Not sure we could have had a worse experience at any restaurant. We loved Penn Brewery when we first went a few years ago, however, this was the total opposite. Got seated and it took 15 minutes for our waitress to greet us. Her attitude was terrible...seemed totally uninterested in serving us and we felt unwelcomed. They had an Oktoberfest menu that had very few items and you could not order anything off of their regular menu. That went along with the plastic cups and plastic silverware. I was totally baffled that this German themed restaurant had a very limited selection of food...during Oktoberfest and most of their German menu was unavailable to even order. The inside was not very busy at all, but it took 25 minutes just for our beers to arrive. We asked if we could buy a Penn Brewery glass and the waitress said no...because it was Oktoberfest...huh? Nothing made sense about the whole situation. The waitress never even came back to take our food order...so we literally got up and left to go to another restaurant. When we went to the bar to pay...we asked the bartender if we could buy a glass and he said "absolutely"! The waitress had a horrible attitude, the menu was way smaller than the original menu, and maybe they do have a glass to buy but maybe not? One would think that a German restaurant would thrive during Oktoberfest, however, Penn Brewery failed miserably. The only bright spot was the beer...which I can buy anywhere. read more

Enjoyed the beer menu, also had wings and pierogis ,they were very good, nice atmosphere and friendly staff read more

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

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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

This review is specific to Oktoberfest 2024. My husband and I go every year and pay extra ($200) for the VIP tent with private bathroom access. Unfortunately this year there was no monitoring of the tent by staff and it was inundated with people who weren't supposed to have access. When I said to a group of girls this wasn't a public bathroom and you had to have an orange wristband to be in this tent, they proceeded to throw a fit and scream at me to "go f myself" as they left the tent and went down the stairs. If Penn wants to have these VIP sections and charge extra for them, they should ensure that the patrons are where they're supposed to be. Also noticed there was no VIP food line this year. Again, if you want to charge folks extra, please keep their perks separate from GA. If not, make everyone general admission, first come, first serve. read more

Airport location food was not great and beer the same. The cider was $11 a glass. Plus they rip you off with a credit card fee. When I see those fees they get deducted right off the tip so not sweat off my back. read more

We went to Oktoberfest and had a blast. The beer is great, the food was excellent, and the VIP packages were a fantastic value. The views of the city are also awesome. We would definitely go back! read more

Nice place in a great location in Troy Hill. Offers traditional fare with some specials. Check out the perogies and of course the craft beers and seasonal special beers. Place has a nice laid back vibe and even live music on certain nights read more

Penn Brewery - From my seat at the bar. A great view of the seasonal menu of beers - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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When we were out in Pittsburgh, Wifey and I knew we'd have a lot of time to ourselves (my son was participating in a regional chorus event) and one of the things we wanted to do was the City Brew Tour. What better way to discover a city's great beers that having a beer expert drive you around in a small bus to four breweries and talking about the breweries, their brewing processes and tasting great beer...oh, and add in a tasty meal. Beer bliss! Penn Brewery was our third stop of the night and, thankfully, included our meal as I was feeling the previous stops at this point. Penn was the most 'commercial' of our four stops, and by that I simply mean that their beers can be found pretty easily outside the local area. Loved the beers here, but since I wasn't keeping track I can't tell you what I had. Our meal here was very good - set up in a beer hall fashion - and really hit the spot at the right time (if I remember correctly it was a brat with some kraut, a pierogi, some veggies and half a sandwich - maybe a Reuben of some sort with a delish red cabbage on pumpernickel and came with some great cookies as well). Penn Brewery seemed like the kind of bar I'd have liked in college. I'd recommend this place for sure! read more

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Penn Brewery is such a cool, historic old brewery in Pittsburgh. They serve up delicious German style beers. I am not a huge beer person, but must love German beer because we had the Dark Beer, Shandy, Hefeweizen, & Cave Beer ... & liked them ALL. Also, Cave Beer! It was a strong darker beer held in whiskey barrels & you could taste it. Penn Brewery is one of the last remaining US breweries to still have their 19th century lagering cave. We had some fun in there before needing to warm up downstairs in the Ratskeller. The 1/2 way to Oktoberfest party was so much fun & we always look forward to their wonderful Oktoberfest celebration where you can enjoy more 1/2 gallon jugs of beer, pretzels, & live music throughout the brewery & in big tents. Whether you're warming up on a cold winter evening or enjoying the outdoor area on a nice sunny day, Penn Brewery is a great place to stop for some delicious beers in the 'Burgh. read more

Nice lunch stop for a few drinks and food. This is more than just a name, also had great beer and food. Stopped here for lunch and wasn't disappointed. They have their regular beers they brew year round and also a few beers you can't find in stores. I had the hazy IPA and it was good. We ordered food too and they delivered a good tasty lunch to accompany our beers. Of course their food is all German influenced and it is tasty. It's a unique location as it is in an old building, which makes coming here even more fun. This is a must visit if visiting the area and even if you're local, be sure to come here and try their brews you can't buy in stores. read more

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I've been checking out a lot of the local breweries, so thought it was time I head here. They were understaffed but our server was very friendly. We sampled a few beers and had an appetizer and dessert. Our dessert came out wrong but our server was quick to fix the mistake. Overall the experience was good. read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I had the worst experience here this past weekend. We had recommended the place and brought guests who never been there; our service was awful. read more

If you went for Oktoberfest the only thing that was good is the beer and music. The Goulash had beans and corn, NOT goulash (not to mention this is Hungarian !) The Pierogi are deep fried and have zero taste. (They are also Polish) The "hot potato salad" is the worst that you will ever taste. The schnitzel is flat, in every way. No authentic sauces and very dry. The good news is the Sauerkraut they got that right. Go somewhere else for food, come here for the music and beer. read more

Penn Brewery - Goulash - (there's no beans or corn in goulash !) - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Don't go here, terrible service, slow kitchen, dirty bathroom. Our visit was a second chance for this place and it got worse, a lot worse. First visit the server was attentive, but the food took forever and it was bland and boring. Went in today and knowing how long it took before we put our food order in with our drinks. It took forever and our server never checked in on us again. When our food came out by the expediter (not our server) we didn't have silverware or napkins to eat, or drink refills. I had to ask the hostess and even then it took a few minutes to get silverware and napkins to us. Part of our order was a fried chicken sandwich that tasted awful because the oil was dirty and at too high of a temperature. The only reason this is two stars instead of one is that they took the sandwich off of the bill. Skip this place and go just about anywhere else. read more

This is an excellent example of what a German American brewery should be! They have a beautiful, quaint outdoor beer garden with an old cobblestone courtyard. So much history there, it's almost like taking a step back in time, if only momentarily. The staff was very hip and cool, in a friendly way. We were seated promptly in the outside beer garden at a bistro table around 5:30 on a Friday night. The menu was very extensive, some of it even being in German. And my inner Canadian rejoiced at the variety of poutine they offered. So of course I had to try it along with a flight of beers. It didn't disappoint! Neither did the soft pretzels or strudel! And the beers were excellent! I can't wait to go back there when I'm in town! Highly recommend! Family friendly, fun for everyone! read more

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A great restaurant. Not a luxury one. But nice Pittsburghese ambiance, friendly service,and tasty food. Goulash soup is a must try. Sausage is a great match for their beer. And beer i read more

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Food was awful. They were out of fried chicken and sirloin. We arrived 1 hour after they opened so they were not prepared for the night. My iced tea was served in a plastic cup. Service was slow and there was only one other table occupied. For $74 for two beers, 3 sandwiches and an ice tea it isn't worth it. The only good about the place was the place itself and view. read more

This one was rough. Went on a Sunday during Octoberfest. Not surprised to wait 20 minutes for a table. Sat at table for another 15 minutes while several waitresses avoided eye contact. Finally saw a waitress who advised there was a limited menu and no substitutions. Wife and I both got pork schnitzel ($24) and had to take the mashed potatoes and veg. Both meals came out relatively quickly (maybe 15 min). Potatoes were bland and cold. Veg had 0 seasoning - not even butter. Each dish came with 2 cutlets. One of my wife's was underdone and reddish inside. We were told there was no gravy because of 'Octoberfest'. We were given plastic utensils because of 'Octoberfest'. Have you ever tried cutting a pork chop with plastic utensils? This whole meal was a fail, from service to food. I hope this saves someone some disappointment. read more

Penn Brewery - Pork schnitzel - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Stopped by on our way through town. It was the first day they were open for indoor dining since COVID. The beer was very good, although they were out of a view things I wanted to try. The German food was awesome. I got the pork schnitzel, German potato salad and red cabbage. All were delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Penn Brewery - Beer flight - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I've always heard about this place but this was my first visit. We came and had a 2 hour wait for a Saturday night so we signed in and went to other breweries in the area while waiting, they called us at our turn so that was cool. The bench seating area was cool and the whole atmosphere was a very nice vibe - random mixes of different crowds dancing together to the band. I would say the whole environment and music are the best things about this place. The beer selection was seriously lacking to me for a popular brewery. Maybe it's just me but I expected more specialty beers, given the hype. The food we got was decent but nothing spectacular. We came for the halfway to Octoberfest menu - pretzel appetizers, wing plates, sausage platters, ruebens - we got a mix of different dishes and shared them all. The service was very prompt and excellent. It's a cool place to checkout, especially for out of town friends, but the drinks and food were nothing special in my opinion. read more

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Came on a Sunday when we had our of town guests. Had some beers and appetizers. Really clean environment. Great staff. Really enjoyed ourselves safely. Would highly recommend. Will be returning!! read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Do you enjoy warm, juicy plump sausages gently caressing the roof of your mouth? What if it's chock full of delicious German white cream, which bursts in your mouth, leaving you to swallow the whole thing as quickly as possible, lest it gets all over you? Well if any of that sounds even remotely appealing consider ordering some bratwurst. It also comes in a spicy casing-free version for any of you brave enough to expose yourself to the nude meat inside. Just watch out, because Penn brewery guarantees it will burn coming out later. read more

My wife and I met some friends here for a Friday evening dinner. Having never been here before and not too familiar with the area I was a little nervous about finding parking. Arriving around 6PM we were able to get a parking space right next to the restaurant as it wasn't busy at all, probably due to the pandemic. We didn't find the entrance right away and instead wondered around the courtyard which looks like it would be a great place to go in the summer. Going inside our friends were already seated and had ordered some appetizers. Happy hour was still going on when they arrived so they ordered poutine and pretzel sticks to share. I like fries, but am not a huge poutine fan. However, this was excellent and just hit the spot for me. The gravy went so well with the fries and did not make them soggy. The poutine was also a giant serving, so well worth it to split among two or more people and it was plenty for our group of 4. For dinner I ordered the Kasespatzel with pork schnitzel. It was a humongous serving and ended up lasting me another 2 full meals at home. I liked the beer cheese in it, and pork schnitzel was solid. Overall I think Penn Brewery does a good job providing some tasty German food with some nice brews to go with it. I wish I would have came here sooner and will enjoy having a place to go for German food. read more

Penn Brewery - Kasespatzel with pork schnitzel - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I was disappointed. There were a ton of flies in the restaurant, constantly in our faces, and we were given a big pitcher of water with a fly in it. They were out of many dishes, many ingredients, and all but one cider. The website said they had burgers but they were not on the menu. They served chips in baggies with some dishes like they are some kind of cheap deli instead of a restaurant. read more

VERY DISAPPOINTED! We arrived with an out of town guest. There was plenty of parking and it was not crowded at all. We went to the station to be seated. The server informed us that we could not be seated without a reservation. I expressed my disbelief that they would fill up before we would be done with our meal. As we left, I counted 10 empty tables. No one arrived as we left. read more

Great perogies! The service was wonderful and we left w a shirt. Great ambiance, can't wait to visit when you can sit out back

Do you believe that we've never been here. I've been to so many small breweries but never been here. We decided to end the decade with a visit. We tried the beers and they were all good. My fave was the penn gold. I've been to the Penn Brewery on 1st Ave only. This place is large and historic. It's worth visiting. Be cool if they do tours here. read more

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Went for October fest, Beer and ciders were pretty good. Pretzel was average at best cheese was cold. Service was very slow and it was a Sunday. Understaffed for sure. Polka band was good. read more

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

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Outdoor patio I absolutely LOVED this place! We went here to let the traffic from the Steelers game simmer down and it 10000% gives you the European feel. The owner is great and we will be back! 11/10 recommend read more

Penn Brewery - Outdoor patio - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We came for the Marzen and Lenten food specials. The beer, which never disappoints was once again absolutely perfect. We shared the spātzel and lobster. Ok The portion was huge and tasted fantastic. Best we've ever had. I'm really glad we shared. No way could either of us have finished a plate of our own. The staff was friendly, courteous and very attentive. We highly recommend Penn Brewing. read more

Penn Brewery - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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My wife and I came for a dinner (with a Groupon deal). I had the German version of Mac and cheese and it was delicious, though it definitely needs the chicken to balance out the cheese flavor. Not impressed with the poutine and my wife said the mussel sauce was poor flavor. read more

Penn Brewery - German Mac and cheese. - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Oktoberfest was a blast as usual. I don't think they had as many options in the food tent as they usually do but overall a fantastic experience and I will come back year after year; especially if they have that band the kosmix. They're a lot of fun! read more

Extremely disappointing. Wedding Rehearsal dinner for my daughter. Tables were not set up as discussed and chairs still folded and stacked. The wedding party set up the chairs. Bar not set up til a half an hour after the start time and still did not have what we ordered. Our guests had to go to the bar and buy their drinks. Had to wait another half hour for appetizers. One entree not enough for all guests and second came out so late no one knew it was there. Have tried contacting the management staff and even wrote a letter to the owner without any response. We paid 5k for 40 people at the end of the evening and what my daughter received was a bad memory for her wedding. How is that reasonable? Still waiting for some response as this event was on 9/8/2023. Debbie F. read more

Came here for the first time. We ordered their pretzel breadsticks appetizer, the Wurst platter, their 5hour brisket, and the salted caramel cookie dessert with vanilla ice cream. What's hot - Cost. I purchased a $25 Groupon for $13, which was a money saver. Our total bill came out to around $25, including tip. This Groupon looks to be regularly offered, as well. Their wait staff are familiar with it, which is good. Always great saving money! - Good menu variety. There are appetizers, cheese spreads, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, etc... It's a big menu, but there's something for everyone. - Some of the food is good. Despite my dish, which I mention below, most of the food was decent. The pretzel breadsticks appetizer is served with a warm cheese, a mustard dip, and some cheesy type of cream cheese dip. Their mustard has a slight spicy kick at the end, which is cool. Don't come across very flavorful mustards in most restaurants, so this was a yummy difference. The salted caramel pretzel cookie dessert was yummers- warm, soft, gooey, and sweet but not too sweet. What's not - The wait. First time we came here, the wait was hella long, so we left. I made sure to make a reservation for the next time. Based on what I've seen and experienced, dinner times are busy, so make a reservation. Their dining area is kinda small and not spread out, so be prepared. - Bland food. My food (the brisket) was bland. The Vietnamese sausage wasn't flavorful and the German dumplings were bland, too. The brisket was tender and moist, but no flavor. Dudes, I asked for hot sauce! My point- be aware that not everything on their menu is flavorful and yummy. You should probably ask the wait staff for their feedback if flavor is an issue for you, like it is for me. The menu also said my dish came with bean sprouts and root vegetables. No bean sprouts. What were the root vegetables? Carrots and celery. - Cost. Despite my Groupon, not everything is a reasonable price. For example, they have pierogis that are $9 for 4 pieces. That's high- $2 per pierogi? Really? - Noise. It gets noisy here pretty fast and it doesn't take much for this place to be crowded. Be prepared that this place isn't the easiest to socialize and talk, unless it's really the booze you care about. - Parking. Not the easiest. They do have a parking garage behind the restaurant, but it's not the easiest to find. Don't even bother looking for street parking. It's so limited. - Service. The wait staff seem to be spread thin, which means it's not always easy to flag someone down when you need something. Their wait staff aren't rude. They just don't seem to have enough staff, so service can be slow. Final answer Willing to come back, but not a first choice. read more

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I've been wanting to visit this place for a few years and we finally stopped in on a nice snowy Pittsburgh day after a Steelers game. The history of the complex is a great nod to both the city and breweries and I loved the way they presented it. When you first arrive you will park on a small street and see a large ominous brick structure. When entering the lobby steer to the right as the brewery is there. It is a decent German style beer garden indoors with bench seating, but I was told the summer is the best time to visit as they do events outdoors I ordered a flight and enjoyed all of them even the wheat beer which I'm not usually a fan of. The food is German centric and my wife loved it. I chose to order a burger which was average and not really memorable. The true standout here is the beer. read more

Penn Brewery - Restaurant entrance - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Excellent beer and food was pretty good overall. Beer was all pretty authentically German and you could tell it was home brewed too. A few of the dishes we got were slightly bland but overall anything with gravy is a go to and the sausages were great. read more

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

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Got the gumbo and Cajun chicken pasta and it was delicious, gumbo was so good although there wasn't shrimp in it and it was supposed to be shrimp gumbo anyways still good with the sausage, the pasta was also excellent a little greasy but good.... Only knocking a start off for the service wasn't the best but that's bound to happen they were a tad busy downstairs... otherwise excellent food read more

Penn Brewery - Cajun chicken pasta - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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My partner and I are big brewery fans, but had never been to Penn Brewery. I give it props for being one of the more "OG" breweries before being a craft beer was hip. Unfortunately, some of the newer breweries are better and more unique. I found the beers to be ok. We sampled a few and I settled on the tangerine swirl. The taste was light and very drinkable, but I could barely taste the tangerine. My parter got the ginger beer, which was pretty good. Not too spicy and didn't have that sting that some ginger beers give off. We got the pretzels to try and they were DELISH. I wish I had more things to dip in the cheese spread thing (forget what it was called but it had cream cheese and a hint of spice and was ) I would come back with friends, it's just not at the top of my list of breweries. read more

Penn Brewery - these pretzels and that cream cheesey spread were DELISH!!! - German Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

We ate, we drank, we stayed for a comedy show. Overall: meh. Underwhelming. Great service thanks to Michael! Atmosphere: street level first impressions= cool building. Inside it's a large room with a bar, some tables, and some long tables with benches in the beer hall style. Large glass windows on one side give a peek into the brewery. Food: not too many options for vegans here. The waiter didn't really know what to recommend as vegan but he was very helpful in finding out. We surmised potato pancakes and pierogi have eggs. I ordered the braised lentils but the waiter returned to say there was bacon in it. On the menu, the lentils are designated with a "(V)" indicating a "vegetarian" dish! Good thing I had a great waiter! I ordered the pretzel sticks. Wonderful! They were soft on the inside and warm. The salt was too abundant, however, and I picked lots off before I could eat it. They come with bier cheese (which I avoided) and mustard that I didn't care for. For dinner I ordered the Portabella Philly (V) sandwich without cheese. It was cooked properly but underwhelming in flavor. The roll was the best part. I had asparagus spears for the side. These were undercooked and crunchy but seasoned well and I enjoyed them. Beer: now one would think a brewery would have great beer...but I wasn't impressed. There wasn't much flavor in the Oktoberfest, hefeweizen and pilzner beers we tried and they were out of the dark beer on draft :( The pumpkin beer did have lots of spice aroma to it but it left me with a bitter ending that I didn't care for. Comedy show: neither of us had been to this venue for a show before. We asked our waiter where to go and headed downstairs at the designated time. Unfortunately, this is also the way to the bathrooms. So, imagine our surprise when we went down and the headliner was seating people! He made jokes during his set about the venue and how he was trying not to cuss because there were children coming down the stairs to the bathroom. He mentioned the lighting and sound equipment they had just bought because there was nothing at the venue to use. Maybe not the best venue for a comedy show? So, we had a nice evening out but we probably won't be back. read more

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Nice wait staff but overwhelmed. Buffalo wings were flavorless and Flatbread is more of a rectangle small pizza with too much cheese. Others in my group said sandwiches and burgers were ok. I would not rush back here. read more