We try stop at Penn Brewery when we are in Pittsburgh. We have been going there for over 20 years. The aesthetic of the brewery is amazing. It is a piece of history. When we arrived at 5p on a Saturday we noticed there were not many cars. It turns out the brewery has been struggling and is being sold. The kitchen was no longer open. There were very limited food options and beer. We ordered a drink and some because the next time we visit it will likely be closed. It was a nostalgic place for us. We are sad to see it on the decline. read more

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We had a great Sunday afternoon lunch. WARNING...WARNING... the portions are very large, so not the place for a light lunch. :-) Food was very traditional German and tasty. The wait staff was very helpful in support of our waitress Harley. Harley could have been a bit more attentive, especially since the early crowd was pretty small. I will definitely go back when in the neighborhood and plan to be there when the beirgarten is open. Prost! read more

Penn Brewery - Had to get the Heinz in picture while in the Burgh. - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

What a great venue with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating to choose from. Pull up to the bar, sit in the courtyard or grab a booth. We stopped in after lunch on Friday for some drinks-they advertise that they open at 2pm, but opened a few minutes early. I love that they have a flight option as it's an easy way to sample a number of their offerings. I liked all of the beers, especially the peanut butter! Our server was attentive and helpful when choosing beers for our flight. Looking forward to visiting again! read more

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I would go back for this pretzel everyday honestly. It was so good. Though I personally didn't love the mustard it came with. The cheese was really good. I'm not a big beer drinker but they had this strawberry funnel cake beer that I did like. read more

Penn Brewery - Giant Pretzel - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Very old building with a long history of brewing. Lots of varieties of beer. I had the large pretzel as a snack, delicious with the beer cheese. Friendly staff, happy to see out of towners. read more

Penn Brewery - Flight - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Very good beer with a range of styles, and a really great space to enjoy them, whether inside the historic building or in the courtyard. And the overall location is really good too, nice view of the city and seemingly easy parking. The food is ok, brewpub standard with a Pittsburgh/German bent. I quite liked the sausage platter, but reactions to the pierogies didn't seem super positive. Service was very good except one item for our group was completely missed and didn't arrive until others had long finished. read more

Cool location, free parking is available and conveniently located across the street about 100 ft from the door. Inside was nice and definitely had a traditional bar vibe, has a cool outside space for warmer months. service was decent. A good variety of beer with some tasty options, although I didn't love any of the beers. We only had drinks when visited. Bathrooms weren't the cleanest. I'd say it's worth a try tho! read more

My family and I visited Penn Brewery the other day. My father used to go there often and had delightful memories from before. it was pretty empty when we first arrived, but as time went on, more friends and families arrived. The restaurant is family-friendly. I forgot to take photos, but my husband ordered the pierogies and potato pancakes. I didn't like them because I didn't think they were fully cooked. my dad and I ordered the wings, and those were great. We primarily came here for the beer. At first, my husband and dad said the beer was room temperature, which I think is common in German styles, but they preferred it colder. I rated it a maybe because, if you're strictly coming here for the beer, then great--it's an awesome spot, and the service was quick. I loved our server; she was so kind and attentive. But if you're coming here for some German food, I would probably advise against it. read more

If you want the slowest service in all of Pittsburgh, then this might just be the place to go. With a party of only 4 people, we waited well over an hour for food. Waitress checked on us maybe once the entire time. Random week night when the restaurant was practically empty so not sure what the issue was. Despite the fact that food took ages to arrive, it did come out pretty tasty. Went with the Pretzel Breaded Cod Sandwich. Tasted good. Not the best fish sandwich ever but had good flavor and was crispy. Onion slices a bit too thick. (Rating: 7/10) Got the German potato salad as my side instead of fries. This was very good. Would recommend. (Rating: 8/10) The beer is always good. Don't matter what you get. Got a pumpkin shandy and it was delish. Overall, not bad. Disappointed in the wait. Decent food though. read more

Penn Brewery - Pretzel Breaded Cod Sandwich with a side of German Hot Potato Salad. - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

This building is really cool and the space is really big so it's good for groups. They have a basement too. The service however was terribly slow and the waitress didn't check on us. It wasn't crowded on a Sunday afternoon. The cider tasted like a beer and it wasn't good at all. The food looked really mediocre too (it's mostly just bar food) but I didn't eat, my friends did. I like that they have a parking lot as well. read more

Penn Brewery - Cider - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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First, super thin PLASTIC cutlery is used - thru October 12 2025!! Difficult to cut anything!! Good food, though broccoli was cold. Nice atmosphere Mens restroom clearly needs attention!! read more

Penn Brewery - Main entrance to Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Penn Brewery traces its origins back to 1848 when German families operated breweries here. The current business began to brew craft beer in 1986, but some of the original buildings remain and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. I never drink beer, so I unfortunately cannot review Penn Brewery's beers. Sorry! Instead, I visited Penn Brewery because they also have a restaurant. My husband and I arrived at noon on a Saturday, and we parked our vehicle in a free on-site garage. We felt unsure of where to walk, but we found our way to the front entrance of the restaurant by walking down steps, past stone caves, and up other steps. Penn Brewery's website says that reservations for the restaurant are strongly suggested, but many tables were available during our lunch, so I assume that reservations would be needed instead for a Friday night or Saturday night. Our waitress spoke to us very courteously. She accidentally gave me an outdated menu, so I ordered food that is no longer offered and then had to choose a different food from a new menu. I saw the new menu briefly, but I remember reading about appetizers such as pierogies, poutine, truffle fries, salads, Hungarian goulash, and wings and entrees such as sausage, salmon, and cajun pasta. Prices were moderate. The waitress and another employee brought out our foods after short waits. My husband and I rate the pretzels with cheese and mustard as 5 stars, the potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream as 3.5 stars, the wienerschnitzel (fried pork sandwich) as 3 stars, the mashed potatoes with gravy as 5 stars, the cod sandwich as 3 stars, the German potato salad as 5 stars, and the apple strudel as 5 stars. Please visit Penn Brewery's website for information about their public events and private parties. read more

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Food and beer was amazing!! Great way to start off the New Year!! Beef stroganoff and the pork schnitzel were so good. The Christmas beers were on point too! read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Had lunch here today.Got the noodles with pork schnitzel.It was very good.I like the atmosphere and the old building.Waitress was very attentive.Beer choice is excellent. read more

So this place was good if you're into carbs, more carbs, a side of carbs and wash it down with some beer (carbs). I really wanted authentic pierogis and spaetzel (never had it before). We wanted beer (Pittsburgh is a craft beer town for sure). Penn Brewery made the cut! First, I was confused by the parking situation here. There are spots across the street, but it was a Sunday and it looks like you can't park there during the week or during work hours. When I asked about it, the staff seemed nonplussed. I'm from NYC, we walk everywhere so parking is an after thought usually. But HELLO this is Pennsylvania. Everyone drives here. Give us a clear picture of the parking situation. The staff wasn't all that friendly. We got our food and beverage just fine. Admittedly we were there about two hours before close on a Sunday. But like, I dunno. Fake it? Not my fault you don't like your job. The food was a'ight. The real selling point was the beer, we had the Hefeweizen. Which was pretty fab. We decided to go for the gusto and get basically everything that a Biergarten would be known for (lol): pierogi, spaetzel, schnitzel! I was not impressed. The spaetzel was very bland, the pierogi were okay (in a town known for Eastern European food, they should have been fantastic). The schnitzel IMO was very dry, bland. Again, everything was just okay. If the service was better, we may have given it another try by the time we return. It wasn't terrible. That's all I got. read more

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I enjoyed my visit to Penn Brewing sampling locally made Pierogi and Potato Pancakes made in-house along with great beers. The Pittsburgh Steak Egg rolls were significantly different from a Philly Cheese Steak version but enjoying them as well. I ate a lot! read more

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I enjoyed the atmosphere and food at Penn Brewery. We got the pierogis, potato skins, and I got the fish sandwich as my entree. I liked the potato skins and fish sandwich. The pierogis were really soft, which is authentic but I prefer a little crisp. The sandwich itself was absolutely huge and I thought it was pretty good. I only tried one beer, but plan to go back to try some more. I will say the service was a little slow, but appeared only one waitress working that I saw in our area. I would go back and plan to try more menu items, as there appeared to be a lot of options. read more

Penn Brewery - Fish sandwich - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I just popped in to grab a beer and had a couple of pretzel sticks as well. Unfortunately, I am an IPA fan and they only had one on tap which was very ok... not very hoppy and the pretzel sticks... dry and ok... just an average experience. read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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first off the food was undercooked i got & i sent it back twice until there was no red in my kids hotdog, i saw some employees doing coke in the bathroom, & they let their employees drink on the clock. two ppl who came up to me that worked in kitchens breathe smelled like liquor & one of them was wobbly like they were drunk...I DO NOT RECOMMEND GOING THERE!! read more

Food and service both awful. Restaurants was crowded and only 2 servers. Long wait to order and for food, no drink refills. Wienerschnitzel sandwich was thin, dry and almost all breading. Steak roll appetizer, ordered as a meal, came out on a plate covered in mustard, which I do not eat. Couldn't send back; server didn't come back til she brought the bill. They did comp the appetizer since it was not as described on the menu, but it was a really poor meal and unpleasant atmosphere, so loud (mid afternoon) that you couldn't hear the person across the booth. Won't be back. read more

I love Penn Brewery; the building, the courtyard; I'm hopeful it will be around 5 years from now. You have to be accepting of the flaws when you go, and there are many. It wasn't that long ago there wasn't much of a future for the oldest brewery in Pittsburgh, and I'm fearful it's heading towards that direction again. I do think the beers are better than they've been in a long time. Service? Overwhelmed. Slightly unfriendly. I can deal with that though. I'd say my biggest issue with the place is that it needs a deep cleaning. The floors, the bar, the exterior.. I know they will be receiving a grant to restore some aging issues outside, I hope they do better with what they have. Oh, and don't substitute chicken sausage on the wurstbrat. Not for $16. Their Hazy is good though! read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Great time for Oktoberfest ! Food, beer and entertainment, what more could you ask for?

Octoberfest. No flights? No specialty beers at all. 11 listed on the website, none available. Huge disappointment. This is where we wanted to get all our dark beers for the day. Also only 4 food entrees for octoberfest? Go to Hofbraus House instead. read more

We swung by for a drink and a bite to eat, and were pretty disappointed by our experience. None of the beers jumped out at us, so we went with the Octoberfest. It was pretty nondescript. The food: went with the Hungarian goulash and lobster spaetzle. The goulash was fine, but the spaetzle... Oh my. One expects a lobster version of something as being a decadent upgrade to something. Somehow they found a way to turn lobster into a detractor. I like spaetzle. Plain with butter, or cheese if you want to be fancy. This dish, though... Imagine having spaetzle with overcooked lobster from a can, and undercooked red pepper slivers as a garnish. The sauce? Easy. Just take the fishy-smellng lobster water from the can, dump it on top, and add a dash of paprika for color. Done! I've heard that this place is under nrw management who wanted to liven up the menu with new items. I'm disappointed that I ordered non-traditional-German items from here. I should have just gotten a wurst or something. read more

Penn Brewery - Lobster spaetzle - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Such a fun place! Took our son to Pittsburgh from Florida for his 21st birthday to see a Steelers game and the Pitt vs FSU football game. Stopped in to have a beer and some food for lunch. DJ was AMAZING!! Fabulous bartender that took his time recommending food and beers to try. He was really great! The place is open, friendly with a cool vibe. We loved it and will definitely be back! read more

Penn Brewery - His first flight! - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Amazing food any season, or any month. Not sure how I missed reviewing this historic Pittsburgh establishment. Something for everyone - kids and adults. Our kids have grown up eating here. (Must do stop after a morning at the Children's Museum!) Great variety of beer and food. Don't miss their fall Oktoberfest! read more

Penn Brewery - Pretzel coated cod - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Not worth the visit. Atmosphere... blah, beer, blah.. they did spend money on their brewing system but leaves little to be desired.

Penn Brewery - American brewery offers German-style beers, primarily lagers and ales, along with a single porter. Decent selection. I'll return to try their menu items. Pittsburgh, PA. February 1st, 2024. read more

Went to the Oktoberfest and purchased City View VIP - the view was great, music very good and festival was set up nice with great service! The only downside was the food was not very hot nor tasty which really surprised us - hopefully this was just a one off we will definitely return ! read more

We finally made it over to the north side to explore some of the breweries! Penn Brewery is one of the oldest craft brew houses in the country! Highly suggest you take a read through their "about us" on their website to learn more about the amazing history of this place. The brews were good- we tried the penn pilsner which was a little hoppy, but overall enjoyable. I did try the Threadbare cider "oh sweetie", which was sweet like apple juice. Good through! We opted for some apps while we were there-my husband got the Buffalo wings which he said were cooked really well and while the sauce was communicated to us as being medium heat, my husband said as you are more the great got hotter. I went with the Pierogies and they had a nice crunch for the pan fry. Just wish there would have been some cheese in them as well as it needed just s little more salt. Overall, great experience! There is lots of parking although it can be confusing on where to park. read more

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Waitress was so sweet but the food was truly terrible. Like almost not edible. Pierogi cold and tasted like nothing. It was also deserted. Very weird experience. read more

Maybe it was just a bad experience because I feel like this place is hyped up. I ordered pierogies and got three and they were cold. The order took quite a long time to get to us and nothing was noteworthy. The vibe is great. It looks very cool in here but at least for me and my friends it wasn't a great experience. read more

My wife and I went to Penn Brewery on a Friday night around 5:30. We were promptly seated. It took awhile for our waitress to come over for drink orders (IPA and Penn Pilsner) but was more attentive after that. We ordered the Bavarian pretzel appetizer which were ok. Not too much over a snack var pretzel. I had the pork schnitzel and my wife had the kasespaetzle. Both of our meals had fairly large portions and were very good. The atmosphere is really relaxed. There were a lot of families present, I'm not sure if that's typical or not. Free parking. I would definitely return. I really enjoyed my visit. read more

Penn brewery has a great selection of beers / drinks and there food is delicious. You must order the potato pancakes and ask for applesauce, YUM read more

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I got a twofer when I visited here. I got to experience a private event and the bar area afterwards. I've always wanted to stop here but, and this is the Pittsburgh in me, I never had a reason to be in this area. We all know if there is no reason to be in the area, there is no need to cross that bridge/river. Never being here before I was a little put off, but did end up figuring out parking (garage, street, lot), where to enter (there are multiple entries), and figuring out where to go once inside. For the private event you go a different direction than where you go to have a food experience. Private events are held in an area that can accommodate however you want it set up. I'm not going to go much into the reasoning I was here, but they were very accommodating by having it setup to allow for people to freely move about and mingle with one another. For a private event you get to have food and drink available in the room. Because of this, and the twofer, I got to experience a lot of what this place has to offer foodwise. The spread they offer for an event is amazing. Mix of cold and hot components that can satisfy all people. The one gripe I have here, they would not allow the person that organized the event to take items that were not consumed inhouse home with them. So if people don't nosh on what is provided, you paid to have food thrown away. Talk about food waste. After the private event was over a few of us decided to go down to the dining room/bar area. Sat at the bar and continued to consume the libations they make on premise. I mostly stuck with Penn Pilsner, but did give a few a try, like Penn Dark. Service at the bar area is great. This place is aesthetically pleasing as well. Loved how they incorporated the brewery into the place as focal points while you are enjoying yourself. Also, if you get a chance, check out the dungeon, not sure if that is what it is called, but that's what I'm calling it. read more

Was happy to return after being away for a few years. I used to frequent this fine establishment back when the Penn Brew U classes first started. The beer is still the strong suit of course and I can say that I really enjoy all the styles and quality here. If you get a chance to try the Brewer's Choice options they are always winners. The sad part was the state of the food now. It has gone down hill over the years (not to mention the lack of Scotch Eggs). I wish that level would bounce back to equal the brews. 5 for the beer and then minus two for the food quality. read more

Penn Brewery - Flight was nice. The Chocolate Raspberry Brewer's Choice was great. - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This is an awesome spot! The brewery is historic and such a good vibe. Service was amazing. Delicious beer. I can't wait to come back and do one of their beer classes! Would recommend checking this place out! read more

Penn Brewery - Fish Sandwich - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Food and service always amazing!!! They have a nice variety of selections, we always have a great time. read more

Ambiance was very cool, old style brewery. Beer was excellent, tried several different types, all were very good. Wings were crisp and very large, tasty sauce. Perogies were excellent. Had fish sandwich was very good. Good amount of Televisions for Sunday football. Servers and bartender were great. Will be back!! Great place. read more

This brewery is awesome! I was planning on just stopping here for a drink but ended up getting a few because they had such interesting choices and they were all so good. My fiance and I ended up doing their beer and cheese plate tasting and that was definitely a good choice. We got to try a few different beers and the cheese platter was huge - definitely plenty for two people. read more