The Ale House Columbia

My husband and I love going here to watch sports games. We love their flatbread pizzas and drinks. Their servers are pretty attentive. Our favorite flatbread pizzas are the macaroni and cheese and buffalo chicken. I love their sangria. The reason why I subtracted a star is because their main dishes have not been that great. This is a go to for drinks and appetizers.

All I can say is I wish there were more places like this in Columbia. I wish there was a place like this around the corner from my house! Good food, friendly service, great atmosphere for drinking and dining with friends.

Came here on Friday night, told there was a wait but we could sit at a hightop if we found one. We walked around the restaurant and found a hightop, so we decided to sit down. The table was dirty. We had to get menus from the hostess, we then decided on what to eat. Our server finally came over and took our order. When the food arrived, we did not have any silverware and had to wait for a sever to walk by and ask them to get us silverware before we could begin eating. My chicken Caesar salad was very good, as were my boyfriends, wings. 4 stars for the service, but 5 for the food.

Ale House is located in small shopping center near many other stores in the heart of Columbia. The outside isn’t very impressive but once you walk in you’ll enjoy the chic, modern décor. In front, by hostess stand, is an ATM which seems a bit cheesy lol and also the restrooms. I’ve not been to many places where restroom is by the front door but they are clean and orderly which is great. Ale House has 3… yes 3 bars! Hello happy hour! I came for brunch where they offer bottomless, create your own, bloody mary’s and mimosas for $ 10. I enjoyed my mimosas with peach juice, pineapple juice and orange juice. The do it yourself bar had everything available for bloody mary’s. It was awesome set up. Now the food… had to try the chicken &waffles. Waffles were a bit dry but I liked the crispy outside. The chicken is boneless, breaded thigh which is not seasoned much but not bad at all. My friend had the Grand Marnier french toast (not on menu) which had fresh strawberries, whipped cream and powdered sugar. Of course I sampled it and… yes…yes…yes. I don’t even like french toast but I’d order this one every time. Much tastier than my waffle :-(. Overall good experience and friendly service. Did I mention the create your own mimosa bar? Oh yes I did… I miss it already.

So after going here 5 – 10 times things have gone down hill a little. The beer is good the service is good. Parking is obviously an issue.
My wife and I would mainly go for the pretzel which we loved. But, they changed the actual pretzel and its not any different then a frozen pretzel from the grocery store. That’s what got us in the door there and go through the hassle of parking and the long waits.

This place is very mediocre. My wife and I went on our first night out since having our new baby. I really expected better.
She had the cuban sandwich and I had the buffalo chicken flatbread — a recommendation from the waitress. There was no unique taste to either of our orders and it just tasted like your typical bar food. Something that tastes much better than it actually is once you’ve had a few drinks in you.
The beer selection was decent. We both liked our choices; however, the selection seems limited when you make a visit to the much better Victoria Gastro Pub down the road.
Parking is horrible and there is usually a wait. The location is just bad. I would not recommend this place.

We came in around 11:25pm and was told we had 15mins to place our order because the kitchen was closing which i didnt understand because the place close at 2am. The food was very dry and just overall bad. Even the dinner mint had a weird texture. The only reason why im giving this place a star at all is due the to waitress we had. She was very kind and personable. Over all this place really sucks!

Good food. Great service. Awesome happy hour specials.
Came here for a quick bite on a Monday night. Server was attentive and came around quite a few times during the meal.
Kobe sliders — 3 huge sliders with pickle tomato and fried onions. Delicious! Great deal too (almost half off during happy hour)
Duck tacos– good, but nothing too special. Tasted like duck. Liked the pineapple and the pickled onions made the dish.
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Went again today for brunch and had the most amazing waitress and delicious food. I had chicken waffles and I can’t wait to go back for more. The calamari appetizer was lovely – thin battered and crispy with two dippers. So good!

I’ve been to the Ale House many many times. The patio is great in the warmer months and if my friends and I manage to snag the table in the corner we can bring our dogs!
The beer menu is pretty extensive (as one would expect), but thankfully there are lots of other delicious options for those of us that don’t really enjoy beer. A few of the things on the menu that are favorites of mine are the buffalo chicken mac and cheese, the calamari with sweet pepper sauce, the pear and pork belly kale salad, and the blackened chicken pasta. Someone at my table always gets the buffalo chicken mac and cheese!
There have been a few times that we’ve gotten slow service, but I’ve never left the restaurant wishing I’d gone somewhere else.

If you can get past the limited parking and if you don’t mind paying a slight premium for, uhhh, almost everything on the menu, this place won’t disappoint.
The beer selection is interesting and it is quality brew, which comes in almost any size you want. Just a matter of finding the ones that fit your pallet. And if you want to take home a growler, they have that option too.
I’ve only had the wings and they are good. It is a bit pricey though, but it helps to think that you’re also paying for the really clean facility and nice ambiance. The servers I’ve encountered are rather pleasant and convivial too. TVs are in abundance here so it’s definitely a place to consider to catch a game. Can get crowded though so consider making a reservation if you’re with a party of 5 or more.
All in all, a great place to indulge in good food and brew! Definitely near the top of the list of my favorite places to eat in Columbia, MD.

I had just started work in Baltimore and my office had their holiday luncheon here. This place has an awesome beer selection. However, I’m not that wild with my beer preference — I don’t really like darker beers so having an entire wall of taps doesn’t really impress me. This is a sports bar but I would say the items on the menu are a step up from your typical fried bar food. The menu has a bunch of very different things from crabcakes to tacos. However, it’s also one of those places that has a ton of choices but nothing really sticks out. I just couldn’t find anything that made me say I WANT that! I ended up getting a salad. That says something about the menu — nothing sounded better to me than a salad. Most of the items on the menu were a little bit pricey I thought. Sandwiches were about $ 13 – 15 and most of the entrees were $ 20+. The waitress we had did an awesome job with the large party and our food came out quick! This is the type of place I would rather go to if I was just going to have a couple beers and share an appetizer or two!

They do not serve food after 11pm. Boooo. I was hungry as hell. I’ve been here before and the food is ok though. Come early for food. Lesson learned.

Great customer service, mediocre beer, lousy food.
Several of us ate at The Ale House last weekend and were very disappointed by the food. Our initial impressions were positive — clean interior, modern-​ish design, friendly staff and prompt seating. Then it went down-​hill.
While I am no beermaster, a few in the party are connoisseurs and stated with confidence that the house ales are average at best; inoffensive was the highest compliment paid.
The food, or what may be referred to from this point on as «slop,» was consistently bad. I ordered the Pasta Primavera (a ubiquitous menu item that often means a feeble attempt to provide a vegetarian option) and while it looked OK every component of the dish was wrong. The vegetables were either raw or mush (the result of wildly inconsistent knife cuts), the pasta was approaching a texture that warranted a straw, not a utensil, and the sauce was sickeningly sweet. Two bites were all I could manage.
A friend of mine ordered the Ribeye. It showed up with a with a pool of bloody liquid in the center — something to detract from the 2oz glob of unrendered and squishy fat attached to the cut. It reminded me of footage shown in Drivers Ed cautioning one about the dangers of drunk driving! «The More You Know!»
The only reason this isn’t a one star review is because the waitstaff and bartenders were kind, pleasant and empathetic to our plight. It isn’t their fault the kitchen sent out what amounted to compost. To those responsible for cooking and expediting our entrees I say, «for shame.»

I really like this place and have come here several times. The food is above average and a great selection of beers. Unfortunately, I had a really unfortunate experience this last visit.
The bartender on duty while I was there, Allie (sp?), clearly did not care for a customer and yelled quite loudly at him in front of several customers in the bar area eating. Yelled how rude and loud he was and carried on about it. I could barely hear what the customer was saying back to her, but I heard her slam his glass down on the counter and yell at him quite loudly one last time. Not sure what happened, but my understanding is that a bartender is a people person. Not sure she qualifies, in fact, remind me not to piss off a bartender here. They will clearly not shy away from a verbal assault. It made me and my daughter extremely uncomfortable.
Well, this one bartender Allie, anyway. Steer clear of her if she is in a bad mood. FYI.
Outside of that, it really is a great place and I would recommend.

Gave this place a second chance & it was a better experience. Came for happy hour. Appetizers & drink specials were good. Waitress was attentive.

Your best asset is your servers/​hosts. And WOW, blown away by the hospitality and friendliness of the staff here! I was passing through here on a road trip and was staying in a hotel nearby. Mavis was our server and provided myself and my friend the BEST service I have gotten in a very long time. She explained how the menu worked, explained all of our options and answered all of our questions. She took the time to converse with us about our trip and befriend us for the short time we were there.
Other then Mavis, our food was great as well. We split the Spinach Artichoke Dip & Mini Kobe Sliders. Both were exceptional on flavor and perfect size for our munching needs!
We then indulged in the dessert special that was a Sweet Potato/​Pumpkin Pie Tart which was TO DIE FOR. It was still warm and so amazing good. Just the right amount of sweetness and SCREAMED Fall.
Wish I lived closer to here, I would come see Mavis often!

We’ve been to the Columbia Ale House a couple times with friends. It’s located in an oddly shaped strip mall of sorts off of 175 and Dobbin Road. As the name implies, they really emphasize the beer there, as they seem to be owned by the same folks who own Oliver’s brewery. That being the case, their Happy Hour and specials usually have the best deals on Oliver beers. Actually any place that has an extensive list of Oliver is alright in my book. The food is pretty good there, and my wife loved the schnitzel she ordered off their specials menu.
They have signs everywhere advertising football football football, and it does seem to be a decent place to catch a game. They have several large screens in the bar and dining room, which kind of contrasts with the valet stand out front. Do people really have to park that far away on game days?

This place is great! Whether it’s happy hour or lunch, the food is great, the ambiance is very cool and modern, there is actually space. so you not in a dark dingy bar pressing up on a stranger.
The portions are generous! I once got an Ale House Chop entrée salad and it was absolutely huge.
The buffalo shrimp appetizer is money and they have select apps for $ 6 during happy hour.
Came here once for an Oktoberfest special and with certain drinks they have away big Oktoberfest mugs!
The staff here is always friendly and accommodating. Attentive too, I never have an empty glass.
Overall a great deal, ton of options, generous portions, good ambiance, spacious, friendly staff.
Oh and the bathrooms are very clean. What more could you ask for?

Hummm… Where do I start? I came here for my BFF’s going away party. We sat in the bar area. We came on a Sunday for the brunch menu. I had unlimited Peach Bellini’s :-) so of course I enjoyed that. Lol! I ordered the Chicken N Waffles. They came out pretty quick for the size party we had. My waffles were cold by the time I got them, and the Chicken was meh. I don’t know if I’ll be back for the brunch. But it was just ok. The service was excellent and the prices are decent.
I did enjoy the DIY Bloody Mary/​Mimosas/​Bellini bar :-)

I am not a big drinker so either that is the reason the drinks seemed strong or they really were.
The potato skins were SOOO tasty.
The mac and cheese which they are known for… was NOT that great.
I was sooo disappointed as I’ve heard how excellent the M&C was… but it did not live up to the expectations that I built for it.
I liked the ambiance so I’d be back …

All I can say is I am officially hooked on the Cuban Sandwiches… Never been a fan of pork. Unless it’s Bacon! Woo-​hoo never ever get enough of that. This sandwich blends in so well. Hey I’m not even a fan of Ham but the Two combined is soooo good with those pickles… Ok enough of me drooling. that’s what I like but they have so much more to choose from.
Maybe I will venture out to some of the other selections on my next visit. We shall see. They really do have a wide selection to chose from even as far as the wine list is concerned. Oh and they also do carryout if you want to call your order in for pickup. Aso if your’e really adventourous give the Brussel sprouts a try. It come’s with Bacon and cranberries. Yummy and very flavorful. I would never eat just plain brussel sprouts but the way they flavor them I get that instead of french fries and i’m a fan of fries. Also just to let you know in advance some people think that this there menu is on the expensive side but it’s worth it.

Solid! It was a little pricey but everything was great.
My buddy and I came here after rock climbing and sat at the outdoor bar where we could enjoy the sun and also see the world cup games on the TV’s just inside.
The bartender just had one or two other couple sitting at the bar so service was quick.
I had a crispin berry cider which was delish and refreshing. Joe had a beer flight of 4 great beers and they came in these cute little glasses plus a tray with the types written next to them, very cool. My fish tacos were tasty and had huge slices of avocado which was a major plus. I wasn’t crazy with how both the fish and the avocado inside the taco were literally two large slabs, it made the taco difficult to eat.
I hear Ale House has pretty good Happy Hour deals so I’d definitely come back to try that!

I bookmarked this place for a try.
Used to frequent this restaurant, prior to its name change while in college. Remembered great times. For nostalgia’s sake, I had to give it a go.
It’s located on the corner of Dobbin and 175 in the same shopping center as the Pei Wei and Fuddruckers. Parking is pretty decent, small spaces IMHO, I believe that there is valet available.
The place is pretty huge on the inside, lots of space, I dug that. Menu has plenty of choices available.
On this date I tried the crab bruschetta flat bread and the the blackened chicken pasta. The flat bread basically had crab, mozz cheese, roma tomatoes, roasted garlic. Sounds delicious!!! It looked pretty too, but I was slightly underwhelmed as it didn’t have that great of a taste.
The pasta, was advertised as having blackened chicken, cavatappi pasta, andouille sausage, and a spicy Alfredo sauce. I saw the pasta, I saw the chicken; although, blackened it was not, there was not one andouille sausage, rather kielbasa, and it was not spicy. The veggies mixed in did not taste as though they were completely cooked. I took most of it home, and neglected it the following day.
Slightly bummed as this place has gotten pretty dope reviews, but it just isn’t for me.

I. Love. This. Place.
If I could give this place a 4.5 I would — because the service is a straight up 5, for sure. Unfortunately, I don’t have a choice. I go pretty much every Thursday for tap takeover with my family, because we like to try new beers and we like free glasses as well. So far, we’ve had Tammy as a waitress twice, and she’s awesome. Seriously, you’re in luck if you get her as your server. Thus, service is a 5.
As for the food, it’s great! I love the food here, specifically the Mac and cheese and the hot chips with blue cheese dip. The dip is INSANE and if you get fries with whatever you’re eating, you will have enough dip for when those come along. I’ve also had the buffalo chicken sandwich, which is good but a bit oily. The burgers always look pretty good when my family gets em. My only qualm is that the quality of entrees isn’t always consistent — there have been some overdone salmon incidents. However, when you combine the food, service, and beer selection, this place is a must-​visit.