, which made it feel safe and one of the few if not the only place I would definitely go back during these times read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Lake Monster is solid. Like a C+/B- kind of places. A slight step above the average, but not really doing anything above and beyond. I'm not going to spend a lot of time praising them for their space here. Their space is awesome. It is big, comfortable, and very fun while being relaxing. If you want a more in depth review of their space, look at the other reviews. I'm going to focus on the beer, which is something a lot of the reviews seem to miss, which is odd given that this is a brewery. Now some are trying to argue that you have to take Lake Monster out of the context of other breweries and compare it on its own. On its own, sure, Lake Monster probably bumps up to a B/B+. The problem is that in the real world, other breweries exist! You can't review in a vacuum. When I look a beer I try to see if the brewery is swinging for the fences (big flavors which may or may not work, but at least they are trying) or are they sticking to the classics. Lake Monster's problem is that they are trying to walk the line between traditional and big flavors. As more and more craft breweries open, it is harder and harder to stick out. Breweries really have to step up their game to survive. To me, it seems like Lake Monster's survival strategy is to not rock the boat, which is fine. Their beer is solidly good, yet I've had way better (but also way worse). They have mostly "traditional" style beers with a few outliers that throw in some fruit. Nothing blows my mind or makes me rethink beer, but thats ok. This is a solid spot for someone looking to bring relatively new beer drinkers/brewery hoppers to. If you are someone who hits the brewery trail often, you probably won't be too excited here. 26/100 read more

2 stars because it has craft beer. We tried it again because of the pub passes .This is our second time coming and they didn't fail to disappoint. We walk in, sit down and the lady behind the counter does nothing. Didn't say hi, no service at all. It's not to busy inside on a Wednesday night. Also the lack of guidance we received on beers wasn't even par to a place like green mill. So to be nice. I would not recommend this place at all. So many places that are so much better. read more

There was a whole lot going on here during our visit. There was a big beer tour so it was extra packed. The unusually large parking lot out front more than accounted for the crowd and then some. Even though the place was packed inside we still found a place to park pretty easily. They have re-purposed an old warehouse in a fantastic way. It is easily the most distinctive location of any other brewery I've been to in recent memory due to the water tower that dominates the property (and the huge patio). The brewing area is separate from the rest of the facility, but easily viewable with tables and rails built all thru the room for convenience. There is also a play area to keep your kids entertained if you HAVE to bring them with you. Its a nice extra. They have some interesting variations on classic beer styles and on this visit I went for the Empty Rowboat IPA. Citrusy, bitter, hoppy. Good. The rest of the selection run the gamut from stouts to pilsners to saisons and on and on. My only beef is getting served what is supposed to be quality beer in a plastic up. We weren't seated outside, but they were swamped with the aforementioned bus tour so I'm going to assume they ran short of clean glassware (even though I saw plenty of empties neatly lined up down below the bar). I'll have to go back and see if it was a one time thing or something regular. Its convenient to the light rail and I'd recommend it for a quick stop in or to entertain some out of town guests. The requisite food trucks are on site and I could easily see myself losing a couple of hours in there. read more

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What a lively and lovely place to spend the afternoon. We chose this Brewery today because we wanted somewhere dog-friendly and centrally located so that a group of us who live all over could get there easily. I enjoyed the brut IPA. It is light, effervescent, and really a gorgeous color. They have water bowls for dogs and plenty of shaded and sunny areas for dogs to relax and enjoy. read more

Found this place after craving a beer and googling "Brewery near me." The beer did not disappoint, but this was sadly a low tier brewery experience for me. The woman I ordered from was wildly unpleasant. I was so caught off guard. This was the only brewery I've been to in the area and it was my first time in the Twin Cities, so maybe that was the norm? I really do not know. If it's my first time at a brewery, I like to feel out what their recommendations are or if they have any personal favorites (I feel like that is reasonable?), but in this case my questions seemed unwelcomed and that I was an inconvenience. Please note that there was no line behind me, so this exchange was not holding anyone up. Maybe she was having an off day, but that does not make it acceptable to project that negativity onto a customer. I wanted to like this place, though. The space is great, the outside patio is charming, and I love that they have rotating food trucks daily. After the attitude I was served with my beer, though, I am happy to never return. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - a water tower in a parking lot - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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We were able to make online reservations w/ a max of a 2 hour visit. They have an abundance of outdoor seating and it's surrounded by brick buildings so it has a cool industrial vibe. I tried the red IPA (incredible) and this German lager. Both are seasonal. I really loved this brewery and their prices are fair. The staff was so nice here too. read more

Too many women in yoga pants!! Great beer, cool vibe. Food truck showed up, relaxed and funny bar keep. Well done, team! read more

Call off the dogs - I need to update my Lake Monster review. It seems Lake Monster has figured out what they need to do to be dog friendly, and they now TRULY ARE DOG FRIENDLY, inside and out! When they hosted a fall event for Sidewalk Dogs, I stopped by with some friends and was delighted to see humans and doggos enjoying the tap room. In other tap room news that isn't about dogs, the beer at Lake Monster is good and the space is great. It's a really cozy place to grab a beer with some friends. read more

Love the outdoor space. The food truck Deep Roots was awesome especially the Porketta Nachos read more

Lake Monster is a cool spot! I feel like there is something for everyone in this giant space. I went last Saturday and there was even a cute little holiday market set up inside. There is an area with children's toys, easel, and other items for the little ones which I thought was super cool. When I was there they had an awesome violinist performing the hits with that string instrument. I think that their branding and artwork is really cool as well. They have a really nice outdoor area, but limited seating sometimes for how busy it gets. The building and surrounding outside area is beautiful. I tried the IPAs that they had and they were scrumptious. I was a fan! I tried my drinking partner's lager and was not as impressed with that so I was happy with my picks. The staff was really friendly and joked around a bit with customers. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Outside of lake monster - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Came for the costume party. Stayed for the music and beer. Consistently great beer and room for all types of people - young, old, black, brown, alternative, mainstream, canine, human. The neighborhood is gentrifying fast so be ready for majority Subarus - but the mix up is still here. $6 for 16 oz. awesome brews just about beats everywhere. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Murmer milk stout - day after monster bash - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

This was our last stop on the brewery tour. I wish it was the first... Don't get me wrong, it has a cool feel with with tons of room, but the beer seems very main stream. Just didn't grab me like the other spots. The prices were good, bathrooms were clean, and lots of parking. If you have a large group this place is very accommodating. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Co is a newer (I believe) brewery in St. Paul. Recently visited with a large group. It was very easy to accommodate all of us (about 10-15). The atmosphere was the first thing that got me. Outside had the industrial brewery vibe being nestled near some factories it looked like, and the inside continued the urban, industrial look. The space was large and very open. I enjoyed a flight of beers, an IPA, pilsner, stout, and sour. All were super delicious. I do wish they would have had closer to 10 beers on tap, but I know that's how it goes with a lot of smaller breweries. Enjoyed our beers with some cheese curds from the Brooks High food truck outside. Great way to spend an hour or two on your Saturday schenanigans. read more

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Went here on a pub crawl and nothing stood out to me at all. My local friends didn't even finish their beers they paid for today. Excellent location and friendly service but great beers it's not even close. read more

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They have a patio and board games to play. I noticed a stage but it was a Sunday afternoon so not much was happening. The staff was super friendly. I only tried one of the beers and it was pretty good. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - Patio under the water tower. - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Very poor customer service, particularly from the red-bearded guy who kept yelling at customers throughout the evening. I didn't see anyone behaving poorly or being a problem, he just seemed like he was taking frustrations out on anyone he could, yelling at different groups of people all night. Avoid this brewery at all costs. read more

Cool spot as far as scenery, loved the option of food via the food truck, however, did not try. The only reason I give 3 stars is because they did not offer any other alcoholic drinks aside from beer. Again, I know it's a brewery but this is my opinion so I'm entitled to it :) read more

Good hangout. Good beer. Try their True Story brew. Good place if you want to smoke and drink beer. read more

Lake Monster Brewing Company - True Story - Breweries Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Yuuuup, Lake Monster - Lake Monster. I used to really love this place. It's never been on the same shelf with the top-flight brewers in this town, but the taproom is very nice, and - importantly - it's within stumbling distance of home. I even previously gave these people five stars. Last time I was in, however, I was turned away. Their signs are out front, the door's open, there're people inside - but I'm told they're not open. Nobody turns my money down twice; even if I should live to be a thousand years old, I won't ever set foot in there again. Same to you, Lake Monster. read more

I enjoyed an evening of dancing and fun at this brewery for our friends wedding. Needless to say, it was an absolute charm, everything from the parking to the alley ( where the ceremony was ), to the reception in a back room. The room is very accommodating to all different sorts of weddings but especially to something rustic and charming from another era. The boyfriend and I escaped to the Lake Monster two room to try some beers and enjoyed our time thoroughly with their craft beers and well reversed bartenders. There are plenty of tables and seating for couples, groups, and children. The play area was adorable, I would definitely bring my small children here. The only reason I am giving less one star is for the very inconvenient bathroom... it is on the complete opposite side of the building and through multiple doors. It makes it very unenjoyable during an evening of heavy drinking to march down a long extremely brightly lit corridor to the restrooms... read more

It was a good experience even during Covid restrictions. Good selection of beer, good vibes, outdoor patio has a nice set up

I'm not a big beer drinker (but my guy is) and we visit various breweries on the weekend. We came over for an ice cream tasting (and sale) by Sweet Science which was set up inside. Rather than get right in the long line for the tasting, we bellied up to the bar and Steve ordered a flight. One was a milk stout and one was a sour. I honestly can't remember what the other 2 were (or the names for that matter) because they were typical of big beer in taste. Bitter and nondescript (one was so bitter I kind of gagged). I guess I was pretty let down given that I was blown away at Rush River brewing in River Falls and loved all the beers I tried there. I should know better than expect the same kinds of great beers in all of these micro breweries popping up everywhere. I am a parent. And not to knock those parents that choose to bring their little tykes to a bar (brewery), it's kind of discordant for me to see a play area with toys for little kids in the corners of the bar. To be honest, there are a couple places I expect to go out to and not see infants and toddlers, an R rated movie and a bar. This trend of making bars kid friendly kind of concerns me to be honest. Whatever happened to getting a baby sitter and going out to the bar with adults? read more

Not our favorite of the Twin Cities breweries we tried out. I will preface by saying that they have two really awesome things going for them - their outdoor space is perfect for summer patio drinking, and their logo is great! Not going to lie, I did partially pick this place just for their logo and they ended up having a sad selection of swag to choose from. I left empty-handed :( Service-wise, they have a sign hanging at the far end of their bar that says "Order Here" and unlike other places that will serve you if you sit at the bar, therefore reserving the "Order Here" sign for walk-ups that are sitting elsewhere, the employees were having none of that. Either you ordered at the sign or you didn't get any beer. I should have taken this as a cue to grab a hat for my sister-in-law and just get out of there, because we were pretty beered out at that point anyways, but we decided to give it a go for the sake of the lovely outdoor space that looked just prime for beer drinking. I got the blackberry sour and E got a dark lager brewed with Minnesota wild rice (something MNers seem to be very proud of and which I think is awesome because I LOVE wild rice). Mine was actually pretty good, although the blackberry didn't really shine through, and E said his was a lot heavier/darker than he was expecting out of a dark lager. Overall, we loved the outdoor space and thought the beer was decent, but the service (and therefore the vibe) was a no-go for us. We might give them a try in the future, if only for the patio. read more

Great spot to enjoy a nice beer (+ food when they have a food truck). They typically have a good variety of beers so that everyone in your group can find something they like! They have a ton of space both indoors and outdoors - but definitely more enjoyable when you can embrace the huge patio. They have a ton of umbrellas to enjoy both sun and shade. Definitely dog and mid friendly as well! read more

This is the 2nd time I've been here. The only beer I like is Calhoun Claw. Its loud and open. Staff are friendly. I don't like the fact that dogs aren't allowed inside. Parking is a challenge as lot is shared with other businesses. I don't live in area so probably won't make a special trip to come here. Its alright. read more

My husband and I came here a couple months ago in search of a new brewery to try. We had just finished dinner at his parent's place and the options I presented were Surly (~5 minute drive, been there...a lot) and Lake Monster (~7 minute drive, never been). We decided on Lake Monster because we're young and hip and we like to try new things! So, first off, lot parking is a definite bonus. Inside, the space is larger than your average brewery. Tall ceilings, the brewing vats close enough you can reach out and touch them, lit up prettily with some blue lighting in the evening hours. It was decently filled when we went, either a Wednesday or Thursday night. Decent amount of brews on tap so we both got flights to try most of them. Overall with the exception of a couple, the beers were underwhelming. I think I had two different IPA's in my flight, one of which definitely carried that off bitterness that doesn't taste like it comes from the hops. The doppelbock was good though and that's what I ended up going with a pint of. So the beer here falls as a meh for me personally at Lake Monster. Coupled with the fact that it's 'kid friendly' (I think I just read another review that said it looked like someone was having a kid's birthday party here. Seriously, who does that?!) means that I'll probably be staying far away. There weren't any rampant spawn while my husband and I were there but I can see a Saturday afternoon being something special. Then again all breweries are becoming like this, so it seems to be a moot point. Ah well, I won't ever stop bitching about it! read more

First things a 3 star rating for me is saying this place is ok as advertised by the rating system. I don't like the beers here. I've tried a lot of them in different years and different seasons and it's just not my thing. The location is great. The staff is plenty nice. The beer is disappointing. There isn't much else I can really say but that I don't like the beer and I'm generally predisposed to like beer. read more

I thought it would be nice to ask people to meet me here for my birthday yesterday. Wrong. A friend brought a cake. We lit a candle and I blew it out. Instantly we were told by staff candles were not allowed. Obviously we were not aware of their policy and I stated that we were already done. This was responded to sarcastically with, "Thanks for calling ahead to ask about our policy". Happy birthday to me! Myself and the 15+ paying customers I brought in won't be back. read more