A friend and I went yesterday, a very quiet midafternoon on a Monday. After the two other people there left, we had the place, and the bartender, to ourselves. Great! Very attentive, informative and friendly. I had the grilled cheese and short rib sandwich and fries. Spectacular! I think the fries were the best I've ever had - hot and crispy. The sandwich was delicious as well - so was my friend's brisket sandwich. The only criticism I had was the au jus with my sandwich - bland and greasy. Needs work. We sampled a couple of beers and we really liked our choices. We will definitely be back! read more

Hopothecary Ales - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Love the place for the beer and for Ted! The food has gotten way way better since my review ages ago! A lot of the menu items are truly delicious! Burgers, calzones, wings, pizza you name it. Almost all great! Brisket sandwich is the outlier, but the rest are really good! But......man, we were there today and sat at a table. Mistake. We would have had at least 2 more drinks each. But, the staff was too busy sitting together at a table having a hell of a time with each other. Customers? Looked like they never heard of them. Piss poor service. Ruined the visit. And not the first time. So, 4 stars if you sit at the bar. Go somewhere else if you want to be served at a table. read more

Well I think I made a huge mistake by not ordering a pizza or Stromboli. The crust looked super legit. My husband tried the brisket Stromboli and said it was awesome. I ate his side salad, some cheese curds (pretty weak, these could definitely use improvement) and brussel sprouts with cauliflower. The cauliflower was just okay but the brussels were awesome! The sauce on top was delicious too. Want to come back and try a veggie pizza. read more

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Very cool place with tons of TVs to watch the bruins or patriots. It is just very overpriced. It is $14 for the pretzel, which is not even a large pretzel. It is actually 3 small pieces of a pretzel about the size of the average person's finger. At least at Kings when you order the giant pretzel, it is an enormous pretzel. The Brussel sprouts and cauliflower are $15 when again, very overpriced for what it is- dollar veggies cooked with some seasoning. All the apps are very expensive. Seltzers are $8.50 each. Overall, cool place to hang out and watch a game. Maybe just stick with one beer and avoid the overpriced food. read more

Hopothecary Ales - Blue seltzer - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Must try!! Went here after attending an open house nearby. The service was excellent, the beer was great (confirmed by a beer lover), and the food was sooooooo good. I was actually surprised. There's a bunch of TVs so it's definitely a great place to watch sports. We got the gluten free vermont pizza- amazing, the poutine, and a sandwich. All amazing. Have already made plans to return! read more

Hopothecary Ales - Pulled pork sandwich - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

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Have come back twice and both times continued to be underwhelmed. To top it off this most recent time I ordered the chicken bacon ranch pizza, which had 0 chicken on it. Overall not a worthwhile place to eat out in my book. read more

Hopothecary Ales - (Chicken) bacon ranch pizza - came with no chicken, rather greasy - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Mehhh. Nothing special here but nothing horrible either. Just your average craft beer & pub grub that seems to be on every corner now... My husband and I were in the area and stopped in for dinner. I ordered the classic burger (medium-rare). It was cooked correctly which I appreciated and the fries were the "good kind" but overall, it was a forgettable meal. My husband ordered the burnt end mac & cheese and said it was good but also forgettable. However, I'd still recommend coming here and checking the place out for yourself ;) read more

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I met my son and his wife recently at Hopothecary Ales for the second time. We like that it's halfway between our houses. I like the clever name of the brewery. The eating area is very large with plenty of seating and there is ample parking in the back. We enjoyed some good beer, naturally. I particularly like The Gold Standard. The food is very good. I had a Strawberry Harvest bowl and Sarah had the Quinoa Super Bowl-the portions are generous. We all had some wings-Lemon Pepper, BBQ and BBQ dry rub- all good. And, we were there on Tuesday-$1 wings-yay! Rob also got some pretzels which were very good. Katie gave us excellent service. I will surely return and recommend Hopothecary Ales without hesitation. read more

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Horrible bartender - never check to see if I need another drink. Never check to see if wanted wanted water never checked to see how our food was completely felt invisible... bartender acted like never want to be here. read more

We went on Saturday and arrived around 245. It was pretty busy and we got approached pretty quickly but our two beers took about 20 minutes to get to us. The new server said they just switched over from the bar to servers so we were fine with that. They had a deal of half price apps because the bruins were on so we got the nachos and buffalo popcorn chicken. We then got the poutine. They had to make the gravy fresh for the poutine and we're glad they did because it was pretty good! The nachos were also yummy. The popcorn chicken was just okay. Our server did not bring us side plates until way too late and it took her a little while to actually get us second beers. We waited a solid 25 minutes for our check and at that point the place was dead and servers were just standing around. Beer was good, but we didn't want to be there for almost 2 hours. read more

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Their name and marketing got my attention, their website convinced me to visit. They provide solid food and drink options - above average pub food with entrees and good pizza. You have a variety of seating options for your food and drink, including at the bar. Food and drink came out quickly. I do think they put a bit too much sauce on many of their menu items. The appetizer of bang bang roasted brussels sprouts plus fried cauliflower was unique, but the sauce took away a bit from the flavor of the vegetables. The same was true for the bacon-chicken-ranch pizza. The crust was great, and I appreciated that there were decent sized chunks of tomato on the pizza as well. But again, there was too much ranch dressing, and it took away from the flavor of everything else. I'd also like to make a suggestion - if you are going to serve pizza, consider either having grated cheese on the tables, or have your servers ask the customers if they'd like cheese for their pizza. Still, it was an enjoyable meal, and I'd definitely come back. read more

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I loved this brewery! The service was amazing, the beer was sensational, and I really liked the decor! The food was great, I will definitely be back!! read more

Hopothecary Ales - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

I truly enjoyed my first time at Hopothecary Ales and wished that I had visited sooner! The hostess, to the waitress, to the food.....everything was amazing! What a selection of food and drink! The place is large and great for big groups. It's also clean and well priced! Honestly, there was not anything poor to say! We will be back! read more

Decided to meet friends here for a few drinks and snacks. I liked the Mother's Secret Serum, it had a creamy hint every time I took a sip. The nachos were pretty simple, but did the job for me. My cousin ordered the truffle fries, which tasted 10x even better when using their dip! The fried pickles were very juicy, that's a good/bad thing depending on your preference. We appreciate how easy it was to move from the bar to a table, thanks! There's also skeeball, mortal kombat and pac man in the corner for games as well. read more

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I can't say enough good things about Hopothecary Ales Brewery! Just hosted a 30th birthday party there and it was absolutely perfect! The delicious food, ale and drink selection, service, and space were all excellent! Held in the all season patio with a dedicated server and it could not have gone any better - it was perfect. Thanks so much to Jess (manager) and Jess (server) -your attentiveness and accommodating service made it a lovely experience!! read more

I was in town for the day visiting Merrimack College to watch some College softball. Looking for a good place for beer and food. Yelp! didn't disappoint. 17 beers on tap and food to go along with said beers. The location has a back entrance with 2 bars and plenty of indoor seating. I sat at the traditional bar and was impressed with the staff asking me if I had any questions and gave suggestions based on my pallet. The lighting is pretty cool. I chose King Brian's Secret Serum, Cream ale. Had a slight cream ale taste but enough to the flavors of Cream ale. For food I got the traditional burger with sweet potato fries. Asked for medium rare and was pleasantly surprised, burger was cooked to order. I asked for Steak Sauce and the chef came out to say that was from his private stash as he likes it in burgers too. Steak Burger!! The questions as always is would I come back? I would come back absolutely and bring folks with me! read more

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Monday and Tuesday are $1 wing nights. We go virtually every Tuesday and look forward to seeing our favorite servers who are fun and remember our drink orders. There is something nice about going to a restaurant where they know you. The restaurant was built around craft beer, but ironically, I don't really like beer....so I can't comment on the beer. The bartender does however make a good G&T and it goes well with wings. I personally love the "Caribbean Buffalo" sauce and "Cool Ranch" dry rub. I get half of each on wing night. You can't beat dinner and drinks for under $50, with a kind and friendly staff right here in North Reading. read more

A friend and I popped into Hopothecary Ales spontaneously on a Friday night for an appetizer and drink. The beer was great. The ambiance was nice and the service was ok. The service was fine for our quick pop in. Would like to try it again to experience more of the menu! read more

This is a really cute brewery that has a good amount of food. The beer is great, definitely no complaints there. We got the Cathy's Kiwi Cure-All (New Zealand IPA) and Henbane (Nitro) (English Strong Ale) - no complaints there The food was pretty good, but definitely not something you go back for. We got the G.O.A.T which is their chicken sandwich and the chicken wasn't dry and the avocado ranch was yummy. The Smokey BBQ Brisket sandwich was really dry. The meat wasn't tender and felt stringy and there was absolutely no sauce. The coleslaw was dry and overall wasn't a fan of the sandwich. read more

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This past weekend I went to Hopothecary Ales Brewery and Kitchen located on 303 Main St, North Reading, MA 01864. this stunning brewpub on the north shore features a wide range of beers, cocktails and delicious food! For cocktails we had the "The Boss" and "Neptunes Fury". The Boss had 1800 Reposado Tequila, lime juice and agave. Neptunes fury had rum, vodka, blue curaco, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and lime juice. Both were great options if you aren't exactly a beer drinker! However, if you are in the mood for beer I highly recommend trying a beer flight. For only $16 you can try any 4 draft beers or ciders! For appetizers we had the Ahi Nachos which contained wonton chips, ahi tuna, cucucumer, cole slaw, avocado, wasabi aioli and siriracha aioli. These were so colorful and delicious. We also tried their tenders and brussel sprouts/cauliflower. The tenders we got came in both ranch dry rub and carribbean buffalo. These are a must try! The brussel sprouts and cauliflower were simply addictive and had a sweet balsamic fig glaze. For sandwiches we had the smokey BBQ Brisket sandwich and the G.O.A.T sandwich. The Smokey BBQ Brisket had smoked brisket with hot honey glaze and the BBQ aioli slaw. The G.O.A.T had searched chicken, avocado and bacon. There were so many options for Mac N Cheese but we went with the BBQ Burnt Ends Mac. This Mac N Cheese had a nice smokey flavor it contained four cheese sauces, seasoned panko crumbs, brisket, and BBQ Aioli. Finally, for dessert we had ice cream with churros! An amazing treat to end the evening. This place is great for a large group of friends or family. There is an awesome selection of food and drinks-nobody will leave unhappy! Overall Rating: Food: 8/10 Affordability: 8/10 Ambiance: 8/10 read more

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Fun place to go for beer and food. Wide variety of beer, I made the mistake of not flipping over the drink menu to see the other half or else I would gotten a flight. My table got a pizza which looked amazing but I had pizza for lunch and opted to get the burnt ends Mac n cheese. the burnt ends were super tender and the bbq sauce on top added a nice taste to the Mac n cheese. Overall, great place to hang out and would definitely go back. read more

Hopothecary Ales - Burnt Ends Mac n Cheese - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

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Food and menu have made a huge strides. The variety is excellent. Plenty of plant based options and our salad and burger were great.its a very cool space. My only only complaint is the dust on window shades, feature wall etc is pretty noticeable and the menus and table special menu things NEED to be cleaned after every customer. People are gross things get grimy, it's distracting and gross to touch some else's grease or stare a layer of dust on the blind 6 inches the food on your high top table. read more

Great food and lots of choices. The service is always on point. The restaurant area is decorated nicely for a brewery type restaurant. Will def go back again. Need to try all sorts of menu items read more

This only a review useful to folks with families, little kids in particular. This is the perfect restaurant for you, there many families but not so many that you can't get a table. The waitstaff is great, but somewhat quirky. The restaurant has Sheeball and Pac-Man to help you wait for your food. The food comes out quick with many options for kids. Ambience - 5 ! The food is not great, really just mid pub food. I have had the pizza, not good, burgers, ok, sandwiches, ok, and apps, better. Food is 3/5 or maybe 2.5. The beer is good and deserves a 4/5. Not on the trillium or tree house level but equivalent to nightshift or something similar. Really the fact that this is so family friendly drives the 4 , keep up the good work! read more

I love the light shades they have! So cool and on theme. The restaurant was nice with plenty of seating. Decently busy on a weeknight, but still plenty of open tables. The food was mediocre. Chicken sandwich had a massive breast on it which was nice, but not so great for a sandwich and not sure it was cooked all the way. Pizza wasn't the best or the worst. Likely will be back for drinks and apps but not a meal read more

Amazing food and beer. Nice menu for food and beers. Great service. It in the area definetly try it out.

Beautiful new brewery in North Reading. The food and staff were great! Came for lunch and was pleased to see so many the gluten free options. Beware there is only one gluten free beer, a grapefruit beer that didn't work for me. Sharing my disappointment Gabby our waitress shared she'd be happy to ask the manager to see if they could add more from the distributor if I gave suggestions! I will be following up! The food we fantastic with the gluten free burger being one of the best burgers I've had. The GF toasted bun was good with a perfectly cooked burger. We also tried the GF cauliflower pizza, delicious! I'm not one to rave but being delighted with the overall experience, I have to share. Hoping they maintain the level of excellence as the business grows and matures. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Overpriced foods and drinks with relatively slow service. Came for dinner on a Wednesday night and it was full but we still managed to get a seat. Seems like they hosted some kind of trivia night at one end of the restaurant. The place looks nice and clean and a decent place to hang out. Firstly, we ordered beer and it took a while to come out. The table next to us was also frustrated waiting for their beer. It was busy if you want to give them that excuse. I got the Finnegan's Draught (Nitro) beer and it is a smooth stout and I liked it and recommend it if you are into dark beer. It is about $8.50 for a 16oz beer (not including tip) and I didn't think this was the best stout I have ever had. All the foods we ordered ended up coming all at once after we had been hangrily waiting. The beer battered onion rings was okay in quality but it was literally 5 rings and only 3 of the rings were decent size. That costed $7 and mind you, it wasn't even anything special in terms of taste. The Brussel Sprouts & Cauliflower was very well made with the balsamic dressing. I liked it but we thought it was very low quantity to justify. We got wings in Caribbean Buffalo flavor. While the flavor is good and well cooked, again, it was $15 for about 8 small pieces. By the way, we got mainly the drum parts of the wings and probably 2 flats, if you care about that. BBQ burnt ends mac was not as impressive as it sounds. It was supposed to come with brisket but wasn't a lot. It was flavorful cheesy goodness but is the small bowl that is barely shareable really worth $21? Steak bomb pizza was delicious and tastes just as you imagined a steak bomb pizza would taste. It was $21 for basically a personal size pizza. Overall, if you come here looking for quantity or even high quality, you will be disappointed. I do think the quality of the foods and beer are decent but I don't think it is worth the price and I am the type of person that is willing to shell out for great food. They probably kept the prices high to class up the place because that was the general vibe we got in there. read more

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Went on a Friday night with some friends and enjoyed some great beers and food. Service was friendly and attentive. It wasn't packed but the ambiance was nice. read more

Hopothecary Ales - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Food was awesome and service 5 star bartender was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. The ambience offers many seating options. Absolutely, will be going often. read more

Fantastic selection of beer and a full bar! Ample parking! Great staff and service. A place you can take kids in the afternoon or hang out with friends at night! read more

Because it's new to the area, this place is always busy and there is a bit of a wait for food to come out. The food is decent (brisket sandwich was pretty good) but I go more for the beer. If you like IPAs, this is your place. I do wish they had a bigger selection of wheat beers, but the Suspension one is delicious and my go-to choice. I also love that Hopothecary contributes so much to other charitable causes and partners with other small business owners. I'm so glad to have this addition to our North Reading community. Also a big positive: even though it's a brewery, it's very kid-friendly during the daytime. I noticed several tables with babies and small children during my last visit. read more

Had dinner with friends here and overall a great experience. Beers were solid, list was pretty extensive so many to try out. Being an IPA guy, they kept my attention as there were enough offerings in that category for the entire evening. Good but pretty straight forward bar food with a little gastro flare and the ambiance felt like a typical brewpub. Service was awesome. Very knowledgeable about the beer list and the menu. New England hazys were pretty good. Not trillium/treehouse good but pretty darn good. read more

We came here for a surprise 30th birthday party. I worked with Morty to rent out the room. The room was large enough to hold our group of around 60 people and the cost was extremely reasonable! You had your own bar and space with tons of seating. The service was fast and attentive to our party & we had our own bartender. The food was delicious! We got a variety of pizzas, chicken finger, fries, chicken brocolli and ziti (my fave) as well as mac and cheese and ceasar salad. Everything came out piping hot and delicious! They also provided take away boxes at the end of the night for us to take the food home. I would highly recommend having a function here it was a very nice time!! read more

Good beer and solid food. Very nice facility. Great overall experience. The selection of beer was very good. Lots of Ipa's to choose from. which is my favorite read more

Great beer, great food. 3 cheers for Ted from a fellow Ohioan. Please make more love potion! read more

Hopothecary Ales - tastiness - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Great place on Route 28 past the Stop and Shop. Came on a rainy Sunday. Great ambiance, nice decor, kid friendly, watched a Cape Cod Baseball game on the TV. Lots of drunk options, some mixed, some wines, some cans. Food was great. Had a burger, perfectly cooked. Friends had Mac and cheese and onion rings looked great as well. I'll be back soon!! read more

Hopothecary Ales - Cold drinks during a thunderstorm - Brewpubs Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

If you're a fan of great IPAs and tasty food, this brewery is a must-visit. The atmosphere is laid-back, perfect for enjoying a flight of their expertly crafted beers. Their IPAs stand out, offering a balanced mix of hops and flavor that any beer lover will appreciate. Pair your brew with one of their delicious menu options - you won't be disappointed. Whether you're here for the beer or the food, this spot hits the mark on both fronts. the service is impeccable. Highly recommend! read more

The beers and food are really good (get the Cool Ranch Dorito wings!) and the staff is awesome -- especially Blaze! He always makes us feel welcome. read more

Loved the 5 Cheese Smokey Brisket Stromboli with my Amalgam Lite. Would have preferred cole slaw option instead of the salad.