Lakeville Brewing Company Review
Lakeville Brewing Company is a brewpub (meaning it is both a brewery and a restaurant) that is located in downtown Lakeville, MN. Minnesota has a very active craft brewing scene, so almost anywhere you go, you are close to a brewery. I love that about Minnesota, but I am honestly glad to be so close to Lakeville Brewing Company in particular. It is a wonderful business!
I often mistakenly refer to it as Lakeville Brewery. Oops! It is not the only brewery in Lakeville. It is actually located across the parking lot from another small craft brewery called Angry Inch Brewing.
These two breweries actually complement each other very well. While you might expect two next door breweries to be vicious competitors, I almost always visit both whenever I make my way down to downtown Lakeville. They enjoy a special symbiosis. Lakeville Brewing Company sometimes has a bit of a wait for a table if you do not have a reservation. Pre- COVID-19, they used to give you a short range buzzer that would buzz when your table was ready. They would give you a rough estimate as to how long your wait would be, but you could wander around and wait to be buzzed to come back for your table.
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Now that the new pandemic precautions encourage as little touching of unnecessary items as possible, they have implemented a texting system. You give the host or hostess your cell phone number and they will text you when your table is available.
Under either set up, the time you have to wait is often just right for one or two beers. You can walk less than a block to Angry Inch Brewing and have a drink while waiting for your table to be ready. I could not think of a better way to wait than to visit another brewery!
According to the Meet The Owners page on their website, Lakeville Brewing Company was started by two couples, one who wanted to open a restaurant, and one who wanted to open a craft brewery. They met while trying to find suitable real estate in Lakeville and decided that the resulting business would be stronger if they teamed up. And so Lakeville Brewing Company was born.
The Lakeville brewery has a standard bar area with bar stool seating and high top tables. They have a dining room with booths and regular tables. They have flat screen TVs throughout. Those areas are very nice, but their best space is their backyard. They have a large fenced-in space filled with picnic tables where you can eat and drink and generally enjoy the view of a calm downtown neighborhood and trees. There is a playground set for children to play on. They have cornhole/bags and giant Jenga that you can play. They have a couple of those tables that have gas powered flames.
Since the Coronavirus pandemic, they have had to introduce a time limit of 1 hour and 15 minutes to each party at their table to make sure people are cycling through in a reasonable amount of time so that there is space for everyone waiting for tables. This system is great because it ensures everyone gets a chance to enjoy what they offer.
The COVID-19 pandemic also has people asking whether different restaurants have a patio or outdoor seating. Lakeville Brewing Company does offer outdoor seating in their wide-open backyard. Lakeville Brewing Company is family-friendly and dog-friendly. Lots of families bring their kids their to play, and I have seen lots of dogs their. It is such a fun environment.
There is an open area outside of the bathrooms where the handwashing sinks are located, and right behind the sinks is an entire wall dedicated to pictures of dogs. I love that wall. There are lots of normal cute pictures of dogs, but there are plenty of funny ones too! A couple of notable pictures include a dog wearing a flannel shirt and a dog wearing sunglasses and holding a beer. This wall alone is almost reason enough to visit!
The brewery offers a deal for your birthday. If you visit on the Tuesday of your birthday week they will offer you a free birthday shirt. They have also offered a free drink or dessert, but who would pass up the shirt!?
All of the beer they make and sell is delicious! A few of my favorites are their 210 American Lager, Hashtag IPA, Knee High Cream Ale, and Fun Juice Hazy IPA. Honestly, their whole beer list, which is located on a giant chalk board, both in the bar area and outside, is worth trying.
They also have really great food. They have an appetizer called Bob Dip which is a dip mix with chili, cheese, and guacamole. Their pretzel is very good. I am impressed by the number of things they offer on their menu, but I tend to order the same things I know I love every time, so I have not yet tried everything. I usually get their house burger and add bacon. It is served with crispy french fries which come with ketchup and their house made fry sauce. I have also had their fish tacos and loved them! Their Fish and Chips and their Fried Chicken Benedict are also winners!
I have never had something there that I did not like. They also offer a brunch menu for Saturday and Sunday mornings and there is typical and delicious stuff on there.
I really love Lakeville Brewing Company and would highly recommend anyone to try them out!
They also offer Crowlers that you can take home if you like their beer and want some to take with you.
I have heard that the same people operate a brewery called Inver Grove Brewing Company in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. I have not been there, but it is on my list of places to try, and when I make it there I'll review it on this blog to share what I thought of the place.
Share your thoughts about Lakeville Brewing Company in the comments. Tell other readers about your experiences there.
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