BDB Rating 86
We didn't do much research prior to visiting East Rock on a Saturday afternoon. We selected the place due to its convenient location off of the split of I-95 and I-91. It is located in a nice business park. We were happy to see a great food truck parked outside. But we had the impression we were walking in to a small Starbucks. Very wrong, as this place is extremely spacious. As you enter there is a lot of swag, glassware and a frig full of beer to-go. There are taps which seem to be more for growler fills. A few more steps in and you start taking in how large this place really is. First you notice the large communal tables (hence the Beer Hall name) and the main bar at the other end of the room. Behind that are large windows to view an even larger area closed off by a big door leading into the brewing area. This place was built with major expansion plans in mind as there is a ton of vacant space in the back just begging for more brewing equipment.
We loved the durable menus as they contained almost all the basic info. you are looking for when first sitting down at a brewery (see pix). Our server was informative and helped set us up with flights (great price as 4 for $8). Their flagships are basically the Year Round beers but we were told the East Rock Lager and Pilsner are the 2 main go-to's. Both were solid and enjoyable. Everything else was average. This isn't the place for hopheads as the closest thing was the new Curious Kid (IPL). We also were looking for a porter or stout but not part of their current offering. The closest thing to a dark beer was the Dunkel Lager. This was a pleasant surprise and probably our favorite. East Rock is a friendly day-drinker place as the only amped up beer was the Goat Herder IPL at 7.2%. No crazy dbl, triples or barrel aged stuff...which we love but tough to accomplish anything the rest of the day.
There is a full length shuffleboard table and other board games to enjoy some fun with friends. Yet since this place has such a modern feel, we couldn't help feeling at time as if we were in a cafeteria rather than a beer hall.
Overall East Rock offers a convenient location which is good for any size group. See if they have a food truck or BYOF. And expect a nice tap list of traditional styled beer.
