I have been there multiple times for lunch now the food is always excellent the beers never let me down. The bartender DJ shares the same love for Bach reserves that I do. Definitely worth a stop in for food and drinks read more

OK FIRST WANT TO SAY FOOD AND BEER GREAT!! But so disappointed ! My husband and I went to the penn brewery at the airport and loved everything ! Food , beer , and service ! So we decided to take my family to the penn brewery on northside for dinner tonight expecting to be just as happy but sadly we were wrong . The food was great again and the beer obviously Great but the service was absolutely awful !!!! I ordered a flight of beer and the server brings it over and attempts to tell Me which beer is which well to be honest she was wrong on every single one thank god ive had some of them before and could figure out what beer was which . The server was not even busy so to me there was just no excuse everything we ordered we had to order twice !! She forgot something if not multiple things for every single one of us ! We never got our sides never got beers when we ordered them without asking again and again . We gave up on getting our sides . Then when we got offered dessert two of our guests asked to see the menu then the server comes back with the bill so we once again had to ask for the dessert menu which they ordered and coffees well not to our surprise because our entire night was like this we got the desserts but never got The coffees and then when I asked about their coffees to let her know we no longer even wanted them she didn't even seem to care that she forgot them or anything she never brought us . We want to try penn again because we like the food and love the beer but they need to work on the servers . read more

They were out of all the good beer each time I went. Then the last time I saw a mouse run across the floor while eating and was told that's normal... Haven't been back! read more

Service was exceptionally slow upon arrival in the early afternoon when I was one of four guests in three parties but the pierogies were tasty. read more

Love the beer. The food was good as usual. I had the currywurst others in our group had schnitzel. Both were good. But the cheese platter was the best I ever had. Delicious.... read more

Great German food options....so it's not Hofbrauhaus or Church Breworks. It's a Pittsburgh institution and the beer is great, awesome selection of pierogis and German food. Additionally live music options, even during the week are fantastic! read more

I was surprised at how much I liked this place. Really great beer! I was so surprised at how great the spicy ginger beer was! And the flatbread and sausages we ordered were out of this world! Will definitely frequent again! read more

I forget what kind of beer I had, but it was potent and really good. I loved Darren's pierogis and chili. The beer cheese is addictive. My entree, the Rouladen, was a tender, moist winner of a meal and was served in a generous portion. Stupid me had the other half boxed up and then forgot it! Our server was really, sweet, fun, and talked our ears off. read more

Probably the worst service I have ever had. The waitress asked our party to reiterate our order SIX times, then messed up the check three times. Pretty high honor to mess up an order that severely. That being said, good beer and German grub. If only it was served to us competently. Seriously insane levels of incompetence. read more

We were there today for the 2nd annual King of the Wing Festival. VIP Tickets cost us $35 each and that gave us 3 hours (2pm-5pm) of unlimited wings from any of 40 or so Pittsburgh area restaurants/bars. The cheapest tix were $25 and allowed you in from 3-5pm. The vendors were great! The options were awesome. Some of the flavors were not to our liking (maple syrup/real bacon bit wings anyone?), some wings were undercooked (bloody bones inside anyone?). But some of the vendors hit it out of the park (Big Shot Bobs dry rub is AWESOME!). We had all kinds of flavors- Jamaican jerk, Cajun, ghost pepper smoked, and tons more. The reason I'm only giving this 3 stars is because Penn Brewery 'dropped the ball' in several important areas- The outdoor beer stands were cash only. Who carries cash anymore? So we headed indoors only to find their ATM machine OUT OF ORDER! And to get to the ATM you had to leave the parking lot where the event was held and walk completely around to the front of the building to get in. The gate separating the lot from the restaurant was padlocked! Why not open it and put a couple I'd checkers on chairs at the gate??? They then put out a single bottled water machine- up on the top lot IN THE SUN! Then later on they set up a water table in the lower lot (which was shaded) but the water wasn't even iced. $35 a person and they can't put ice in the water??? There was also a malfunctioning hand wash station- you step on the pedal and the water squirted out all over your feet. At least there was soap- which I had to rinse off with water from the drinking water table. I don't know what management was doing but I'm guessing they were oblivious to the issues. Or maybe they were just too busy counting their money... Smh... read more

I really wanted to love this place. Hell. I used to love this place. For the food, anyway. I'm not a beer drinker, but I'm into eating food. The service here, however, leaves something to be desired. On previous visits to Penn Brewery we've enjoyed dining outside and have enjoyed the food. This week, we were excited there was a Craft Beer Week event here and the collaboration beers had the BF all in a tizzy. We made our way there (in rush hour and everything!), parked in the mini garage and made our way inside. Inside, it was a madhouse. The bar was jam packed. The tables were full. The hostess stand was abandoned. We awkwardly stood at the hostess stand since we were hoping to get some food while we were there. No one came, and no one came. When an employee finally came over, it was like he didn't know what a hostess stand was or how to operate said hostess stand. He was confused about what to do, handed us menus and told us we could sit anywhere. We snagged a table from two women who were about to leave and started to look over the menu. After a few minutes and no sign of a waiter, a waiter came over and asked us if we'd been seated here. Yes, we said, we were given menus and told we could sit here. 'Welllll (I'm channeling all three nasal-y Kardashians here), you can't sit here. There's a long wait.' But- b-b-b-b- the man said we could sit here :( 'Yeah, there's a really long wait.' This woman was SO rude. I was immediately peeved. We'd already been ignored, given false information and THEN rudely told to move like we were some sort of aliens trying to jump the 'wait' list. We were not offered to have our name put on the list while we waited at the bar, we were just told to MOVE IT. I looked at this rude waitress, looked at my accomplice, and said, "CAN WE LEAVE?" And we did. I tweeted them about it and they said 'We are very sorry about that! We'll let the staff know so we can prevent that in the future.' But what's done is done. And no free app or anything? Fuh-GET about this place and its shenans. If I need a raucous night of German beer drinking I'll head to Hofbrauhaus. Hmph! read more

We were at the bar waiting for our table. The bartender,Jason, was awesome. Didn't mind waiting at all. Great conversation and very personable read more

While visiting my hometown and family for the holidays I stopped by Penn Brewing to pay my final respects. You may or may not know that after almost 23 years they are shutting it down as a result of raised rents on the space that they occupy which happens to be a century old brewery (the old Eberhart and Ober brewery on the Pittsburgh North Side). If you are interested here is the latest story http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08346/934287-46.stm I won't go into it here as it has nothing to do with the review other than if you are interested in their beer, food and atmosphere you better get over there and try it as the official last day of restaurant ops appears to be February 28, 2009. They've brewed the last batch of beer on site as of late November and according to the article above will be dismantling the beautiful brew house. I expect that the last two months will not be up to the standards that we've known for 23 years. Other than my good byes I went to taste their Christmas seasonal the St. Nikolaus Bock. Which lived up to it's long standing standards. Rich, roasty and complex this beer is the perfect pint or liter on a wet, cold winter afternoon. I sat and enjoyed a couple while taking in for the last time the sights and sounds of the beer hall and beautifully displayed brew house. Tom Pastorious (Founder) did a great job of converting this space to an authentic German beer hall complete with the rows of long tables and benches - I don't dare say picnic tables because they aren't. When I walked in yesterday afternoon (December 26th) the place was packed but we elbowed our way to seats at the bar. The crowds just complete the ambience and the feeling of being in an actual German bier hall. We met two strangers at the bar and chatted for a good 30minutes - they were from out of town as well enjoying their final holiday pilgrimage to Penn Brewery. After my first liter I grabbed the menu (being the sucker for German food that I am) knowing what I would find on it having been here numerous times over the years. Lynne and I split the JaegerSchnitzel as an afternoon snack. It was served with a mini loaf of rye bread which was fresh, crunchy on the outside, warm and chewy on the inside and useful for mopping the wonderful mushroom laden sauce that makes this well - Jaeger and not just Viener Schnitzel. A side of mashed potatoes and a side of red cabbage accompanied the schnitzel - both very good. Yes, I'm on a plan next week - tis the season! I've had other dishes here before. The sausages as I recall are very good. If you like/desire German fare and appreciate craft brewed beer this is a great destination. Just as an aside Penn Brewery as they have for years made a showing at the Great American Beer Festival, Penn won two medals: a gold for Kaiser Pils and a bronze for Oktoberfest. I doubt that they will be able to continue this tradition as The Lion will be contract brewing their beers which we all know means the possibly the quality and character can be impacted. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they find a new location and can get back to their artisanal ways! Auf Wiedersehen Penn Brewery! at least and hopefully for a very short period of time. read more

Fantastic home made style German food . Their poutine is amazing. Friendly staff an well made brews. Definitely going back

They were out of multiple beers ( the wheat and ginger beers), the soft pretzels didn't taste fresh, and it was odd that the wait staff ordered and ate Giovanni's pizza right on the bar in front of customers. I never like seeing a restaurant staff eat food from another restaurant. Or waitstaff eating in front of customers at all. I like their beer but not a good experience this time. read more

I had a German meal and it was very good. The beer choices were limited to 5 draft brews and some bottled beer. The beer was okay not outstanding. They need to create small experimental beers to bring some excitement to an otherwise un-interesting beer selection. No Oktoberfest or pumpkin beers. The service was unequal. Prompt attention upon arrival on a slow Thursday night. The waiter disappeared when I wanted to pay. He mumbled something about having to run some cases. Other waiters ignored me even though I was standing right by the bar and register. I will not return to this place, there are too many other better restaurants in the area. read more

Great food, Great atmosphere, Great beer, Great service from DJ! Both the Burgers & the kielbasa are amazing here. Being right next to the brew tanks is a great place to enjoy their fresh beer & food! read more

One of the freindliest breweries I have ever been to! Great bartender that really made sure we were welcome and had--his name was Leland. Beer was fabulous... read more

Good beer. Didn't eat anything but enjoyed our visit. Be warned though, if you order the "full flight" your going to be there a while.

First stop from the airport was Penn Brewery. My bestie McGee is a big brewpub fan, and he had been planning to bring me here since he discovered it upon his moving to the North Side. It's a great place! Any spot where you can saddle up to the bar and strike up a conversation with locals, get to know the story behind the place, sample some local specialties- the appeal factor for me is unforgettable. The staff were a friendly bunch, all happy to share suggestions and let me sample some seasonal offerings. The food did not disappoint either. We had Pierogis (Polish dumplings) and Potato Pancake to share. Pierogis are not a typical West Coast specialty, so in my humble opinion, all I can say is they were good, and went well with the beer. I'd say this place is good for an out of towner looking for some direction on what local brews are worth your time. Even though we sampled some smaller bits from the menu, I'd also venture to say the mains are probably worth a shot too. I am sure I'll be back at the Penn Brewery just as soon as I breeze back through my favorite drinking city on the map. read more

Service was terrible. Waitress barely came to our table and was not very friendly. I got bier cheese macaroni and it tasted like nothing but yeast. My boyfriend got a chicken sandwich and the chicken wasn't even seasoned. Got an Oktoberfest beer that tasted very cheap and had no flavor. read more

Food was delicious and so was the beer. Only gripe was that the restrooms were very dirty and looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in a while. read more

Great beer and the outside area is hopping in the Summertime. Good beer and my sandwich (burger, pulled pork, and french fried onions) were probably the highest caloric intake of 2008. Its a bit out of the way from the action in Pittsburgh so be prepared to wait a while for a cab if you call late. read more

As a tourist I would say this is a must see if you like drinking in old cool buildings. Go at night, go outside and take a pic by the Heinz factory then eat some food and go home. read more

I was in Pittsburgh to celebrate my family members milestone birthday. It was hard to find a restaurant that would take a large party of 17 without renting a room, but Penn Brewery did. When we showed up, the hostess took us downstairs and said since no one had rented their private event space, we could have the whole room to ourselves since we had a large party. I didn't expect this type of accommodation but was very excited. The waitress came down and said she would only be taking 2 drink orders at a time, which I found odd but let it go because I figured they were understaffed. When all my guests arrived we were standing and chatting in the room and the General Manager comes storming down and demands to speak with me. He proceeded to yell at me and say we had no right standing up down there taking up the entire room. I told him his hostess said we could have the room, to which he stated he didn't care what she told me and she made a mistake because she was new. I then asked why we couldn't have the space and he said he needed to seat others down there. Meanwhile, the main floor of the restaurant was probably half full, if that. He said unless I paid the event rental fee and hit the minimum we could only have two tables. He also said they wouldn't serve us until everyone sat down. Had he said this in a calm and apologetic manner, I wouldn't have had an issue with the mistake, because I didn't book the private room. But, as a customer of the the restaurant who was given false information, I've never felt more disrespected for bringing a large group of people to a restaurant that clearly needed the business. The GM was incredibly rude and lacked any type of professionalism. Although the food was good, I would never recommend hosting a party here or group dining. I also recommend that the restaurant finds a new GM if they want people to return. read more

I'd rather go here than Hofbräuhaus in winter (I find Hofbräu tolerable only during the summer, where I can sit outside far away from the accordian). The beer is, first of all, fantastic. Secondly, the food is good. It's not great, but it's good. I had the pierogies and those were definitely the highlight. Fresh & covered with buffalo cheese - perfect snack food. I also had fries - also good. The sole disappointment was the Jaegerschnitzel. I thought mine was somewhat uninspiring - not at all up to par with the Hofbräuhaus - although this might be due to the fact that I used to live in Munich and have high standards. My friend had the same thing and loved his. All, in all, I'll definitely be back! read more

I like german food and good German beer. Penn Brewery had both Their Penn Dark is GREAT.

This place is not what it once was. it is a shell of its self, with outsourced beer production, canned food, and bad service. Sorry to be so negative, it has earned it however. read more

My husband I and have been twice. The food is great, prices reasonable especially given the generous portions, and the service prompt if uninspired. Small high-topped tables at the bar, otherwise all tables are long German Hofbrauhaus style. There's seating upstairs and in the basement, which doesn't feel basement-y but can be a bit lonely. Once the live music starts, watch out. It's KILLER loud. Located in a bit of a black hole on the near Northside, but plenty of parking and doesn't feel unsafe. Recommended. read more

WOW. What happened to this place?!?! It WAS one of my favorites. Apparently a change in chef is partly to blame. He apparently has a thing for muenster cheese. This in turn has also produced a change in the menu - neither for the better. My old standby was the Kielbasa Rueben, which is now the "German" Rueben. Which apparently means it can't have a potato pancake, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, or Russian dressing. It now comes with braised red cabbage, muenster cheese, and hot bacon dressing....a step down after sampling. The "Northsliders" from the app. menu are now also gone. One 'positive' about the menu is that it seems everything on it is now available all day as opposed to having separate lunch and dinner menus. Visiting on a GORGEOUS Saturday afternoon, like any normal person I wanted to dine al fresco. Nope, patio not open until 4. Whaaa? Ok whatever. Tried the sausage platter and intended to try the Deutschtown burger. Unfortunately since I only said 'burger' when I ordered I just got the basic or classic burger. Who orders one of those anyway unless it's on a kid's menu? I'll take the hit for that I guess, I should have been more clear. But apparently ordering it with no bun also means you don't get pickles or mustard. It was fine, but it sure isn't worth $10. Same story with the sausage platter. $15 for 3 pieces of sausage? Where the only skill involved in preparing it is turning on the burner. And what kind of kielbasa is that? Not anything I grew up eating. Disappointed in the changes....but at least the beer is still good! read more

I was so disappointed today! I've come to expect a pretty good German meal when I head to Penn Brewery. Today, however, was not that good meal. The menu has become Americanized. Sauerbraten was described as pot roast and served with potatoes. There was no spatzel to be had. The braised red cabbage was missing something. I was so sad. The pretzels with beer cheese was great. My husband's jaggershinzel was good. But, if you really want good German fare- go to Max's up the road on the North Side. Penn Brewery has just gone down hill. read more

Drove into town just becaus of the Yelp! reviews we read while passing thru Pennsylvania. It was about an hour an a half out of our way, but I'd say it was worth it. My wife and I had the fish n'chips while the kids tried the pub burgers. We all thought the food was above average. The portion sizes were large and tasty, and we all left feeling quite satisfied. The atmosphere was nice, considering the outside of the buidling - they've got a clean open restaurant that we really felt comfortable in. The staff was all pretty hospitable, too. The only complaint is that when I asked about drinks, the waiter had to explain that every beer on the bottom half of the menu was out. I understand a craft brewery having times when a particular brew will sell out or be replaced by a seasonal, but HALF THE MENU? Let's be honest - I'm here for the beer. I don't care a bit about your food, folks. Even still, I found beer to drink, and it was a tasty Pils. The lack of selection is all that kept these folks from getting my 5 star review. read more

Had a lovely evening on the patio trying the incredible selection of beers! The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly. We didn't stay for dinner this time, but will definitely be back since the food looked amazing! read more

Great beer! Great service! DJ was the best bartender/server we ever had (and I drink a lot)!

German style brau haus. They really have seemed to nail it. They have most of the the authentic styles of German beers. They were missing Kolsch and Alt bier but I was told that these rotate in...so I will just have to come back. The menu is absolutely traditional and reads to be the real deal. Be aware that I did NOT eat a meal here, only read the menu. One thing missing is sweinhaxe but this is not easily done with fresh ingredients as ankles are not as readily available in US as Germany. I will definitely come back and give an update when I have had the chance to really eat. For any beer fan or German food aficionado, I think that you will be pleased to stop here. read more

We were very excited for our first trip to Penn Brewery! Our server was helpful, informative, and attentive! The beers were great and the food was amazing! The atmosphere was up beat and we even had football to watch! I will be back when I'm in Pittsburgh! read more

The Penn Brewery is a great place for large groups. They accommodated 65 of us with little notice. The food was quite good and the service was excellent. They were organized and the food still came out quickly. The servers deserve 5 stars for their professionalism. The cooks put a lot of care into each plate that came out. The potato pancakes rock! read more

This is probably my favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh because the service is always spectacular. Sure, the food's great, but the friendly, attentive staff is what makes this place such a standout. I've been lucky enough to be served by a young man named Matt on multiple occasions--keep up the great work! read more

I love this restaurant they have really good food and nice people working and they have good drinks for adults and for kids

Great beer. Had the chocolate meltdown and pumpkin roll. Excellent beers. DJ is very knowledgeable of his beers. Great service too. Will be back read more