Latest reviews from Eau Claire

“No place reviews in a decade, but it's still here and still good. A little divey. Went late Saturday night, very near my hotel room. Needed food and just made it to order a pizza before the cutoff time. Pizza was from some local company, and it was good. Bartenders were good. Fun vibe. Good beer list. Can't remember the prices but I was shitfaced. Beer quality was good. Good tap list, lots of locals. Overall, very nice stop, even for a very drunk Drake.“

Drake 984 days ago

“Absolutely loved this place. Easy walking distance from Brewing Projekt. It is kinda tired and drab inside, but there was a Wisconsin style kids birthday party (i.e. bored kid while all the adults get drunk), and a decent sized group at the bar. It was a nice atmosphere. Pint cans to go for a reasonable price, I think $8 each no matter the style. Tried a flight of 5, all very good. Bartender (Jordyn) exceptional. A+ service and she showed a passion for the beers. It's an old school place, but a diamond in the rough. Highly recommended.“

Drake 984 days ago

“Huge place. Three servers handled the decent sized crowd well, and with a good mix of personalized and fast service. I'd hire 'em. Lots of taps. Beers were generally solid. They chase trends, but they have some solid less trendy options available. Tried 9 for $3-4 per 5 ounce pour (don't worry, I Ubered). Place is big. Warehouse. Remembered to take some notes on the scene. Guy at the next table was a John Oliver lookalike. And I loved the dog concert. Two dog started howling at each other and one was changing his/her pitch. It was quite musical. Not sure which dogs it was, but I saw a couple pugs, a golden lab, and a reddish dog I couldn't ID. So, they're dog friendly. Four packs to go... didn't look at the prices. Overall, probably a tad bit overrated, but a good stop.“

Drake 984 days ago

“Big space that feels a little gloomy, until seated in the sunny beer garden surrounded by flowers. Staff are young folks who know which beer is which but can’t recommend reliably. Traditional lager styles done pretty well; not really making sense of the Monk reference as this is through and through a Germanic-style place. Nothing wrong with this place at all but there are enough better options around. High quality lagers in a not-great setting, has its place.“

Stine 2602 days ago

“Homey, rustic vibe here with a comfortable outdoor patio. Fast tap service with some knowledge. Beer quality is good across a pretty wide range of styles and prices are low, Wisconsin style. A range of food trucks hang out outside. This is probably the most revisit-worthy beer destination in Eau Caire.“

Stine 2602 days ago

“This store is part kitchen supply house, part bottle shop and now part brewery, though the latter was closed during our visit. A nice selection of local beers to include a few growlers/crowlers. Reasonable prices.“

BeerandBlues2 2645 days ago

“Nice, dog-friendly shoestring taproom setup on the outskirts of Eau Claire. Picnic table seating out front was welcomed in the warm weather. Beers were of slightly better than average quality and very cheap. Flights were available for the ticking crowd.“

jackl 2657 days ago

“Good location, but the selection was pretty minimal. A few craft selections and some Wisconsin favorites, but the small store also had lots of wine and hard liquor, too, taking up shelf space that could be devoted to beer. It was convenient, but it was kind of a disappointment.“

bookman10 2708 days ago

“A few visits over the 90s and 00s - normally I wouldn’t add a review for a place I haven’t visited in 5+ years, but judging from reports by my brother - who went to UW-EC and has visited more recently than I have - and other friends, I think it’s safe to say that this place hasn’t changed much, which of course is a big part of it’s appeal. To those who have been to the old, original Three Needs in Burlington VT, my one-time hangout, this has something of the same vibe though they don’t brew their own beer and AFAIK never have. Old, grungy, divey but full of charm, lots of good hardwood everywhere - and very cheap beer served in old classic 7-ounce lager glasses - still under 1.00 during Happy Hour I believe. The first time I visited in ’95 or ’96 (I think) it was .35 a glass! Also the place I got hit on hard by an older, crazy guy who followed us out into the snow at Christmas time...good times! Oh, don’t expect an amazing selection and even if there are some decent micros, drink Grain Belt here and soak in the vibe.“

muzzlehatch 2923 days ago

“First visit, July 30th. I drove 3 hours each way on Saturday to meet my best friend, who I hadn’t seen for years, at this place, and frankly it could have been the most horrible dive serving only stale Bud Ice Light Lime Chelada Habanero and I would have had a good time. But I’ll try to be a little more objective. This is basically a very comfortable, pleasant , dark taproom with a minimalist sunny biergarten where my friend and I sat and caught up for 3 hours while drinking the very solid lagers (and one not-so-solid Biere de Garde). I think there were a dozen taps, possibly fourteen, of which 8 or 9 were their own beers with a few other local micros. The Berliner Weisse was the standout as far as I’m concerned. No food, but there’s a food truck out front on Saturdays and I believe Sundays that has Chicago-style dogs & sausages served up by a guy who used to live and cook there - that’s cool enough for me. I’ll certainly return the next time I’m in Eau Claire.“

muzzlehatch 2967 days ago

“located just outside of downtown in a small warehouse. A nice out door patio with a small bar indoors and a bit of indoor seating for the colder months. Service was good and bartender knew about the beers. They had about 12 beers on tap with samplers available. No food available. Prices were cheap as is usually the case in WI. Well worth the stop if you are in the area.“

deyholla 2971 days ago

“Small store with coffee shop and wine and beer and other random items. Beer selection is well curated, some vintage bottles, a new glarus rack, a number of singles and then plenty of other nice things as well.“

dresden 3025 days ago

“A little inconspicuous place to find. Some decent bottle selection though superseded in wine bottles. Carry your own to find someone to take your cash. Still not bad for the middle of almost nowhere.“

Sammy 3335 days ago

“A really great spot to grab a few well done lagers. The brewmaster is a Slovak ex-pat, and really nails the lagers..of which their are 3-5 on tap. Not much of a selection, but the beers are solid. Very relaxed feel inside, sort of an oasis from the railroad and strip mall that it lives in. Definitely worth a stop. Sad to see it not even rated yet, as he is making the best lagers in the State.“

nuplastikk 3846 days ago

“Stopped in while passing through town, Coffee Grounds was our destination. Toppling Goliath PseudoSue on tap. Need I say more? This is the top destination in Eau Claire to buy beer. Nearly everything they have is available in singles, and organized by style. Only a place dedicated to beer will do that, and you’d be surprised how few stores have that level of organization and dedication. Lazy Monk growlers (at least 6), a dozen lambics, at least 50-60 varieties of each style (when available). Berliner Weisse, Gratzer, Gruit, Unblended Lambic, plenty of odd/obscure beers that you can’t find anywhere else in town. High-end imports like Carnegie Porter, Italian saisons, Handbryggeriet, De Dolle, as well as limited seasonals like Founders IS and CW BB Barleywine. They even have an exclusive coffee stout brewed with their house coffee! The staff at the counter were very helpful, even though they weren’t beer experts. The beer guy here is a BA, which is a huge plus. They also checked the stockroom for more Tilquin 750s, but I guess we lucked out and got the last one. (Edit: Had a pricing issue on a single that was resolved later by their beer guy, Kyle. Exceptional customer service!) They gave a short briefing on growler care and it’s lifespan, which is more than I can say for most stores. (Edit: The PseudoSue growler I bought was faded. Boo. Make sure you sample the tap beer first! Not sure if due to low turnover or not running the line before a fill.) They also have a coffee lounge that is a great place for a pit stop on a long roadtrip (clean restrooms too). Not much food, but a small cafe menu and a wide assortment of cheese, charcuterie, and chocolate. Recommended for a detour off the highway.“

emerge077 4025 days ago

“My go-to spot in Eau Claire. Solid selection of N. Wisconsin beers. Prices were a little on the high side for some 6packs, but lots of stuff on sale and reasonably priced mix-pack section. Valkyrie, South Shore, Lucette, American Sky...worthy stop...Not unlike Woodmans in terms of the beer aisle.“

nuplastikk 4081 days ago

“Nice wine/cheese/beer/coffee and other cool stuff boutique kind of place. A well thought out and attractively displayed selection, but the prices were a little higher than average. Seemed like the best place in town to grab interesting national and international bottles.“

nuplastikk 4081 days ago

“Stopped by coffee grounds, while seeing my the future wife’s Alma mater. The store had me worried, for a moment. I saw a lot of non-beer-related items, mostly gourmet foods, and other shit, but then I turned a corner and saw a nice set of shelves that had plenty of good beer to burn a hole in the wallet. Since I only am able to get out to Wisconsin twice a year, I had to get me fill on New Glarus stuff - Serendipity, Enigma, Apple Ale, Raspberry Tart, etc. I noticed that they had a lot of other Wisconsin breweries represented. The prices, as I have no basis of comparison, really, were fine; however, I have seen Raspberry Tart for less than what they were selling it. I also got a coffee, which wasn’t great, but it woke me up, on the car ride to grandma’s cabin. Other notes: didn’t receive much beer service, but I didn’t need it; the food selection looked fine, I don’t remember anything mind-blowing.“

CheersMate 4211 days ago

“Decided to make a quick stop while driving back from the GI black friday event. This was quite the nice surprise. Great atmosphere that is more than just craft beer. The selection was very good and had a huge singles section, one of the best I have seen. Prices were a tad high, but I am willing to spend more per bottle when I can buy one versus a 4 or 6 pack. Service was good, but they do give priority to locals, which I get so won’t hold it against them. I wish there was a place like this much closer to me.“

HarvesterOfSorrow 4318 days ago

“Stopped in from the ratings and found a couple items that are out in MN. Grabbed a Pumking and got some Dave's BrewFarm and Tyranena BGW. Had a great singles selection, they had some BCS as well.“

XmnwildX12 4318 days ago

“Pretty good selection, with a decent potion of the store devoted to beer. First place on this road trip i found drei fonteinen. A ton of Wisconsin beers, including a deep selection of New Glarus. Definitely worthy of an A list rating.“

bytemesis 4342 days ago

“I had to create an account after my recent experience at this store and share with everyone what I went through in the hopes people are at least hesitant in dealing with this store in the future. I called this place at 2 pm on a Saturday and spoke to some girl who worked there. I asked her if they had any Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout available for purchase. She said they did and that they had 96 units on hand and ran down the various prices for me. She said there were no limits, etc. So, the next day I drive an hour and a half to purchase some since it seemed they had quite a bit. When I get to the store the people at the front desk tell me I am not allowed to purchase any but wouldn’t tell me why. I drove an hour and a half to purchase a beer they said I could purchase and then I get there and they won’t sell me any. Later on after I get home (4 hrs after I left) I send the owner of the store an email telling him my story. He said for special release beers they don’t put any of this out on the shelf but allow people who shop at the store a lot to reserve it. He also completely ignores the fact that I was told I could purchase some which is the whole reason why I made the drive in the first place. I used to pass through here quite a bit to purchase beer but I will never shop at this store again. This was without a doubt the single worst experience I’ve ever had as a consumer in my life. “

BeerIsGreat12 4365 days ago

“Stopped by yesterday and was more than happy to find Expy Stout...a couple of batches. Nice selection but, yes, pricey. They had a cool selection of gourmet items as well. I will be back on my next trip through ’Sconi.“

footbalm 4398 days ago

“Great restaurant with a solid tap beer lineup. The stated number of 21 taps seems about right. Food is amazing - its a cajun themed menu. I had the jambalaya, which was very good and spiced in a way that my very midwestern palate could take it!“

BVery 4519 days ago

“Great spot - very solid tap lineup of good stuff, and the prices are reasonable. The bartender told me that Wednesday is "sampler night" (she didn’t know what a "flight" was), and I still find it ridiculous that a tap house doesn’t always have flight options, but she was generous with the tasters nonetheless. Cool atmosphere - highly recommended.“

BVery 4519 days ago

“If you’re in Eau Claire for some reason, possibly a Bon Iver concert or a college speech tournament, you have to go here. Awesome dive bar.“

nbutler11 4528 days ago

“Like the ambiance and the nice selection of beer. Nice deal on Wed. sampler night.“

Kwick 4567 days ago

“Came here on a tip from the bartender at the fire house. Good French cuisine and a decent tap list to boot with 21 taps, most of which were mircobrews. My chicken sandwich was one of the best I’d ever had. The waitress was friendly and the restaurant was inviting enough. There’s a tap only place called Stellas Red Room that I meant to check out, perhaps next time.“

esjaygee 4730 days ago

“An old converted fire house that’s a pretty nice beer bar for this neck of the woods. A lot of Wisconsin and Minnesota beers on tap including a bunch from Lucette and Lazy Monk. I could have stayed longer but the only food options were pizza and popcorn. The bartender was friendly and gave me a nice tip on where to go to get a good beer and a good meal (Stella Blues). Several large TVs and dart boards give this more of a sports bar feel which is right up my alley.“

esjaygee 4730 days ago

“A pretty good selection of craft beer for a grocery store including a singles section where I found a few more Wisconsin beers I haven’t had. A step down from the coffee grounds, but not too bad for Eau Claire.“

esjaygee 4730 days ago

“Ah, the smell of fresh coffee. It’s my favorite aisle in the supermarket and it’s a lovely smell when beer shopping. Quite an array of stuff in bottles, all broken down by regions and most everything available as a single. I was on a Wisconsin beer treasure hunt and did find two beers I had not had before though not the sand creek in-house stout. Service was great!“

esjaygee 4730 days ago

“A grocery store? Really? Gordy’s has morphed itself into an extremely reliable go-to for great beer. They are also going out of the way to promote craft beer in the area by hosting tasting events, etc. “

jlrothbauer 4889 days ago

“Great Store. All of the necessities. Coffee, beer, etc. If I were to open up a beer store I hope it would turn out much, much closer to this than your average display case, cardboard mannequin types.“

jlrothbauer 4889 days ago

“Probably the best tap beer selection between Madison and the Twin Cities, and certainly in Eau Claire. Always features 40 taps that are frequently rotated, including two cask options. Roughly half are dedicated to regional or Wisconsin beers, plus some unique offerings for western WI (Dogfish Head, Bell’s). This place opened in fall 2010, so it’s nice and shiny and clean, though not very big. The fire house motif is nice, if not a bit gimmicky. It’s mostly a post-college crowd, (25-40), which is a nice change from Water Street. Most beers $4, with a few $3 specials and a few more expensive rarities. A nice place to chill out and have good beer. No food besides frozen pizza or chips and salsa. Also, no pitchers (everything by the glass). Fire House also offers growlers, which are a good deal if you want tap beer to go ($8 for 64 oz. of Bells Two Hearted).“

fatguys 4943 days ago

“I love this place! Every time I’m in Coffee Grounds I seem to get absorbed into the atmosphere and find it difficult to leave. They have by far the best beer selection in the area and always have friendly staff ready to help! Whenever someone’s asking, I always send them here for beer!“

soltisnk 5051 days ago

“What a gem to find in northwest wisconsin. Really great beer selection, cigars and whiskeys as well. I shall be returning there on my next fising trip up this way“

porterhenson 5070 days ago

“With that many beers on tap it is hard to go wrong! I have been in a few times and every time there has been a new tap. The guy down there seems to be trying really hard to switch it up and get people drinking beer!“

leolightning 5079 days ago

“On a recent visit, I was fairly impressed with the selection. It looks like it was newly completed with a layout much like a Woodmans. The prices were a little high and the old guys working there didn’t seem to know much about the products. I was able to load up on lots of new stuff, but would have liked to have seen more singles. Worth a stop if you are in the area.“

heemer77 5618 days ago

“BEST BURGERS IN EAU CLAIRE, WI. Voted by Volume one readers. That got me intrigued since I have lived in this city for 6 years and never heard of Mogie’s. So I want a burger and Rochell wants to take me out for my B-day. Arriving at Mogie’s we find only standing room and hardly any at that(later found out they were hosting a retirement party). We work are way to the bar a mention we are interesed in food and a table knowing the house is full. Order our pitcher of beer pour our beers and in only like 4 min the hostess who served our beer had managed to find us a booth. Did we mention they are at capacity and this is a 6 person booth sitting only Rochell and I. I was more than pleased this being our first time there we were getting excellent service. We both order a burger differnt kinds with differnt sides so we could share. HANDS DOWN THESE WERE HONESTLY TWO OF THE BEST BURGERS I HAVE EVER HAD!! Mix that with the good drinks (South shore nut brown) and the amaz“

Baumgartner 5713 days ago

“An ironically eclectic Irish/tropical/sports/anything goes bar. Said to once host a much tougher, more Irish crowd, now is a laid back mishmash of styles and people. Jukebox is packed full of crowd picked favorites, mostly great indie-pop/rock and some punk rock. Also features a deer head mounted on the wall, wearing a Dorsey Levens Green Bay Packer jersey with both a cheesehead and Santa hat on, decked out in bead necklaces and holding Ireland’s flag. Awesome. Drinks are always cheap, sometimes free if you become a regular. The bartending staff is known to be a bit snooty fairly regularly, especially one particularily terrible employee, but they always make strong mixes. Not busy very often, so there’s always a table or barstool a’waitin’.“

hooves 5732 days ago

“Legendary hipster dive-bar in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Used to host blues and rock shows, most famously Buddy Holly four nights before his untimely death. No longer serves as a venue, but is still a favorite for many in the area. Thin hallway setup, small staff and a very regular crowd creates a homely and welcoming vibe. Only has two small televisions, which are often turned off, making conversation more lively and prominent. Jukebox has a wide variety of genres, and is thought to be one of the most credible in town. Pool, darts and pinball in back. Pets allowed and appreciated. Opens at 3pm, usually hosting an older crowd until around 8pm when college students begin filing in. Closes at 2am on weekdays, 2:30 on weekends.“

hooves 5732 days ago

“We really needed this in Eau Claire. Yea we have a specialty store and a few grocery stores in the area that have a decent selection of beer but not like this. This reminds me a a smaller Woodmans. You will find most of your Wisconsin micros as well as Bells, Dogfish Head, STONE !!!! (hell yea), Southern Tier, Oskar Blues and many more. A real nice selection of Belgians and other imports. They have a big selection of singles (200+). Easily the best selection in the Chippewa Valley and maybe even West Central Wisconsin. There is even a tasting area.“

buckybeer 5866 days ago

“A very nice shop with a great variety of beer and other liquors, plus gourmet food, kitchen gadgets, etc. I went there specifically looking for New Glarus beers and was not disappointed: four varieties in stock, including the Spotted Cow I was looking for. They also had a variety of Belgian ales, German beers, and a number of other craft beers and micros. Wish I lived nearer so I could give them more of my business!“

bookman10 5881 days ago

“If you like coffee, beer, or chocolate, this is your place in Eau Claire. Very good selection of beers, though their single bottle pricing is outrageously high.“

BDR 6319 days ago

“Easy access and easy to find. Not much of a selection though, especially considering that this is a college town and it’s very near to campus. If you need something other than BMC you might find a couple of Belgians and maybe some Spotted Cow but overall a disappointment for a guy who was trying to find diamond in the rough. The woman who helped us was not very knowledgeable but she was very friendly and courteous. Prices seemed reasonable. I finally walked out of the place with a bottle of Ommegang and handed it off to my buddy who used to be a BMC drinker. The trip wasn’t a total waste because that one bottle of Ommegang was the beginning of a slow conversion and now, I frequently have conversations with my friend about new beers we’ve each found. Another RB in the making! “

nflmvp 6450 days ago

“A nice selection of micros and craft beers. Belgian beers are well represented, as are local and regional beers..., Two Brothers, Flying Dog, Founders, Bell’s, etc. Many imports line their shelves as well. While I was there, I "Stole" the remainder of their Three Floyd’s Dreadnaught which (UNBELIEVEABLY) was on their 50% clearance rack. On top of the beer selection they’ve got a walk in humidor and a nice wine selection. It’s also a coffee bar with some snack type foods. I spent some time talking with the owner and another "beer guy" and was very pleased to find that they were both very knowledgeable. Other beers were right in line for the prices I’ve seen at some of the most competitive places around so all in all, I have to rate them as reasonable. I’d love to be able to give this place an even better review. In terms of Eau Claire, they are a "5". However, in terms of the OVERALL scheme of things, they have a short way to go. If more and more of you craft beer lovers frequent them, they’ll be able to achieve a "5" in no time. Considering what they’ve been able to achieve in the five short years that they’ve been in business, I think the sky is the limit. "Cerevisia Supra Omnia" “

nflmvp 6587 days ago

“Update- 12-11-06. They are really focusing on rare beers now. Dogfishhead WWS and 120 min IPA is in stock. Rochefort 10 is now on the shelf as well as Founders Devil Dancer and a nice amount of Belgians. Every time I go there they seem to have a new rare beer. A couple of faults are... The singles are horribly overpriced and it is just way too warm in there. There main specialty is Wine, Whiskey and cigars (great walk in humidor). An overall very nice place.“

buckybeer 6631 days ago

“Perhaps 3 dozen different non MBC brews. Went there to pick up a few Viking brews and found that they only had two available, and those two were the common flavors. The clerk was helpful, but really nothing out of the ordinary to offer.“

JPDIPSO 6885 days ago