Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Excelsior Brewing

    4.2 (104 reviews)
    InexpensiveBreweries
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Excelsior Brewing Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Excelsior Brewing

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    John S.

    A perfect spot for summer in my favorite of small Minnesota cities Excelsior. A modern but not pretentious brew pub. The garage door was open to the patio on this perfect temperature day. Walk up to the bar and choose your selection of the many tap brews. If crowded they'll rush another server to the next serve station. The large wall menu has brew in categories to non-alcoholic drinks. Tables of different sizes scattered about. Very informal but still seems organized. There is a take out case. I was taken aback by the number of children inside. It's a family hang out but the running around while people are carrying beers back to their tables is kind of frightening.

    a person holding a cup of beer
    Lucy N.

    A great spot for a brew. I was staying just down the road dog sitting this past week and I made here twice. They are dog friendly so I made sure to direct one of our walks out this way on a sunny Thursday spring afternoon. The place was buzzing with happy Minnesotans and friendly bartenders (brew-tenders?). Service was super quick and there were tables available. There was even a Girl Scout going table to table selling cookies. Pretty good business model if you ask me. There was also a private party going on in the back. The second time I came was on a Saturday evening around 7. They had a live band and the place was packed! There was also a surprise birthday party going on, so seating was quite limited -- but enough standing room. I tried the "A day at the peach sour" and the "spresso milk stout". I loved both and would get both again. I think next time I might try a flight to sample even more of their offerings. I will for sure be back this summer for the patio!!

    Stage for Band
    Brad L.

    This place is AWESOME!!! We found parking on the street as we came on a busy night as they had a cover band. They had 2 parking lots available, so plenty of parking even though it was packed. The bartenders were great and fun to watch with how many cups they could stack when walking around. They had a nice setup for the band we saw, but not much for seating room. I think they could have made more tables/chairs work somehow. For beer, I only had the one and it was called Hops Wave and it was a very good IPA as it wasn't super hoppy and had some very good fruit flavor to it. I would def come back here again as I think it would be fun even without entertainment.

    a flight of beers
    Natalie Y.

    Really enjoyed our time at Excelsior Brewing Company! Great atmosphere, ample seating, and a wide range of brews to choose from! I love that they do flights here so we can taste all the flavors. If you are looking for a whole dining experience with the brews this is not the place for you but if you are just wanting to come for the beer and hangs then this is a great spot for that after a walk in the park near like Minnetonka!

    Gooseberry Kettle Sour and Blood Orange IPA
    Raisa B.

    This place was really enjoyable. The staff was extremely welcoming and allowed us to take our time while we looked over their big menu. My husband and I decided on a few beers and sat by the window enjoying the people watching. We had a couple more beers before we headed out, and we're happy with our experience. The beer we had was very good quality, but I didn't find one I fell in love with yet. I would go back to try other beers and to enjoy the ambience. It is a really well put together brewery and we had a great time!

    Tap room menu!
    Jason K.

    My buddies and I decided to start our summer tour of Tap Rooms that have started to pop up all over Minnesota, it's awesome! Excelsior Brewing sits in the small town of Excelsior by Lake Minnetonka, one on the largest lakes right near the Metropolitan Twin Cities. We had brunch at Lago Tacos before hitting the tap room, which was a perfect start. I ordered my buddy a beer on their buy a friend a beer wall, which you can add your name to a list of people you bought beers for. I also ordered a 4 beer flight, and I liked the Bridge Jumper IPA the best, but they didn't have any bad beers at all. Jumper was a nice and hoppy IPA with a happiness quotient of 10. I ordered 2 more Bridge Jumpers while I was in the large brew room. Tons of stainless in the back fermenting, and mashing, and all the good stuff that breweries do. They had a blue grass live band in the corner, which was a huge win. I love me some blue grass music. A buddy that lives on Lake Minnetonka was able to come last minute, which was awesome. I hadn't seen him in about 6 months. Great laughs and good times. Helpful staff took our picture and an overall perfect experience with friends. Thanks Excelsior!

    Lisa L.

    I rarely ever find a beer that I like but this is still one of my fav breweries. Why? They are located just down the street from Maynard's where I basically spend my summer. They have live music from bands that cover Pearl Jam, The Police and The Rilling Stones to name just a few. There is never a cover for live music. The husband loves to fill his growler several times per year. There is a large lot that is free to park in. They have plenty of space but it does get quite packed during live shows so please leave your claustrophobic friends at home those nights. Everything is pretty much the same as other breweries: no food but you can bring in whatever outside grub you please or have it delivered from several local joints, dogs and kids galore. BUT NEW RULE: some cry babies out there complained loud enough that now dogs are only allowed on the patio, not in the tap room. Bologna, if you ask me. Who'd you rather hang with in a tap room? A chihuahua or a child? Exactly. Hopefully the rule will change back in the future.

    S'mores beer - August 2020
    Britta S.

    Run, don't walk to Excelsior Brewing right now and grab a pint of their s'mores beer - while we can't celebrate the great Minnesota get together together. Excelsior has ample space indoors & outdoors. They were really cool with us grabbing takeout from one of the local restaurants & eating our food on their patio. Which would usually just be seen as normal, but right now it was really nice since many local establishments have pretty limited seating. I would also recommend the peach sour - great flavor but I do wish it would've been a bit colder! Cheers!

    Look who I found class of 87 and 88 MHS at Excelsior Brewery!

    See all

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon E.
    2
    13
    2

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    The Brew Grub Food Truck hands down the BEST Lobster roll in MN! We most certainly will be back! Thank you!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob H.
    16
    51
    0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of James L.
    68
    96
    37

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kyle R.
    22
    11
    5

    12 years ago

    Great place for local brews. Easy to support the locals with such great ownership.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tim S.
    95
    23
    10

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karrie S.
    223
    37
    40

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Love the community involvement at the brewery! And obviously the beer is top notch, my current favorite is the Nunnmorblak Black Ale!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K K.
    0
    2
    0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Best brewery in the state! Great beer selection and awesome atmosphere in the taproom. Their stout is fantastic.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jay A.
    0
    32
    1

    9 years ago

    Great beer selection! One of the best tasting and biggest varieties I've ever seen. Best brewery in Minnesota.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - Excelsior Brewing

    Review Highlights - Excelsior Brewing

    I also ordered a 4 beer flight, and I liked the Bridge Jumper IPA the best, but they didn't have any bad beers at all.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Back Channel Brewing

    Back Channel Brewing

    4.6
    (84 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    Back channel was such a fun stop for a nice night outside. (Even tho it was the smog day from…read moreforrest fires). They have an enormous amount of outdoor seating and some indoor seating as well. This is a great place if it's a nice day and you want an ice cold beer. The staff were all so friendly and they let you taste a few of the beers if you're unsure what to get! I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the variety of options. I loved the strawberry banana sour and one of their fruited beers as well. My husband really loved the lager options. Can't wait to stop back in again and catch a game on the TV outside!

    One of the staple breweries that I come back to again and again. Great beer, cool events, awesome…read moretaproom, and the location can't be beat. Right off a lake and a bike trail. The vibe is extremely "yacht rock" as you would expect from Minnetonka and the clientele tend to match. That's not good or bad, really, just how something to be aware of. Dog friendly inside and out but the taproom proper is pretty tight. Luckily they've got an enormous patio when the weather is nice. They're known for their IPAs and lagers but everything they put out is top notch. "District 5" is a fantastic lighter option but if you see a barleywine on tap you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping at least a taster. The only thing is I wish there were more restaurants around because food truck prices are getting pretty out of control.

    Photos
    Dunzo Hazy IPA on the patio
    Dunzo Hazy IPA on the patio
    Tap room
    Tap room
    Sauna experience right outside the brewery

    See all

    Sauna experience right outside the brewery
    Coalition Restaurant

    Coalition Restaurant

    3.7
    (257 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We had guests from out of town and decided on Coalition to see the town and Lake Minnetonka…read more They serve brunch on weekends. Free parking right behind in the East lot, it was already more than half full at 10am. They had just opened and there were already a few tables occupied. It felt busy and maybe they didn't have enough staff for that time. There were only 2 staff taking orders. We stayed inside as it was a very hot day. We've been there for dinner before and always liked the modern cozy interiors. Our server took our drink orders and gave us a complimentary order of cardamom donuts, as if they knew it would be a while. The brewed coffees came out pretty fast but he didn't come back to take our order until almost 10:30, when we finally flagged him down. The food didn't take long but he forgot to put in my MILs side order of bacon so that didn't come out until we were mostly done eating. They had a good breakfast selection and lunch was available as well. We ordered: Salmon Eggs Benedict French Toast Avocado Toast Pesto Frittata Grilled Chicken sandwich Crispy chicken sandwich Everyone was happy with their food and we're happy to find another brunch place to take visitors to.

    Coalition is one of my go-to spots in Excelsior…read more The patio is such a great vibe in the summer. It feels lively but still relaxed, and it's perfect for sitting and people watching. Service is always friendly however sometimes it is very slow. They have one of the best happy hours in the area. They have great options for cocktails. They do a great job with their drink menu, which makes it an easy place to sit and stay for a while. For dinner, my go-to is the salmon with mashed potatoes. It's consistently solid and something I come back for. Korean tacos are also so delicious. Easy place to recommend.

    Photos
    Gorgeous Interior
    Gorgeous Interior
    Coalition Restaurant
    Charred Corn

    See all

    Charred Corn
    Maynards

    Maynards

    3.5
    (497 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    I absolutely love Maynard's every time I go! I usually come here with friends for a night out, but…read morethis time I went during the day with coworkers, so I finally got the chance to try more of the food! Maynard's has so much space, making it a great spot for bigger groups, and the outdoor patio is amazing. Plus, being right on the lake makes the whole atmosphere that much better, especially on a nice day! For food, our group tried the Ceviche, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cranberry Turkey Melt, and Firecracker Chicken Wrap. Everything was a hit! And you absolutely can't go to Maynard's without getting the fries with seasoned sour cream -- a MUST! Overall, we all loved our food, the service was great, and it was just as fun during the day as it is at night. Definitely one of my favorite spots!

    This place is pretty much a staple for Minnesota summers. Being on lake Minnetonka and the size of…read morethis place makes it a VERY desirable place to go! It truly always feels busy here! There is a parking lots but expect to park in the street or down the street. Given how busy it always is, the staff keeps up! Our food was out fairly quick and our server was attentive! I have been here before, but the food quality seems to have gone down hill. At least for the outdoor patio (the menu is different inside) I had the walleye sandwich and it was not good. The quality of fish, the bread tasted stale and there was too much bread and sauce. The burger was a standard burger and nothing special. The ceviche was good!! But it's not chopped up, and was hard to eat with the chips. I did get some alcoholic drinks and those were great! My personal opinion is that the drinks and apps here are good! Anything else is very sub par... The vibes here are awesome! I will be back but sticking to the apps and drinks

    Photos
    But still crazy busy!
    But still crazy busy!
    Side salad
    Side salad
    From dock - nice sunset

    See all

    From dock - nice sunset

    Excelsior Brewing - breweries - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...