Surly Brewing Co. Review

I went here exactly once. Can't believe how the management treats the workers there. Disgusting. I'll never drink this rat scab beer again.

Good beer. The taproom gets so busy, though, that ordering one feels like going through airport security: staff yelling instructions to patrons, telling them where to stand, being impatient. In one respect, the space and process they designed to order beer is poor; An odd oversight for such a large investment. Then again it's PACKED all the time, compounding this design issue. Surly is a victim of their own success in this regard.

Cannot say enough great things about this place. Came here on a recommendation of family in the area and was NOT disappointed. One of the highlights of the entire trip!

Overpriced, and overcrowded. Had reservations and still waited over an hour for our table. The beer is the best part, but you can get that literally anywhere else.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING AN EVENT AT SURLY PLEASE READ!!! ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED.
We met Katie and she was charming and said Surly would bend over backwards to make our wedding special. We quickly paid the $1000 to secure our reservation. It started with the tasting. My wife and I both took the day off work to be there on a weekday. When we got to Surly it was more of a corporate offering with chicken fingers etc. We had already told them that we wanted a plated dinner. No plated options were available for tasting.They had 3 of the 8 plated options displayed so we could see what they would look like. If we can t eat it, why only 3 of the 8 available options? "Too expensive to make", they said. After complaining we were able to set up a private tasting on a Saturday. Being taken advantage of without advocating for yourself was a pattern the whole time we worked with Surly.My Texas wife wanted sweet tea. Surly told us they would provide us un-sweet tea and If their distributor could get it they would provide sweetener AKA Simple Syrup. For 40 DOLLARS PER GALLON. for unsweet tea We wanted different chairs. Katie said we could drop them off Friday for the Saturday ceremony. She told the chair company that they could only be dropped off on Saturday. We had to advocate for ourselves to get them Friday as previously planned. We had trouble with security. My wife arrived at Surly right before the ceremony for her grand entrance. Security tried to stop my wife from entering without her id. One of her bridesmaids told security that the wedding had started before they were allowed to enter. Later my brother went downstairs to see if the getaway car had arrived. Security watched him walk out, and then wouldn t let him reenter without showing his id. They marked his hand so he couldn t drink. He gave them his id for them to hold onto since he was in a hurry. Ten minutes later he came back downstairs to get his ID and the same security guy acted like he had no idea who he was and demanded he give his full name DOB so he could identify him. He did and the guy pulled his id out of his pocket without even looking at it. My brother was in a suit and had a boutonniere on. There are lights on the fermentation tanks. You can see them from the event space. It costs extra to have those colored lights changed. It also costs extra to use their projector screen.We didn t want the screen. We told them that. We did want the lights changed from hideous blue to a more neutral color. The day of the wedding both of these were broken. The screen was down during the entire ceremony. My wife s mother tried to get Surly staff to put the screen up before the ceremony, and Katie told her not to worry about it, but she never actually fixed it. They told us it was broken only after we complained about it. After this complaint we never saw Katie again.The screen was up during the reception, but somehow broken during the ceremony? We don't know why the screen was down in the first place. We had a rehearsal the day before the wedding and the screen was up as planned.
Surly, and especially Katie, never ceased to amaze me with their ineptitude. She would smile and say Ok! My pleasure! Whatever you want! and never ever delivered. I don t really care that I had to take off work to not try any food that we were offered. I didn t mind not having sweet tea because it was so overpriced.
I CARE THAT EVERY SINGLE PICTURE THAT WAS TAKEN OF MY CEREMONY IS UNFRAMEABLE OR USABLE IN ANY WAY. Every picture of my beautiful wife on our special day is ruined. It looks like a green screen from a behind-the-scenes comic book movie photo. It is all you can see in the pictures, WE HAD A LOT OF PICTURES. $4,000 dollars for a wedding photographer and it was all for nothing because Surly broke the projector screen on the day of my wedding.
We just got our pictures back. I am so disappointed.

Bartender was awesome. Attentive, filled my water and my beer without a long wait. Offered suggestions and the foos was incredible. Elevated and,delicious. Whenever I'm back up this way, I shall return

My experience at Surly was awesome the staff were very nice and helpful. The food was delicious, beer tour was informational and Colby made it fun. I would recommend Surly to friends and family.

Fantastic experience!!! Surly has the right protocols in place to help you feel safe but welcome at the same time! The food was delicious and the beer was top notch (my wife recommends the McFly pizza!) Hard to find a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon! If they would find a way to broadcast the upcoming Twins games, it would be the perfect day!

Absolutely love this place. The beer hall was packed with positive energy. The staff did a phenomenal job despite the chaos that was a packed house. We were lucky enough to book a tour beforehand. Highly recommend the tour, they ve got a great story to tell about the history of the company, explanation of the brewing process (and scale) and what sets them apart from other breweries. Then the highlight, guided tasting of three of their beers. For $6 you get the tour, a tasting glass, and $1 of your admission goes to a local charity. The food was top notch, the limited menu allows them to focus in on the quality of the food, and quickness of the service. We had a great overall experience.

Had a great time. We will come again with friends.

Delicious food (try the Grilled Chicken Torta!), very cool vibe no matter how young or old you are, open and light. I don't even like beer all that much and still found a very tasty beverage!

We had a wonderful dinner in the beer hall, followed by brewery tour. Fabulous food, fabulous beer. Highly recommended! I don't understand the negative reviews below. Everyone was extremely nice and respectful.

Great taproom and beer. We split a plate of the meat balls and they were yummy. The tour was fun and the history interesting.

I waited over a year to return to the TwinCities to take this tour, it was even better than expected. Knowledgeable, courteous, and Wow

Amazing beers, fantastic food, a HUGE space where you can bring tons of friends, and a really cool outdoor space with fire pits and large congregating areas. Aside from their concert area (which I love), the brewery is always a great time!

Not at all what I expected from the gluten free chicken meal, great job. Not that I'm gluten free though so also great beers.

This place is not a brewery- it is a compound. Huge outdoor pet friendly space with great menu options. Highly recommend the tour. But let's face it - it more corporate than its local roots.

Good beer paired with a bad experience with their security staff and taproom manager. My fiance and I traveled from out of town to visit this brewery after hearing a lot about it. The doorman was checking IDs at the entrance and didn't take kindly to a couple of friendly joking remarks from my fiance. He responded by quickly informing the rest of his colleagues that she was not to be served because of her intoxicated behavior and would be asked to leave if she picked up the beer that was in front of her. I would have been the first to agree with him if she indeed had too much to drink that day....she did not. The next 15-30 minutes were spent proving to the manager that we're reasonable customers who just came to have a couple of beers and leave. It's unfortunate it all had to go the way it did, the manager said he did "everything he could" for us but the jury is still out on that. We won't be returning, recommending them to friends, or purchasing their beer in the future. There are too many other good breweries in the Twin Cities to put up with an experience like this.

Great social distancing and safety protocols. Their beer is pretty damned good too

Talk about a-holes!!!!! We are here right now- 75 min wait- waited in line for10 mins just to get a beer from the beer line- bartender had a personality of a doorknob!!! My extremely polite mother in law asked for crackers or if we could order a appetizer from the hostess- we have 2 little guys and he very bluntly said "no! No we have nothing like that!" I see why they don't put their names on their shirts and they all have beards- can't complain to management when their rude- the only reason we haven't left is because "everyone" - except for the Surly brewing staff- knows it's the day after Christmas and everyone goes out to eat. If the service and food sucks when we get seated, I'm going to be pissed!!!!

This was my first visit. Great atmosphere. Only negative is how rude the glass collector was. Other than that I HIGHLY recommend!

Surly MSP is the perfect place were food and beer meet. The expansive beer hall has very high quality food stuffs from burgers to Brisket to Farro salad. All of the food is a cut above many restaurants. The Dinning experience shines when you sit down at the brewers table and engage in the pairings a flavor exploration that the chefs bring together with the brewers. The beer offerings rotate often, but the classic Surly beers are always there. This is a must visit location the Twin Cities for Lovers of food and drink.

Ty was a great tour guide and very informative. We will definitely be back!

The brewery tour was so fun and informative, the taproom is impressive, and the beers are cold and delicious, but the outdoor atmosphere at Surly is the icing on the cake- great summer (and year-round) Minneapolis activity!

The beer selection is great at this brewery. The atmosphere was nice amd calm in the dining area, and the food choices were solid.

Beer was really good and reasonably priced. Food was good but a bit pricey.

Beer Hall is phenomenal. Atmosphere, food, and beer are second to none.

When I drive up to the Twin Cities from Chicago I make sure I allow time to hit the Surly Tap House. Fantastic people, a great atmosphere, and an excellent product - you just can't beet that combination.

Blown away. Their new space is as unique and amazing as their beer. Even their food is to par; prepare to feast like a king. Highly recommended and well worth the visit.

Went to the pizza kitchen upstairs and it was food was excellent. Beer, as always, was awesome. Only complaint might be it was very busy, but probably because it is a great place...

Awesome experience, tasty food, great Surly beer and lot of space to sit around. Sure, for food there was a wait (about 1hr on Sunday evening) but it's fine. The glass windows to the brewery equipment is a very nice touch.

One of the coolest breweries I have been to in a while. Amazing selection on draft. Good food. And some fun entertainment out doors.

Beer is excellent and a nice atmosphere and plenty of room so it s not crowded.

Great beers at a cool and modern facility. Food is better than expected for a brewery.

Highly Recommended. Wide variety of beers including new brews. Lots of food menu items in contrast to other breweries which have little more than a food truck. Plentiful parking. Great service - we had Luke who went above and beyond by looking up a location for me of my next appointment. He was quick and complete with our food. I had the
Surly Burger and a Doppelboch. Excellent lunch. Clean, well lit facility with nice restrooms. I'll take my wife there next time I go.

Amazing beer, probably the best tour ($200 private tour for a small group) I've ever done, and a MASSIVE selection of beers including the BEST banana bread beer I've ever had.

Surly Brewing is a great place for Saturday night out! The place is usually pretty busy, and the food and the beer justify the wait time for a table. They've great outdoor seating, as well as communal indoor seating. The staff is friendly and efficient! Plus the beer is exceptional. Highly recommended!

Great beer, awesome atmosphere, not your average bar food (in a good way)!

Good food and beer. Bartenders are great. Our wait was 30 minutes longer than a quoted 45-hour. They definitely just wanted us to go up for pizza. Service is fine but comes with a namesake Surly-ness that s off putting. Tempted to go 3 star... or need a 3.5... seems like their money machine has them forgetting about customer first.

This place is huge! I see why their beer is so expensive, gotta pay for this place! Brisket was very good, beer was also.

Our favorite brewery in Minneapolis, everything is top notch, if you re in the mood for pizza, the I m Your Daddy is amazing!

On top of already being our favorite, they are practicing best in class Covid protocols which make for a safe and enjoyable dining experience!

Really cool space and great beers! Shout out to our bartender named Tess who kills it behind the bar and was really kind to us. Hog Frites or bust!

This is a great place to hang out any gmday of the week but it can get pretty crowded and if there's an event getting a beer can be a pretty long line. That said, they have a good selection of beers, the pizza is great, and the scenery is great. In the summer they have lots of outdoor seating and that's pretty fantastic on a sunset evening in Minnesota.

Excellent place. Top notch food and beer. Fiancee is not a fan of beer, but our server, Peter, was helpful and found her a beer that she enjoyed(Fisson) even as a fan of white wine. Will definitely return!

My favorite brewery in Minneapolis! Everything here is well thought out and I've never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table even on a busy Saturday afternoon. You must try the burger and guacamole! Also, all my waiters/waitresses have been very knowledgeable and are always great at helping me decide on a beer. Highly recommend!

For all the hype about the food and the chef I thought the food fell very short. The pork brisket didn't have a lot of flavor. The bread was store bought rolls. Cole slaw and potato salad lacked flavor. The burgers are served w American cheese(no substitutions please). My grits were good and the diet cola in the can was good.

The new building is amazing! Great food and beer and an awesome staff. A really cool place to hang out!

Better beer in the Twin cities? I don't think so! If you love IPAs this is your place. Lagers, this is your place, Stouts... need I say more. Then throw gourmet food in the mix and holy cow brother! This is a gotta visit place.

Unlike other brewery tours where all they talk about is the water they use, this tour was interesting, educational and fascinating.

Really great food and beer! Be warned, it's still extremely popular, so plan to wait for a table. The kitchen doesn't do special orders, so keep that in mind when ordering.

Great Place, great beer. If you want to experience Twin Cities beer... It's a good start.

Surly has opened a new counter style ordering pizza place on their second floor where an upscale restaurant used to be. This space now offers a wide variety of entertainment themed pizzas that are served to you when they're ready. Pizzas come on a silver tray and are bigger than you would expect. Prices are decent as well, ranging from $8 for a cheese pizza, called "The Kevin" after the movie Home Alone, to more expensive varieties. I tried "Walter White" which has rosemary, potatoes, garlic, and ramps. It was delicious. Partner had the "Beast" with a salsa verde base. Both were outstanding. Split a salad as well. Very impressed. They taps as well on the other side of the space, so you can get a beer (or three!) while you wait. There is also an outdoor space to sit as well. Will definitely be back!

My friends and I go here at least once a week. We love the staple beer selection and the other new/seasonal offerings as well. The menu is small(ish), but don't be fooled, everything is delicious. We especially like wing Tuesdays, but don't be late as they have run out on a few occasions. Another favorite is the farro bowl with salmon, unbelievable flavor and is on point. If you come on a nice day, head out to the spacious patio and enjoy a brew! Surly has amazing beer recipes and a recipe for success!

Our group had an awesome time! The tour was great, as well as the food and the beer! I would definitely recommend visiting Surly!

Great atmosphere, great beer, great place to be before Minesota United games!!

Great beer. Decent pizza. Its ALWAYS busy, so as a misanthrope it's tough. They do have a beer called misanthrope tho. Also the fries are great. Can't go wrong here.

Glad to see your employees are unionizing. Hopefully they finally get the respect they deserve.

"Bro!!! Ehhhhh, BRO!!!"

VIBE
This place is about as bro-ish as a place can be, with extra bros on top. If you are 20-32 years old, male, wear flip-flops year round, and call all your friends, Broooooo!!! , this is your Mecca. Let your pilgrimage begin. 15% couples 35 and over + 55% bros + 30% women = Surly patrons. Oh, and those two couples who brought their babies! What were they thinking?! Pro-tip: Don t bring your baby/child unless you want their ears to bleed as the testosterone laden music is that loud. And, sadly, just like their clientele, there was no diversity in the serving staff, either. Really cool building, though. So, there is that.

SERVICE
It s a beer hall, so I wasn t expecting red carpet treatment. Although, a word when the server drops the food on the table as she is going by without stopping might be nice (Surly is the restaurant s name, not server attitude!) and if we, at our table, both got our food at even close to the same time. Other tables seemed to get their food all at once, though, so maybe it isn t a thing.

FOOD
Expectation: decent burger, fries, cold beer.
Reality: Slightly greasy burger (but it IS a beer hall, so maybe that was ok), decent fries, good beer.

So, why four stars after being so meh about it? Because it seems Surly is doing exactly what it set out to do serve a narrowly defined demographic and they are doing it really well, as evidenced by their capacity crowd. They were packed, with a wait-time for a table of about an hour. Will I go back? Probably not. Will I buy their beer at a liquor store? I don t know their lack of front-of-house staff diversity makes me not so eager.

Great food and brew. I had the piggly burger and circular reasoning beer, both were delicious. Great atmosphere and friendly staff.

I'll never buy any beer from this brewery again, and will make sure I let as many people know as possible. Surly has been trying to shut down their workers from unionizing in the middle of a pandemic. Shameful.

If you are in Minneapolis and love craft beer, this is the best place to be. If the weather is nice, you have to take advantage of the outside area too. The tour is informative, inexpensive, and part of your ticket price goes to local charities. If you don't go here you are really missing out.

Coolest brewery I've ever been to. Great selection and friendly staff! Food is a little spendy, but it's there if you need it.

Not just that Surly makes my favorite IPA, they have a remarkable facility with great food and atmosphere. The workers are great with good attitude.

Genuinely great people and phenomenal beer. The staff at the bar ensured to answer every brewery question I had and provided additional education too in regards to the brew system. I never looked for it but was even shown appreciation for being a military member.

Wonderful tour and dining experience! Ty is a very welcoming, knowledgeable tour guide and the atmosphere at Surly is simply fun! Enjoy!

Not your typical tap room! Much larger! Kind of a tourist attraction. Pizza is good but not great. They can move a lot of people through this place so don't be afraid of the crowds. The beer is very excellent!

Good stop lots of room inside and out. What can i say about the brews so many so good and nice food selection and pizzas after 4 pm.

Not what I expected and did not enjoy it. Not a fan of the beer or the service. But if you decided to check it out, wear close toed shoes.

The staff is really friendly. The space has a cool vibe with plenty of seating. The beer is good and cold. Also, surprisingly creative and tasty food for a brewery, a lot more than the usual burgers and wings.

Super fun environment! Our bar tender Sara was awesome! It was pretty crowded on a Saturday night, but the brewery is very well set up and so efficient that we didn't mind. We quickly found seating at the bar in the new pizza restaurant and the crowd died down after a little while. We were also super happy that they had a local vegan cheese option for their pizza. Very tasty!

Fantastic, top notch brewery. Great beer, gastrooub menu that is very impressive. Plenty of outdoor and indoor seating available. Must visit.

Honestly... I walked in not expecting much, not an IPA fan at all... They have plenty of other options for your taste buds, dont worry about that... The real hidden gem is upstairs to the pizza... Go get your self a pie or 3... Ranks up there with Pizzeria Lola's and Fat Lorenzo's pizza... would definitely go back with out hesitation...

We have been wanting to hit up this brewery for some time and are happy to say that it met our expectations. It's beautiful inside. Big, roomy. Easy to get a table during the week but would imagine it gets pretty busy during events. Beer is good. No flight or growler options. They're happy to bring a sample to taste. They have a couple of vegan options. We recommend the Brussel Sprouts and the Naseem's Hot Chat is delicious. Highly recommend the Spice Boyz- ginger & cayenne infused lager. Very good!

Walked in and the out. DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY DIETARY NEED/ALLERGIES. As a person with a peanut allergy I couldn t even sit down. Peanut oil cooked with, in salad dressing and peanuts on the tables. Was sad, such a good reputation...

Such a fun tour! We got to try the freshest beer and learn about what a local leader this brewery is for Minnesota! The food was also delicious and the staff is amazing!!

Great beer and tasty eats. With a visit if you re in Minneapolis!

Fantastic food from the kitchen. Nice a la carte choices or chef's tasting menu.