Aiken Brewing Company

The steak sandwich with sauteed onions and provolone cheese could have been a lot better. The entire steak was placed on the hogie roll and it was very tough and difficult to eat. I had to take the steak off the roll and cut it up to be able to eat it like a sandwich. I have a little culinary background while working at culinary college and I may not be a chef but I do know that a steak sandwich should not be served like this. It would have been very good had it not been well done (i asked for medium) and cut into slivers so as to be able to eat it.

Downstairs is classy, beer is good and bartender is a nice guy. Upstairs is more divey, seedy and bartender threatened to break my friend’s legs. I’d stay downstairs, unless you’re looking for a scrap, then head upstairs and have a chat with the bartender. If you’re feeling like a humanitarian try working out why he has so much anger. If you’re feeling like a prize fighter show up in boxing gloves and a seer sucker suit. The choice is yours and yours alone, good luck.

I’m not sure if it’s entirely fair for me to write a review because I work here, but I think everyone deserves to know the scoop on this awesome family owned microbrewery. Personally, from my co-​workers, to the kitchen, to the customers and regulars I see everyday, this is the best service industry job I’ve ever had. It’s a laid back, fun and family friendly environment ready to serve you! So, if you are looking for a quiet, fine dining experience with a variety of different wine, this isn’t it. As a microbrewery, we focus on our own brewed beers and we also offer domestics, a good bit of liquor and a small wine menu.
We stay pretty busy most of the year and it’s definitely one of the hottest spots to go to at night, as well. (Mon– Wed: kitchen closes at 9pm)
(Thurs– Sat: kitchen closes at 10pm)
The upstairs is more of a bar atmosphere, but definitely welcomes dining customers too. With that said, upstairs opens Thurs-​Sat at 6pm.
Lunch Menu:
My favorites– French Dip with cheese fries, 12 Wings (Carolina Que & 10x mixed or try the Korean BBQ!), Black n’ Blu Sirloin Salad
Local favorites– Brewhouse Burger, 12, 18, or 24 wings, Big Tony, Mother Plucker, French Onion Soup, Chicken Salad Sandwich and various lunch specials that change!
Dinner Menu:
My favorites– Rasta Pasta, Shrimp & Grits & Half rack of Ribs (Stout & Bold sauced)
Local favorites– Rasta Pasta, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Brewhouse Burger, Full rack of Ribs (Hickory Smoke or Carolina Que sauced), Also the 12, 18, or 24 wings!

While the beers were great, service was very bad. After a wedding we were treated with nothing but disrespect. A member of our party might have been a little too intoxicated, but when he approached the bar, he wasn’t turned away but instead antagonized and harassed by the bartender to «fight». Literally the bartender was trying to pick a fight with a drunk guy instead of simply kicking him out, and even as we tried to calm the bartender down he kept coming back with insults to an intoxicated fellow. I would recommend going for a drink, but not for a good time.

Try their Thoroughbred Red! Great local spot with fun outdoor seating.

ABC is an Aiken staple in the heart of downtown. For pub fare, the food is surprisingly delicious and the menu has something for everyone. The beers are delicious and they even have wine and a full bar if you aren’t a beer drinker.
This place gets packed on weekends and some week nights, but it’s worth the wait. It’s that one bar in Aiken that just makes you feel like a native. I recommend checking it out if you’re in town.

Went to Aiken Brewing Company for lunch. The restaurant was small and cozy. We were greeted right away by friendly staff. I got the make your own burger with swiss and bacon with fries. My daughter got the French dip roast beef with onion rings. Both the burger and the sandwich were very good. The fries and onion rings were tasty too. I also had a IPA or two which I loved. All three items were suggested by our waitress. I think her name was Tori and she was awesome. Very friendly and helpful.
I will come back.

Great food and the best microbrew in Aiken. A little busy, but sitting outside is a plus.

Home brews are great. Love the London stout and the thoroughbred red. Food is better than average but not necessarily awesome. If they are crowded, ask to sit upstairs. The outside seating is a great place to light up a pipe or cigar as this is welcomed.

Came where with my family, enjoyed the giant sandwiches and selection of beers! This was recommended as the best place to stop at in Aiken, SC. Would definitely check it out again! Great Porter and Stouts!

Waited 20 minutes for coffee and had to ask for our cold food that we could see sitting under the lights. Server disappointed had to ask bartender. Had to ask for au jus with French Dip. Bruschetta soggy. Never again.

This was my first time to Aiken Brewing Company during as I passed through Aiken, SC. The restaurant is extremely busy, extremely. We tried sitting at the main bar, but that and the main dining room were completely full. I ended up sitting outside at the curb side tables. The street is very busy so locals and tourist are always walking through the tables. The brewery has a large selection of home microbrews that are amazing, which might be why the place is packed at all times.
As far as service, the server brought is our drinks quickly, but a simple appetizer took far too long. We thought that they had maybe forgotten about it. Come early if you want to get a sit inside or at the bar.

My husband claimed these were the creamiest and tastiest shrimp and grits ever! The teriyaki and hickory smoke wings were amazing too! Service and atmosphere were fantastic. We will definitely be coming back and we will be bringing our friends and family when they visit Aiken as well!

Great home brewed beers. Staff was ok, but the friendliness of the other patrons made up for it.

Food and atmosphere were good, beer was fine, but the thing that stuck out the most to me was how incredibly rude the staff was during our visit.
We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon with 12 people. Before I begin, I know a group of 12 ands ridiculous but we were already aware of that and have always taken that into consideration. Furthermore, we have been to other restaurants with just as many, if not more than this, and we’ve never received such terrible service.
The initial hostess was very accommodating and said she would push some tables together outside for us which was perfect because the weather was so nice and we knew we would take up a lot of space. Another waitress came out and rudely pointed out a sign that we didn’t see stating we weren’t allowed to move tables. As we apologized, explaining another worker had told us it was okay, and started to move the tables back, she rolled her eyes and stomped away.
Then, our table’s waitress finally came by to ask for drinks and made it clear she wasn’t pleased to serve us and got pissy that we couldn’t keep the menus from blowing away. We had them anchored under the ketchup, mustard, and salt and pepper box, so we were doing the best we could but weather happens. She neither understood nor did she consider taking the menus with her when she left, as do other restaurants.
Finally, another waitress, helping bring out our food, loudly stated that this is why they don’t serve large groups before turning away and ever so kindly asking another table if she could get them anything.
I should say that at no point was our group difficult or unruly. Having worked in food service myself, I understand how large groups can be frustrating but at no point were any of us deserving of this behavior.
Overall, I was highly disappointed in the experience. No amount of good food is worth rude behavior.

Avoid– go only as a last resort the day after the apocalypse. Not even a dive bar any more.
One star is the lowest rating Unilocal allows. I would rather give it no stars. This place is a dump. It looks nice, but it is a hole. I first visited it last year and it was a dive bar then and has declined steadily. Beer is awful– flat and flavorless. (If you don’t believe me, notice they don’t enter in any sort of craft beer competitions. Why? Because their beer is awful and flat.)
The service is sub-​par. Waitresses are rude and don’t care about how your food is, or if they can get you anything other than another crappy beer. They will stand around and play grab ass with one another instead of doing their job.
The food is recycled, I swear. I ordered wings and couldn’t tell which wings I had eaten and which I hadn’t. They were dry, skinny, cold, and tasteless. I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that they pulled them from another table’s scraps.
The only reason this place is still open is because there isn’t another brew pub in town. Any new brewery in Aiken would put this place out of business if they could serve wings, burgers, and chicken tenders. Anyone who gives this place any sort of credit has no idea what they are talking about– they don’t know food, beer, or what a good dinning experience is. This place is a candidate for the tv show «Bar Rescue».

Aiken Brewing. .. the pride of Aiken craft beer drinkers…
Honestly, when I first moved to Aiken, I wasn’t hugely impressed with Aiken Brewing’s beers. I tried 15 of their beers I would rate any of them over 2 out of 5. However, on my most recent visit, they seemed to have upped the ante a bit. I had a Black IPA. I have a motto: when you see a Black IPA, you drink a Black IPA. This is a bold style that you don’t often see. It was thoroughly delicious. I also tried the Hefeweizen. Spot-​on.
While I’m not a huge fan of all of their beers, I love their food. Both times I got the reuben. Very tasty.
The atmosphere is quite fun. A neat mural outside, patio seating outside, brewing equipment at the front of the restaurant, a bar with TVs, and regular dining tables. The staff has always been polite and helpful.
Think local, drink local!

Great in-​house brewed beers! I highly recommend the Czech Pilsner and the Jenny Cream Ale if you like lighter, very easy-​drinking beers. The pretzel bites ‘appeteaser’ were slightly overcooked in my opinion (or maybe that’s the way they normally come) but the beer cheese dipping sauce more than made up for it — so good I would bottle it and take it home! The «Mother Plucker» Wrap — Buffalo chicken tenders with pepperjack, lettuce and tomatoes wrapped in flour tortilla — was also very good. It had the perfect amount of heat without being overly spicy. Excellent service at the bar.

I have stopped in this place a couple of times but never stayed for a meal. Kind of reminds me of a basement, not well lit, dusty shelves, and put you to sleep music playing in the background. They have a handful of house made craft beer on any giving night.

On a recent visit, I decided to stop in with a friend. I’d heard good things and I wanted to try it out. Aiken Brewing Company is in downtown Aiken, SC. The area is cute and quaint. Aiken Brewing Company probably falls more so in the bar category than restaurant. The place offers a full menu, but the atmosphere is really that of a bar. I tried the Crab Stuff Mushrooms, which were a hit with me. I had a salad that was not the best, but maybe I wasn’t clear on my directions. I wanted to add mushrooms to the salad, they did, but they were cooked and I would have preferred fresh.
Unfortunately, I’m not a beer drinker, so I didn’t get to experience that. The customer service however was great. Our waitress was very nice. My friend didn’t like the seasoning of here steak quesadilla, which she was apprehensive about sending back, but the waitress said that commonly happens with this menu item. The owner was also present and dropped by our table to say hello. The parking situation is much like any downtown and the place offered outdoor seating, which was popular. If you’re into beers, do stop by and experience the brews.