Reads Landing Brewing Company

A friend and I stumbled upon this place while staying in Wabasha. Reads Landing was quite a find.
It’s beautifully situated just along the Mississippi River and the outdoor deck offers a glorious view. There is a modest dining room and bar inside.
I wasn’t all that impressed with the food menu (more on the fancy side than casual bar food) but the beer selection made up for it. In addition to their own beers, they offer a variety of other craft beers.
I went with their own Pullman Porter which was available on nitro during my visit. Our bartender poured it like a master and a tear of joy streamed down my cheek as I watched it settle. The flavor matched my anticipation.
We only stayed for one beer since the place was crowded when we stopped by. But I would go back for a seat on that outside deck and a few more beers while taking in that lovely view.

RLBC is a hidden gem between Wabasha and Lake City!
A friend dragged me in here last night. They’re hidden down the hill, only a few hundred feet off of Highway 61. I mostly stopped for the food. My friend mostly stopped for beer. We tried both.
I’ve eaten at all of the joints (currently in 2015) in Wabasha and in Lake City. For my money, Reads Landing kicks their asses, hands down! They beat the hell out of them on food. And they most definitely beat them on beer.
On top of that, the staff is super nice, the 1860s building is really cool, the antique neon signs are awesome, and the vintage beer labels set in the bar are a great curiosity.
Side note: The bar was originally owned by the current owner’s grand-​dad. Then his son. Now the next son. Cool.
Check my photos. They speak for themselves.
–Daddy Maxx Retro

Went down the Mississippi on a brewery tour and enjoyed the beer. I got the garlic fries and there was nothing fried or garlic about them. There was enough garlic powder to smell it, but that doesn’t count! Glad the beer was good enough to forget about the food.

Beer was good, food not so we think they need a better cook, very disappointed.

Was very surprised at how exceptional the food was here! Not that it appeared to be anything less than that, but to find this nice little treasure tucked away caught us by surprise. The shrimp and grits were fabulous! My husband enjoyed the variety of beer on tap and was pleased with most of them. We will be sure to stop back in the next time we are this way!

What a cool little place, not much else here but worth a stop. We were here on a Sunday afternoon and scored a table outside on the deck. We ordered a beer flight and cheese tray. Both were great. This stays on our list of places we will go again.

Wonderful place to eat! Food was outstanding. Had the sweet potato tots and burger with bacon and onions and mushrooms. Beauty of a burger. Bruschetta for an appetizer was delicious as were the cupcakes for desert. Had a Pom Sawyer witbier that was a perfect summer suds. Will be back soon!

Great setting. Good food and beer. We’ve been here a few times now and enjoyed all our trips. Definitely the go to spot for a casual meal when you’re in the Wabasha area. Start with the shrimp and grits.

Great view of river. Nice patio and inside is really neat. The food was great. Shrimp and grits yum! Garlic fries also great. The beer they brew is ok. Not the best or super memorable but good. They also have a great assortment of bottled beer.

Great place in a historic building overlooking the Mississippi in Reads Landing. I am not a big beer drinker, but I am a fan of their food and their selection of hard ciders! Please try the beet & goat cheese salad, the shrimp grits and the wings! These three items together makes a perfect dinner for two.

Really liked this place. Doesn’t seem like it is in a great location but is laid out really well with a patio overlooking the river and worth the turn off the highway. Great and different food. Definitely would go again and try the beers!

Very good burger. Regret my potato salad was warm as was my wife’s cole slaw. Not good when dealing with mayonnaise. Service was very good.

Really nice find along the Mississippi River. Very friendly and good service and excellent food. Definitely try the sweet potato tater tots with honey butter. The shrimp and grits appetizer was different, and very tasty.
The owners have a very interesting collection of classic beer signs, trays, and labels.
This was a fun stop.

I would like to let everyone know that the owner of Reads Landing Brewery reached out to us & reimbursed our credit card the $ 15.95. He apologized & invited us to come back next time we are in town. Now that is a class act. Thank You for caring.

The beer was generally very good. The Nightcrawler in particular stood out for its balance of hops and malt. The amber was surprisingly good, given the use of a children’s cereal in the mash. The pale ale was solid as well.
The food was good, though not great. The jumbo shrimp was fairly tasty and served with a delightful side of chili-​glazed carrots. The fries beat out the sweet potato tots, which were a bit too sweet. Fish tacos were decent. They don’t offer many vegetarian options and, as expected at a brewpub, most of the food is fried.
Wonderful historic building featuring and old tin feeling, brick walls and hard wood floors, and interesting pictures of historic Reads Landing on the walls.
Definitely worth the trip!

Great find. Drove out of the way for a chill date night. Perfect spot for us — great beer selection for a river road brewpub, food was great, and people were laid back but extremely customer service oriented. Will be great to come back on Saturday afternoon.

Fun place, good food and great beer. We’re from out of state and were visiting 70-​yr-​old relatives. We wanted to take them out to eat somewhere nice, casual and interesting. Reads Landing fit the bill. When I called, the owner said they don’t take reservations, but took my name anyway and said he’d keep a table for us. We came early and the place was packed. He seated us almost immediately — especially nice for my older relatives. He also took the time to chat with us about his brewing — again, I have to mention how busy the place was.
Our food was good, nothing outstanding, yet nothing to complain about. My husband and I had their craft beers and both were very good.
The ambiance is outstanding! It’s located in a historic building, very likely an old general store, based on its large storefront windows. Lucky the people who get to sit there because the windows overlook the Mississippi River and a supreme view. The décor befits the building, including a mural of Reads Landing and other historic photos.
We’ll be back next time we’re in the area! Thanks Bob and crew!

A bit torn on this one. (I’ll preface this with the fact that I’m a beer nerd.) On one hand all of the house beers I tried were pretty bad. I tried all 4 they had available, the Cremona, Cap’n Amber, Twheat, and the American House ESB on Nitro. The only small $ 2 sample I could take more than one sip of was the cremona which was a pretty standard cream ale. The rest I were terrible and I pushed them to the edge of the table as far away from my sight as I could. A good server would have inquired to ask if I didn’t care of them and taken them off my bill but ours didn’t. Granted I didn’t say anything. I noticed another couple a table down got the same sampler flight and were making the same disgusted faces when sampling all the beers. I don’t think they finished their’s either.
But… On the other hand, it’s a really cool old building that has a nice vibe and overlooks the Mississippi. They also serve some really good guest beers but mostly only in bottles which to be honest is what I wish I would have done. They also have some really good menu items. I had the burger which was great and my wife had the pulled pork. Both hit the spot and were above average. The sweet potato tots were pretty addictive as well.
If I’m ever in the area I’d probably stop in again but mainly because there are few options and this blows the others out of the water. I won’t be trying any of their brews again that’s for sure.

Very cool location down to the Blues playing on the sound system. Outside dining available if you desire with a mice view of the river.
Shrimp and Grits are to die for. Make you want to go home and slap yo mamma. Braised short ribs, chicken piccata, and garlic butter fries were the standout.
Server Eric was excellent. Very personable without being too «in your face.»
If you have a chance, stop in.
PS I liked the motorcycle parking out front.

My wife and I were on a day trip down to Wabasha, we drove down the Wisconsin side, stopped by the Bald Eagle Center and stopped to get some lunch at Reads Landing on the way home to the Twin Cities.
We entered the old style restaurant that kind of looks like an old fire house. We sat down in the center of the bar and they obliged and turned on the Twins game on the 42″ flat screen on the wall.
I ordered the German Style Kottbusser and it was real good. A little banana flavor, real smooth.
I had their flagship American Pale Ale. Very smooth, but not my favorite. It wasn’t bad at all. Just kind of average. I ordered a Surly Furious, an old standby, to go with my meal. Always good stuff.
I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with cottage cheese and berries for my side. The sandwich was AMAZING! I’m not sure if they smoke it in back, but the smokiness of the pulled pork really comes through. I mean, it totally flows through, like you would not believe. The bun was flavorful and perfectly toasted. The coleslaw on top was crispy and not too gooey with dressing.
The cottage cheese with the blueberries were a nice touch on the side.
My wife got a garden salad with ranch on the side. She gave me her cucumber slices and the ranch made for a spectacular dip.
Our server was awesome! She checked on us often and refilled my wife’s Diet Pepsi often. She made great small talk and apologized on our food coming out a little longer than normal, since there were a lot of big tables that got there around the time we walked in.
Great views of the Mississippi, awesome food, fantastic service, and a great selection of beers make for 5 stars!