Whenever I go on vacation, I always ask my brother what he’d like me to bring back for him and the answer never wavers: Beer. Specifically, locally brewed beer that he can’t find at BevMo or any other mega beverage warehouse store. He told me too late in Ireland, and I got lazy in Canada so when I ventured up to Lake Tahoe in August, I knew wanted to redeem myself and win Best Sister Of the Year Award by finding him the best locally brewed beer in town. When I asked around, people kept pointing me at The Brewery at Lake Tahoe. Situated right alongside Lake Tahoe Blvd., The Brewery is also known for it’s pizza, which Natalie and I just so happened to be craving. We decided to go scope it out and see if I could indeed bring home some of that microbrew back home with me.

We stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon for lunch. We were seated outdoors by the hostess, whose podium is set up just outside the main entrance. I never got to see the depth of the inner restaurant, but there was moderate patio and sidewalk seating for parties ranging from 2 to 8. It was an extremely warm day and as we waited (and waited…and waited…) for our absentee waitress the sun kept creeping over our modest umbrella. A couple to our right vacated their seats, convienently shaded by the building, and Natalie and I took opportunity to switch. Fifteen minutes had passed and still no sign of a waitress. A pair of middle-aged men behind us were growing agitated as it became very clear they had ordered a pizza but were under a time constraint. Finally, they flagged someone down to cancel their order.

It’s not as if we never saw the two patio waitresses – they were hustling and bustling somewhere. The one that looked as if we were in her area disappeared altogether and the other patio waitress (who had been attentive to her larger parties sitting on big picnic tables adjacent to the sidewalk) took over her tables. I don’t know what the hell was going on, but it was a ludicrous wait for some water.

Natalie went and ordered a pint of The Alpine Amber Ale ($4.00) while I decided on the beer sampler consisting of the Bad Ass Ale, Washoe Wheat Ale, a Pilsner and the Seasonal White-Out Wit.

Let me start by saying that I am not an educated drinker. I drink PBR not out of irony but because I genuinely like it. Yes, there is no accounting for taste. My likes tend to lean on the sweet, citrusy side like Blue Moon and Hheffenwiesen. I hate malty and hoppy tasting beers – which is, unfortunately, what my brother likes. So I’ll just say I liked all of these save for the Bad Ass Ale. Natalie’s Alpine Ale was also very good – a nice combination of crispness, just a hint of hops and a deep, caramel finish.

As far as food goes, I was nervous upon seeing the menu. The extensive, “our hand is in every cookie jar” menu. This is almost always a sign of a restaurant that is desperate to please everyone and instead of honing their skills in a few out of this world options, they settle for five pages of all-over-the-map cuisines that wind up being mediocre at best. Both Natalie and I went for individual Michaelangelo pizza’s – which are “customize to your liking”. Natalie, being a vegetarian, went with tomatoes, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. I went with mushrooms, black olives, pineapple, pepperoni and basil. I was very sad that they did not have a more diverse selection of meat toppings – even if I had to pay extra for prosciutto or chicken, I would have.

Vegetarian Michaelangelo

Meat Pizza

Both pizza’s were just okay. The crust was crispy but bland, and the toppings were run of the mill. They did not stand out as anything extraordinary, but they weren’t gross, either. The pineapple looked as if it came from a can, however. After such a long wait, Natalie and I were happy just to be eating and ate most of our pizzas. We took our leftovers but ended up tossing them after reflecting upon just how forgettable the pizza really was.

Chatting with our waitress about my mission proved worthwhile, though, as she informed me about the Growler, a half-gallon glass jug used to transport the ale off premise. It cost only $16 (that is with the beer filled) and should my brother happen to be in the area with his Growler handy, he can get it refilled for only $10.00. Not too shabby, indeed. Natalie and I decided to come back Friday night, the evening before our departure home, and buy my brother a Growler filled with Alpine Ale.

If the ocean were beer, and I was a duck…


Filling up the Growler

This plan went smoothly from my end…but with bad results. I don’t know if it was the extraordinarily long car ride home combined with intense heat (I tried to keep it as cool as possible, but we are driving through central California during SWEATY O’CLOCK) but when the final product ended up in my brothers hands not 24 hours after being purchased, it was flat and flavorless. I am hesitant to point fingers at The Brewery, given the circumstances of the drive back home. Being a good man, my brother drank it all anyway. I’m still a good sister, at least.

Would I return to The Brewery at Lake Tahoe? Maybe…I’m not going to rule them out forever, because I see their hearts are in the right places. I enjoyed the beer on premise, but again, I’m not an aficionado so I couldn’t tell you anything more than what I liked. I’d also not order the pizza again.

Would I recommend to The Brewery at Lake Tahoe? Eh. I’d say dine at your own risk. Judging from other online reviews (both from beef advocates and food enthusiasts) your experience could go either way.

The Brewery at Lake Tahoe
3542 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
website