Cowbell Brewing Company Reviews

Here for New Years Eve and it's almost 11 oclock and haven't got our main course. The service sucks, no one has taken our drink order in over an hour, and it it's just terrible service. Don't come here with a large group, we are a table of 25 and they can't handle it. 90$ down the drain. Go somewhere else.

Poor service. Server that had poor food knowledge, didn t bring water. Appetizers hit the table before the cutlery, and the the spinach dip was lukewarm/ cold when it s supposed to be hot. I ordered the chicken club sandwich with the cauliflower with pimento cheese. The cauliflower is supposed to be baked with the cheese and hot but again it was lukewarm/ cold. The bread was a multigrain bread but was flavourless cardboard. The chicken was charred and ok but the pancetta was flavourless and there was too much sauce and lettuce and again no flavour and soggy. Not enough quality checks throughout the service and when she did, she walked away too early before we d have a chance to reply. Beautiful place but very disappointing experience.

I had the opportunity to visit cowbell thanksgiving Monday and I will say that this brewery is one of the most beautiful breweries in Ontario. It absolutely catches your eye and I compared it to the distillery featured in the recent Kingsman movie. It is quite obvious that a lot of work went into this facility.

Unfortunately it saddens me to say that it seems about as far as the hard work has gone. They have an amazing facility with brand new equipment and have fallen prey to what seems to be the growing trend among craft brewers in Ontario. In a time where I can go to various brewers and sample unique flavours like flying monkeys raspberry hibiscus beer, sons of Kent berry white, grand river's pumpkin ale or blood orange sour, cowbell has simply adopted the tried and true, yet boring beer menu of a basic lager, a basic stout, a basic porter, etc. The closest thing to a unique beer they have is a Saison and even it is pretty generic. I would not honestly be able to tell anyone a suggested beer if I were asked as not a single one I sampled stood out, where as I could likely provide a favourite from many a craft brewery in Ontario.

That disappointment also reflected in their retail store. Their growlers, albeit very unique, run at a $20 deposit price, which I don't think I've paid over $5 or $6 at any other brewery. Their fills are only $12 which is a great price but given the lackluster flavours, I simply could not justify buying one, and this is coming from someone who often takes a growler home to provide family and friends an opportunity to taste. In addition, the products they sell are quite pricey. I own a few brewery shirts, my favourite being the aforementioned flying monkeys t-shirt, costing me $10. The cheapest clothing piece at cowbell was a t-shirt costing around $35.

We also found the actual bar a bit small given the size of the facility but it does seem to be more catered to a restaurant feel so that is more of a personal preference. I prefer having a decent spot to try the beer.

Regardless, it's disappointing that our experience was not as positive as I had hoped. It's obvious that cowbell is doing wonderful things for the Blyth economy and tourism (A TIM HORTONS RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD) but I guess the locale must be content with a completely lackluster and generic sample of craft beer which is a real shame given the absolutely gorgeous facility. Cowbell is very young so perhaps they will venture out into some one offs, and when they do I will give them another chance but I simply cannot recommend their beer to anyone over any of the other ones available in the LCBO and beer store.

I will note that we did not try the food, but have heard nothing but great things in regards to it.

I went here to visit the brewery because my son is getting married here next year. The food was great as was the beer. Beautiful location for a wedding and looking forward to returning soon.

Amazing date night out! Our waiter (Scott I believe was his name) was amazing. Very knowledgeable on both the menu and the beer and was attentive and kind! Food was fresh and delicious! Lovely atmosphere and a beautiful brewery. Will definitely be returning with family and friends!

Jill was an excellent story teller/tour guide - very knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic! The story of how the beers got their names was cute and interesting. Also love how eco friendly and sustainable this place strives to be.

The restaurant had fast and friendly service, great food, and an overall wonderful atmosphere. Enjoyed every minute of the visit. Will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend - you won t be disappointed!

P.s. I m not a huge beer fan, but decided to go to this brewery as a first time experience and because my partner loves beer. Nonetheless, the shindig beer was really good, as well as absent landlord.

Great place. All the staff give great service, Our server was Ben G who was fantastic. Super service. Gave great recommendations and made us feel welcome. The food was so good. It was hard narrowing it down as so many things we wanted to try. I guess that is what makes us want to go back ASAP. The beer is also very delicious. They take COVID seriously. We were on the patio and felt very safe. Sanitizers all over the place and they were sanitizing tables as soon as someone left. Nice experience.

Food was great as was the beer. Service was outstanding. They took amazing care in sanitizing and making all the guest feel safe. Can't wait to go back and get a tour one day.

I laughed I cried I loved it, I want to come here again and again. Fabulous beer a real destination in the area

We made reservations for 645 on a Saturday night and still had to wait 30 minutes to be seated - after going back up the to front desk to inquire how much longer our wait would be we were seated within the next 5 minutes.
Other than that - our food and drinks were delicious. We loved touring the building.

Great place to eat! The ambiance and decor is worth the trip!

Awesome food! Tomahawk steak was amazing! Beauty of a barn!

In the middle of nowhere. This is an unbelievable destination. It is a must see for everyone. We didn't eat there but stopped by and grabbed some shindig beer.
Next visit is for dinner.

Was an amazing place - excellent food, excellent service, excellent atmosphere - drove up from Sarnia......would definitely go again.....after all, Sarnia is just a stone's throw away!!.....well worth the drive!!

Been to a lot of breweries and this one impressed me. Not just the beer (which was good), but the building, the food, the sustainability emphasis and the money the give back to the community.

Good food, beautiful atmosphere, but have issues trying to reserve seating.

Fan for life! Every aspect of this brewery is top notch! Including their people. Food / beer / tours / buildings / programs.

Both the service and food were quick !
Scott waited on us and was witty and polite.
We enjoyed our food and the beer it was well worth the the day trip!
The Grant burger should really be called The Giant Grant burger .. simply a beast!

Everytime we go to Cowbell I'm always amazed by how good the food is and how timely it comes out! So delicious!

Lovely setting and decent service. I personally didn't love my food, though my tablemates did.

Fantastic building....but much too long of a wait get a table and food. They should open patio to food and that would take care of the overflow. Bar area is much to small. So much planning for the building needs more planning for the customers.

Great food and beer! I randomly found this place along my route of travel,. I didn't know what it was since there is very little signage. They brew many types of beer here and have a great pub-like menu to hit the spot. I highly recommend the Absent Landord beer. This place is a must if you are in the area.

it was BUSY when we got here. we put our names on the food list and went to the bar to get a drink and wait for our table. there's a big patio where you can go and drink but there is no food or staff service out there.
a tried a flight of beers from the Renegade series and they were pretty good. they should register to be a verified venue on Untapp'd.

the staff were all very friendly - the food seemed hit or miss. my wife loved her pizza. but my ribs were rubbery and for $22 i only got 3 of them. also, didn't get any type of aoli with my sweet potato fries, which should be a staple.

the bottle / gift shop had tons of cool things to buy

i would probably come back and just order something else next time.

You can't get in I went 30 minutes after they opened and they told us that there was an 1 hour and 45 minute wait I think they should get more tables other wise I'm never coming back to this place

The place was well laid out and music was enjoyable, the food and service was amazing.

One of my favourite places in Ontario. The pizza is excellent and the beer selection/quality is first rate. Worth the drive from London for sure. I'd recommend to anyone.

Good beer but staff need to work out their duties to focus on thirsty clients instead of counting their slips and cash. New place...I'm sure they'll work the rust out. I'll be going back for sure and hopefully they'll find a cook/chef soon. Great beers - 5 stars but just a 3 for now due to slow service.

The building is beautiful and the staff are very helpful.

Loved it! Definitely worth the 2 hr drive from toronto. Having a dine in experience after a long long time made this place really special. The vibe of this place is great !!! they have a brewery and a small merchandise shop and a restaurant. we ordered a beer flight - all beers tasted excellent. The service was quick. the staffs were very friendly. The food tasted amazing. they also have burger bun imprints which was really cool. The Caesar salad needs a special mention. i guess their croutons are in house made ! coming back to this place again !!!

Great patio lunch and we love the beer. Have electric car and charged it while having lunch!

Amazing food and amazing ambience. I loved the mushroom and cheese pizza with a sprinkling of thin fried potatoes.

The service was great and the food was exceptional. One of the best burgers I've ever had.

Need To Make Changes For Customers Looking To Make Reservations:

My family and another family were planning to visit cowbell to celebrate our family members who were going off to school in September.
Cowbell opened on August 7th, and so a week later (on August 14th) I called to book a reservation for two weeks in advance (August 29th). I was immediately sent to voicemail where I was told to leave my information and they would get back to me. I did not receive a phone call until days later when I was at work and unavailable to answer. I returned that phone call on August 21st, and again, was sent straight to voicemail. From there I waited another two days and was not called back so I called another 7 times (every time to voicemail), my family members called twice, and we left a combined 5 messages.
Cowbell finally returned my call 5 days later (three days before my intended reservation) and told me that no reservations were available until September 9th.

This scenario, and the lack of communication and punctuality displayed by cowbell demonstrates that this business is unprepared to meet customers' reservation needs at this time.

I strongly recommend that cowbell kitchen reevaluates their methods in preparing reservations, as had someone answered the phone in person on August 14th, this would not have been an issue.

I have heard positive reactions from those who have managed to get a reservation once they arrived at cowbell; however, I cannot speak to those positive testimonies because I never got the chance to visit after two weeks of attempting to reach the restaurant.

First time to the brewery..the moment I pulled into the parking lot to finishing dinner was an amazing experience. Level 2 electric car Chargers? Check. Amazing beer and food? Double check. Service? Exceptional.
Thank you for creating a state of the art brewery the delivers on all fronts AND is environmentally responsible.
I can't wait to visit again!

Very clean nice food is amazing and lots of craft beer to pick from

Was a great atmosphere, dinner and dessert was fabulous and overall great staff made for a wonderful experience. Awesome spot to meet up with friends and kick back and relax.

With 29 beers, and food on offer, this is a great brewery to visit. Although it is out of the way.

Appreciate the new menu with dinner entree items available. Good quality food at a reasonable price. Nice experience to see the brewery and utilize the self-guided your through TV moinitors.

Today was out first visit to Cowbell Brewing. Husband and I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of our experience. From the friendly server to the food and atmosphere. I will say my chicken came out undercooked and we didn't even have to say anything other than bring it to their attention and they left me one side that did not come in contact with the undercooked chicken so I would have something to eat while they prepared the meal again. They also gave my meal AND our appetizer for free to compensate for the undercooked chicken. This in itself is deserving of 5 stars for the fact that we have experienced elsewhere finding dead bugs in our food with zero compensation. Literally blown away with how Cowbell Brewing handled this situation. Husband and I will definitely be returning.

Great atmosphere, terrific tasty beer, unique to each other and pleasant staff. Will go back!

We went to Cowbell today for the first time and very much enjoyed our experience. We didn't make a reservation but luckily they were able to get us in. We saw a few others turned away right after us so we will definitely make sure we make a reservation next time. The food was really good and the architecture is stunning! Very friendly service. Highly recommend!

Dress code: flannel shirts! Impressive building and its great that its accessible. Interesting to see the brewery but just did a self guided tour. Nice restaurant and terrific casual atmoshpere. Enjoyed the food and the service was top notch. I am assured the beer is impressive although I'm not much for beer myself. I did enjoy a spiced seasonal beer that was quite nice.

Last night I witnessed a disappointing exchange between 2 other parties in the restaurant. It was obvious that an exiting party was lingering near the bathrooms and some were maskless. The seated party nearby asked their server to address the situation. The waiter did so, but unfortunately the lingering party decided to escalate the situation by confronting the seated guests. The group of seated women were visibly shaken and required assistance from the manager to get back to their vehicle safely because the other group was waiting in the parking lot for them! Cowbell you have a obligation to obey the law, and enforce your guests to do the same. If the policy is masks everywhere, except while at your table, then enforce it. Better yet, escort your guests to and from their table at the start and end of their time slot. It would have avoided this unnecessary situation. It was apparent to many other guest that witnessed the exchange, and put a damper on our night too. I feel for the waiter who was doing her best to politely ask the lingering party to leave. Cowbell, you could have done better last night. As a patron that dines here often, it was disappointing to witness.

Havent been here, but do yourself a favour and grab an 'Absent Landlord'. You won't drink anything else!

Went for diner tonight food was great service was poor. Worst part was the tip is added automatically when a group of 8 or more of 18%. That is fine when the server is prompt but it was not like they were under staffed. They need to step there game up a bit. I would try it again just the wife and I but currently would not recommend it to more than 2 people.

Amazing experience. Highly recommend ordering the tomahawk steak, beer pie and pairing it with any stout beer. Can't go wrong!

The staff was very friendly and got our orders very guickly

Very delicious beers and great quality food. I did the tour here with my family and everyone had a great time. The tour guide was energetic and super friendly. I'd definitely love to go back whenever I can. Thanks again.

Visited at lunch and although busy found a table instantly. Great food and great drinks. Staff were friendly and informative on their drinks. Great place to eat and drink and would love to attend an event here. Unfortunately they got rid of the best burger, the Beer Can Burger :(

Beautiful place. Great staff..only had drinks but going back to try the food.

Great place, awesome food and an outstanding atmosphere

I went to meet a friend on Tuesday at lunch and the restaurant was packed shortly after we arrived. Sat at the bar and had good service from the bartender

My wife and I went here for our date night. I ordered the schnitzel special. Not only was it the best schnitzel I ever had, it was also one of the best meals I've ever had. Wife had a burger and was just as impressed. Well worth the trip, and worth every penny. Will definitely be back.

We made reservations on a Tuesday night - 2 people, were able to get in just before 8 (they close at 9). The service was good 4/5. The beer and food incredible 5/5. I had the prosciutto and arugula pizza, and I thoroughly enjoyed it & would order again. Also, we had the flights of beer in order to try all the options. Were able to go to the store afterwards and add a few tall boys for home.

Most beautiful brewery I've been in! Always a great time there!

Bad french onion soup and 1/2 chicken looked more like half seagull or roadkill over done.. will not be back

Great food, dessert and beer selection! Myself, my wife and 3 kids (Age 8,6&2) all had a great time on the patio! We will be back!

Servings are generous BUT 1/4 chicken under cooked. Meal cooled off by the time it was served. Music too loud. Otherwise atmosphere is great. Allow lots of time.

Best beer...totally awesome facility. I can see this place becoming a tourist destination.
Today we both had burgers. I had a stout beer, flying something, and was totally impressed.

Delicious food, incredibly great service and a fine selection of their brews ... all in a location that is worth seeing alone. They have done an excellent job of safe distancing both indoors and out.

The facility itself was marvellous. Beautifully built with a huge attention to detail. I am happy we did not pay for the $15.00 guided tour as there were screens throughout to tell you about the building and a little history. The staff was very friendly, but it seemed like they were inexperienced given that we had about 4 servers and a lot of time in between dishes and the bill. The flights of beer were very reasonable at $10.00 a flight.

The food is where the 2 stars come in. It was terrible and even more of a disappointment for the price. I had the chicken stir-fry which was quite bland; the 3 people I went with were more unimpressed than I was with their meals. I wish they had put as much attention and effort into their food as they did into the establishment itself.

That being said, the coconut lemon dessert was delicious and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Overall, I would recommend not making a special trip out there (if you live far), but rather check it out if you are passing by.

Make sure during Covid you have a reservation. They are busy and very friendly there is a beer garden of you just want a drink. Great visit as always.

Attended a wedding and it is a very fine venue. Clean and lots of room. Service was excellent and so was the food. Highly recommend as a wedding venue. Looks like the restaurant is good too.

A very nice facility for the beer lovers. Friendly staff and accessible.

Unfortunately there are not a lot of gluten free options, although the ones that were offered were very good

Lots of choices is beer and mixed drinks.

#localguides
#glutenfree
#gf

Great service and so beautiful We had such a great experience

I wanted to love this place but I wouldn't go out of our way to go there again. It was just OK. I had the Brewmaster Club and was so disappointed. The meat was very dry and the sandwich just lacked...anything. The kids food was better than ours.

Tasty beer, immaculate space, interesting self-guided tour, but the service at the bar was quite slow for no obvious reason. Would come back for the oatmeal stout, but likely just to grab it from the bottle shop.

Beautiful building, very well built and aesthetically pleasing. You can even do self-guided tour. The pizza was fantastic. Service was prompt and friendly. Beer was also excellent with a good selection. There is also a gift shop on site with lots of products. Pretty place I recommend calling ahead but it is worth the drive.

Situated just outside of beautiful Blyth, this charming brewery/restaurant is easily accessible and provides ample parking. We enjoyed a tasty lunch on the heated patio on a beautiful, crisp fall day. We ordered a flight to taste some of the quality beer that is brewed right on the premise. The lunch special, a Reuben pizza, incorporated local ingredients with Cowbell beer and was delightful!

Its massive, like really massive. We discovered this brewery quite accidentally and didn't regret. The atmosphere is eclectic, food is very good, beer is great, service is just superb. I look forward to drive that far once again, just to have a beer at Cowbell :-)