After numerous visits and trying much of the menu, I think this place has some staying power. The food has for the most part been good. Very rarely have I had a meal here that didn't live up to my expectations. From Pizza to Burgers and everything in between my sit-down experiences have been really good, with few exceptions. The Brews available have been great as well, although they seemed to jettison the growler promotion awfully fast. In my mind a solid piece like a growler bottle is not only a collectible but it's free advertising since the customer paid for it. I'll keep politicking management to bring it back, but I'm not optimistic. They do serve 32oz Beers in freshly sealed cans (from tap) that are tasty and great competition for other spots closer to home for me, so there's that. Interior decor is stylish and memorable, and the multi-tier design helps sequester the bar area from the restaurant without being obvious in doing so. Bathrooms are eclectically designed and clean. They also have an adjacent spot in the same building for live music (think acoustic or small groups...they currently host things like Blues jams to decent turnout) So, now that the good things that carry the place have been listed, here are the improvements I'd like to see: Host and Hostess quality is all over the place. Ranges from wandering space-cadet kids to courteous young adults that unfortunately have a habit of hosing orders pretty badly. The actual wait staff and bartenders are fairly top notch when you sit down for a meal, so the disparity of quality on to-go orders I can attribute to the person taking the order. Toppings missing, order mixed up and someone else's meal were all experienced on to-go visits. It makes me covet the times in my work week I can sit down and enjoy a meal here (happymeter- near 100%), but obv that can't happen all the time. Unfortunately these are the things that can kill an otherwise great location, and the actual products here are *great*. read more

A very cool looking joint and it was a clean place. Service was just okay. They were friendly, but maybe a tad understaffed. We really enjoyed our time, but I probably wouldn't go back. I had the duck wontons and they were really good, but honestly couldn't see or taste the duck. The spinach artichoke dip was good! The Philly Potato Skins were super dry even after adding sour cream and some of the spinach dip to it. Could have been an off night, though. Still a cool place. read more

Prison Brews - Philly steak potato skins - American Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

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Came in on the 15th. We had the nachos with beef and a pepperoni pizza. Both were excellent. Donna D was our server and she did a great job. Friendly, professional and attentive. Well done. I totally recommend. read more

I'm still not sure how I feel about the prison-bars decor (no pun intended), but the beers we tried were good! Jeff City has a dependable brew-pub in Prison Brews. read more

A popular spot and I can understand why. It's an unusual theme for a restaurant, can border on the creepy, but once you get past that, you'll find some good food and nice people. I stopped for a late lunch one day and found it nearly deserted. I was fully expecting the one employee who approached to tell me they were closed or closing until the evening, but instead she led me to my table, took my order without even a hint of being bothered. Shortly thereafter, she stopped by my table to tell me her shift was ending and introduce me to the person who would be taking over. I appreciated that consideration. As I waited for my order, I took note of the booths with brick wall accent decorated with cell bars and cell numbers above, the cell/jailhouse bars around the bar area, the menu of microbrews on tap carrying names that keep with the theme. I could see this being a go-to place for Halloween parties. I ordered a special, a brisket sandwich with their house made bbq sauce. I'm torn on this -- the meat was good, tender and flavorful just as brisket should be, the roll it was served on was good, the bbq sauce had just a hint of being a day past its prime, though. I still ate it, scraping around the sauce where possible. I chose the sweet potato fries as a side and was not disappointed. They were so good I could have ordered more. They were served with a side of cinnamon icing/dipping sauce that was very light on the cinnamon taste but allowed control over the level of sweet. It wasn't needed for my preference but was a nice touch. Overall, I'd like to try this place again. read more

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Not a bad spot for a quick meal! Our server was fast and friendly. I got the sweet potato fries and was surprised they had cinnamon all over them, so heads up there! I'm more of a salt girl. I enjoyed my sandwich, and the stuffed potatoes were unique! Not life changing, but good! read more

Prison Brews - Cubano sandwich - American Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

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Kitchen was backed up do we waited too long for a simple meal. Foods okay. Beer's great!

One of the highlights in Jefferson City is the prison and this isn't it. This is a prison-themed restaurant and brewery and it's a couple of blocks away from the Missouri State Penitentiary Museum. With tables set up to look like jail cells and beers named "Go To Jail Ale" and "Deathrow Oatmeal Stout," they go all in. At 8pm, my friend and I popped in for our last drink of the day here. I chose the "I Ain't Your Honey Wheat" which was quite tasty for a pale wheat. Our waitress stopped in often to ensure we had what we needed and all was well. With all that beer, I had to check the restroom... clean. [Review 19754 overall - 231 in Missouri - 726 of 2023.] read more

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Good food, good service, good drinks, fun atmosphere. Consistently a thumbs up from everyone in the group.

Saturday few friends of mind came here for lunch, first off I order a pork tenderloin and it wasn't even fresh it fast like it was under heat lamp for a long time it was not crispy like it wasn't deep fried same as for the fries the fries were soggy I had spit it out and my friend order a pizza and it was soggy the food wasn't even edible I didn't even eat the food because it was so bad. but the worst part was I over heard a young blonde male host was being racist and rude making insult behind there backs that's not kinds place for business. So for that I make sure that no one visit this place. BAD EMPLOYEES, Bad FOOD, this place needs be shut down. read more

Prison Brews was a solid outing. Cool place with a fun prison vibe. Staff was great and the food I had was solid. It wasn't crowded but the staff was hustling. Very cool outside area. All in all Prison Brews is worth a shot. read more

Service wasn't very good. The food barely ranked a step above fast food. Certainly not worth a return visit !

We had a birthday lunch at Prison Brews before exploring the rest of downtown Jeff City. The food was delicious and there was something on the menu for everyone. Top favorites at the table: supreme pizza, pulled pork sandwich, and the bratwurst. We also enjoyed the nachos and onion ring appetizers at our big table. Service was great! The food took a while to come out but we came at a very busy time and the food still tasted amazing. The entire place is decked out in prison decorations/themes. There is plenty of seating inside of the building as well as outside on the patio. They even have a couple fire pits and a bocce ball court! You must visit this restaurant if you are planning on going on the prison tour. Highly recommend order the Prison Brews draft..tasty! read more

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I have lived in the area for 3 years and have come to Prison Brews several times and it's generally always great. But I attended on Saturday and I must admit the service and quality wasn't at the high standard it usually is. A quick google showed that ownership had changed in the last year and I noticed several changes from the last time I was there. Decorations were gone and the floor plan of the restaurant had changed. I also noticed all of the front employees have changed. I also noticed that the normally full staff was limited. They had two servers running the whole floor to include the bar. People were coming in and they would wait for 5 minutes before seating themselves in the bar because nobody ever greeted them. We ordered cheese curds and four sandwiches. We were told the pizza oven was completely closed and no pizza or pretzels were available. Big bummer. We ended up getting fried cauliflower instead and my wife's burger didn't arrive until everyone else was done eating. They finally brought the cheese curds but the service was slow and unapologetic. I hope this was an isolated incident but I'm afraid this awesome local spot is falling apart. Hope they fix things read more

watered down Tito's with some clear liquid that didnt even meet club soda standards staff was completely overwhelmed read more

We were in town for my daughter's archery tournament and the name was catchy and the food looked good, but unfortunately, we never got to try any of it. We and at least 3, but my guess was 5 other groups walked after 15 minutes of standing there without anyone coming to the front of the house. One family was waiting for a table and clearly they were busy, but there is a clear lack of management. There were plenty of pink shirts darting around and several wait staff, but they were all steering clear of the host stand. My daughter went from happy, to disappointed to wanting to leave. I stepped up trying to get someone attention, to absolutely no avail. Clearly the staff was watching others left as they watched us leave. Whomever was managing during this shift shouldn't be a manager. As a business owner myself I hate to see this, and I rarely leave a rough review like this, but there is just no excuse for this on a Saturday afternoon, especially a day before the Super Bowl. I certainly wouldn't try going here if they are at all busy. read more

Nice concept for the atmosphere. About to dig into the food but looks good so far. Food came out fairly quick for a big party like ours. The server has been pretty nice and attentive to our party. The pizza could have been cooked longer but it's tasty. The wings are good as well. read more

Prison Brews - House rub wings - American Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

I am super into a theme to the extreme when it comes to a independent business- this place was right in all the ways that make kitschy cool! The brewery selections were great- the food was vegetarian friendly and I was very pleased with the service too! I don't make it to Jeff City that often, but when I do- I am adding this to my must visit and drink a pint or two places! read more

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When we walked it it's a cool spot the service was on point . I ordered a gyro brat wasn't a fan pita bread feel to pieces when I tried to take my first bite.The actual gyro flavor was ok read more

Sub par food, cute theme though. Seemed like the food was frozen and thawed. Beer was good.

This is such a fun spot! The restaurant is decked out with prison related items including prison bars around the bar area, barbed wire & cell numbers on the booths, and even beers named after prison catch phrases. We went with a group of 5 and got the buffalo chicken wrap, club sandwich, and a burger. All of our food was delicious and the environment made it all the better! Next time we're in Jeff we will have to come back! read more

Prison Brews - Brewery - American Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

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Food was really good and they have a big cocktail/beer selection. We've stopped in there a few times coming home from St. Louis and it's always great service and food. read more

Fries are bad but tots and bar food is great! Good beer too. Speedy service, typically in and out pretty quick

I will say this is the most unique one of a kind place I have been too I has a jail theme to it the booths are made to look like a jail cell the bar area is surrounded by bars the high top tables in the bar area are wood burned with the Prison Brews mascot. The food selection is good they have a wood burning oven for pizza and bread and the service is excellent The servers are checking on you and even the manager . The decor is excellent they carry the Beer theme into washrooms the sinks in the woman are half kegs then men's you can use your imagination read more

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Prison brew is a simple place, they make their own beer and root beer, they have live music, Sunday they are open from 8 to 8 , parking across the street only for their guest, when you walk in - on the left is their pizza oven and on the day I was there, the young lady had prison uniform, on the left is their merchandise, dinning room table wit the walls with bars, the bar is enclosed with bars, further back, the bathroom, one small window with bars, the dude who runs this place, is very friendly and outgoing, the servers are super nice and friendly too, the food is really good, pizza are the best and they have other food too, they have a patio too, I've seen family there too, they have sign by the prison too, whats so good about this place is only about 2 hours drive and the county side is very beautiful too read more

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Cute restaurant!! Great service, food and atmosphere! Traveled to this area but would love to visit again.

Went for breakfast with my family this morning! It was so great and very fairly priced. A classic order of eggs, hash browns, and bacon did not disappoint. The biscuits and gravy were delicious. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking for a classic Sunday morning breakfast. read more

It was a unique place. Didn't have the food, but stopped in for the atmosphere. Service was good. read more

Prison Brews - Bar area - American Near Me - Jefferson City, Missouri

The Pretzels are awesome!!! Our wait staff was very attentive. Nice patio. Easy to hear each other in conversation.

It's been several years since I've been to Prison Brews and really hoped it had improved. The place has potential to be really great with a cool, casual vibe, prison decor, and a pretty big patio with bocce ball. Sadly, it was still mostly disappointing. I brought a friend from out of town. We chose to be seated on the patio. Our server took our drink order and order for cheese curds but when we asked a couple of questions about the beer flight, he seemed annoyed. When he brought the flights out, we asked which was which because there were numbers and names scribbled all over the board so we couldn't discern what we had. He all but rolled his eyes and told us the names in pink were right, then turned and left. Once we figured it out, we realized one of them was wrong. No big deal but we asked for it to be corrected when he came back out. He seemed to be further annoyed, grabbing the glass and dumping it out into a nearby plant as he hurriedly left. He brought out the corrected one a few minutes later and then took our food order. My friend ordered the special, a Rueben sandwich with chips. I ordered a steak salad with the steak medium rare. The spicy cheese curds were fantastic! Fresh and hot, crispy on the outside and perfectly melty and creamy on the inside. My "steak" salad had the poorest excuse for a steak I've ever seen. You can't even call it steak. It was maybe an eighth of an inch thick, tiny, and mostly fat and gristle. By the time I cut off the fat, I had about 2 bites of meat left. It was a shame because the rest of the salad looked so good! When our server returned, I showed it to him. To his credit, he did offer to have another steak made and asked if I wanted something else but by this time, I was just sort of over it. So he said he'd take it off the bill. My friend ended up sharing the other half of her Rueben sandwich since it was huge, and it was very good. We both enjoyed the pulled pork on the sandwich. When we left, my friend wanted to buy a T-shirt to take home for a friend. She asked our server if he could help us with that and his response was to "just find someone inside". So while PB has some potential, the hit-and-miss food and poor service will likely keep me from ever returning. There are too many other good places in town that actually want to provide excellent food AND service. read more

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Food was very good! We enjoyed the pizza and wings. Homemade ranch and blue cheese for wings added another yummy level to the already tasty wings. The interior decor makes for an entertaining experience. Service was excellent. Will return! read more

We are from San Diego where breweries are all over the place, so when I stumbled across this brewery while on vacation, we had to check it out. We were impressed with the beer here. The honey wheat was great! They also serve food which is an added bonus. Although, I felt like it was more of a restaurant vibe vs a brewery vibe. I wish the outdoor area had more activities, or lounge furniture so we could stay awhile and hang out. The sweet potato fries were delicious and unlike anything we've ever tried. It reminded me of a churro. read more

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Service leave so much to be desired. We had to ask our server to wait on us. Ok, miscommunication no biggie. Put in the full order - drinks, appetizers and dinner order. Drinks took 15 minutes to come out. Several minutes later we had to ask for our appetizer, which was only lukewarm when we got it. And for the finale, our entrees came out one or two at a time. The first people had finished before the last person got her entree - which was a salad. read more

Love this place, the people and food are consistently great here! Def recommend Sunday breakfast, pizza, and ribeye sammy

Perfect place for lunch before touring the Missouri State Penitentiary. I had the buffalo chicken wrap which was spot on! Fantastic! The club sandwich is also a treat with prime rib. The brews are perfect to quench your thirst. The "I ain't your honey wheat" brew went down easy. After a meal here, you may be committed to life! read more

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Super creative atmosphere. Take lots of pictures!! Food was ok. I wish I'd read previous review before I ordered blue cheese burger. I did scrape cheese off before eating. Fries were good and meals were served hot and ready to eat. Honestly though we went there specifically for the environment. Service was friendly and we will go back! read more

Last week we tried a sausage, bacon, mushroom and onion pizza. the Sausage was sparse, crumbled and had a strong anise flavor. Bacon and mushrooms were very hard to find. Onions were large parts of red onion. Pizza was not hot. We've had much better frozen pizzas! Wife sad we should go back and try something different. So today I ordered a cheese burger medium with NO seasoning of any kind and house made chips. Cheeseburger was overcooked and bun had garlic butter on it. Tasted like they had put all the toppings on the burger and then removed them. The chips were also overcooked and brown. None of it was hot! My wife had the philly cheese and soup. Both were not hot. We WILL NOT go back!!!!! read more

Absolutely the worst service ever I'm so mad food was good took forever to get it bartender left never came back had to ask anyone for a drink or water I will never go back never ordered 2 single serv pizzas brick oven so shBrick Oven Pizzas000ould have been quick took over an hour ordered a cheeseburger to go and had to wait 20 min for that and ordered it with our food so not to wait never ever again read more

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Walked in, very cute restaurant. Had cool chairs with a horse butt, sodas were a little weird tasting, but the waitress fixed it right up. Food was pretty yummy. 5/5. read more

The food was tasty and the prices were SO reasonable. The decor is themed, and fun. Location was so convenient for the penitentiary tour.