This review is for lunch at the bar for two on a Saturday in mid-August. service: Both bartenders were helpful and professional. Hostess and food runners were enthusiastic. Everyone seemed to enjoy working there. bar: Because it was daytime drinking, I went with Hops and Harmony, their session IPA ($6 as of 08/2026). It's a solid low IBUs IPA. Their beer list covers most styles and has something for everyone. We saw a handful of cocktails going out and they all looked well made. food: Restaurant was on brunch menu; however, there are plenty of traditional lunch offerings. The standard breakfast fare looks wide-ranging and pretty awesome. I went with High Rail Burger - which is supposed to be a double smash burger - and fries ($13 as of 08/2026). It wasn't a typical, griddled, thin, lacey-edge smash burger, but it was still a very solid offering. Extra credit for excellent fries. My wife chose a half order of biscuits and gravy ($3! Can that be right?) and it was really great. details: Bright, big, open space with inside tables, outside tables, and bar seating. No wait at 1:30 on a Saturday. We parked on the street and there is a garage around the corner. read more

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Oh my, my MY!!! I have to get stuck right in...GO lickety-split to this establishment!! We went here on a Wednesday and it was luck of the draw! The interior is filled with murals representing Kansas and wonderfully done. The food a gastronomic delight...especially if you love BBQ and down-home cooking. My husband enjoyed his "Three Pigs" and the fried okra would make every southern Nanny proud! My smoked turkey was smoked and NOT laden with salt, as some that I have eaten at other places. Our server, Gabby, was so friendly, knowledgeable, and professional! She was such a joy! So, as soon as your office or work from home is finished, gallop on down to the Brewer and see for yourself! You won't be disappointed! read more

For a Saturday night it was a bit slow which is surprising for the downtown location and it only being 9. Plan ahead as they close fairly early. Bartender provided recommendations and we ordered. Quick and efficient service! Drinks were very well made. read more

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Visiting fam and we came for dinner. We ate outside and although humid, there was a breeze making it more comfortable. Our server was lovely, although they may have been short staffed. Wait times with a toddler are decidedly noticeable. My kids like the beer. I enjoyed a peachy cocktail. My catfish was great as was the potato salad I switched for fries. Hush puppies were crispy as I like them! I very much enjoyed my dinner here! read more

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Without Brett's amazing service we probably wouldn't come every sunday. He knows what we want and how we like our drinks with out even telling him. read more

Food, service and beer are great! Had the bbq, all good. Had a flight of their beers. Did not find a bad one. I will be back. Cheers

The last few times we've been to iron rail, the service and food have been spot on! Love that the food is prepared fresh. This last visit I tried. The sandwich was nicely, toasted with lots of fresh vegetables and crispy bacon. Also tried the hush puppies, they were an amazing surprise and the cheese sauce they were served with was piping hot and very delicious. Operating a restaurant is not easy, Iron Rail stands out as one of the best restaurants in Topeka. read more

I didn't realize they served brunch until I got here. Service is amazing! Fish & chips is perfectly done. Lightly breaded & fish is super tender. Beer flight (reason I came) is really good as well. It's a little bit of a drive for me but there's 3 other breweries in the area so it makes it more than worth the drive. read more

Iron Rail Brewing - Fish & Chips - New American Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

Visited not once but twice this gem of a restaurant in Topeka in the same week! Brit our server first of all was very engaging, attentive and very professional! Great rep for Iron Brewing! We had her as our server luckily both times. Let me start with the appetizer. The "Pig Rig" was some kind of magic. The bacon was thick and beautifully cooked. But the peanut butter magic and molasses dip was absolutely amazing. This was the hook that brought us back not once but twice! I ordered the pulled beef grilled cheese sandwich. "Brisket Grilled Cheese" sandwich with fries. It came with a tomato jam on the side. This was a party in your mouth! My friend had the "House Smoked Meatloaf" with mashed potatoes. The meatloaf had a drizzle of some fine gravy that gave it an extra punch. It was delicious! I have heard the Cobb salad is the bees knees. This will be tried on my next venture when I'm back. Turkey Apple Brie sandwich also. Excellent brew as well! All the way around from the ambiance, food, and service was 5 out 5 stars! Love this place! read more

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These guys have been doing a great job in their kitchen since it opened in the revived downtown area a couple years ago. They have without a doubt the best fried chicken in town and a nice selection of house made beer and ales. What prompted me to write this review is there very good brunch that we have frequented twice in the past month with family. I can say the gravy on their biscuits and gravy offering is also the best in Topeka. Very reasonable $5 Bloody Mary's. And several in our party enjoyed the customizable mimosa flight. read more

Iron Rail Brewing - Biscuits and Gravy, 2 eggs and sausage ($9.50) - New American Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

I have only ever had AMAZING experiences here. The staff is always incredibly friendly, and the service itself is always spot on. In fact, I've never had issues with service and I've been there probably a dozen times in the past couple years at least. The food is so good (love the pretzel and beer cheese!) the meat in the dishes is always way more than you'd think, and the prices are also very reasonable for what you get. Honestly, probably undercharged a little. My husband and I even used them to cater our wedding a the food was phenomenal as always. The burnt ends were so freaking good! As for the food itself, AMAZING! Never had an issue with it, the quality is reliably consistent and haven't yet found something to dislike about it. The ambience is always nice and relaxed on a typical day. There is plenty of space and room for tables, so it never feels crowded. I think we've been there once on a game day, and it wasn't obnoxious or loud then either (like other bars get to be). Beautiful decor and art all around. It feels very welcoming and homey. If you're stopping through, this is probably the #1 place to go! Cannot recommend enough. I always recommend Iron Rail Brewing to friends and family who are stopping through too. *tip: because it is downtime, parking can be a little tricky at times, but there are usually a couple side streets with a few spots available. read more

My father in law turned 60 last month and to get the family together at a central location we all decided that we should meet up in Topeka to celebrate. The best time for everyone was going to be a weekend brunch and much to my surprise, there just aren't that many local or more upscale brunch options in Topeka. Most of the better restaurants don't open until 11 even on Saturday or Sunday, so it took us a while to find someplace that was open, was not a massive chain, and would be a fun place for a celebration. Enter Iron Rail Brewing. Now, the Yelp reviews for this place are kind of hit and miss to be honest I can see why, but the quick summary is that Iron Rail is a pretty solid choice in Top City. Now, I used to work in Topeka for a few years, and had the opportunity to get to know the town a bit. There just aren't that many amazing local eateries but this is slowly changing and since it's been a while since I'd returned I was pretty excited to give this place a go. When we arrived our family had secured a large table, big enough to accomodate our group. The restaurant was bustling - likely because there aren't that many great brunch spots in Topeka! My husband and I ordered the nashville hot chicken biscuit and it was good. The biscuit was a bit disappointing, but the chicken was solid, and they serve real hashbrowns here which is always a win. The servers were kind, food came out fairly promptly (with the exception of one order in our group), and folks overall enjoyed their food. I think in a bigger market where there are more options it would maybe be closer to three stars, but this was the best brunch I'd ever had in Topeka, and I'd like to come back to try their beers someday. Overall, I'm so grateful this spot exists and they are paving the way for even more great local businesses to open up in town. Totally worth a stop if you're in the area. read more

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Been a few times, food OK, typical BBQ for KA. Went on a Sunday and since they do a brunch, I could not order off reg menu till after 2pm.

Food was very good, ambience was very nice, restaurant was clean. Service was ok. But everyone has off work days or maybe she was new. Overall we would go back. read more

Good food. Good service. Good selection of beer. Have been a few times when on travel.

Really great place! We often go here with a group when in Topeka. The menu is varied and will surely please everyone. Staff is always nice and welcoming. Love all the fun beers they have available- and so nice that they do samples as well as flights of 4, your choice of flavor. Only drawback is that there are lots of TV's so if you want quiet you're not going to get it, especially when the Chiefs are playing. read more

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Excellent food! Gabby is a great server! I always get the delicious chicken & waffles but heard that their fish & chips are just as good! Fish was great! Fries were good too but too salty! read more

Great place to stop in for lunch or a quick beer when you're in Topeka! Bartender on today was quick and efficient. Appreciated his service! Very nice decor inside. Super chill vibe with a great playlist! read more

Iron Rail Brewing - Raspberry light - New American Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

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Our family enjoyed the food, the friendly atmosphere and excellent service for our Christmas lunch. The menu offered each person a wide range of choices and our server, Matt, was very attentive. We will certainly return for future visits. read more

Update after a few years: overall good place! Depending on the bartender, you can get a great Old Fashion and the best thing in the menu is the Southwest Chicken Salad! They now have Hushpuppies as a side and they are good! I would recommend coming here! read more

Stopped in for a drink on our way through the area. Awesome beer and cocktail. Wonderful service.

First time trying out IR's brunch, we sat on the patio because I had brought my puppy with me, I saw from previous post on fb that dogs were welcomed. Unfortunately our table besides the 2 seater tables had Umbrellas on them. My friend was going to ask for an umbrella but our server had just stated that it broke in the last storm. It was nice on the patio when there was a breeze otherwise Hot from the sun beating down on us. The food was served hot and delicious, we couldn't eat much because it was so hot out-it was around 11:30am when we went. Our Server Brett was attentive and stopped with refills of water. My friend and I both enjoyed the atmosphere, we just were hot. She even made a joke that I would pick the table with no umbrella(she burns easily) but that was the only table left outside. read more

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Updating for new visit - chicken fingers and gin drinks at the bar. It was great & the chicken is NOT that pre-made stuff that's frozen. Good stuff! The bartender made me some strong & delicious libations read more

Great local bar/ bbq gathering place. The Mac n cheese was returned... the Mac cheese was not cheesy- they stir it In a milky cheese sauce. It was tasteless and the staff gladly took it back. The brisket and fries plate was filling. Adequate serving size, nicely seasoned fries and although the brisket looked dry, it was tender and lightly bbq'd. The sauce is on the table. The pretzels are a signature appetizer, nicely buttered and large granules of salt. The cheese dip is what makes this a savory bite full. The burned ends look... well.. burnt. And yet moist when you bite into them. The plates are silver school lunch trays, the food is not nicely plated, it may as well be a bento box. Plating is lacking, the bread is not spectacular, the pickle slices were sad looking and that's why it's a three. The staff are wonderful! Friendly and very customer service oriented. read more

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Had a huge family reunion dinner. Service and food was great! Brisket and bbq sauce was amazing!!! Highly recommend if you are ever in Topeka read more

Brunch menu was a nice variation. Food was GREAT and the service.... Our waiter was awesome! Didn't make us feel rushed and took his time with us. Came back with a "to go" box and the check without us asking. We will definitely go back when we are in town! read more

Iron Rail Brewing - Big Pig Rig starter - New American Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

We were on our way back from Fort Riley to Leavenworth and stopped in to try this place on our way back. First off, the staff was all super friendly and the atmosphere was great! We started off with a beer flight for my wife and I and tried the following: Blackberry Lager 7/10 Amber Spice 6/10 Cake Lager 7/10 (the smell was better than the taste, but it smelled exactly like cake) Tangerine Wheat 9/10 Malty Amber 8/10 Dances with Skittles 7/10 Millions of Peaches 6/10 (None of them were BAD, but some weren't really our taste) For dinner I had the Chili Burger, my wife had the The Widowmaker, and my stepdaughter had the BBQ Pork Mac n cheese. All of them were really good, although I wasn't a huge fan of the beer cheese that was on the chili burger. The fries were pretty standard. We finished up with a bread pudding and peach cobbler a la mode (I forgot to get a picture though) Overall though, it was a great experience and we will definitely be back! read more

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Great craft beer. The smoked turkey and burnt ends were excellent. This place has the best coleslaw we've ever had!!

Great tangerine wheat beer. Since we like to eat in the bar, ate at the bar post Chiefs game. Quiet as they close at 8 pm and we got here at 645. The parfait is amazing. For $10 you have a large mug filled with sugared baked beans, macaronis and cheese, burnt ends, jalapeño smoked sausage, potato salad?, mashed potatoes. This is Iowa State Fair food. Amazing! read more

Very kind staff that made an out of tower on work travel feel right at home. Great BBQ and plenty of beers to choose from. read more

Iron Rail Brewing - Three Little Pigs - New American Near Me - Topeka, Kansas

Iron Rail advertised a special tonight for two entrées and one appetizer for $30. A group of four of us decided that sounded like a great deal and wanted to support a local restaurant. When we arrived, they presented us with a "limited menu". None of the items we had wanted to order were on that limited menu. It was the cheapest items. I understand a limited menu, but be honest about the promotion, the things we did get were cold chewy and disappointing. Had we known about the limited menu in the dishonest advertising we would never have gone there tonight. read more

Iron Rail Brewing is a true brewpub with beer made onsite. I went here with high expectations and unfortunately was overall disappointed. The location, layout, and atmosphere are great and I feel Iron Rail Brewing has true potential. The beers are hit and miss. The kölsch tasted great, as a blonde ale. The wit was solid, but the amber had an astringent aftertaste. We ordered the pretzel as an appetizer and it was the best pretzel I've ever had. For the main course, I ordered the brisket and burnt ends. This is really where disappointment sets in. I've had better BBQ at a truck stop. Dry and tasteless - un-servable. Iron Rail Brewing needs a lot of work. read more

I visited this establishment a few years ago and while I liked the atmosphere of the place, I wasn't impressed with the food or service at all. However, I've been back a few times in the past year or so and the food has been much better. I'm picky about chicken wings and these are currently my favorite in Topeka. I stopped in today for lunch and ended up getting the Cobb salad and was very impressed with that also. Lastly, the service I received was much better than a few years ago. I'm glad to see that they've improved so much. read more

I was going to the Pennat because I know they have good burgers, but as I walked through Topeka downtown, I decided to stop here. The place is busy at noon and it is quite nice, like any other brewery. I ordered a Kansas wheat, which was very good and a high rail burger. The burger was disappointing. The beef patty was not handmade or pressed, and it didn't taste anything special. For the only burger on the menu, they should do it better. Just a thought. read more

This place has the best meatloaf I've had ever! It was Soo good that I ate it 4 of the seven nights I spent in Topeka! It's smoky flavor and beef demi glace set it apart from the regular meatloaf with a ketchup topped sauce. The mash and collard greens {I'm from SC and the last thing I expected was delicious collard greens in Kansas..mind blown} was a great compliment to the meatloaf. The beer was amazing too and they brew it right there on site! Customer service was amazing and the bartenders were phenomenal! I will definitely be back and look forward to coming back next summer! I have talked about this meatloaf so much until I have more folks from NC and SC that are waiting to visit and see if what I was saying is really true. Lol! read more

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My wife and I went here for lunch and we had some ribs and burnt ends. The burnt ends were average and the ribs were TOUGH ! I had to use a knife to cut between the bones and use some force to do it. The coleslaw wasn't the typical shredded cabbage, it was shredded carrots and broccoli type of coleslaw. The biggest complaint I have is this place was supposed to be a BBQ type restaurant and the BBQ was average at best. The wait staff was good and I have zero complaints with them. I would probably not go back or recommend it. read more

Nice and cool on a hot day. Great environment to relax. We both had their salads. I had the strawberry salad which was perfect! They really load up the toppings including the bleu cheese and strawberries. Delicious! He got a taco salad and basically licked his plate clean. It is a little loud due to the entire room made of cement and stone. Would recommend. read more

Typical brewpub menu, good surroundings, decent beers. The IPA's are great, and their sours aren't bad either.

Local. Topeka. The ambience of this place is pretty neat. The art work aligns to the beers they craft and overall a fun place to be if in a large group or just 2 of you. The staff were all nice and helpful on the beer selection and food items. This is a great place to have some beers/cocktails and nibble on apps. The nacho fries are a signature app and are great for sharing. Don't let some of the names scare you...the Chicken Chicharrones are worth the order. If you are a lover of crispy fried chicken and just Eat the skins this will set you over the edge. Must try. The pretzels and cheese are always a hit with beer (hint: save some cheese for your fries if you order dinner) We were in a large group so we were able to try a lot of different things off the menu. The top vote goes to the Brisket Mac&Cheese, followed by the Brisket Sammie and then the Ribs. We also had the cheese steak but would pass on that as the it was too dry to be an actual cheese steak so would recommend trying something different. Sides are ok - greens ok coleslaw ok fries were good. I will be back to try out the fried chicken special. read more

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Good food, good brew, and good service. Easily walkable if you're working or staying downtown. The brisket had a great smoky flavor. The IPA was flavorful and had a nice hop bitterness to it that was not overwhelming. read more