Fitger's Brewhouse

November 30, 2008
We visited Fitger’s for the first time upon returning from the north shore. Located in a historic complex which includes a fine hotel, shops, etc., we were really impressed with the experience. In the downstairs store, we purchased several growlers including and orange infused EPA and an oatmeal stout. Our only disappointment was that they were out of apple beer until Thanksgiving time. This was recommended as a "must try." We decided to grab some lunch at the Brewhouse upstairs before leaving. This is a really nice bar/restaurant set-up that has a lot of historic charm. The featured beers were all proprietary and included a special release Bourbon Barrel finished Red Barley Wine which was simply amazing. Our lunch consisted of a special advertised tuna sandwich with fries. The tuna steak was prepared Cajun style and was placed upon a multi grain bun with field greens, onion, cilantro, and phenomenal pineapple/habanero salsa that really set things off! The fries were partially coat

November 19, 2008 [ Updated November 21, 2008 ]
By far and away, the best place for beer along the North Shore. The beers are always above average. For at least the last year or so, there is always one Barrel Aged and one Cask brew on tap. The food is delicious, and, if coming from a major metropolitan area, cheap. Growlers in the brewpub come in the standard glass as well as the camping friendly Nalgene containers. Prices are incredibly reasonable for food, drafts and beer to go. The waitstaff is not as knowledgeable as the those behind the bar, but service is always quite friendly. An absolute must stop when traveling anywhere near the North Shore.

October 31, 2008 [ Updated December 13, 2008 ]
beautiful room, people were killing to get a table. i sat at the bar, they had about 10 taps of their brews as well as a firkin. they sell traditional 64oz glass growlers (which they do heat seal) as well as some crazy plastic growlers, very nice. food was excellent smoked trout salad with wild rice, quite profound. tried two beers, both were at minimum above average if not excellent. at the end of a long strip in downtown duluth, this is a must see in the city.

October 17, 2008
I’d had their brews at Minneapolis/St. Paul beer fests a few times, so I figured I’d finally make the journey up to see the brewhouse itself. It was a little hard to navigate the odd little complex of buildings it’s in, but I liked the eclectic floorplan and decor. For a brewpub, I was impressed to see a good dozen or so different beers on tap. The quality was good across the board, and some of the special seasonals are downright delicious. For lack of any serious competition, this is your Duluth beer destination.

April 19, 2008
I went with friends to the brewhouse on 4-4-08. I wasn’t a big fan of the odd associated Martini lounge, but I’ll ignore that aspect for the purposes of this review. Fitger’s has an appealing, appropriate wood theme. The tight, frenzied atmosphere works, and I like the presence but by no means dominance of live music. I was a bit disappointed by the brews. Most were acceptable, but of the nine I tried, I wouldn’t call any special, and, for the most part, I rated them lower than others have. That said, Fitger’s does have a wide variety of decent beers from which to choose. I enjoyed the food, but it didn’t blow me away. Similarly, the service was perfectly adequate, but I wouldn’t exactly call it memorable. Fitger’s is a fun place to spend an evening, although I can’t help but consider it overrated based on most of the other reviews.

April 4, 2008
Best brewpub around. Drink and eat there regularly. Great beer, great food, great music.

January 25, 2008
The food here was just your average food and the service was average as well. The beer was pretty good though and they had a nice selection of their own beer and other beers. If you’re in the area this is a place you should check out.

August 11, 2007
What a great brewpub. Located in the old Fitger’s complex. There are several rooms to this bar, each with a different atmosphere. Service was friendly and helpful, unusually good service for a brewpub. The quality of the beers speak for themselves. Food is also better than average for a brewpub, my burger was better than most. Lots of tap, 12 in all, and all are house beer. Music some nights. One of the best brewpubs I have been to anywhere. This is the place to spend your evenings in Duluth.

August 5, 2007 [ Updated August 9, 2007 ]
Visited Fitger’s on a Saturday afternoon for lunch. This place is awesome, I’ve never been to a nicer brewpub. In an old industrial building turned into a great mall. Service was a bit dicey but what can you say, it was her last day. Food was outstanding, I had a superb fish sandwich. Beers were great too. A nice visit to a great brewpub. Keep up the good work!

June 3, 2007
Didn’t get to sample the food when I was up, but they had plenty of their own beer on tap that day. The bartender was extremely rude and borderline hostile.