Parched Eagle Brewpub

I am a little confused by their business model. I attempted to stop on a Tuesday evening at 5 pm. The sign on the door and the Internet both clearly state 3 – 11 pm. Lights were on and someone was there brewing yet door was locked. I don’t quite understand why they weren’t open at 5 pm on a Tuesday when the location is primo for 5 pm traffic. It seems to me they either need to post accurate hours or get their stuff together. This situation makes me question their sustainability.

Great beer… also got a growler of the Parched Eagle Golden Ale. Very Good. It reminds me of getting seasonal food at the farmers’ market. The beer had a fresh, clean flavor. Since I have small kids, I did not have time to hang out, but will take advantage of the growler option again.

A cool little micro/​nano-​brewery situated in a strip mall located alongside Highway M, between Middleton and the Northside of Madison (how this is considered Waunakee is beside me, but that’s why I’m not a zoning engineer).
If you’ve every been to Trader Gus’s for gyros (in the Shell station), you’ve been about 100 yards from the Parched Eagle.
+ Quaint outdoor seating area; a few tables and chairs with some decent shade
+ Fairly limited tap selection — maybe 5 on tap when I was there?
+ Two guest taps
+ Super friendly and helpful bartender
+ Small but decent looking menu — primarily sandwiches
+ Fair amount of seating inside; separate «dining-​like» area
— Very small bar area
I had the Hop-​bearer, sampled the Crane Ale, and sampled one that wasn’t on the menu — a grapefruit ale that was quite sweet. All-​in-​all, the beers were well-​balanced and tasty. I’d get a growler to take home, or sit and have a few here again.

I’m a big fan of this place, and I’ve been to my share of brewpubs. OK, I’ve seen way more than my share of brewpubs… So far, I’ve only partaken of their beer, but they also serve sandwiches and bar snacks that I’m looking forward to trying soon.
With all of the brewing establishments in Dane County, you might be asking why you should trek over to Westport for a beer. There are a lot of good reasons to come over to Parched Eagle. First and foremost, the beer. Their flagship IPA, Hop Bearer, is fantastic. I rank it up there with the best of them, Ballast Point, Fantasy Factory, Ale Asylum’s Ballistic, Green Flash, Three Floyds, and Toppling Goliath. Crane Ale APA is also very good (I’m enjoying one from a growler at home while I type this review), and the American Strong Ale they served for Craft Beer Week was a treat. I’m super stoked for the Imperial IPA next weekend.
The people at Parched Eagle make it a lot of fun to pop in for a pint. Jim, the proprietor and brewmaster, is a great host, as are all of the folks I’ve met working at his establishment.
Located in a vanilla mixed use (businesses on the bottom, apartments on top) strip center, you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you walk in. Right up front is a beautiful bar: its base is made out of — get this — antique pianos — and the top is natural hardwood (think a tree that’s polished). There’s plenty of seating at and around the bar, a large room to the side that’s great for a larger group, and has a couch with a coffee table and games, and a brand new patio with several 4-​tops with umbrellas — really nice. The brewhouse is right behind clear plexiglass so you have a great view of where the magic happens.
If Westport still seems like an out of the way spot, let me share some stats with you. It’s roughly 15 minutes from Middleton via Route M, and around 20 from downtown — not as long as you might think and I promise it’s worth the trip!

If you are looking to have a good microbrew this is a great place. Everything else needs some work. There menu is very limited, but isnt very well executed, and as far I can tell has mustard on everything. I don’t like mustard so I guess if you are a mustard fan you may be in heaven. The atmosphere on the bar side is good but the adjacent room lacks character. They are in the process of adding outdoor seating.
I tried a flight of all of their beers and was presently surprised, and I’ll be back again for that, but I’ll have dinner somewhere else first.

This is a smaller brew pub tucked into a strip mall outside of Waunakee. We went on the Wednesday night following Memorial Day. They must have had a busy weekend as they were down to only 2 of their own beers, both of which were pretty good. This is a small space and they do have a fairly limited dining menu — 4 cold sandwiches and 2 appetizers. The sandwiches were pretty decent and looked to have been made with high quality ingredients but they were a little on the pricey side for what you get.
Overall this is a pretty nice addition to the Waunakee area that definitely leans towards the brew side of brewpub. As long as you aren’t heading in looking for wings or dinner plates but are instead looking for more modest food with your beer this seems like a good choice.