Gainesville House of Beer

The bartender was a great recommender based on our tastes and nailed it. The patio was small but inhabited by similarly-​minded folks on bicycles.
There was a single dude inside ate the bar playing a hand drum to the house music! Sure, down the street at Loosey’s had a bigger outdoor space, but I was afraid that a Kurt cobain look alike was going to offer me heroin.
This place has an outstanding variety of delicious beer an enjoyable atmosphere and helpful staff.
I’m a fan.

Great selection of beers and really nice staff! Always feel welcomed and like the setting. Love the fact we can watch Kung fu movies and drink beer, feel at home!

Best overall Craft Beer spot in Gainesville. Being that it is part of the «House of Beer» chain, you might expect it to be homogenized and a bit stale (uh umm, World of Beer, Brass Tap), but it’s not.
The service is mostly good, and when it’s not, it’s probably more due to a bad day (or bad employee) and shouldn’t be held against them as a whole.
As far as selection goes they generally have one of the better rotations in Gainesville. They often have «tap takeovers,» which can range from enjoyable to a chore (CCB), but sometimes good stuff from the takeovers lasts a little while and can be enjoyed without the crowd. The Top seems to get the «super rare» stuff more often than HOB, but on a consistency basis, HOB is hard to beat.
Atmosphere varies from totally quiet to rowdy (US and Orlando City Soccer games).

If I weren’t so considerate of those in my circle that don’t drink beer I imagine I might find myself at Gainesville House of Beer (HoB) a lot more than I do. You can find a plethora of places in town that carry a solid selection of craft drafts, but the most true-​to-​brew spot a beer lover can hope to find themselves in Gainesville would definitely be… well the house that’s full of it. From tap takeovers to great happy hours and plenty of TVs for sports, you get exactly what you think from the area’s oldest pub.
The Space
One block west of University Ave. and Main Street, HoB is easy to spot but definitely can be tricky to park for. Right beside the place you’ll spy a large lot but this often gets occupied by patrons of other nearby places and that leaves you to hunt for street-​side vacancies like a mad man.
Walking up you’ll find a few tables for outdoor seating as well as plenty of beer-​themed signage (in case you weren’t sure you’d arrived at the right place). Inside the walls are lined with more beer memorabilia, TVs, taps, and probably other things starting with the letter «t» if I were more creative. On any given night you’re probably going to land a comfortable table to accommodate your group, but often this makes the place feel a little… too open. It’s the kind of place where you can sometimes make out another group’s entire conversation. Good for some, though not so much for me.
The Service
One long bar handles pretty much any volume of traffic on non-​event nights, and you better believe the people tending bar at a literal house of beer know their stuff. Come in to find staff ready to recommend great beer for your tastes, whether you’re an expert or a newbie. This place uses that menu service to electronically display and update what offerings are available which I personally LOVE. «At a glance» info on every beer makes it easy for even someone as indecisive as me to make a choice, or at a minimum pick out a flight of options.
Only one time have I come here and seen rudeness out of a server, and it wasn’t directed at me. Still not something I like out of a place I’m going to for a good time.
The Suds
You want it, they got it. Drafts from both near and far, current items and household local names, bottles of this and that. About the only downside to a place like this is sometimes seeing the taps linger a while, but even that’s helped by the frequent features they have (my most recent trip was for a Cigar City tap takeover, in fact). The glasses are clean, the beers are cold, and they even car a far amount of dedicated nitro taps unlike anywhere else in Gainesville. And sure… they’ve got wine if that’s somehow necessary to appease someone that’s with you.
Final Thoughts
I wish they had food but enough is nearby to make it a non-​issue. For me HoB is the perfect after work place to hear myself think in a conversation. They’ve got good prices, decent specials, and events to keep things interesting. Sometimes they’ll even through down free pizza for a sporting event halftime. It may not be where I go to get pumped for an exciting weekend but I definitely enjoy a place I can unwind once and a while: they nail it here!

Ahhhhh… I have found my happy place! You are doing yourself a HUGE disservice by frequenting this establishment! Go see my stellar friend, Chris… He is VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE and on point! xxx– #freyjavansiren

I know absolutely ZERO about beer, however, this place was off the chain! I enjoyed the opportunity to try various brews before I made a decision. The bartender was fun and was a great buffer as I was on a date and having a third person around was actually a pleasure. I enjoyed how presence as another perspective on the beer ordering experience and if I were to seek out beer in the future, House of Beer would certainly be a wonderful option.

Awesome beer selection, 40 drafts, wine on draft, bring whatever food you want to eat inside to enjoy with a brew or have food delivered, great bartenders, great music, great atmosphere!

Really good bar to go to if you’d like to try a variety of different beers. Could be better if they had food, but overall it’s always a nice experience going there. They often have random specials (for example free pizza during half time for USMNT soccer world cup games) which definitely make it an interesting venue.

Walked in for the Arsenal match, stayed for the good vibes, and good beer.
This pub is the home for the Gainesville Gooners (fans of the English Football team Arsenal FC) and I showed up to catch a game while I was in Gainesville visiting some friends. After the game, my friends & I decided to stay and have some others meet us there to hang around for a bit.
They have good specials including $ 4 beers of the day that included beer from a local Gainesville brewery. I stuck around their specials ($ 4 of the day, their Fat Tire special) for the most part so maybe that’s why I don’t see why other Unilocalers think it’s pricey.
The people that worked there were happy to recommend different beers and let us sample various beers so we had a better idea of what we wanted to get. Even if you’re not a big fan of beer (like a couple of friends of mine) they will probably help you find something you will like. The place is pretty spacious and there are plenty of TVs for whenever there is a game on etc.
I only went once, and would probably want to pass by a couple more times before firmly stating it’s 5/​5, but my time there was definitely great and if I lived in Gainesville, it would probably be one of my go-​to bars.

One of favorite spots in town, the staff is helpful, it’s always clean, and the beer changes.
Now, it’s not where one would go to pound down half a gallon of foam, it’s better for one or two slow sipping brews and a more quiet evening.

My Wife and I had a great time. Just think about it 40 beers on tap, most from brewerys I haven’t heard of.

Get $ 1 off all drafts when you check-​in on foursquare!
This place is great because of the large selection of draft and bottled beers. The staff is very friendly and will allow you to sample as many drafts as you want until you’ve found the right one. Requests for TV channels (i.e. a basketball game) are always welcome. They want you to feel at home.
Nice porch to sit and smoke and super clean bathrooms are a plus.

I’m a stickler for sweet stouts (oatmeal, milk, coffee, etc.). Unfortunately, when I went here, they didn’t have any.
I’ve been spoiled by Stubbies because I can always tell them what I like and they will find me something in that wheelhouse. I don’t claim to be a major connoisseur, so it’s nice to have that extra attention.
The gentleman behind the bar at HOB wasn’t very forthcoming. I asked if he had something and he immediately told me to check the board. I tried a few beers there, but couldn’t find anything to jump up and down about. Ultimately, I just wanted to pay my tab and walk next door.

I really wasn’t a fan of HOB. Personally, I thought the selection of brews kinda sucked and overpriced for what it was. In reference to a comment by another reviewer, I’m not complaining about the price while getting a craft beer at HOB, I’m complaining about the price because I think the selection and quality of the beers is not worth it. As a regular of Rendezvous when I go to St. Augustine, I’ve sent as much as $ 70 on one beer. I’ll routinely pay $ 7-​$ 9 for a beer if it’s a good, kick ass beer. I’ve never experienced a great beer here. Just average at best. The problem with the craft brew explosion recently is that there’s an awful lot of average beers out there. I’m also very disappointed that they have no German or Belgian beers.
It being pretty clean, friendly bartenders, and a pretty wide variety of beer, I can see how some would enjoy it. It’s just not for me.

I should first say I’m not an avid beer drinker, but, even still House of Beer has beer selection for someone like me. My boyfriend loves it, though. They give sample tastings and bartenders are helpful and nice. Atmosphere could be made nicer, little ‘blah’ with basic tables and not quite the cleanliness place. Typically less crowded than most bars, easy to get service. Fun iTunes jukebox and giant Jenga to play. Wide selection of beers, but rarely have draft beer specials, usually just bottled specials. Serves beer & wine only, wine is low-​grade at best bottles at best. Go for beer — Gainesville’s Swamphead Brewery beer always a must have favorite by locals!
Swing by one of the downtown Gainesville food spots like Relish or Harvest Thyme and order takeout to bring back to HOB and eat at the bar. You can also order delivery to be brought to you at the bar — legit! :)

I had to re review this place as I am now a bigger fan! Granted this comes with my new found enjoyment of craft beer and it’s takeover in Gainesville. If you are unsure of what to try the staff is awesome and will give suggestions. This place has a lot of locals but don’t worry they welcome newcomers.
This place is nice and quiet and has the MLB extra innings package. Don’t let people who started going to Stubies before HOB tell you not to come here. Check it out and decide for yourself which place you like better.
I love Take it home Tuesdays! They bring is 5 beers from a certain brewery and give you a beer glass to take home with that brewery logo on it. Also, make sure to check in on Facebook or Foursquare for a 10% discount.

Location and the fact that they specialize in lots and lots of beers of course leads to the Stubbies comparison, but don’t count the new kid out yet! I enjoy Stubbies and their immense selection of beers, but the service is generally lackluster and finding somewhere to sit and enjoy yourself is almost always a pain. Not so at HOB!
Both times I’ve stopped by has been on Thursday evenings, so I can’t really speak for how they might function on a busy weekend. When I walked in I realized the bartender used to serve me semi regularly at another bar in town, so he already had a decent idea of what I like in my beers. Nonetheless he offered me multiple suggestions and samples until I settled on a delicious IPA that, sadly I cannot remember the name of. He also asked my roommate, who he didn’t know socially prior, what he preferred out of his beers and gave him endless samples until he found one to his liking as well.
The place was pretty dead when we showed up, but even as the night progressed and the bar filled up the bartender handled the crowd well and I never saw anyone waiting for a beer for very long. Also, when the bar started to fill up I saw people who didn’t know each other at all share a table, something that no one has ever been nice enough to offer to do with me at Stubbies when I am wandering around trying not to spill my $ 7 beer while I find a corner to enjoy it.
There was live music that was neither too loud, like Lillian’s, too out of place, like Tall Paul’s or too forced on you, like Loosey’s. However, to be fair, I should say I enjoy all those places as well. The bathroom is always clean, which is pretty much impossible to find in downtown Gainesville.
Okay, now for the complaints about price. No, it’s not cheap beer. However, if you aren’t willing to spend some money why are you out looking for craft beers at a bar? Stop by Dorn’s or Ward’s and grab what strikes your fancy and enjoy a cheaper, yet still tasty night at home. If being out and about is what you crave, go to Grog and drink the free Natty on Tuesday’s or whatever night that is. Problem solved.
If you want to try something new without unnecessarily large crowds and still get an amazing selection of beer to choose from, give House of Beer a chance, I doubt you’ll regret it.

I really like this place but I think the reason is I enjoy the bar’s sole focus — the best selection of draft beer in Gainesville.
Yes, there are cheaper places to drink craft beer (Top, Midnight), there are those with food (Top, Stubbies), venues with Live Music (Tall Paul’s, Looseys on some nights), places with a nicer, more electric ambiance (Alcove, Bull, Top), and, off course, no one can compare with Stubbies immense collection of bottles. However, if you are looking for somewhere to reliably get a great selection of drafts, catch part of a game, and never have to worry about a cover charge, this is the place.
Everyone’s taste in beer is different so no two people seem to evaluate the tap selection the same. There are some spots in town with just a few taps that always have a great selection (Top, Palomino) and there are places with many more taps that I never seem to be able to find more than one or two I’d be interested in drinking (Tall Paul’s, Salty Dog, etc.). I find GHOB to be that perfect combination of quantity and selection. I also like the location, I find that I actually visit Stubbies more since this place opened since I’ll come out for a specific tap on either of their websites and then wind up stopping by the other place before or after.
I also wanted that some of the negatives pointed out by the other reviews are actually positives for this place:
Loyalty Program — If you look at it as buying 40 beers to get a shirt, yeah it isn’t a great deal. However, if you are buying the beer anyway and it forces you to try a few other selections you wouldn’t normally sample it might only cost you a fraction of those beers. I much prefer this system to the typical beer bar loyalty where you have to drink a pre-​set selection of beers. The advantage here is if you don’t like what is on tap #17, wait a couple of weeks till it changes!
Lack of Food — I find in many ways this is a plus — I can bring in order from anywhere I want vs. suffering through a limited bar menu. They always seem to order pizza during games that is complimentary as well. There are some Gainesville places that have a great food + beer selection but more common are places which only get the food or beer right, not both. Gainesville could use a nice selection of Gastropubs (with Boca Fiesta and Top being the closest we have) but I’d rather new beer bars focus on the beer first!
I am just glad the beer selection across town has improved so much over the last decade. I remember when getting an Anchor Liberty at Speakeasy or a Market Street local brew was about the only non-​BMC option downtown.

This place is just ok… but frankly I dont think it’s a very good business plan to open a bar right next to Stubbies with less beer selection and non-​competitive prices. The only way I see myself going here is if A) A friend suggests it, or B) Stubbies is too packed and I have to wait to get in. Maybe that’s their business plan.
On the plus side, bathrooms were clean.

Tried it twice — not liking it at all.
Good: Great tap list, Beer is ice cold, friendly staff, location
Bad: Prices 5.50 — 6.00 a pint, no personality (concrete walls and ceiling with no pictures, décor, nothing), way to noisy (concrete walls = everything echoes like being in a cave)
They do have a loyalty program, but it almost laughable. If you drink «The Rail» (all 40 beers on-​tap) you get a t-​shirt? That would be a $ 240 deal — for t-​shirt? HAHAHA!!!