Did you ever wonder why craft brew tastes malty and hoppy while everything else that you ever ferment (pickles, kimchee, sauerkraut, etc.) ends up sour? It's because wild yeasts are very different from the commercially cultivated ones derived from them. Thus, sour beers, undergoing a resurgence these days in American craft brew circles, were once the standard: prior to the ability to isolate strands of yeast and sanitize to modern specs, that was just what was going to happen to the beer. Rather than fight this, Carillon Brewing takes you back in time, beers, building and all, to embrace the wild yeast. You hence get a delightful variety of sour beers (e.g. squash ale, coriander ale, and sour porter) available in reasonably priced pints, flights, and sealed growlers to go. They made for a fun addition to Christmas celebrations we were heading to elsewhere. You get to drink them in a super cool period-spec brick-and-wood brewery with friendly servers in 19th-century garb. There's an enormous hearth that gets used for brewing and baking bread on alternate days. It's all situated within the Carillon Historical Park, a one-stop shop for Dayton history. You can go the brewery without paying admission to the park or, given the predictably long wait time on our Dec. 23rd visit, put in your name for dinner and visit the park while you wait for them to call your cell phone. An undiscovered law of physics necessitates that brewpubs of any period or style cannot have food as good as the beer. I'll never understand it, but that's why I'm not a physicist. The merely okay German-style food keeps us at four stars. Everything else about the experience is super cool. read more

Awesome beer, awesome environment. I felt our bartender Michael was very rude but other than that it was awesome place. read more

Some years back I reviewed this place and gave it raves. I still love it for its uniqueness and charm but COVID has done it no favors. I ate there today with friends, we dined outside and it was very pleasant. Here's the bad part: the menu has been pared down to very few choices but I can live with that. The really bad thing is I paid $12 for a burger that was truly awful. Those frozen, tasteless atrocities we were served in high school cafeterias were better than what I got today. And a whole lot cheaper! The burgers here used to be great...juicy, hand made, and tasted like they came off a charcoal grill. I don't know what bean counter made the switch to the pathetic garbage they're serving today but he or she should be replaced. read more

My friend insisted on coming here. We are beer tourists. I got to try a bunch of new beers and some good wurst and schnitzel. A week ago I was in Munich, yet I feel very satisfied with my experience here. All the wurst were wonderful, and the schnitzelwas amazing. Big thanks to our waitress, Margo! read more

Carillon Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Happened to stumble across the Carillon Brewing Company and adjacent historical park one Saturday. After spending a few hours in the park I knew that we needed to check out the brewery. The first thing you notice when walking inside is the light smell of a wood fire. They brew all the beer in house using a wood fired brewing kettle. The whole atmosphere of the place is very relaxed with the waitstaff dressed to the period. Early to mid 1800s. The menu is not huge but does offer classic foods of the same era. I ordered the fish & chips. The chips were pretty standard potato wedges, nothing too special. The slaw was also not the best. The fish however was a solid 5 stars. For the fish alone I would return. For dessert I had the German chocolate cake. The cake was hot and had a big ball of ice cream right on top. It was delicious. I don't usually get dessert but i'm very happy I did. The other person I was dining with had the bread pudding. It looked like a big pan cinnamon roll with rum sauce over the top. It was also top quality. Since this was my first trip I decided to get a flight of 4 beers. As with the theme, these are all inspired from old recipes. I enjoyed all the beers and they were very unique. A couple flavors that were present in all 4 are sour, and flowers or citrus. For stumbling across this place I am very happy. I wouldn't hesitate to try some of the other food options they have. Our waitress was also very good. Fast, professional, and seemed to genuinely care about our dining experience. read more

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We will definitely be returning! First of all, this place is adorable. I really enjoy the wooden interior and dated decor. We came here during a weekend festival... So this place was very very busy. Our server was friendly and explained the process of which they make the sour beer. We got a flight (of course) but were not fond of the style. That's okay, it was great trying something new... And we have a friend that adores their beer. But that sampler platter, oh my god. I was a bit over enthusiastic when it came out. It had so many different types of cheese and sausage. I was surprised at the price, I felt it was cheap for the presentation and amount of variety. (No complaints!!) :) My only suggestion: you had a lot of customers come in from the back patio area and seat themselves... (Super annoying, I know, especially if they give you an attitude...) I would place a sign that asks for the people entering from the back to check-in with the host. Maybe this isn't a problem when you don't have a festival in the park, but it might solve a few of the problems we witnessed while we were sitting at our table. I'm definitely excited to visit this place again... All the food brought out to the tables looked delicious :) and I might give another go at the beer! read more

Carillon Brewing - Their sampler platter!! - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

The beer wasn't bad and the food was good. Maybe I was just tired from being in an RV for 8 days but we thought this would be a cool place to stop on our way through Ohio (moving from Reno to PA) but we thought the male staff were kinda rude. Being industry vets, we usually have a lot of Grace to give for servers and bar staff... but the guys behind the bar looked like they didn't care whether or not you were there. Don't recommend. read more

Carillon Brewing is the first brewery in a museum and the experience gives a glimpse to what the 1800s were like. They brew all of their beers right in front of you. All of the beers that are brewed on site are handcrafted, start to finish. The day we visited, they were roasting barely right before our eyes, we sat at the bar and watched the artists at work - so fun! They have lots of styles of beer, as well as wines and cocktails available too. The food is great, as well! Lots of German options, and the price is right! We got beer cheese soup, potato & leek soup and an order of sauerkraut balls to split, a perfect amount for lunch! They were also making fresh bread this day, which we got to try and it was delicious! Definitely worth a stop at this historic and unique brewery! read more

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It was not horrible, and we'd give them another try. Ideally, I'll be able to amend this review and give another/more stars. Service was good; Meghan did a nice job. Out of the sauerkraut balls, we opted for the braided pretzel as an appetizer. It was a very uniform braid, thus creating a nice visual presentation - including with the accompanying dips. The mustard had a nice bite; the cheese dip was lackluster. The pretzel itself ideally would have been served much softer, warmer, and perhaps even finished lightly buttered. His meatloaf was good; just bummer there weren't mashed (or even baked) potatoes as a side option. I liked the "wurst" platter - mett and brat - but did have to ask for both to be heated up as they were served lukewarm. I thought it'd have been a better presentation if they'd have been returned on a new, clean plate (with a replacement of the baked beans I ordered [yet had already eaten]). And, presuming sauerkraut food costs are likely relatively low, to have had a more generous portion would have been more impressive. The maybe 1/2 cup serving felt somewhat skimpy. The baked beans were good, just wish there'd have been more bean less sauce. Again, it wasn't horrid. There were a few "off" things, but not so bad we won't try it again. Meghan was good, some of the foods were also tasty, the building is beautiful, and thus, we'll try again... read more

We saw this brewery featured on the Townsend YouTube channel and decided to come by and check it out because the concept of the gravity fed brewing was very interesting to us. My husband really enjoyed the beer and we had a great lunch. I am pregnant so I was pleasantly surprised to see that they make their own sodas and I was able to enjoy a NA drink, as most breweries usually don't have something I can enjoy right now. They have a lovely Biergarten and a nice, well air conditioned interior with plenty of seating both outdoors and indoors. We also loved the smell of the fireplace going inside. We will definitely be coming back and bringing friends and family to check this place out. read more

In Dayton, OH on business. Looked this place up on Yelp - and I am glad I did. It is modeled after an old German brewery - all brick and wood paneling. Obviously they brew their own beer. They also have authentic German nosh. If ever in Dayton - check it out - you won't regret it. read more

Interesting building as you feel like you've gone back in time! The bread was delicious.

Great atmosphere. Great food. Dining outside was very pleasant and quiet. A good touch for this pandemic time. All the food we sampled was very good. We did not try any of the beers. I can imagine they are also excellent read more

This is a really eclectic and cool place. Loved their home brews. We tried the flight. It is a great way to try different brews and then decide what to order. The flight has Ginger pale ale, Raspberry, Coriander ale and the Porter. I ended up ordering the Raspberry, it was delicious. Not too sweet and did not taste like I was drinking cough syrup. Their Brewers Sampler is delicious. I heard that they make their crackers with the mash left over from brewing beer. Those crackers we delicious! The Portions are quite big! For main course, I ordered Herb Roasted Split Chicken with Braised Sauerkraut and German Potato Salad. There was enough left over to take home for the next day. The parking was easy. There is outdoor seating too which probably is beautiful if the weather is good. The service was friendly. Loved it! read more

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I visited the Carillon Brewing Company over the Christmas holiday as I was home visiting Dayton family. We stopped by on Friday night and the place was packed, which is great for this new venue. We were told over an hour wait for Friday night at 6pm, so we just went over to the bar to try their two brews on draft. It took a good 15 minutes to get any servers attention behind the bar to order the Coriander Ale and Porter, note at the bar when you order and they set your beer down make sure its in the middle of the bar, as the bar is slanted and several beers rolled right off the counter during our visit. They're using brewing methods from 1850's which take time, the Coriander had an interesting refreshing flavor and the porter is dark and malty, good on a winter night, but as the place was just too packed for us we enjoyed our beers and went on our way to another venue. I'm looking forward to coming back on a future visit and trying the food and hopefully they can have the service issues worked out soon. read more

Carillon Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Just had a great Sunday lunch date (!!) here yesterday with the Mr. and some Yelp royalty!! I'm not much of a beer drinker these days (tastes change, I guess) but I really like this place, and would DEFINITELY recommend it for meeting friends, enjoying some authentic old style brews, and soaking up some great info and atmosphere!! It's new (just open since 8/14) and I can tell, based on some earlier reviews, that happily they appear to have gotten some of the kinks out from the opening days. BIG space (upstairs and down) plus separate meeting room and what looks to be an outside patio for warmer weather. I'm a sucker for "historic dining experiences" so I liked the effort that went in to making this place as authentic as I'm sure it must be, including wait staff in period costumes, a big roaring fire in one corner, and (apparently) all the tools of early days' brewing. The Mr. ordered a flight, which he enjoyed, and I got a bottled cider, which was ok. Wine was also available, and there looked to be several additional "spirit" options as well as n/a. Our table split an order of latkes (yummy mini-potato pancakes served with sour cream AND apple sauce!) and a pretzel braid with cheese and hot (!!!) mustard dips. Wanted to FINALLY experience sauerkraut balls (!!) but they were out... There are plenty of other reasonably priced German-style and all American salads, sandwiches, and entrees... I went for a portabella sandwich (more veggie than portabella) and a sweet and sour cabbage side, and Mr. M&P went for fish and chips. No complaints. I think there are also a couple of interesting sounding dessert options, but we (I) were so busy yacking, and quite full with our app. and lunch choices, so another time... I liked this new place very much, and hope to go again soon. I REALLY enjoyed getting together with like-minded Yelpers, and hope to do that again REAL soon!!! Thanks again Mike G. for setting this up, and K. for coming out as well!! :-) read more

Carillon Brewing - Stoking the brewery fires - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Not only is it a great brewery, but you get a mini history tour in the process. Everything is very historically themed. Ask the waitresses where to go in Dayton, they had some good advice. The only correct order if you're a tourist is the flight. The lighter beers are very spritzy, in a good way. read more

Carillon Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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I love the atmosphere and the nod to historical accuracy. Very cool to watch the brewing process. The food is very good, not just a basic plate. The only thing keeping it from 5 stars is there have been a few times the service was very slow even without many tables active. Always worth a visit for something outside of the same old same old. read more

This appears to be a lovely brewery and restaurant set inside of a historic property - and they use it to its fullest potential. Everything sticks to the "historic" feel - including the dress of the waiters and waitresses. The pretzels were amazing, the sausage was amazing, and the beers are actually freakishly unique. Even the exterior of the restaurant has gas lamps lighting the path. There's definitely an attention to detail. PROS: -The pretzel braid here is fantastic. It has a classic dough-y texture to it that's unique for most pretzels, and the beer cheese that comes with it was amazing. -My tablemate loved their sausage here. For those that care, the waiter said their cole slaw tends to run on the "creamy" side here. -Despite coming on a Friday night, parking was ample, and our food was easily to our table within five minutes after ordering it. Beers were even faster. Service here is fantastic, and there was never a single point where we were bored or waiting. -This could either be a pro or a con, but all of their beers are extremely unique. I wouldn't call any of them a "session-type ale for the casual drinker". They have a ginger beer and a raspberry beer and a very citrus-y beer and a lot of others. They don't really taste like any beers I've ever had. They were much too intense for me - but I could see them being perfect for beer drinkers who love craft brews and unique tastes. -I didn't see it, but they have a flight of 4 beers for $7 to try them all out. I'd probably recommend that to anyone coming here. -ALL of the beer is made exactly how it was in the 1850s. Carillon offers packages you can purchase to help them out for an entire day and experience exactly what it was like back then. -Music was at a reasonable level. Conversations were at reasonable levels. It was nice and calm here - even on a Friday night - which was great. CONS: -The tables weren't particularly comfortable. Hard wood with no padding for long hours does not bode particularly well for my body. -Especially if you're first coming at night, getting into the parking lot can be a bit confusing. Having scoped it ahead of time via Satellite on Google Maps helped a lot as this particular area seems to get a bit dark at night. read more

First off, I love German food so I may have higher then needed hopes for this place. Was sadly disappointed. They were out of sauerkraut balls at a German inspired restaurant. I got a burger which tasted like a JTM on Hawaiian roll, was way to sweet. The appetizer of pretzel braid came out after our food and was really sweet and bier cheese just bad. I asked for ranch to attempt to cover taste to eat for how much it cost and didn't help ended up leaving more than half behind and didn't even want to finish the beer. No one came to check on us even though I was openly discussing my disappointment with the food. Was very unhappy with entire experience. read more

If I was only reviewing the drinks, this place would get 5 stars. Unfortunately we did eat here and the food was lackluster. I got luke warm bier cheese soup which just threw off my whole meal. The Bratwurst was fine, the bun was soggy. And they were out of half the menu. Come for beers only, they brew on site and have interesting flavors. read more

Slow seems to be the norm here. Not that many people and we've been waiting at least 15 minutes for apps to arrive. Okay, turns out they serve soup and apps at the same time as dinner. So, cold onion straws and the soup came out last. Odd. Most everything came out of a box. Maybe the soups were house made. The cabbage rolls too. Fish was standard and not that great. Overall just an average dinner. Beers were good for what they are. The reson we don't make beers this way anymore is they're just not that good. Nice to see tradition respected this way. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. read more

Love the food, beer and atmosphere. My favorite dish is the grilled marinated portobello with the seasonal succotash. I've been here several times with large groups (9+) for dinner on weeknights and every time, it seemed like they were very short on wait staff. Placing an order and later getting the bill took longer than I expected. read more

Carillon Brewing - Grilled marinated portobello sandwich with seasonal succotash and a beer flight. - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

The building was pretty neat, but that's all I liked about the place. I had the Brewhouse Burger, which I thought that was pretty pricey at $14 when it was just a basic burger that came with nothing more than potato chips and a pickle. But to make it worse, they automatically tack on a 20% tip - which you pay before you even get your food (you order and pay for your food at the bar when you walk in)! When the food was finally brought to the table, it was "meh" at best and came with no condiments - I had to track down a waitress to have ketchup and mustard brought to the table. I understand now why they charge the tip on the front end - the wait staff does nothing to earn it (all they do is deliver your order to your table) and the food quality is overpriced and not worthy of anything extra! read more

What a disappointment! My wife, daughter and I stopped into Carillon Brewing after a visit to the historical park and had several issues: 1. No menus before you walk up to order. We had to wait in line a loooong time because no one knew what they were going to order. So while there weren't many families in line, each transaction took FOREVER as they had a discussion with the cashier and tried to figure out what they were going to eat and drink. 2. The food was cold when it was delivered - enough said. 3. We ordered 20 ounce beers that were served in pint mugs. If my recollection (and google) are correct a pint is equal to 16 ounces. And 4. At our table we noticed a block of wood with a QR code and our table number on it to order food and drinks. Thinking this would be a convenient way to order another round of beers, we ordered and paid for another round and then waited, and waited, and waited. After 25 minutes we went downstairs, and waited in line for another 10 minutes, and told the cashier we had bought a round of drinks with the QR code. He then looked at us and said matter a factually "Even if you use the QR code you have to come to the bar and pick up your drinks." I then mentioned that the block of wood included a table number AND the web site never said you had to go to the bar. "He then said that they are a Pub Experience and you have to come to the bar." So my question is "WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD ORDER ONLINE AND THEN GO A STAND IN THE LINE AGAIN?" When you add it all up, I give the experience an F read more

Caveat: we were here for a work event, so we didn't get the typical menu. First, the space is pretty cool, newly built, but in the old traditions. They were making some beer the old fashioned way while we there. The service and attention our group received was excellent, keeping a group of about 40 filled with beer and food. Everything was excellent, with some interesting german dishes. Hope to go back when it can get more of the individual attention on a future trip. read more

Service is poor and ridiculous group rate for standing in line and getting no service. Rude cashier.

Enjoyed all our beers on our flight and we loved the bone marrow with bacon jam and bread. Very unique and tasty! The bartender was very friendly as well. Iv been to several micro breweries before but none quite like this! read more

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This brewery is so different from anywhere else, it really deserves points just for charm. Servers are dressed in time themed clothes and they do demonstrations on how they brew beer the "traditional" way. Their Berliner Weiss is always good, Coriander Beer is good and easy to drink, and they will have cask ales sometimes that are always interesting. Full menu, all I can speak to is the soft pretzels which are always good with a pint! It's in Carillon Park, so lots of open space and sitting on their large patio is really nice. read more

I really like this venue. The artisanal method of brewing, the quality of beer and the friendly/helpful staff make this a wonderful place to meet with friends or bring out of town guests. read more

If we were just rating for atmosphere this place would be 5 stars, what a beautiful place! Unfortunately food is a big part of the rating. I will say that none of the food we had was bad it just wasn't that good. Most of the food lacked in flavor and just came up short. I'm glad we tried it out but doubt very much it's a place we would choose to try a second time. read more

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We really enjoyed our dinner here! The food was fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere was charming. We were in Dayton visiting my daughter at UD, and will definitely come here again and maybe explore some more. read more

Carillon Brewing - Schnitzel with saurkraut and German potato salad. The German potato salad was outstanding! - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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I really enjoyed this place and will definitely go back when in the area. The food was delicious and the beer tasted great. The whole gimmick of the place is pretty awesome, the wait staff is dressed in historical attire, food is prepared the old fashioned way and even the beer is made using the same techniques and recipes from the time period. Remember this when trying the beer! Yes, they don't have any IPAs or any of the "new" trends of beers. They stick to the true styles and recipes of the time. The Coriander Ale is one of my faves. It's definitely worth a stop if you're in the mood for trying something new. read more

Carillon Brewing - Reuben with sweet and sour cabbage.... One of the best Reuben's I've ever had. And that cabbage was divine! - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

We stopped here late on a Saturday to try a few beers and check this place or since it looked so interesting in the photos. I'm so glad we found this jewel! It's quite interesting and feels like you're stepping back in history. Everything is set up like it would have been in the 1850s and they brew the beers and even make bread and crackers using the old methods and wood fire ovens. The bartender was very friendly and took the time to tell us about the 1800s style beer making process and he gave us samples of several beers as well as a wine that they had also made. I love the concept of trying to match recipes from the 1800s and I was impressed with the history and how good the beers were. I loved the Berliner Weiss with the homemade raspberry syrup. I also liked the sour porter and coriander ale. I highly recommend checking this place out if you like unique atmospheres and something different than many other breweries. read more

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Meh. Food is good. Sold out of the most popular appetizer. Beer is... not my style. You really have to like sour beers. Wine is terrible. Service was okay - but def overwhelmed. Feels like they are still working out the kinks. Glad we went, but probably won't be back. read more

Carillon Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

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Absolutely love the ambiance and decor in here! It's very historic and the servers are dressed in period as well. Quick, friendly, attentive service and delicious food. The sauerkraut balls are amazing!! read more

We had a great experience here! Our service was amazing, the food was delicious, and the beer was great. The food portions are huge, but in my opinion still rather pricey. We will be back to enjoy the brews and the history, and possibly the food. read more

This place is a Dayton Gem! I appreciate how the Carillon Brewery tells a story about the history of the Dayton region. The building, atmosphere, staff and, of course, the food and drinks, are meant to reflect life in the 1850's...and they've done a stand up job. My husband and I began with ordering Ginger Beer and Cream Soda. The beer was outstanding and the soda was served with a side of cream to add. We split the Schnitzel sandwich, which could be the best pork tenderloin I've ever eaten! Even the sauerkraut was good. The service was top notch and our food came out quickly. We enjoyed our experience so much that we are taking my Dad there for the tenderloin and beer ASAP! This place is much more than a brewery, it's a living breathing piece of history and the experience it offers is priceless. I'm a huge fan of Dayton and this place made me even prouder! read more

Yum! We had a Ruben, Schnitzel, and some other meals that we delicious! they let us try their homage soda and it was pretty good. It is very strong flavors and better compared to the name brand root beer. They serve large portions and the theme is very Nice. It's a good stop after touring the park near by or just want a quick bite. It's proximity to downtown and UD's campus is nice as well. read more

Went here an a Saturday night. Did not have to wait which is a good thing. This is a new clean place. Has a nice old felling. I liked the different variety although small of there beer sampler. It was different then the many breweries. Food was really good. They have a variety with a German fair also. The 10$ sampler appetizer was really awesome a great mixture of sausage, cheese ,crackers, pickles. Nice place will for sure go back. read more