Boatyard Brewing Company

Boatyard had a really good nautical look to it. The porter was real smooth here and delicious. The staff was friendly they allowed dogs to b there s that’s cool for anyone that has dogs. The people were friendly and the staff even did brewery tours. The only bad thing is its in a rough part of the neighborhood in Kalamazoo other than that is really nice to visit and they also had growlers and the brewtags.

The service was fast and friendly. I ordered the half Iris flatbread and it was delicious. It was plenty of food for dining alone and went great with my beer. I had the one legged pilot, recommended by the bartender and another patron and was treated not only to a great dark, earthy beer with a high ABV, but also a great story about how it got its name… no spoiled here… go get the beer and story for yourself; definitely worth the stop.

My buddy and I stopped in to use a Groupon deal and it was well worth the visit. They had plenty of beers on tap and both owners were friendly as were the regulars we met at the bar. Part of the Groupon was a tour and that was interesting to see how this place operates behind the scenes. Definitely a place to check out with or without a Groupon deal.

You couldn’t ask for a more laid back place to have a refreshing craft brew. Great atmosphere, music, variety of beers on tap and bombers to go. By far add this brewery to your must visit list while in Kalamazoo!

I purchased a groupon online for tour, flight, pint glass, growler, and sticker. Paid MY had earned money for this voucher. When I arrived at the bar’s parking lot, I was amazed at how how people were parked. Busy right? No, people were so obnoxiously parked that some people double parked others, would of hated to be that car. I ended up parking about 5 minute down the street and walking. I was so excited because this had to be a great bar, right? NO. I walked around and wasn’t greeted by a sole. I wasn’t sure if we were going to be seated or not. Clearly not, so we walked around and found out the only way to getting a drink was by walking up to the «service» taped off part of the bar. After waiting 15 minutes to be «served» we showed the bar employee the groupon we had and she crudely responded «sorry, we arent accepting those this weekend, we are too busy». Are you kidding me? Not have you only wasted the last half hour of my life, but you’re not going to honor a coupon that your bar has promoted on groupon??? I even said I didn’t want the tour but that was too much to ask. How would you feel going to mcdonalds with a BOGO or GIFT CARD (since we had actually value that we already paid over $ 25 for) and them replying in the drive thru, sorry, we are getting too much business at the moment, we arent going to accept that voucher at this time. So ridiculous, I will be filing a complaint with groupon for a refund and I will NEVER be back. How dumb.

Nice place and decent beer. Too bad the old school porn in the men’s room ruins it for family friendliness. Otherwise I’d totally give 4 or 5 stars.

Very good beer in a «cool» space that is becoming even «cooler» as time passes. The beer selections are plentiful and they do a good job at making sure the ABVs have a range from «session» beers to «one a night» type beers. Aside from free popcorn, they do not serve food, but do have «the Tamale Guy» on premises selling a limited selection of food. Additionally, you can have food (e.g. Pizza) delivered. It’s a bit different than other brewpubs, but the beer is worth the stop.

What a cool laid back brewery serving great beer. I took the family to the Unilocal event Food Truck or Treat and was amazed at how friendly the owner and other patrons were. I tried the Lake Effect Double IPA and was really impressed with the complex flavors and smoothness of the beer. I’ll definitely get it again when it’s available. This is a great alternative to Bells Brewery if you’d rather not deal with large crowds.
I heard through the grapevine that the Sloppy’s food truck will be making a regular appearance at the bar. I’ve had the chili and it’s really good paired with the IPA!

Three reason to come here:
— The beer
— Food served by the tamale company
— Unique and friendly atmosphere

My first time here — and thrilled that the bartender (owner) was happy to ask me what I liked and provided free tastes so I could find the right drink. Hello, service! So I landed on the Kalepeno Cream Ale and I’ve never had anything like it! (Just FYI, the women’s bathroom is super cool.)

I’ve really been turned on to craft brews for the last 6 years or so. My husband and I seek out local breweries no matter where we go and visit…
I thoroughly enjoy Boatyard’s beer. Although, I don’t like IPA’s. But I do hear their’s is amazing lol. They don’t serve their own menu for food, but help out and support local venders around the Kalamazoo area. So you get a rotating menu :) (just call to see what’s for dinner)
Both of the owners are friendly, talkative and if you have time to stick around– don’t worry… they’ll occupy it with stories and humor all while you are enjoying an amazing beverage The owners are long time best friends, and you can see that it’s even working out owning a brewery together.
They call themselves, «The Happy Brewers». I challenge you to spend a Friday night there and not spend most the time with a smile on your face as well.
As craft beer companies are becoming more and more popular in Michigan… The Boatyard Brewing Co has found their niche in downtown Kalamazoo… Bringing the life back to this old town.
Living and traveling all over the world, I am sure to visit home occasionally. And always make a point to swing on by!

My husband and I spent last weekend in K-​Zoo and hit about 10 places total. Besides Bell’s, Boatyard was the absolute best. Their beers are delicious, unique, and memorable. A lot of places in K-​Zoo have great beer, but Boatyard is a step ahead. I will remember the Midnight Star, Frosted Harbor and the Kalapeno beers for a long time. The Kalapeno had a hint of jalapeño flavor — not overpowering, but perfect. Frosted Harbor was a raspberry wheat I believe and, again, the raspberry was very present but not overpowering. This place is a little out of the way so we stopped in on our way into town (while we were still driving). Next time I will plan on taking a taxi so I can enjoy ALL of their beers. It is most definitely worth the trip to go off the beaten path a little bit and head to Boatyard. Theirs are some of the best beers we had during our K-​Zoo trip or really any other trip for that matter!

(7÷16÷15) So Boatyard was the first brewery of the day, and I guess I didn’t catch (pun) them at their best. I arrived by bicycle, and found bike parking, but it didn’t seem like I was very welcome. Snubbed by patrons — both of the them — and the clueless bar back, I eventually got a Lake Effect Double IPA. It was good, but didn’t make me want to get another. The place seemed dead, but I liked the décor, even if it was a little overblown (pun). The bar back drifted (pun) in and out, and eventually someone who was working on the taps/​drafts came in who seemed personable/​professional, but he was working, though he did make sure I was doing okay. Then someone else came in and — in chatting up a (the) woman at the bar — proclaimed to be an owner. I’d be a proud plank-​owner (pun) too if I’d scraped together something from nothing, but he’d obviously sized me up as small bait (pun), though he did ask if I was «all set», which typically means, «shove off» (pun), to put it politely. I was actually planning on eating there, but Clueless hadn’t asked if I wanted to see a menu, didn’t mention that there was seating for lunch in another room (thru a door I had only seen the various staff come/​go thru). Seems like it might have potential to get better, but they were close to a 1-​star, which I reserve for the truly heinous. Bad customer service, and beer that was nothing special. I doubt I will give them a second chance, I can go to nearby Ann Arbor and get snubbed at better places than this.

The beer is delicious. I had the mother may ipa and my hubby had the midnight star. Both awesome. But I have to mention how good the tamale guy food is, all homemade including the chips and salsa. I had the tamales and my hubby and the tacos. Both delish. I seriously don’t know which draws me back more the food or the beer. Both very good and the boatyard periodically has other food trucks. Give them a call for the schedule. I’m so glad we stopped by here tonight. Enjoy!!!

Great place to be on any night! Craft brew at its finest! They have constant rotation of new brews as they create their own in the back. Many people can walk back and see the tanks as well.

Really appreciate the owners of Boatyard.
These guys really have a passion for our community and brewing. You’ll usually find something cool happening at Byrd, be it a release party, a special food vendor, or a KLOB meeting! I’ve had a few tasty beers from them and am have seen them make great progress since they first opened. Bonus: for a place that has 1 – 2 people behind the bar I’ve never waited more than 5 mins to order a beer.
This Brewery is a local hot spot!

Great beer, different food vendors each week and live music. It doesn’t get much better than this. Like most micro breweries Boatyard has a very relaxed atmosphere and while there are plenty of regulars, they warmly welcome newcomers. They also welcome clubs into their back room to have their meetings.

I wanted to stop to the Boatyard for a long time. Went in today and got a flight of seven beers — $ 9.50. There was only one of them that I liked ok. It wasn’t great. The other 6 were flat and didn’t taste much like beer. Too many flavors for me. I could have used a good IPA and there wasn’t one. I hope they improve. I like all the rest of the brew pubs in town.

Great microbrewery — eclectic and flavorful brews, cool taproom and great people. Well worth a slightly off the beaten path (but, it is close to Bell’s) ride.

Boatyard is a very laid-​back and relaxed nano brewery. Their stock is constantly changing and often they’ll sell cash out of their brewing tanks direct. The atmosphere is recovered factory/​light industrial with brickwork and exposed beams. It may be a challenge in the deep wintertime, I suspect the building may have the R value of construction paper. The prices are higher than some other of the breweries, and remarkable for being priced this way on «the other side of the tracks» which continues to plague cities like Kalamazoo.
The beer itself is quite good, lots of variety and their homemade root beer is absolutely fantastic. The staff are very friendly and kind and the pace here seems slower than many other breweries in town.
You should know that the approach and parking lot has some significant erosion and pothole action going on. Drive slowly and carefully, and you’ll be fine. Don’t let the outside appearance dissuade you from trying this nano brewery. It’s worth it.