High Sierra Brewing Company

Wow. This place has really gone downhill since Baldinis took over. The minute you walk in you walk in you get that feeling you’re in an episode of Bar Rescue. They have a very limited menu but thats ok because I would never order food here again. The place now reeks of cigarette smoke. It takes them forever to acknowledge you let alone take your order. There was a guy blasting screamo music playing pool… yes they added a very classy pool table. Its sad that this place has gotten so bad. We’ll never be back… not even just for beer. This could be a great addition to Reno’s brew scene. Unfortunately, Baldinis management couldn’t care less about the atmosphere, the food or it’s potential customers.

Came in after work. Sat at the bar. Got served right away. Ordered food. Quite good. Will be back.

I’m bummed about giving this review. I went here quite a few times last summer and it was great. So I was looking forward to popping in here last night. I was a little nervous it would be slammed because they do all you can eat wing nights on Tuesday’s and Thursdays. Much to my surprise the place was dead when I walked in at 5:15.
First of all the whole place smelled like an ash tray. It was so bad we actually asked the waitress if they were allowing people to smoke inside. She said if you can smell it, then it’s just from the casino. Weird.
They have some pretty amazing happy hour deals. And I knew that it was wing night, but for me I’m not the biggest wing lover, so $ 11.95 of all you can eat wings isn’t the best deal for me. They do have a wing plate on happy hour for $ 4.99 (menu doesn’t tell you how many wings) but it does state that you can not order that wing platter on a «wing night». We asked the waitress if we could still order it, and she said no problem. Awesome right?! So then we wanted an extra snack and ordered the garlic fries.
Wings came out, with fries on the plate, and then our side of fries came out. I thought it was a little odd that the waitress would not have told us that fries come with the wings, but whatever.
We also ordered the house wine, which the menu on the wall says it’s Barefoot, it’s a dollar off during happy hour, score, $ 3 a glass, I’ll take it.
The wings were… Not so good. It was honestly hard to tell if they were cooked. I took a picture of our half eaten wings to post on here, but am deciding against it, it’s gross looking. But most of the bones that were left, for sure look under cooked. They just weren’t tasty either. And the fries looked breaded, which is weird. We asked to make sure, and they were not. Good. The fries we ordered were Garlic, Parmesan and Rosemary. There was for sure no Rosemary. Bummer. The fries tasted dry, and even with the Garlic, just not a lot of flavor. We got the bill, and it was cheap, $ 18.95 for 2 orders of wings, garlic fries and 2 house wines. Now I mentioned the brand of wine earlier, because the bill said Canyon Creek. I really don’t care what brand wine I have, however it’s annoying when the chalk board menu says one thing and the bill says another. If they ran out, update the menu.
This was definitely a mediocre meal at best. And I now know why the place was EMPTY. There were a total of 20 people in the place, and 1 table was a family of 6. So I feel like they’re just not doing that great. Which is a total bummer, because I really enjoyed going in there last summer.

Online menu could not be worse. Hubby who got there repeated everything they DIDNOT have. Like the eggrolls and spinach salad and chicken wrap. Like… sorry why stay in business? So very sad.

Wow what a disappointment been here several times but under new ownership now and the beer is now horrible. Think u need to clean your tanks. Food has went downhill. Tracy gave us wonderful service. But bartender Brandy was so rude we will NEVER be back again. There was 7 of us and Brandy lost us all as customers.

We had the 12 beer tasting flight. I give the beers 5 stars they are really good. I made my husband drink the hefe though cause I don’t really like hefeweizen. My favorite is the Seamus o’faolain Irish red ale and my husbands favorite was the black water porter. He service was kinda slow for how not-​busy they were but they were nice. We didn’t get food. I’d come here again just for the beer but just warning you they are a bit short staffed.

My wife and I made plans to meet here for dinner on February 12.
The sign greeting customers SHOULD say «Please wait for Hostess to turn off her Smart Phone /​bs-​ing with her buddy, and she will seat you «. So after being ignored long enough I walked over to the bar and asked if we could seat ourselves at any of the all empty booths, the pleasant lady apologized and walked us back to the podium to start over. She then explained that they only have a «Bar Menu «(chips, nachos, etc– about 6 items) at the moment because the «menu changes at the first of the
month «…WHAT? ??? Shouldn’t there be a REAL menu ALL the time because you’re a RESTAURANT?? No WONDER all the booths were empty — my wife asked if they were TRYING to go out of business? We left to go eat at a REAL restaurant. .pretty sad after being open for a year. We were here the first month they opened and this place honestly looked very promising, but evidently, mismanagement or under financing will doom this place soon.

I’ve heard a ton of mixed reviews about High Sierra, but being a fan of breweries in general, I knew I’d give it a try eventually.
My first visit was just for a couple beers and an appetizer. I was lucky enough to come in about 10 minutes before Happy Hour ended so I was able to take advantage of those specials. I choose their Happy Hour nachos. This is a small serving, but enough for a light meal. Now, I’ve admitted this in the past, I have a thing for nacho cheese. So, it’s pretty sad that I hated their nachos. Their nacho cheese is kind of grainy and is lacking some flavor. The chips were so drenched in it that they basically all turned to mush. And the rest of the toppings (black beans, pico de gallo) were totally lost in the mix. It looks like the regular menu appetizer nachos are the same as this one, so I’d steer clear.
The next time I was in, I was there for a full meal. I went with the Caesar salad and added chicken (for an additional $ 3). Seems silly to compare them, but this is exponentially better than those nachos. Nice big salad, well dressed, and a nice grilled flavor on the chicken. Next time I’m craving a Caesar I know where to go.
Over several visits, I think I’ve tried all of their beers. I was a fan of the Buzzed Bee Honey Ale, but I don’t think there was any of them that I wouldn’t have again.

I came here for lunch this last weekend I was in town and it just didn’t have the same vibe it had when it just opened. We were over in Sparks and decided to give the place a try. I just seemed more generic now than it was before when Jim Phalen owned it. He just sold his half interest to Baldini’s, so now the brewery is wholly owned by the casino it’s located in. Jimmy still has his Firkin location in Carson though.
When I first came here, they sold the «Awful Awful» along with like a pound of fries. Now I guess that’s gone (license issues) and it’s just regular burgers now. I mean the place is OK, not like it’s all run down and employees running amok or anything. But it just lacked character that it seemed to have on my last visit.
We were seated fine. The beer is the same so far anyways. I get the Black Pussycat, I like the dark beers … or it may have something to do with the 8% alcohol content! It’s the strongest beer they have. For food we got the Western Bacon Burger ($ 10.95) for me and the Mushroom Swiss Burger ($ 10.95) for my BF. Fries on both of course.
The food seemed to take some time to arrive, I dunno why, but my beer was getting empty by the time the food arrived. I got another, but my BF passed… he’s driving. Plus, he was feeling that pint of 8% alcohol with no food yet. My Western Bacon Burger was good looking, and had ample fries. No where like the pound of fries that came with the Awful Awful, but no one should be eating a whole pound of fries anyways. The meat was cooked brown, so, so much for medium. It was still tasty enough though, so no sending stuff back. My BF wolfed down his burger, so I’m guessing he like it. After our food was dropped off, on one ever came by till the check arrived. Oh well, didn’t need a server anyways.
Our visit was an OK experience, but not really great enough for me to say lets make a trip out to Sparks for come here. It was fine that day and the beer was fine. I think you can still get their beer in Carson City at the Firkin and Fox. If you’re in the casino anyway, it’s a fine pace to come for some pub grub.

My wife and I made the mistake of parking in the back lot of Baldini’s Sports Casino, giving us plenty of time to soak in the aroma of stale cigarette smoke and cheap cocktails as we hiked through the building. Thus our expectations were pretty low by the time we found the street entrance to High Sierra Brewing Company.
The room is spacious with a mix of high and low tables, booths and barstools, decorated with brewing paraphernalia, exposed faux-​brick walls, and a pair of currently de rigeur roll-​up doors in place of windows. Compared to the rest of the property, this modern-​styled brewpub feels a bit out of place.
Wrapped around a large bottle, the menu of beers brewed in-​house was a bit difficult to read. Or, perhaps I’m just getting old. On the plus side, both the alcohol percentage and bitterness rating is listed for each brew. All twelve house brews are available in pints, talls, and pitchers ($ 3.95, $ 4.95, $ 8.95), as well as sampling trays of six, nine, or twelve ($ 7.95, $ 10.95, $ 13.95).
I ordered the full tasting flight and found much to like. Overall I found the darker brews to be more interesting – particularly the espresso-​infused stout – though the OMFG Double IPA packed enough hoppy punch to earn its name and then some. The full flight equals 3.75 pints, making this both an interesting experience as well as a great deal. Housemade root beer and cream soda are available for those on the wagon.
The food menu is comprised mostly of classic pub fare with a few interesting twists here and there. An order of «egg rolls» were essentially small chimichangas, three deep-​fried flour tortillas stuffed with avocado, black bean, corn, tomato, queso fresco, and cilantro, cut into six pieces and served with a very good ancho chili dipping sauce. The smoothness of avocado contrasted well with the crispy wrapper; we both enjoyed these quite a bit.
Though several «SteakBurgers» are listed (½ lb patties of ground steak and beef), It took no time at all to zero in on the one to try: the 51/​49er. The patty is a mix of ground steak and pork topped with iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and special sauce ($ 10.95, $ 1.95 extra for cheese). The bun was above average – lending some actual flavor to the experience – and I could distinguish both pork and beef in the patty. Cooked right to order and seasoned perfectly, I’d say this was among the best burgers I’ve had all year. I substituted a side salad for the fries in an attempt to counter all the carbs with something leafy and green ($ 1.95 extra).
Speaking of carbs, my wife’s small Hawaiian pizza was a revelation ($ 10.95). Though I’ve made these at home for my family, I’ve never been a fan of pineapple on pizza. So, when I tell you this is the first time I recall liking any form of this Canadian concoction, that’s really saying something. The secret is the fruit, either tossed or marinated in chili powder, countering the sweetness and marrying well with a bold, zesty sauce. Add a very thin, crispy crust – housemade with brewers grain – and you’ve got a winning combination I’d want to order again. As with the burger, this was one of the better non-​homemade pizzas I’ve had in a long time.
As I was polishing off the beer samples, my wife ordered the daily cobbler for dessert ($ 7.95). This day’s selection was mixed berry: a warm, well-​balanced filling served in a good-​sized crock with a crumbly topping and huge scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. I had a couple bites, and then my wife made it disappear faster than I could drink the beer. It’s fair to say she liked it, which sums up our overall experience. We lied it a lot. Only next time, I’ll remember to go in the front door.

High Sierra Brewing is located inside of Baldinis casino. If you come here, bring a appetite and ask for plenty of napkins.
My wife and I arrived around 1pm on a saturday and it was fairly slow. We were seated right away.
The waitress was actually the bar tender, so service was a bit slow but not bad.
She took our drink orders right away, we both ordered the czech pilsner. It is the lightest beer but still has a good hoppy flavor.
We started with fried pickles as an appetizer. This is the only part of the meal I really did not enjoy. The pickles are sandwich stackers, sliced very thin and coated in a batter and fried. When you bite the fried pickle you get about three quarters fried batter and the rest is pickle. The batter is heavy and greasy and the pickle slides right out.
The burger I ordered was the 51/​49er.
This is where the appetite and napkins come in.
The burger is a mixture of beef and pork, and the patty is huge. The flavor of the pork kind of leaks onto your taste buds, and the taste buds are sayin Bacon. But there is no bacon.
The patty w s s cooked to perfection, not dry but still moist with a abundance of flavor. Accompanying the burger was a freshly cooked brioche bun, tomatoes, onions, pickles and sauce.
This burger is about s s close to burgerperfect as it gets.
We will definitely be back

I love this place when I am trying to fill up a hungry teenager. We are all about quantity when it comes to trying to feed the beast and this restaurant gets that! We love their burgers and pizzas!
First I try to always have the Apricot Honey Ale (last time they were out) with my dinner. It is perfect for a light dinner and has just enough sweet but not too much, I love having it on a spring or summer day.
The Western Burger is my favorite because I love their BBQ sauce which I think is made with one of their Ale’s. The boy gets a regular burger and fried. Usually he cannot eat it all, which to me is a miracle. Hubby loves the fish and chips– says it is really fresh tasting.
Service is always good here and the servers are good about making suggestions if you are not sure what you are in the mood for. Love the décor and that you do not have to go into the casino to get into the restaurant. There are a ton of TV’s so I am looking forward to college football season.

There are two awesome little garage doors where outside windows would normally be and we purposefully sat a few tables away to watch the clouds roll by… and listen to the traffic on Rock… somewhere a dog barked in the distance and a friendly girl walking outside complimented my gf’s purse. About 10 minutes in, what sounded like the space shuttle took off overhead just to remind everyone Baldini’s is in the flight path of the airport. A few minutes later a pigeon feather floated onto the table… maybe taken out by the shuttle? Next time we’ll avoid the window a bit, but it was fun once.
The western burger was 4-​star good: well-​seasoned patty, fresh ingredients, and just the right amount of BBQ sauce.
The fries were 5-​star good — as good as any batter-​dipped fries anywhere. I’m looking forward to trying the garlic/​parmesan/​rosemary fries.
Since I’m not a big beer fan and feel it’s a requirement to order beer at a microbrewery, it was a nice surprise to see IBU (essentially bitterness) ratings for each beer on the menu — I ordered an easy drinking beer and appreciated the extra information.
Overall I like the place and, at least for me, see it as a good after-​work spot to meet friends that are in the area.

Went here last night for dinner with a friend. We shared a large margherita pizza (a steal at $ 10.95), and one of their $ 3 Brew Bites — two mini fish tacos. We came during happy hour, so her pint was $ 3 and my tall was $ 4. We both had a tasty raspberry brown ale.
Everything was super delicious. The service was fast and friendly. Total bill was around $ 22 — so cheap! I’ll definitely be back for happy hour again. As a bonus, we both went gone with leftovers.

Every time I have been here, I have enjoyed myself entirely. The service is good, the employees are friendly, th food is tasty and the atmosphere is relaxed. My husband and I like to come here for their happy hour. (They have «$ 3 Brew Bites» and cheap beer and well drinks too!) I’ve had several items off their menu and my favorite has surprisingly been their pizza. We had their hawaiin pizza, most recently, and the pineapples had a spicy kick. It was mighty tasty! My husband loved their beer. For him, that is the reason he keeps coming back. The waiters have always been friendly, even when they see my daughter smearing ketchup on everything I’m reach, and efficient. Between the good food and service, I’m surprised that this place isn’t severely crowded every time we go.

I was expecting a little more from this place so I was disappointed but if you take it for what it is then it’s ok. What is it? A pub in a casino. The food is standard Casino sports bar fare. I had the fish tacos (not a lot on the menu for non meat eaters). Nothign special, some sauce, some cabbage, a small piece of deep fried mystery fish, and a cold tortilla. I am a small person so I generally order appetizers and call it good but 2 of these didn’t come close to filling up. Conveniently that allows me to tell you that their fries are AMAZING. Crack-​battered, they must be.
Happy hour pricing is crazy good. A beer, chicken tenders with fries, and fish tacos came in under $ 14. The service was eh, ok I guess.
I would go back for happy hour but that it’s it.

Love this place! They are located within Baldini’s so there is a lot of parking. They have great beers, the red is my favorite! The food hasn’t disappointed us yet either. They make their pizza crust from the same wheat as their honey blonde beer. The fish and chips are made with my favorite, the red ale, which has great flavor, is really smooth and just great drinkability. They have $ 3 pints from 2:30 — 6:30 daily and $ 3 small plates. I only wish they had bathrooms in the restaurant instead of having to go upstairs into the casino.

Mediterranean pizza is a MUST TRY! It is a simple pizza topped with roasted tomatoes, spinach and artichokes. The crust was great — not too thick not too thin. The sauce is flavorful yet mild and not over powering at all.
Deep fried pickles were a delicious appetizer. The pickles are long like a green bean instead of round like most places. The breading was crispy. Very good.
Service was good but not outstanding. One of our meals was forgotten and came out late. Also, it took sometime to get waters and pop refills.

March 9, 2015 Monday 5:15 PM
4 Adults
Atmosphere — 5 stars
Food — 5 stars
Service — 4 stars
Background — Been here before, last time was the UYE Beer Club. So I was looking forward tonight.
Atmosphere — Being attached to casino sometimes can be a bit of a negative if is smoked filled. They have their own door on the north side so you can avoid it, but the bathroom is location on the casino’s second floor, but the escalator is right there so you can avoid most of the smoke.
Food
Drinks — I had their award winning Buzzed Bee Honey Ale. Excellent choice and very mellow, this beer screams summer time to me.
Food
Appetizer — We shared the deep fried pickles. I usually only get these during the state fair, oh I mean the Best of the West Rib Cook Off. These are little different, normally they are coin style, these were like French fries and I loved it this way. It comes with the Dijon ranch dipping sauce. The only way I can see them improving on is that they give you a few more choices for sauces, perhaps a sriracha based sauce
Dinner — The Awful Awful with a pound of fries. I have to stay on top of all of the places serving the Awful Awful. This is one of the best Awful Awful’s I have had. Shoe string fries with seasoning, I am not sure what all the seasoning was but it was beyond salt and it was excellent. I could come back for a beer and those fries alone. Okay maybe the pickle fries too.
Service — Greeted right away as I walked in, and he knew that my party was already waiting for me. Sorry but I have to ding them for forgetting my father in laws steak. Three dinner items ordered and one was forgotten. They did have three different people express how sorry they were, one being our waiter.
They do need to update the website as it still has the old menu up, file name suggest it is from Dec 2014, but it does not match the menu we had at dinner.
Why does a growler and fill cost $ 20 while you are running a special for $ 19 growler and fill, and a 15″ takeout pizza? I could have ordered another pizza and left it behind and saved a buck or had lunch tomorrow.
Future — I want to try their pizza now after seeing the one my wife and mother in law shared.

The hostess seemed very unhappy she was working, sat us in a booth as we requested.
This place just opened, do we were prepared for a wait! There were several open tables.
We skipped the beer for this trip and just ordered food. My husband ordered an awful awful and I ordered the Hawaiian pizza.
It took 25 minutes for our food to come out, with several drink fills while we waited. Our waitress seemed to be on it, so I don’t think it was lack of service on her part! I think it was a backup or problem in the kitchen.
Once our food came the burger was over cooked, and my pizza had an awful Thai chili sauce on it? I removed the sauce the best I could to try and eat it.
We were ignored by the manager when we were standing in front of him while paying.
Overall, our experience wasn’t good. Our waitress did the best she could given the circumstances, they need to step up their food quality and service if they want to stay open.