Ithaca Beer Company

Love the food and atmosphere.

I made the drive to Ithaca Beer Co. from Rochester over the summer with my parents and sister. My parents are self-​proclaimed beer snobs and enjoyed the variety of craft beers they had on tap. First of all, i’ve been to MANY breweries and most of those places can’t even hold a candle to Ithaca Beer Co. when it comes to the overall aesthetic. The inside was modernized and attractive, and the outdoor patio was even better, offering picturesque views of the surrounding land. We ordered the Fry Flight for the table, and to be honest I wasn’t expecting to be wowed (after all, it was only a basket of fries). Damn, was I wrong! These fries had to be some of the best i’ve ever had, they were hand-​cut and tasted fresh. To top it off, they were served with homemade ketchup (I asked the server if it was for sale, it’s not but she offered to get me the recipe), chipotle aioli, and garlic herb aioli. For my meal, I had one of their cheeseburgers, I can’t remember which, all I do remember is that it was perfectly cooked and delicious. I will definitely be coming back to Ithaca again this summer, even if it’s only to eat here!

The beer here is wonderful. I might be addicted to Green Trail. I had the bone marrow special and it was yummy. The pulled pork and jalapeño pizza is simply a work of art. I’ve been back several times and really enjoy this place.

This is definitely a highlight in Ithaca. The place is great, the patio is very pleasant, the beer samplers are very good, and the «tapas» available in menu are awesome.

Great pub with industrial feel. Food was of the caliber you would find at a fine restaurant. Service was fast and friendly. Beer was over the top with their Flower Power being my favorite. The wife loved the Apricot Wheat. Definitely will be back.

I expected a little more from such a well-​known NYS brewery but was left unimpressed. It might be because it was particularly slow when we arrived. Only a handful of people at the bar and a couple outside. The outside patio is unquestionably gorgeous with an incredible view of a field which must lend itself to beautiful sunsets.
The beer we sampled was average. I think I would have been more impressed if we did a tour. Maybe another time.

What a cool spot! This was our first time here since they moved from that small little shop on the side of the road. We went on a cool fall day so outside seating wasn’t really an option, but we got a table inside for lunch. The food menu wasn’t anything expansive, but for a brewery it was perfect, beer soup, grilled cheese, burger and fries– couldn’t ask for anything more. We ordered 2 flights of beer to try as much variety as we could. We had some favorites and not– so favorites (but hey its all personal preference).
From there we went on the brewery tour. Our guide was amazing! She was fun, knowledgeable and vibrant. It was cool to hear how Ithaca makes beer, learn about their history and some new features coming soon.
After that we bellied up to the bar, had another round and bought some swag. I’m not much of a beer drinker but I did enjoy their pumpkin beer, while my fiancé’s favorite is their flower power.
Overall experience was great for a Saturday afternoon, nice atmosphere, mostly friendly staff (hostess seemed like she hated people, lol, not really the right profession for that), good food and brews!

Lets preface this with the fact that we did not eat an entire meal here however, we did try the pizza and it was amazing!
The place itself it amazing, I wish we lived closer we would be regulars. They beer is delish, the staff pleasant and to top it all its pretty inexpensive (compared to NYC standards that is)
Will certainly return here for a full meal and the fries… I overheard 2 people say they were the best fires they’ve EVER had!

I really like the outdoor area — games, lounge chairs, and a huge field to play around in. It’s a great setup since it prevents the bar from becoming too overcrowded even on busy nights. If the indoors are too much, just go outside! Burger I had very delicious, and the beer selection is small, but high quality (as it is all brewed right there, hence the name)
If you are in Ithaca, definitely go to this spot. I would say it is my favorite place to drink beer in the city.

Food: 23
Service:20
Décor: Brew-​teefull!
It’s true, «Ithaca is Gorges», as is their beer company. Huge open grounds for chilling outside with a delicious fresh craft brew. Food not too shabby either– local, high quality and pretty darn cheap. Pizza and burger A++

Ithaca Beer Co. always serves as a great weekend hangout spot. I’ve never had a bad beer by them, and they also make the best sour ale I’ve ever had. I love the tasting room/​restaurant, but it is rather small. I think they are adding a new addition to fix that though! Just like the beer, I’ve never had a bad meal here either. If you’re visiting during the warmer months, check out the outdoor seating area. The eclectic, communal feeling really provides a great insight to what Ithaca is all about.

A hot summer day, a flight to Ithaca with towering cumulus clouds all around; the Ithaca Farmers Market, Ithaca Beer Co and flying back to Buffalo. That was my Sunday and it was pretty glorious.
Ithaca Beer Co. is a little outside of the small downtown area, but the area is huge. It feels like you’re parking on a farm somewhere, but you walk into a huge building with a large restaurant room/​bar, outside patio and the closed off production facility. We asked to be seated outside and there was about a 15 minute wait. They had those vibrating buzzers ready in hand and the wait was welcome, while my friend enjoyed a beer and we played some shuffleboard.
Yes, they have shuffleboard! Bars/​breweries with shuffleboard definitely get an extra star in my book (and as I wrote this, I just increased Ithaca Beer Co from 4 to 5, because come on – it’s amazing!). When we were finally seated outside, I ordered a soup and a burger. The soup was a summer chilled beet/​yogurt mix and it was the most delicious chilled soup I’ve had all season. My only regret was ordering a cup instead of a bowl. It was so glorious.
The burger came fairly soon after. It looked small, but elegant and crafty. Probably 6−8oz. The roll was delicious and locally baked a few blocks away with some farm fresh meat cooked medium rare to perfection. It was a really satisfying burger with lots of flavor and not so huge as to totally knock you off your wits (after all we had to fly back to Buffalo!). The fries were crispy and right and even the ketchup was housemade (it was a lot sweeter and tangier and seemed like it was made with some fresh tomatoes, although I didn’t confirm).
Overall, the service was amazing. The food was glorious and SHUFFLEBOARD. How do you not give 5-​stars?

Man, what I wouldn’t give for a brewery like this in Atlanta!
Just a few quick MEGA-​AWESOME BULLET POINT SHOUT OUTS:
— fresh brewed ginger beer– ON TAP. Oh man, oh man. Kill me now, I’m in heaven already.
–Flatbreads = crazy yum.
–THE VIEW– this place is stunning, especially in the afternoon as the sun is setting. Gorgeous.
Now, for the longer-​winded version.
The Setting:
Outside the city, this place sits back away from the lights and sounds, offering a unique «sitting on your back porch» feel. Despite it being a brewery, there were lots of families spending the afternoon together in chairs overlooking the meadow– kids rolling down the hill and chasing butterflies (no, but really… that happened… it was adorable.) We saw the sun set over the fields beyond, and then enjoyed stargazing, lightning bugs and fireside chat once it was down.
The Story:
A large group of us visited Ithaca Beer Co. for a joint bachelor/​bachelorette party (a more chill evening was desired), and we immediately made ourselves comfy-​cozy around the fire pit. Here, we happily sat and enjoyed our time for the next five hours. (yes, five– but I promise we were ordering consistently.)
The Drink:
–The flight– you get to pick your own, which is legit. A great way to figure out what you like. Also, good for splitting.
–The Ginger Beer– A MUST TRY! (Unless you don’t like ginger… then you won’t like this)
— Pretty much everything on tap is good, solid beer. I’m not an IPA fan, so I skipped out on those, but the others were great.
The Food:
–Cheddar Beer Soup– fantastic! Great combination of the two without one overshadowing the other.
–The flatbread pizzas (ALL of them were good!)
(honestly, I forgot what else we had, but there was nothing that I thought «eh… this is okay»

We recently had my first trip to Ithaca, and stopped here for lunch. I don’t usually like beer, but I must confess that the apricot wheat was delicious! And it looked like all the beers were super cheap ($ 4 for 16 oz) and appealing. The menu was simple and I liked how they seemed to use all local ingredients. The waitresses/​waiters all seemed happy. The smokehouse burger and fries were probably one of the most delicious meals I’ve had. I also enjoyed how the portion size wasn’t outrageous… It was a great sized and tasting burger, and well worth the 11 bucks (I think?) that we paid for it. So so good. Will definitely go back!

The best thing about this place is their cheap beer. 3 bucks for 8 ounces? Yes please!
Speaking about the beer, they have very decent pricing on their flights as well. 8 dollars will get you 4 individual ounces of 4 different brews. For the most part all of their beers are solid, and we didn’t have a single bad thing. The Cayuga Cruiser and Anniversary 17 were the stand outs, being fresh and summery. Just be advised that the Cayuga Cruiser is extremely tart.
What kind of killed the experience was the food. I got the Piggery Brown Nut Banger because the description sounded amazing. What the description didn’t point out was just how spicy it was! I love spicy foods, and between the spicy sausage and spicy mustard my mouth was on fire. It was downright unpleasant to eat the sandwich. I just wish they’d been a little more forthcoming with how hot it would actually be.
Be forewarned this place is very popular with both locals and tourists and will most likely be teeming with people. On the day we went there was a large crowd clogging up the tap room and making it get quite hot inside. That being said there is typically more room outside, but because it was rainy the crowd got a bit out of hand. At least the interior is cute and kitschy.
Come for the beer, maybe avoid the food.

I travelled over six hours from Boston as a birthday gift from my boyfriend to Ithaca Beer Co, home of my most favorite beer, Apricot Wheat. I was pleasantly surprised by their layout and outdoor space. We visited on a Wednesday afternoon so it wasn’t very busy but it definitely got busier after 5pm. The menu is small but the pizza and burgers are delicious. I love that they use so many fresh ingredients home grown and from local farms. The staff was all really friendly and recommended some great local attractions.
The restaurant was very warm inside which was the only downside. But, the beer was cold and water was cold so it made it a little more enjoyable. Also… There were TONS of kids! More than half the restaurant was families with children which I was surprised at, but I’ve gotta respect a young family who is cool with bringing their kids for dinner at a brewery!

Ithaca brew Co is the flagship beer in the area but I’m sad to say it’s definitely not one of my favorite beers.
First off you have 2 flights to choose from and if you want to create your own it’s $ 14! Geesh! I maybe wrong but I’m pretty sure you can make more money letting people select the beers they’d like too without them being punished with a drastic markup to do so! This perhaps is one of few breweries that have restrictions like this! They do however offer a good selection that covers the full beer spectrum of things, which is a plus!
The place is also certainly lively and busy inside and they do offer food that smells amazing but didn’t look humongous portion wise but I’m judging based on what I seen coming out from the kitchen.
Maybe I’ll stop on back if I find something worth my while trying.

Have been here a few times and the food is always great!
Came today on a beautiful late Saturday afternoon. The place was very busy forgetting about college graduation season. We were told the wait would be about an hour, not a problem we would have a couple of beers and relax out in the backyard.
I had the Apricot Wheat and BF had the Green Trail. Both did not disappoint. Within 15 minutes the hostess came over telling use our table was ready.
We started off with the seared scallop and ramps (wild leeks) appetizer. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the ramps were delicious.
I then had the soup of the day which was a chilled potato and leek soup with radish syrup and apple relish and the Apricot Wheat Salad. BF had the Smokehouse burger with fries. Let BF try the soup and we both agree it was amazing, best chilled potato-​leek soup ever. I enjoyed the salad and he enjoyed the burger.
The wait did not end up being a hour but if it had been, it would have been worth it!
This is a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon after spending a few hours at Taughannock Falls State Park. We will definitely be back!

I was visiting my friend in Ithaca and we decided to stop by the Ithaca Beer Company. Our intentions were to pick up a 6 pack, but instead, we decided to sit down for a quick bite. We tried both beer flights which were all very good. Some of the beers we tried were a bit hoppier than I would have preferred (Flower Power), but I suppose it all depends on each individual’s taste.
The place was definitely poppin with people despite it being an odd time (3pm on a Saturday). In keeping with the flights theme, we also ordered the fry flight. These fries were so amazing. It came with three dipping sauces (taproom ketchup, chipotle aioli and garlic herb aioli), all of which were amazing. I am not much of a dip person, but these sauces were so perfect. Specifically, the garlic herb aioli was full of fragrance and very creamy.
I will definitely be back!

When reviewing Ithaca Brewery Co you have to consider two things: The brewery itself, and the tap room.
Let’s start with the restaurant. All ingredients are sourced from local farms. We started with the Cheddar Ale Soup. This soup is made with their Green Trail Ale and aged New York State cheddar. I wish the consistency were a bit thicker, but it was delicious. For my meal I had the Smokehouse Burger. This is grass fed beef served with mixed greens, pickles, chipotle aioli, and New York cheddar served on a bun made by a local bakery. It was alright. This is a small burger and I finished it remaining hungry. Also, the burger lacked the seasoning I would expect at a $ 12 price point. Think TGI Friday’s quality. Not bad at all, but disappointing. My wife ordered the white pizza made with provolone cheese, caramelized onions, and shitake mushrooms. My son had a grilled cheese sandwich made with New York State cheddar. Both wife and son were very happy with their meals.
My main contention on the restaurant side is the limitation on beer flights. Basically you can only choose certain predetermined flights. No mixing and matching beers. This will irritate any beer lover. I don’t like being forced to try certain beers that aren’t my style. The sour beer thrown into my flight was dreadful. Lack of beer choice forces me to deduct a star for this alone. 3 stars for the tap room.
After I scarfed down my burger I headed over to the tour while my wife and son finished their meals. I loved the tour! Our guide was extremely knowledgeable on the history of the brewery, the brewing process, and had a terrific sense of humor. The tour included a few samples ranging from their popular Flower Power to a new Rye Porter (Embrr). We also had to opportunity to taste some different variety of hops, something I haven’t experienced on other brewery tours. The brewery itself is fairly small but interesting nevertheless. Tours last about 30 minutes and are free. Very enjoyable! 5 stars for the tour/​brewery.
Overall our visit to Ithaca Brewing was a pleasant one. My lunch was somewhat disappointing but the wife and son enjoyed their meals. The tour and brewery were fantastic.
Recommended — 4 stars overall. Side note — This place is totally kid friendly. Bring the little ones!