What a great place to chat with friends, make new friends and enjoy awesome fresh beer! Unlike prior reviews, I found this a great place to meet friends on Sunday afternoon with their kids. We were able to chat and have a few beers while our kids played a board game. Every time I have been in Notch, there have been families in there enjoying each others company. That is what makes this place so great! It is a casual environment that is relaxed and laid back. There are no TVs blaring sports programs or neon lights, just awesome murals and brickwork. The outdoor seating area is welcoming and a perfect place to hang with your favorite canine friend. And.... the beer is amazing. You won't be disappointed. Dog & Pony Show is my favorite right now, it's light and crisp with a bit of a citrus note, perfect for summer. OH! Don't forget to bring home a Crowler of your favorite brew... It's a one quart can of any of the brews they have on tap at the time. Pick up a couple to bring to a BBQ, you will be a rockstar! read more

An absolutely gnarly and fucking awesome brewery. If you're in Salem for the day this is an absolute must stop. I highly recommend taking the ferry up from Boston and hitting them up for post lunch, pre dinner and or after dinner libations. read more

Notch Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I stopped into this new brewery with 3 others. It's odd that they don't offer the option of ordering flights. However, it's a nice compromise to provide half pours if you want to try multiple beers. The ambiance of the brewery is really nice and there are several seating options between the outdoor patio, bar and additional separate room with tables indoors. I didn't get a chance to play, but they have skee ball, which is a nice touch. The beer itself was really good. We also shared a tasty pretzel. I'll be sure to visit again next time I'm in town. read more

Great beer, ambiance and no pretension here. Order at the bar and enjoy a seat with a view on the canal. Large tables are great for meeting others. Dog friendly which is always fun. Knowledgeable friendly bar staff with a great product. read more

Cute brewery space, games and good beer. They have a parking lot so no need to drive around looking for street parking which is a huge plus! The staff is great and will offer recommendations and samples for anyone interested. read more

Awesome tap room! Good IPA, cool atmosphere, friendly bartender. We came here with two young kids, and still recieved a warm welcome. Being from MN, I was skeptical a MA brewey could pull off a good IPA (all the popular MA IPAs aren't good, sorry, but it's true), but I was pleasantly surprised with a good pint. Great place. read more

Solid spot. Indoor and outdoor seating. Right on the water. Beer choices are good. I liked it here. I would recommend.

Went to Salem for the first time, after living in MA for the majority of my life, and as a beer enthusiast knew I had to check out Notch. Loved it. Fast service, friendly folks && skee ball (my all time fave arcade game). Will definitely be back. read more

Had a great time on a warm summer day sitting outside at a communal table and sipping a nice cold delicious beer. I confess I do not know which one I got, but I told them I'm an IPA fan looking to branch out a bit. Whatever I got really fit the bill. I was offered a little taste to make sure I'd love it. Friendly door guy, nice and helpful bartenders, a really nice tucked away location, what more could you want? As for the kids and dogs policy, there were a couple of well behaved dogs in the outdoor space as well and some adorable toddlers. The policy is that VERY young kids can go with parents, but old kids and teens are not allowed in. I think it's reasonable. For food, we only saw big soft pretzels and some kind of sausage snack. This is not a food place, it's a beer hall. It was lot of fun! read more

Excellent. Had their beer in different restaurants around Salem, but was happy to try it here at the brewery. Nice atmosphere, will definitely be back. read more

The beer is quite good. The staff is not very friendly. The music when we were there was essentially just noise. A more widely appreciated music should be played. With the unfriendly staff and noise passed as music drank or beer and left. Too bad since the beer is quite good. read more

If hipster puddle water beer (IPA) is your thing and you don't know high quality brews when you see them, then this is the place to be! The ambiance is nice though. read more

Great beer! Variety has something for everyone. Staff is excellent! They take care of you while there! Will be back!

Notch is one of my favorite spots in Salem. Delicious beer, consistently rotating drafts, friendly staff, and a nice atmosphere and style. I love relaxing in the outdoor beer garden. They also have a really yummy selection of non-alcoholic drinks for your young companions. read more

I was in town for Halloween, and this was the spot to escape the madness of the weekend. First the beers, they were alright. Nothing really stood out, however they serve them in steins so that was awesome. The space is clean and spacious with plenty of seating. The bar area can get a little cramped when it's busy, however it seems to move fast. If I was a local this would be my spot, and my only knock would be the taste of the beers. read more

I couldn't believe how new this place is! Great atmosphere with even better servers. Would recommend the Dunkle

Notch, is a great place to hang out and sample fine beer. My go to beer when I can't decide is Notch left of the Dial. Nothing more to say! Try it! read more

Great unique beers and a great atmosphere. The crowd is a little older, but they welcomed in a few 21 year olds. Everyone was friendly from the bouncer to the bartender and even the other customers. read more

No complaints about the place, service was fine, atmosphere and interior were nice. We both had a Pilsner which was very good. Personally not my kind of place, not into the Biergartens and communal tables thing. Had we noticed there was no seating at the bar we probably would not have gone in. But we had already walked down the alley so we figured we'd have a beer. Would we return again no, but that's a personal preference no knock on the place. If there was a bar with seats I would absolutely return. read more

This was my first trip to the Notch. Enjoyed a nice rauchbier. Was a little bit on the cool side, so decided to save the Biergarten for next visit. Also looking forward to trying out the Darklands. Glad to have found this place. Little did I know that it's been open for quite a few months already. Looking forward to another trip. read more

Very cozy, cute, and clean inside! Staff was very friendly! Beer was great! And they have ski ball!!!! We will be back!

Insane brewery! Great beers, the door guy is awesome, love the dog patio, and the staff is amazing! Definitely worth a visit!

I really love their space. Plenty of room inside, a great area with outside seating, and it's all situated right next to the water. What's not to love about free skee ball? However, when it actually comes to the beers, I was fairly disappointed. I understand that session beers (under 5% ABV) is their thing, but almost every other session beer I've had in my life is better than the ones I tried at Notch. read more

Great spot! My girlfriend and I stopped by on Sunday night. We shared a liter of Zwickle beir (hope I spelled that right) and a pretzel. They also have a ski ball machine for a quarter a play! Their patio is right on the water too. It was really pretty on a quite Sunday night. We had a blast! P.s. If they could improve in one way I would love to see more food. I know it's hard though. They probably don't have a full kitchen. read more

Great beer, family friendly (dog, too!), and friendly service! We love sitting outside on the patio to enjoy our beers while our toddler plays. read more

First and foremost, Notch makes good beer. The premises is fun, spacious, clean, and not pretentious. There's a skeeball machine, too. Smaller breweries that "get it" have similar set ups. Only complaint is that, while it's kind of a PITA with regard to glasses and boards et cetera, having flights available to order would have been fantastic. read more

Went on a Saturday evening with a group of 4 and we got in line to get a table. After a few minutes I figured I might as well check out the menu while we're waiting so I walked inside and looked at the big menu on the wall for a few seconds. As I started to walk back outside I see the guy working the door rushing towards me. He starts yelling at me asking if I saw the line outside. I told him I was just looking at the menu and already on my way back outside and he loses his damn mind yelling at me about how I can't do that. He kept yelling at me as I walked back to my group in line and we all just left in disgust. I didn't find out how the beer is, but the service is the worst I've ever experienced. If you're looking to be degraded in public by a sad little man on a power trip I'd highly recommend checking it out. read more

My boyfriend and I were very excited to come to Salem and visit Notch due to the great reviews. When walking in we followed the people in front of us who looked like they knew where they were going. Apparently they didn't seeing as we went in the "canine" entrance in the back. The bouncer ran in after us essentially accusing us of trying to sneak into the bar asking "why we went by the door" and making snide comments. We then showed him our IDs and he continued to treat us as if we were 5 years old. We looked at the menu but were too upset with how we were treated to try to even stay and make it a good time. Remember to use the correct door if you would like to be treated with respect. read more

This place is great! Fresh, delicious beer; charismatic, helpful staff, and the decor shows a tremendous attention to detail and love of hospitality. Everything was explained to me upon arrival and I awarded bonus points because I've seen them card people and refuse access to minors. Clearly the owners are rule followers and care about public health. read more

This place slays. Come here for cool ambiance and great beers.

Great tap room. The outdoor patio in the summer is a great place to grab some drinks with friends and enjoy the day. Their tap selection is great, and the bartender was able to make great recommendations based on our taste preferences. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff and delicious beer! They also have an outdoor area with cornhole and picnic tables overlooking the water.

Gute Laune, Gute Leute! Fantastic, tasty beer that doesn't require a nap afterwards (so, session beer) and a well-designed location that encourages meeting people. My first time there, I got to practice my German for half an hour with a guy I met at the bar. Can't wait to return! read more

Notch was recommended to us by staff at the nearby inn where we stayed, and we loved it. The beer was excellent and I especially loved getting to play skee ball. We also tried the pretzel and mustard, which was the perfect snack. Hoping to come back again next time we are in town! read more

Good beer and really cool atmosphere. Definitely worth stopping in for a dark lager when in Salem!

The beer was fabulous! The soft pretzel is so good! They have skee ball here how cool is that!??!! I have never been to a brewery with games. The building is beautiful, the decor is very cool too. The service was wonderful. I had the Clown Shoes beer and it was out of this world good. Very comfy, inviting place. I was on my vacation while I visited and this was a great experience! Thank you so much. read more

This is a really nice space with good beer. They focus on low-alcohol session beers, and they make very good ones - the citra wheat pale ale and the pilsner were excellent. But there's a tension between their beers/branding and their prices. Low alcohol, session beers shouldn't be $7/glass, especially when their branding on coasters, etc. is essentially about making something approximating "everyday beer for the common working people." That'd be great if that's what they actually offered, but they're charging just as much for their beer, or more, than the breweries making high-ABV IPAs and stouts. You don't even get a break for purchasing a full liter, which is exactly the double the price of a half. It just doesn't match up. I'd gladly return and drink up if the prices of their beers reflected the quality and style. But a place describing its beer in this way should price it accordingly. That said, If you've got an unlimited budget or just don't mind the prices, it's a great spot. read more

I loved it here! Great little spot sitting on water. I didn't get very adventurous and so I only drank their standard tap, but it was a delicious pale ale!! I loved the options on sizes for beers and the way they're serving them! I will definitely be coming back here the next time I visit Salem and recommend anyone visiting Salem to stop in here. read more

Great beer, love that the alcohol percentage is on the low side. I like that I can enjoy a few beers and not feeling it the next day.

Amazing beers and a welcome addition to the north shore. The owners are committed to their craft, which shows in the great product and the incredibly well-designed tap room. First time I've been able to really appreciate the south river. read more