Defiant Brewing Company

The beer is great, but what is available is inconsistent. The chicken wings remain excellent, but the last time we went there, the brisket was very over done and dry.

Really good smoked wings and ribs! Theres something about that dry rub! Oh and the corn bread on the side is amazing! Since I’ve given 3 exclamations for the food, I’ll just say they have a solid beer selection which is a must try. My favorite brewery to go to thus far because of the good food available with good beer. The only reason for the 4 stars is that they don’t take card and require cash only. Come with cash or get stuck paying the on premise ATM fees!

My first visit here but I feel like it deserves a second visit already. The place is very spacious. Came here tonight with my friends and we had a good time. My pros and cons for this place are:
Pros– friendly staff, great beer selection and tasty BBQ.
Cons– if you sit outside by the benches the service does not exist. Also it takes a really long time to get your food.
It’s hard to say if this was an off night considering this was my first time here. But that’s why I feel like I
Need to come back and give it a second try. Especially when your with good friends.

Very impressive.
I tried this place recently for the beer selection but was very impressed by the BBQ.
The beers on tap are really good and reasonably priced. Great space too — really big bar area, tables, and large beer hall area with different events at night and even a band stage.
The food was very good — pulled pork was very flavorful. Brisket was cooked very well but could have been more smokey. The cole slaw and corn bread were good but I did not care for the baked beans. Portions are quite large and not too expensive.
Be aware — cash only.

I stopped in here after backpacking across Harriman St. park. This place is awesome, the wings were some of the best I’ve had. I’d come up from the city just for those. But the add on the Medusa IPA, Rye IPA and Blimey and I wanted to miss my train and try more. Andrew was great too wish I had a hiking bud like him. Great place!!!

First impressions was «this place is huge with a lot of sitting space». Cash only which to me means better quality (don’t know why carry over from diner hoping). The reason I give this place 3 star is for both the service and food. As for service other Than 1 person every other person behind the bar had the «I’m not here» blinders. Granted not that big of a deal everyone has tasks they need to complete. However it was when a group of white people (friend and I only minorites) arrived did they step up and assist customers, while we till hadn’t been asked if we wanted a drink. we were about to leave when a very polite older gentleman began taking drink and food orders. this guy did the job well. We got our food and when he noticed our mugs were empty always asked if we wanted another. The food itself was meh. There were only several aspects of the food I enjoyed. One being the sauce the other the amazing ribs. I also had the brisket, which was dry thank goodness for the sauce. In addition to runny Mac and cheese and decent potato salad. I love gastropubs and breweries however didn’t feel this one would like us back.

We came here on a Friday night at around 730 with another couple. You seat yourself, and there were plenty of open tables for us. We decided to sit on a 4 person high top in the bar area. They also have benches in the back, but my friend and I wanted some privacy and back support. The ambiance was good. The place is what you’d expect a brewery to look like, with an old warehouse, bare bones feel. Place is cash only so bring cash.
The beer left a lot to be desired. Most of it was mediocre at best. The orange cream ale and the double ipa were both good. We also tried the ipa, the rye ipa, the Belgian trippel, and the stout. They all missed the mark and were bland for their respective varieties.
For food, we shared the ample sample, an extra order of wings, the brisket cheese steak tacos, and an order of the Hawaiian beef jerky. 3 sides plus corn bread and pickles come with the ample sample. We opted for Mac and cheese, brisket chili, and coleslaw. All of the food tasted good, but it definitely wasn’t the best bbq I’ve ever had, and it had its shortcomings. The ribs were very over seasoned. The dry rub was caked on. I wasn’t sure if I was eating meat or spices. The brisket was good but a large percentage of it was fat, and not the kind of fat you want to eat. The pork was okay, but I’ve made better tasting pulled pork in my crock pot. The best meat on the plate was the wings. Thankfully, we listened to Unilocal,and our friend we were with who has been to defiant before, and got an extra order of the wings. The dry rub was excellent. It’s flavorful and has a sweet after taste. They bring out a bbq sauce and a hot sauce to put on your meats. Not sure if these are homemade or not, but they’re not great. The bbq sauce was a little chunky and flavorless.
In terms of sides, we were disappointed with the mac and cheese. It was pretty overcooked and mushy. However, the coleslaw and brisket chili were both tasty. The brisket cheese steak tacos were not what we thought they’d be. They just threw some brisket and their mushy mac and cheese on store bought soft tacos. They’re mislabeled if you ask me. They should call them what they are. Do not get the Hawaiian beef jerky!!! We were told it had a little heat, but it was doused in pepper. We were all coughing and trying to convince ourselves that it wasn’t that bad, but it was.
Again, the best beers were the orange cream ale and the double ipa. If you’re going to get food, get the wings and skip the rest.

Decent beer. The bartenders knew very little about the brew system. Should be a part of the training. Traveled 2 hours to try their beers and were told they don’t do tasters and we couldn’t try them all if we wanted to. Weird. Also, who charges 6.75 for a «premium beer» that they Brew themselves? We have been to 158 breweries, small and large. Never paid 6.75 for a beer. 5 maybe. Sub par for a 10oz premium BTW. Food was offered but we didn’t partake. Water from the wall hose. Classy. Come on guys, give it effort, or put taster room prices out.

Haven’t been here in ages. Love it years ago and love it more then ever. Great beer always

USUALLY, we would love to bring friends here. The beer is great and the BBQ is amazing. Having said that, be advised, call ahead.
Saturday nights, don’t plan on them having the food you looked forward to. We brought a relative here after having bragged about the place. No ribs, no pork, no slaw… no kidding. Very disappointing. If you wish to come here, plan ahead. Better yet, CALL AHEAD.

Beer is decent with a few outstanding gems (their triple IPA, which is more like a hoppy barleywine, is fantastic stuff). Barbeque is even better. The atmosphere combined with the beer and BBQ is what really makes this place though. Very reasonably priced for the quality of the food and beer as well.
Haven’t been back since they did renovations and expanded seating, but I’m looking forward to revisiting and enjoying more beer and BBQ.

Defiant ‘s BBQ and a growler of Muddy Creek. Great start to Super Bowl Sunday.
Big screen tv showing the game. If I knew they were showing the game on a huge screen I would have made plans to come here!
If you haven’t been in recently to see the renovations Neil has made, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

We happened to be driving in the area and decided to stop at the Defiant Brewery. We valued that they had a private parking lot so that we were able to avoid the meters. Apparently, they have some tables outside during warmer months, but, since it was freezing, we just ran inside and grabbed seats at the long bar facing the taps. There were also several high tables available near the bar, as well as a large beer garden in the back.
While the space was laid back and fun, we were less than impressed with the service. The bartenders were not very friendly and seemed unwilling to engage us in conversation about the beers. Also, we were disappointed that they did not offer tasting flights, so we were stuck ordering full pints. I will say that their $ 4.25 price was great, though.
The Headless Horseman Pumpkin Ale was described on their website as having «English, German, and Canadian malts. This ale has a complex yet gentle combination of caramel, biscuit and cocoa with a finish of pumpkin pie.» I really did not detect a hint of spice, but more the sweetness of caramel. It was fine, but not the best pumpkin ale I had ever had. I sampled my brother’s Hudson Valley-​sourced Black Dirt Stout, which was watery and bitter. After reading so many great things about the Medusa IPA, I asked if it would be possible to sample it. Well, I received literally one SMALL sip, which was barely enough to taste anything. However, I found it full of complex flavors and the best of the 3 by far.
In addition, while I did not try their smoked BBQ, I made sure to check out the massive platters my bar neighbors were tackling, and my mouth was watering. The meat looked tender, and all of the sides appeared hearty and fresh.
Lastly, the NJ Transit train stops literally right in front of the brewery, making it super easy to get to without having to drive home. Between that convenience, the prospect of outdoor beer drinking, and my eagerness to try their barbecue, I would definitely be down for venturing back to Defiant in the summer to give it another shot.

I stopped by here yesterday with my wife and some of her cousins. We were staying in Pearl River for the long weekend and I had no idea that there was a brewery in town. It wasn’t until I found Defiants beer in Shoprite that I became aware of it. Then in talking with my wife’s cousins we decided to all head there later in the evening. We arrived shortly after 8:30 to a half full space. It consisted of a rather long shaped bar with only a skinny space before bumping in further down. At that point you could also see the copper kettles and fermenters used to make their beer.
After sitting down and perusing their chalkboard menu I decided to order the rye IPA. Whenever all of the beers had been poured for our group we tried to open a tab with a credit card only to be told that it was cash only. That wasn’t a problem for us and if it had been then they had an ATM on the premises. I ended up enjoying their rye IPA. It had the flavor of a rye beer at the start before the flavor got into the hoppiness that made it an IPA. After I had finished that beer I decided to try their spelt beer. It had a very unique but pleasing flavor profile that I am not sure that I have had before. They also served BBQ here and while it looked pretty good we had all eaten just before coming.
The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future. I enjoyed both of the beers that I had here and thought our bartender was nice as well. My only wish for the future is that they would have a taster or flight so that it would be easier to try more of their beers.

I highly, highly recommend Defiant. I’ve been a few times, and it never disappoints. The bartenders are extremely friendly and knowledgeable of all their beers. The food is first come, first serve and once they run out for the day they don’t make any more. The Medusa IPA is my favorite, but I make it a point to try a new one every time, usually the seasonals.
If you go with a group definitely order a sampler platter. I usually get the ample sampler which feeds 3 people perfectly. The brisket, ribs, corn bread and cole slaw are amazing. So basically, I love all their food. And don;t forget to order jerky to go! The Hawaiian jerky is spicy and THE BEST.
It’s always packed so come early and come hungry!

This is a pretty good brewery, the atmosphere is great, love the industrial look on the inside, and the food is good. The beers are cheap too, not 12 oz, but I like the smaller sized beer so you can drink more. The place is cash only which is a downfall and their beer choices hasn’t changed much over the years, I also find their beer to be inconsistent batch to batch. But I always have a good time here, and the bartenders are always fun and friendly

A few people have recommended this place to me and I followed up with my own research which showed almost unanimous acclaim of this place. My experience was lackluster.
BEER:
I’m a huge fan of IPA’s, double IPA’s, and stouts but the beer here was just ok to me. My friends and I ordered the medusa and weapons grade. It seemed to be served lukewarm.
FOOD:
I shared the ample sampler with my friends, which was a great deal and perfect amount of food for 3 girls. The ample sampler provides a variety of items from the menu with 3 choices of sides. We chose the baked beans, potato salad, and Mac and cheese. All the side choices we had were good, but nothing remarkable. The pulled pork was extremely dry, not juicy at all. It seemed overcooked. I prefer my beef brisket to be more tender, maybe we were given a drier cut of the meat. The wings also weren’t anything special. My friends and I agreed that the meat was underwhelming, and also agreed that the ribs were the best item we had.
I can understand the allure of this place in its uniqueness in the area, and respect them for their craft. Maybe they were having a bad day when I came, but I don’t think I’ll return.

Being a beer enthusiast not much can ‘wow’ me. Let me say, this place really wowed me. Not only that, but it’s good enough to routinely make the two hour journey from my home in Philly to visit this place.
I have to tell you I was a little concerned when I first saw this location — it’s just a small little storefront in an industrial building. At least the benches out front seem welcoming. When you get inside it’s much larger than it looks, and while somewhat spartan, the bar is welcoming.
Every beer I had here was delicious, but let me tell you, their pumpkin beer Headless Horseman is without a doubt the best pumpkin ale I’ve ever had. I was completely blown away by it! It tastes like bottled pumpkin pie with a bit of alcohol added. Most of the more famous pumpkin brews (here’s looking at you, Pumpking) taste so artificial compared to the delicious sweetness that is Headless Horseman. There isn’t a single artificial aftertaste, so if you’re into pumpkin beers and want something very natural tasting, definitely try it!
Their orange cream ale offering is very unique, and very drinkable. It isn’t overwhelmingly orange, but kind of tastes a bit like a creamsicle pop would in beer form. Their hefeweizen is great as well, being spicy and having a nice bite to it. Their pilsner is extremely clear and crisp. My least favorite offering was probably the Dirt Stout, and though it wasn’t bad, it just ran a bit smoky for my tastes.
The staff here is always very nice and extremely helpful. The food here is awesome, especially their beef jerky. If you like spice, try their Hawaiian offering, which is both fruity and spicy and any jerky lovers dream. All of the barbeque offerings I tried were legit, the ribs are big and juicy, the chili spicy and hearty, and the pulled pork has a lot of the flavorful burnt ends thrown in. Don’t forget the cornbread and mac and cheese, both of which are probably very fattening, but also very filling.
If you go, I suggest you do the whole experience. Get some barbeque, throw in some pints and let yourself be talked into one of their (very cheap) growlers. I wish I wasn’t so far, because the closest distributer of their beers is still an hour away from me. That being said, this location is great, and I’m glad I found out about this great little brewery.

This place is perfection. Really. Great vibe, great beer, and great BBQ!
I would kill for their DIPA– their double IPA is what I dream of at night and their limited edition triple is unbelievable!
I thoroughly enjoyed making repeat visits to this place while I was working nearby — enjoyed the awesome brewers/​bartenders– had a GREAT time with the waitstaff too. I just love everything about this place! And although their BBQ is the bomb, I also have totally enjoyed bringing a picnic lunch here too on a Sat or Sun afternoon.
This place is a hidden gem and SO convenient if you’re coming in on Metro North!

Defiant is really close to my house so it’s pretty convenient. It’s not a gigantic brewery with widely known beers, so it’s not surprising that they don’t give much of a tour. It’s basically a bar where you can see the brewing equipment in action.
The staff is pretty friendly, they’ll show you stuff if you ask. Besides brewing beer, they also make their own BBQ, since they spend hours brewing anyway. It’s pretty solid, but unfortunately, they don’t have beef ribs.
Get a growler, I like the Weapons Grade IPA and Pumpkin Ale the best.