Great atmosphere. The kind of place where you can sit and enjoy yourself for hours and meet interesting, friendly people. Chris and team are amazing. The depth and nuance and flavor they can impart in low ABV beers, where you can't hide imperfections behind blunt force hop/grain/alcohol bombs, is nothing short of alchemy. read more

Only have a select few beers to choose from. Atmosphere is kind of weird although I did like the accordion player they had while we were there. Beer was kind of pricey. We didn't try the food since this was just a quick stop. Checked our IDs at the door. read more

I came here for an event my commercial bank hosted for its customers and what an awesome place this is. Wow, who knew this hole in the wall place had the most amazing beer I've ever tried. Their food menu is so good, I love pairing their warm pretzels with their beers. Their "Pils" beer is honestly THE number one best beer I've ever had in my life. I will be sure to go back and buy their beer again. The beer is brewed on site at their facility and tastes so fresh. The beer I got says that it should be consumed within 2 weeks and has a dated stamp of Sept 15th on it. I like that the beer is fresh and needs to be consumed soon and not filled with artificial preservatives. Parking lot and street parking 5/5 starts for the food, authentic craft beer, and great service read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Nice little brewery in Salem. They also had an outdoor seating area which is always a plus. Great beer, friendly staff and an array of broad games for use. We went for the afternoon and this was within walking distances to many other places. Will be back again. read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

This place is a great space with amazing beer. The only thing that was awful was the staff. The bus boy named Steve was very rude and unprofessional. After traveling for 6 hours and having a dead phone the guy behind the bar wouldn't even help me find a plug. He made me leave my phone in an unattended area all for my phone to get stolen. Big surprise. Something tells me he stole it. He had a very sketchy personality and was very obnoxious. After my phone went missing he didn't even bother to help me find it, instead he said "mam were not responsible for lost or stolen items".. SERIOUSLY?! There's plenty of other places in the neighborhood that aren't so corporate. They're a lot more friendly and very welcoming. Unlike this place. Big mistake to stop off here on my part. NEVER AGAIN read more

A new brewery in Salem-yay! Being craft beer-lovers, we are always on the hunt for new ones to try. The Notch Brewery is located conveniently in downtown Salem right off Derby Street (there's a sign on the sidewalk directing you down a driveway.) We were met outside by a friendly man who was eager to give us suggestions on which beer to try. The Tap Room is spacious with a few rooms that had picnic tables. There is outdoor seating overlooking the water. I really liked the Slake which is a farmhouse ale. The one disappointment is that they don't offer flights which is kind of surprising-maybe in the future?? They do have half pours. It is nicely decorated with Hatch Show Prints and very comfortable. They have Skee Ball! We shared a pretzel that was delish! ;) We will definitely return when in Salem again. read more

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Great atmosphere, phenomenal bar eats, and an outstanding beer selection. The "Hang the DJ" DIPA was one of the best ones I've had-- and the big soft pretzels are the perfect snack to pair with your beer. Drove 2 hours to check out some breweries in the area, and we were certainly not disappointed. 10/10, will go back. read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Guy at the door with the green beard said my federally issued green card was useless to check my DOB. What the F?? The guy at the door let me in anyway, so I don't understand why he even said that. And he was pretty rude about the whole thing. His attitude kind of put me off the place. read more

Good session beers. Great atmosphere.

Was super excited to visit this brewery because I heard about the ski ball, and I love ski ball and beer. I only saw one ski ball thing though, maybe I'm blind and just didn't see the others but I was a little disappointed. Their location and setup is awesome, I love that they can open it all up to their outside area but close it off when it gets chilly. I was sad that they didn't have any dark beers considering it's fall/Halloween season in Salem. However I did have their Michigan girls beer that one of "beertenders" suggested and I really enjoyed it. It says it's a pale ale on the board but it was more like a red or amber ale. I like that they have a few snack offerings but I would have much rather had some food trucks cause they have a perfect location for it. read more

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This is one of my favorite places in Salem. We live just down the street and can always count on Notch for excellent customer service, a great vibe, and great beer. We went today to do some take out beers, and they were super friendly and efficient!! Always been a fave and will continue to support during and post-covid! read more

As soon as we walked in we were greeted by an older man that wanted to check our IDs. When my wife tried to help by telling him where her birthday was located on her ID, he responded very rudely with "I've been checking IDs for 35 years and I don't need you to tell me how to do it." Instantly made us want to turn around and walk out. read more

I usually enjoy coming here but here's one thing: if you have the rule of "no children after 6pm on weekend." Please please please make it clear on your website not at the door. read more

I love it here. Fantastic music and delicious session beers to drink on a pretty pea stone patio by the canal. It's just lovely and relaxing! The snack menu is short and sweet- some little nibbles to enjoy with your beer and conversation. Dog and kiddo friendly before 6pm on the weekends. This is my favorite spot to meet friends on a weekend afternoon, or for a beer and snack before dinner. They have fantastic, creative events, too. Oktoberfest was amazing. I'm so happy they landed in Salem. read more

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I really like this local brewery. The beer selection is great, they'll make you a radler, it is dog/kid friendly and they have skee ball- what more could you want. I have been here numerous times and I've never had a bad time, staff is attentive and friendly and you can usually find a seat. read more

This was our third stop on our own little food and beer tour though Salem. It's a clean dog friendly brewery with a great outdoor seating area next to the water. I loved the hefe weisse! read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

This place is pretty cool. Definitely new to the Salem scene as it wasn't here last year when I visited. They have beer, bar snacks and skee ball. Fun times! read more

Decent selection of beers with a solid IPA. Had a pint of the Voll Project IPA and the Lemon Radler. Both were solid beers that didn't disappoint! Cool social seating with friendly Satan followers on Halloween! The pickled eggs were a great touch to the beers! And the Danzig music!! read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Really chill ambiance, delicious session beers. Try the seasonal löggerhead if you're a fan of high abv and malt! We came here twice in a row because we loved it so much. read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I wouldn't usually hang out in a micro brewery but over this winter I've had the pleasure of visiting this one quite a few times as I am working very close by. The beer is quite good and I like the open atmosphere. I really enjoy going there and shooting the breeze with my friends and coworkers over a few beers. read more

What a fun taproom! Large outdoor patio (with blankets and heaters) ski ball and shuffleboard inside, makes it a great place to enjoy a beer. All have a lower abv (sessionable) so you can still get home after! Will definitely stop back when I'm in salem again read more

Fun vibe! Bummed they didn't have the beer I wanted on tap, but I enjoyed the black currant beer anyways. Love the indoor/outdoor scene and it was cool to be overlooking the water. I could definitely see myself chilling here regularly if I lived in Salem. +1 for having a special pooch exit read more

Delicious, creative beers, many in the Czech pilsner style. So good! The pickled vegetables go surprisingly well with the beer. They also serve utopence, a pickled sausage that is a classic Czech bar snack - made me feel like I was back in a Prague beer garden. read more

This place is a total home run. Great location, great space, and the beers are fantastic. Run by a local guy and his wife, both of whom are great people and truly passionate about beer. Check out the patio if the weather's nice, you seriously cannot go wrong at this place. read more

A long-time fan of Notch (we served their Cerne Pivo at our wedding!), my friends and I have been eagerly anticipating the opening of their tap room in Salem, and it was definitely worth the wait (and the travel from Boston to Salem). The tap room is well-located, spacious, and nicely designed, and includes a lovely patio overlooking the water that had plenty of umbrellas and shade for both humans and pups alike, and an inside complete with a ski-ball machine (yes!) and AC for the hot days. The bartenders were knowledgable and friendly, and the founder Chris was on-site making sure things were running smoothly. Beer-wise, they offer 6-7 of their session beers at a time plus a half-lemonade radler, and while they unfortunately don't do official flights, they do offer half pours of each of their beers for half the price, so you can try everything that way (definitely the way to go, especially with the pours tending towards 3/4). Although I've tried a good amount of Notch's brews already, they had a few I hadn't tried yet, so got to have some old and some new (all very solid, and perfect for a lazy weekend day). As for this place not being 'ok for a family outing', as per the previous reviewer? This is one of my biggest pet peeves that I see more and more nowadays, and I call BS- it's a fricken brewery/tap room that literally exists just to sell beer, of *course* it's not meant for under-21ers either logistically or legally, why would you ever think otherwise? Alcoholic establishments are literally the last bastion for adult-only fun nowadays (OK, maybe strip clubs too, if that's your particular jam), so please keep your precious little ones far from bars and breweries and let us adults drink in peace- there are plenty of other restaurants and establishments who will (un?)happily tolerate them instead (or hey, it's called a babysitter- leave them at home if you feel the need to have some adult-oriented boozy fun). It's just dumb to rate establishments based on what you presume they should be, and not based on what they actually are. Blergh. read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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This place is ridiculous. Apparently you are supposed to go to specific spot in order to get a table. My boyfriend and I sat ourselves at table 19; unbeknownst to us, you have to see the server. No problem. But here, we did not see a sign that states such. We ordered our beers and paid. While we were waiting for our beers we had a very enjoyable time. A waitress walked by and said to us, "Table 19, your beers are ready!" As she gingerly walked on. My boyfriend got up and went to go get said beers. While my boyfriend was away a man came up to me very aggressively and asked if I was sat at the front. I said we ordered beers already. He says I know. Did you get sat by the front. I say no we sat ourselves. He then says uhh! You have to wait to be seated at the front. You see, we go on a rotation. I nod my head in agreement and say ok. (I am a server as a second job). He walks away. Then he returns moments later and says Uhh, you can't order any food. I say ok. And again put my head down and start playing on my phone. He then comes back a third time. Third time. And says look, we are on a rotation. I said yeah I know. He then says we need to make sure we seat people according to their arrival. I said yeah I know we are just leaving. He says ok. Walks away and puts his hands in the air as if I made that decision on my own. I said you have been nothing but rude. We really enjoyed drinking our beers in the parking lot. That was top NOTCH! All in all. Avoid this place. Run. read more

My wife and I have been fans of Notch for several years now and we were psyched to learn that they would be opening a taproom on the Salem waterfront. We finally had an excuse to make another trip on the commuter rail and dropped in this past Saturday, 7/30. The space has an industrial feel that I think is appropriate for any brewery tap room with concrete floors and exposed HVAC in the ceiling and a Ski Ball game in the corner. There are plenty of tables and a long bar for when you need to rest your beer and there are plenty of tables on the outside patio, right on the water. We especially enjoyed the outside tables on this beautiful summer day, which was beginning to fill up with humans and their dogs (One of my pastimes is straight creeping on dogs). The staff was extremely friendly and offered to give half pours (quarter liters) if you wanted to try a few different beers. These pours leaned towards the generous side and I would definitely recommend this route if you want to try several of Notch's offerings. I could also recommend just straight up getting a full liter, since it's a whole liter. The beauty of Notch is that you could conceivably sample quite a few half liter beers due to their low ABV and not ruin the rest of your day. It's important to note that this place does have "Biergarten" in the name. I think the only item available for purchase that doesn't have alcohol in it is the pretzel (I think it doesn't have any alcohol in it). If you are expecting a family-friendly restaurant, you will be disappointed, this is a bar owned by a brewery that pretty much only serves beer. read more

Been here a few times pre-Covid and loved it! However I went last night and booked my reservation for 5:45 online. Got stuck in some traffic and called ahead to let them know I would be 5/10 minutes late and the man was super nice about it. When we got there to check in, the hostess (blue hair wish I got your name) was incredibly rude. "Well because you were late it messes things up." Long story short she had us wait, other parties were seated before us that arrived after us and finally at 6:25 we go back up and ask how much longer and she completely forgot about us and we were seated. Since I only booked a 1 hour time slot, we ended up only have 15/20 minutes to sit and drink. On a positive note, the beer was good at least. Hostess on the other hand.....was not ‍ read more

Full Disclosure: I'm a friend of the owners and have been a fan of their beer ever since first discovering it on the shelves. Chris (the founder and brewer) has long talked about his ideal of a European-style beer hall, with communal tables, strangers sitting together, socializing, and celebrating small beer. And sure enough, with the help of a great staff who love and celebrate beer and a team of builders and architects who've mastered design, Notch has created the platonic ideal of a biergarten on the side of the South River. It's a great space and they're constantly brewing and testing out new beer ideas. Want food? If a pretzel with mustard is good enough for you, enjoy. Otherwise go to one of the great restaurants within a baseball toss of there, have a meal, and come back for a delicious sudsy dessert. If you are a fan of the American-style extreme IPA hop bombs and super boozy stouts, this is not for you. If you like to drink by volume to get hammered, this is not for you. If you want wine or cocktails, again, not for you. Notch is about celebrating and enjoying diverse beer styles, mainly Czech or German in nature, and a paean to low-gravity session beers. Come in, sit down, and have a liter of a tasty 4% alcohol beer. Just don't bring the kids (for crying out loud, it's a beerhall!) and don't make plans for the rest of the day, because it'll hold you there for hours and you'll make new friends. read more

Some breweries are a home run...This one is a grand slam! My wife and I were first introduced to Notch when we moved to Salem. What we stumbled upon was 1) fantastic beer and 2) an awesome brewery experience! The beer never disappoints and I love how they're constantly pumping out new types of beer using old world concepts (LOVE the session beer idea too!). It's drinkable, inventive and you can tell they know what they're doing when it comes to brewing beer. I make it a point to ensure I have plenty of Notch in the house at all times now. The brewery has such a cool feel; love the beer garden-style tables and chandeliers, and the outdoor patio has such a communal feel. We loved bringing our dog to the patio in the summers, bringing a few sandwiches and just relaxing with great beer and enjoying the day. We've since moved out of Salem; we've been back a couple times and always make it a point to stop by for a round. Thanks for the memories Notch! P.S. I hear word a Brighton location is opening soon and fully plan to be there frequently read more

Been watching for this place to open for months, and so glad to finally have it. The vibe, the tables, the patio, the bar itself - everything came out perfectly. The one-offs so far have been extremely tasty, and the old standbys like Left of the Dial have never tasted better. The staff is friendly, the vibe is positive. Everything about this place is a boon to the city, including what it has done (along with Orsini) to take a once-sketchy alley and make it into a seamless transition between the Wharf and the rest of Derby St. The little touches like the raspberry and woodruff (!) syrups they offer with the Hootenanny Berliner weisse are the icing on the cake. With all the things Chris has talked about in interviews regarding his take on serving authentic European-style beers the authentic way, I can't wait to see what they do next. Side-note: it is absolutely asinine to go to a beer tasting room (which, by definition, is a place where beer is made and served) with children (who, by definition, are not legally allowed to consume said beer) and expect said children to receive a "family experience." It is even more ridiculous to then try to hurt that's business's reputation with a review based on that expectation. read more

Cool staff that are informative about their beers. Atmosphere is laid back, kid friendly, good tunes and even better beer. As a beer snob, I'd recommend grabbing a few brews here! Plus, the location is awesome. read more

Session beers done to perfection, Many beer styles: quite a selection! Wonderful flavors; I enjoyed the complexion. Notch may be served at my wedding; it's won my affection. Awesome beer served in a very cool tasting room with a decent amount of seating and plenty of standing room. I tried a few IPAs, a sour, and a stout and all were pretty awesome. Unfortunately, no flights, but you can do half-pours if you want to try a bunch of different styles. Definitely a family-friendly place. There were kids everywhere playing games and having fun. The bartenders can probably work on their people skills a bit, but that may have just been because it was a busy Saturday afternoon. Overall, an awesome addition to Salem's downtown scene. Can't wait to return when it warms up this summer. read more

Really loving this brewery. Super friendly people, great atmosphere and AWESOME beer! And it's in Salem, so what could be better?! Highly recommended :) read more

Notch Brewing - Festbier and zwickel - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Great location along the river, and tasty beers. As noted by previous reviewers, Notch specializes in session brews, so nothing over 5%. But that just means you can enjoy a few extra! As these are sessions, I also appreciate the wide range in sizes - quarter-liter tastings (~8.5 oz), 1/2 liters, and full liter large mugs. (Seems odd that there is no discount on the liter mug though - if the 1/2-liter is $6.75, the liter is $13.50. Oh well). On a sunny day, this is a great place to drink some quality beer, and I would certainly recommend it when in Salem. read more

Conveniently located in the heart of Salem various restaurants that sell great food in walking distance from here. The space is very spacious and highly recommended to come with friends to enjoy Massachusetts crafts beer read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Their rattlers aren't to die for!! Super refreshing. Make sure to try the dog and pony plus the standard. Great staff and awesome environment. We made a couple friends here just sitting around drinking. Great spot! read more

Stopped in before dinner with a friend on a Sunday evening and the place was bumping. Had a nice beer garden attached that was on the water and had some nice wooden benches. Notch isn't my favorite beer but that's what makes the world go round. Friendly and fast service with good prices, only had one star removed because they didn't serve flights but instead did half pours in the beers respective glasses which makes it hard judging halfway points if you're sharing. Since there are no flights you kind of have to share. Most small children I've ever seen in a brewery, fun but strange. They had ski ball and supposedly a ski ball league. If I lived in Salem, I would definitely make it down here every once in awhile as they have both food and a wide selection of drafts. read more

Loved the lager I had and staff was really friendly. The outside patio was super nice and right on the water. Saw a few jumping fish! Would recommend checking this place out! read more

Notch is a great addition to Salem! The vibe is relaxed and the beer is good. Left of the Dial IPA is an obvious favorite, but I look forward to trying more. I really, really, really wish they did flights. I really want to try a variety of their beers, but I also don't want to get stuck with a giant glass of something I don't enjoy. The outdoor space is great and puppy friendly. I do wish the benches were a bit more sturdy. I've seen more than one people almost flip one over. Perfect spot to sit around, have a beer or two and enjoy a great day. read more