Bru Handbuilt Ales & Eats
5290 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO, 80303
Bru Handbuilt Ales & Eats Menu
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Address :
5290 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder, CO, 80303 - Phone (720) 638-5193
- Website https://www.bruboulder.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Christie V.
I've now eaten there three weeks in a row and am seriously thinking about getting a new job just so I can afford to make it a regular thing. It can be a bit pricey but I love that it's not downtown, and not too cool for school. And I really really love all day happy hour on Tuesday! Here are things I've had and loved and made other people take bites of: 1. Kale caesar with grilled shrimp. I love the copious shaved cheese. I love the polenta croutons. I want to marry the charred kale and perfectly grilled shrimp 2. Carrot soup - delicious and surprisingly filling. 3. Corn and cheddar fritters. Ate them the first time I was there with my buddy and he insisted we get them again - good call 4. Chili lime popcorn. An awesome starter for $2. Do it. Thank me later Here are things others have gotten and been really into: 1. BBQ pork sandwich - my boyfriend wanted to lie in the grass and happily take a nap afterwords 2. Bahn Mi pork sandwich. Every time I've been someone has gotten it and loved it 3. Fries. I keep stealing them. They are delish I finally just did it and got a flight of beers for $9 and that was fantastical because I got to taste 5 awesome beers. If this place has one flaw it's that they keep feeding me so well that I do not have room for their desserts which I hear are also quite wonderful!
(5)Mike S.
We had a nice dinner at BRU. At he waiter's suggestion, I started with a Rubus Belgian dark ale. The menu says this beer has a 5.3% alcohol content, which is low for a Belgian dark, which is usually a very strong but drinkable beer. If I didn't know, I would have guessed it was a porter. It tasted pretty good though not what I'd say is a good Belgian dark strong. Later in the meal, I ordered a Beezul Belgian strong ale. It again tasted ok but wasn't what I was expecting for the style. For our entree, we split an order of fried chicken. We asked for the chile honey glaze on the side but they put it on the chicken anyway. It didn't really matter because it was pretty light and I couldn't pick up much chile. The chicken was very good but we weren't too impressed with the sides. The pickled collard greens were pretty plain and served cold. The biscuit was ok but nothing special. We also ordered the oven charred cauliflower. The menu says its made with yellow curry but we didn't detect much curry in the flavor. All in all, the meal and beer were fine. Not special but enjoyable. Of course, it was enhanced by sitting outside on a gorgeous evening in Boulder.
(3)john W.
Don't get up to Boulder often, but we're two for two in making sure we stop at Bru. Pretty tasty beers each time, always nice folks behind the bar. Quite a selection of beers, If you're like me and more a wheat beer, mild beer drinker, not many options, but those I've had I've liked.
(4)Jenn M.
Great beers and seriously delicious pizza! I love the Citrum IPA and BRU pizza. Service is friendly and the atmosphere is unbeatable.
(5)Dale Z.
The smoke from the wood oven here overwhelmed my sinuses almost as soon as I sat down. I was just getting over a cold and this hit me like a hot and smoky, wet wool blanket. Despite my oxygen deprivation issues, I really enjoyed the beer they were serving on this visit. I had several brews that I enjoyed, but the Obitus American Brown Ale (with dates and caramelized sugar) was my favorite of the bunch, and it was truly delicious. Surprisingly, I think I liked the food even more than the beer. They were on the brunch menu while we were here. I went with the Sourdough Breakfast Pizza (sausage gravy, cheddar cheese, and roasted chiles with an egg on top). It was fan-freaking-tastic. I had this right before we left and it was scorching hot from the oven and pumped full of flavor. I would order this again in a heartbeat.
(4)Conrad S.
Awesome place to go get some food in Boulder. The flights of beer are great too and they even write the names of the beers on the flight board. I wish they wouldve organized the beers from lightest to darkest (as they should be drunk) but I'm not color blind so I was able to tell. The beer is fresh. I did order food but I cant remember what I got. Oops, maybe that speaks to how good it is. I didnt think it was bad but it wasnt anything special.
(4)Dave C.
Nope. Didn't get it. One and done . . . . Stopped here recently on our way to Estes based on the reviews. Seriously folks, 5 Stars? I had one of their IPA's, and it was good. Not great, not special, not amazing - good. I really wanted to try one of their "specialty" brews, but at $10 for an 8oz pour you gotta be kidding me . . . . did the golden goose p**s the stuff?? Appetizers: Popcorn - $2 for about a cup; 1/4 of the serving was nothing but old maids. Innocuous chile powder seasoning. Pass. Jalapeno Fritters - $6, not bad. Not great, but not bad. Me: Fried Chicken, greens, biscuit. Ooooohhhh myyyyyy - nasty. They're trying for that Memphis spicy chicken, but all I got for $18 friggin bucks was three lumps of overdone breading (nah, burnt breading) on some tiny bits of chicken. Free-range, no doubt. Biscuit was so dense I thought it was a table decoration made out of Plaster-of-Paris. Inedible, even if I'd asked for some honey to go with it. Greens were the best part - tasty and zippy. Wife: $22 Trout. She enjoyed it; hot and flavorful. Roasted red potatoes looked good. This place was packed on a Friday night. . . . nope, didn't get it at all . . . .
(2)Holly C.
We've been here twice. Each time, we were first rebuffed at Blackbelly. The happy hour was a great bargain. And it was popular! It got crowded towards the end of happy hour each time I was there. Probably because of the great beers and good happy hour food. The Citrum IPA was delicious. The pickled vegetables were really good. The mussels, too. And I really enjoyed the BRU pizza, as did my toddler. The sauce on the pizza was really good. Somewhat kid friendly with a decent kids menu and lots of crayons. The food wasn't really toddler friendly, though. The grilled cheese was huge and had some sharp toothpicks in it that we had to take away from our toddler. She was fixing to do some damage with those things. After we took those away, she lost interest as the thick, crusty sourdough bread was too much for her to handle. She didn't eat the chicken tenders either, even though they were delish. And no diaper changing table that I could find. But there were lots of people with small kids there during our visits so at least we didn't feel out of place.
(4)MaryBeth R.
I've never been much of a beer lover, but I think that Bru is about to change that! I've stopped in at Bru 3 times now, once for a light on-the-run lunch, once for Happy Hour, and once for "brunch" with the family. I'm hooked. First the food: fresh, with both innovative twists on old standards (spinach, roasted beets and goat cheese - fondue!- salad) and some new and interesting flavors - charred cauliflower with a curry, lime and garlic aioli. I won't even get started on the Bru-tine hand cut french fries smothered with cheddar cheese and gravy! Watch out, Quebec! Now the beverage: I'm sold on the lovely, light and refreshing brus: The Saison is my favorite, followed closely by the Belux, but not to be outdone by the richer and heavier Loch Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. So many brus to choose! Lucky for me, they have a nice "flight" of 5 samplers for $9, or head over for happy hour, when a nice selection of their beers is offered at the bargain price of $3/pint. Whoo! Just don't have too many....at up to 10.9% alcohol, some of these beers will have you under the bru bar before you know it. (And if you find yourself getting a bit tipsy...there is always a home-bru'd soda alternative. Tasty!) All in all, a very pleasant few experiences at Bru. Lovely atmosphere, excellent food, and a friendly, attentive staff make this a place I'll put on my "regular haunts" list.
(5)Rodger M.
Daughter suggested this place while we were visiting recently, sure glad we tried it out. Excellent food, service & beer. Will make it a habit hopefully to visit again!
(4)Brian K.
Hands down my favorite destination in Boulder. The venue isn't too large, the food is really really fabulous, very well put together. The beer suits my tastes better than anything else outside of Ft Collins - not too many hoppy selections, beers rotate, Belgium selections sometimes available. Please don't tell too many people about this place though, I don't want it to grow. Hint - sit at the kitchen counter (only has three seats, seats two ocmfortably)
(5)Nicole W.
Stopped here on a mini beer tour of the "not so famous" breweries in boulder. IT was an amazing day and this place made us very happy! There are a-lot of beers on tap - a lot! The tap handles are super fun and adorable. The staff is amazingly friendly - helpful, very informational with all the beers! The pizza oven looked fab - but we had just had brunch and the rest of the menu looked delish too. I hope to return and enjoy some of the food options. But as far as the beer - i did a flight of 5 to get a feel for their beer: Solus patersbier- not very sour but drinkable Bru tang cream ale - not bad, not amazing Osito stout - not bad El oro- tasty - do again!! Hers - tasty
(5)Heather M.
This place was awesome! We had a great experience here. We sat at the bar and received awesome service. It started with a free sample of a chocolate bacon scone from the chef. Oh my gosh, yum. We ordered a taster of all the beers. We liked the Citrum IPA and Brown Ale the best. Then we ordered almost everything off the happy hour food menu! Oops! Hard not to when everything is $2-4! Seriously! The "BRU"tine was ridiculous. So tasty. We also loved the corn fritters with red pepper jelly. Can't wait for our next visit!!
(5)Solomon W.
Bru Handbuilt Ale & Eats sits among one of the most unique strip centers upon which I have graced with my presence: Jazzercise, a "Growth" shop, some tax offices... and well, a gastropub with a phenomenal food program to pair alongside its own booze. Here, you will find beers ranging from the wheatiest, for the weaklings, all the way down to the depths of coffee-flavored porters and stouts. And it fill up the ocean of craft beer in your stomach, they have fantastic happy hour dining options. Among my the favorites of my wife and me: oysters--yes, they had Chesapeake's; poutine, with a good smothering of sausage gravy; stout-chile glazed wings with horseradish ranch. How does food this good come out of a joint this humble? So humble, that they lowered themselves into a strip mall, a full 2 miles from Pearl Street. If you are dropping through town, or heck, if you are staying downtown and want a quality meal, do not let the location scare you away. The drinks are strong, the food satisfies, and by golly, the people that run this dark horse know what they are doing.
(4)Sue H.
Seriously delicious. Wildly creative menu. Fantastic interior space that makes entering a seemingly blah strip mall an incredibly rewarding discovery. Kale caeser salad with polenta croutons was the game-changer. Loved the popcorn. Skip the fritters. Both the beer and cider were fantastic, and the 9-oz size is super friendly for the petite peeps among us. FANTASTIC addition to the boulder food scene. Head and shoulders above the inventiveness of so many of the Pearl St go-tos. Here's the innovation, passion in food creation, and wildly cheerful service.
(5)Andrea L.
Meh. The place is gorgeous, and was almost completely empty when I showed up in the middle of lunch hour. I ordered coconut curry soup- needed salt - and charred cauliflower with curry - WAY too salty. My companion ordered a sandwich with fries, but the fries didn't arrive until after we paid the bill and were walking out the door. No reason to go back when you live or work in Boulder, with so many amazing choices available.
(2)Deanna J.
Great happy hour! Stopped by after off-roading in the area and the beers and bites sure hit the spot. Tough to find (at least for me!) but well worth it once you get there :) PS- Try the curry cauliflower!!
(4)Amanda D.
Great local joint for craft beers, craft eats and even a decent selection of wine! Happy hour daily from 2-6pm. Maybe you should invite our fellow astronaut right around! :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le…
(5)Lauren B.
Yum! Food was out of this world. We had corn fritter app, fried chicken and sea bass and beet gnocchi entree. Save room for their ice cream which was phenomenal- salted caramel and coconut were the two we had. They also have a large beer selection from which to choose. I liked the sour orange (a wheat) and obitus (a brown ale) but others looked worth trying as well. Great dinner stop on your Boulder brewery tour.
(5)Alyssa Y.
I have to say, having lived in Boulder almost a year, I feel like I've found most of my favorite spots to eat in town - and it's rare I venture outside of that. I'm happy to say that today I ventured off of an invite from a co-worker and I was so happily surprised. This is a hidden gem for sure, with yummy food and a laid back (but decorative) atmosphere. I tried the mussels, curried cauliflower, and kale caesar. All were pretty great, and the citrus IPA was a nice compliment. Check it out!
(5)David J.
Fried chicken. Pizza. Cool deserts. Plenty of parking. Great beers on tap friendly staff. Go and enjoy.
(5)Nat S.
Great beer, and atmosphere. The food was good too, we had the chicken wings, gravy fires, and fritters. They make their own ice cream too, and wood fired pizza. Some Maine people run this joint and they are representing the vibrant food scene of the home state nicely. On my radar as a favorite Boulder brewery destination.
(5)Kyle W.
This place is fire. That means it's exceptional. The beer is excellent. I tried both hoppy, and malty. All beers I tried...fire. We had the $4 Bahn mi which was honestly the best little sandwich I've ever had. Flavors bursting. I highly recommend it. If you don't, get it next time. Seriously. Entree is on its way, but I have beer to drink so I'm getting off my phone. So far, deserves 5 stars for service, food, and drink. Update soon.
(5)Rachel D.
Very nice little place tucked away in an unexpected location. The beers were very delicious, love having the options of getting flights. We had veggies, pizza, and a salad - all were great!
(4)Alissa W.
A friend and I came up from Denver to hop around some breweries. When we pulled up to BRU we had NO idea how awesome it was from the outside. It is super cute with great ambiance. Seating is awesome and unique. Staff was so sweet too! I am not a belgian beer fan, and while they had mostly belgian beers, they also had some other options that I really enjoyed! I recommend trying it out!
(5)Kevin K.
This is my go to place in Boulder for a relaxing date night. Great beer, and even better food. If you are in the mood to splurge on something maybe not so healthy, the fried chicken is unbelievable! Really, really good with honey drizzled on top. Their cooked vegetable platter is also amazing if you want to eat healthier. They vary the menu monthly based on seasonally available foods and what the chef has been toying with. This keeps it interesting. I highly recommend getting a flight of sample beers if you aren't sure what you'd like to drink!
(5)Helen K.
I'm not much of a drinker, but the boyfriend loves beer tasting. We decided on the flight of five to accommodate both of us and I was surprised with how great they were. I typically don't like the beer taste (ha) but I found a brown ale that I liked from the five. Knocking down a few stars because the entrées we ordered weren't appetizing. We started off with the mussels which were tasty, but when we got our chile hanger steak and bitter salad with hanger steak, we were pretty disappointed with how insanely salty our plates were. Unsure if the steaks we got were from a bad batch or if it's just that they were cured (wasn't stated on the menu), but I couldn't finish my plate... Everything tasted off balance in our opinions. TL;DR: great beer, great service, order something other than the hanger steaks.
(3)Julie R.
BRU was alright. Not bad by any means but nothing outstanding. We went for happy hour with a friend with celiacs disease so our choices were very limited. Although, they were happy to make suggestions and alterations to the menu which is very nice, there still was not much to choose from. Boyfriend and I got fries and fritters. Good but nothing extraordinary. Friend got shrimp and "roasted" veggies. This is what gets me... These "roasted" veggies were not roasted AT ALL. Boiled/steamed. Do not promise roasted veggies if you can not deliver. To pay money for all items that could be better prepared at home is just plain disappointing. Boyfriend out beer which he said was good. Friend and I both got wine. Nothing to write home about. Probably won't keep BRU on our happy hour rounds.
(3)Ed R.
Stopped in for lunch and what a nice find. Had a nice IPA and took lunch to go. Grilled shrimp pita was flavorful with fresh sweet shrimp. Spicy chicken salad, yes I ordered chicken salad, on a pita was great too. The pitas are actually their pizza crust folded in half and are perfect. A little chewy with great flavor. Which leads me to the cheese pizza I took home for my boys...they are lucky they got any. Perfect crust. Great sauce. I will be back!
(4)Christy V.
I think Bru is a great place and despite its somewhat weird strip mall location the interior is welcoming and cozy (love the pillows on the benches) and gives the vibe of Brooklyn rather than suburban.Big compliment from me as I am always longing for Brooklyn! One of my favorite features is the five-flight beer option for just $9. And you can choose any of their beers to add to the line-up. The Belgian Quad is one of my favorites as is the Nitro Stout. The food is also delicious and varied. I love that you can share a selection of small plates or also opt for a very affordable larger main. Most recently my friend and I shared four delectable items: charred cauliflower with a yellow curry sauce, beet and arugula salad (loved the deconstruction!), duck confit chili (so savory!), and the wood-roasted PEI mussels in a ginger broth. Make sure to ask for extra bread to sop up the goodness!
(4)Kyle P.
The beer is very good! I had the pizza which was pretty meh. Tried my wife's fries chicken and it was great. The atmosphere is very cool and it's not too loud.
(3)Lynne F.
I've been here three times now, trying to like the place, but it is a distinct 'meh'. First the food. Some of the dishes are quite good. The fried chicken, hanger steak and pizza are all fine examples of well executed items. Others are not worth ordering. The mussels lack salt and flavor, the oysters come with a "cocktail sauce" that is nothing but doctored catsup (really! It was gross), and the fish was overlooked and greasy. The menu overall lacks consistency and cohesiveness. As for the service, it is lacking all around. The waitstaff seem undertrained, don't know the wines or dishes as well as you would expect (or at all in some cases), food delivery is poorly timed, requests for additional condiments and beverages are slow to be handled, etc. I WANT to like this place, but given the many excellent Boulder restaurants, they really need to step it up.
(3)Emma B.
The food was awesome, but the service was TERRIBLE. I am a waitress, so naturally I'm pretty tolerant of poor service, but our experience here was beyond slow. It took well over 15 minutes to get our drinks, and I wasn't offered a second round until I asked after my beer was empty for almost 10 minutes. It took her almost 15 minutes to take an appetizer order, 30 min before the apps came, 30 minutes for a dinner order, then over an hour before the entrees came. One of our parties entrees came out cold. In addition, the same person whose entree came out cold didn't receive a portion of her meal. If the restaurant had been extremely busy, I would have been more forgiving, but we were one of 4 tables being handled by 2 servers. Outside of the service, the food was great
(2)Todd G.
Crazy good selection of hand-crafted beers. Pick the flight (5 choices @ 5 oz each) to sample a bunch of them. The food was outstanding. Meatball and humus appetizer had a nice kick to them. The fried chicken was amazing and just remember to ask for more honey sauce on the side.
(5)Marissa H.
Great beer and great food. Our waiter was very knowledgable about food and beer and was attentive without being overbearing! Would definitely return!
(5)Shaun B.
Really enjoyed the pork sandwich and the miso soup, though the soup really tasted more like a jaeger sauce found on schnitzel. Very interesting, still tasty. Service was excellent. The porter was delicious and they even did a half-pour for me so I could try something else.
(4)Krista L.
Great food and service. If I lived in Colorado I would ear at this restaurant everyday.
(5)Meghan B.
Just pure liquid greatness paired beautifully with their pizza oven creations, mussels, chicken, salads.
(5)Craig W.
Not sure how this place makes any money, given the price to quality ratio. This is a good thing for us consumers, as this place gives amazing food at very reasonable prices. Ate brunch there today and had the breakfast poutine and the bacon egg sandwich. Total of $7 for all of that with happy hour prices. Had a delicious pumpkin porter with it. Girlfriend had the almond crusted French toast and a mimosa. She loved it too. Will absolutely return to this awesome gastropub on our next trip to Boulder.
(5)Kat Z.
Bru is one of our favorites in Boulder - we eat here at least monthly and always take visitors. We love the beer, ambience and the food. Service is always great too. I love seeing what kind of new ice cream flavors they have along with the new menu items.
(5)Jonny H.
East Boulder's Bru is home to the best gastropub I've ever visited! Ever. In all the places I've traveled. In all the dreams that I did live. Incredible food & beer pairings abound, and the service is so polished, efficient and cheery. I have never been a fan of the Boulder bar & restaurant scene, but on a whim (and with a blind date), I discovered a place where I truly felt at home. Well done, Bru! God speed and pour on and on and on... Recommendation: Order a beer flight of 5; share a pork banh mi sandwich; savor the chilled asparagus & leek soup; relish the oyster mushroom arepas; and chillax with an ice cream sandwich for dessert!
(5)Christine H.
Lovely beers. Lovely food. Attentive, friendly waitstaff. Had a sampler of several of their beers and the hanger steak w/crispy rice and seared greens - all high quality and super tasty. Can't believe we found out about Bru from our Boulder passport. Great find. We will be back!
(4)Kristine E.
I've now been to Bru 5 or 6 times and it honestly keeps getting better! We had dinner there on a Tuesday, which is all-day-happy-hour. We shared a bunch of small plates that even my 8 year old loved. My favorites: Bahn Mi and Curried Roaster Califlower; My son's favorites: Duck Confit Chili; Chicken wings (had to order a second portion) and the corn fritters; we also had the Bru-Tine (fries with gravy) which was delish too. The beers are really great as well!!!
(5)Sarah M.
We love trying out new breweries and wanted to give this one a try. It was an odd experience. Every few minutes when they grill some item in particular, the whole place is filled with smoke and everyone, from the guests, to the employees, starts coughing. It calms down for several minutes, and then the whole scene starts again. I don't know how they got it past the city with out better venting. The couple next to us commented to their server that they like dishes rare, but theirs was raw. There's a guy who guides everything at the pick up counter and he seems to just stand there and yell "all hands" when an order is up, rather than just taking it himself, since he doesn't seem particularly busy.
(2)Paul K.
Great, great beer. A little too cute with some of the menu items, with a few items tending towards just hip rather than just tasty. Though, a great bahn mi sandwich, and, truly, the best mussels I've ever had in Boulder (better than even 1010). Menu changes frequently, the space is very neat (sit by the kitchen if solo or on a date! Super fancy oven) and the servers have always been pleasant, knowledgeable, and unobtrusive. Pricey, but not exorbitant.
(4)Jeff C.
This place is so great, I almost want to give it a bad review for selfish reasons, but they deserve an honest pitch. First, the beer is part beer and part crack or something...it really is that good. They clearly stand out in a town that has more microbrews than Starbucks. Red Rye...killer. Coffee Stout...call me a cab, I'll have another. Barley Wine...tasty wonderfulness. The food is creative, well priced and satisfying. Roasted Shrimp, Curried Cauliflower, Pizza and Ice Cream are all super. The attention given to the dining experience comes through in great quality and service. I'm forwarding my mail and moving in. Wake me for my breakfast beer please!
(5)Mark R.
A nice and small brewpub. Interesting and tasty food, great beers, kind staff. Hard to find but worth seeking out for an alternative to the big and noisy bars.
(5)Phinn M.
Went to check out Bru tonite for a group dinner (birthday) as one of our friends could not stop raving about how amazing everything was. She agreed that this evening was not a pleasant experience. Made a reservation in advance and everyone checked out reviews and menus online. Having a bunch of kiddos with us added to the chaos but our server was pretty on point. Having had a chance to check out the menu before hand most knew what the wanted. The first order was a few gluten free pizza's for gluten intolerant parents and children at the table. No dice - out of gluten free dough (6:30pm Saturday evening). The wife of the couple took her kids to Snarfs next door and brought a sandwich back (it was a birthday celebration) for them. She ordered a ceaser salad with the dressing on the side - when the salad came, the salad dressing was both on the side and on the salad. When she asked about it, our server looking perplexed walked away, came back and said, the told me it was residual dressing from the bowl in which it was flipped (???). She ended up asking for a different salad all together I ordered the fried at the recommendation of our friend who frequents the joint. When my chicken came it was a very dark brown. I took a bite of the drumstick and tasted burnt. I started pulling the crust off of the drumstick to eat (really hungry and didn't want to make a fuss especially after the other issues) and one by one the people at the table said my food looked burnt. The gal who recommended it took a piece of the crust and said "oh yeah, this is burnt. This is way overcooked - you should send it back. I said I would just peel off the crust (though the chicken was overcooked) because I didn't want to cause a hassle (and it's pretty rare for me to send food back) but she said, "no they'll take care of you they don't want you to eat an overcooked meal". I asked for our waiter and said "I hate to complain but I can't eat this - I've tried pulling the crust off but this is no good" - I pointed to the blackened inside of the crust and said "this is way overcooked". He said, OK let me grab the manager A guy in a tee-shirt and jeans walked up to the table a few minutes later (no introduction and seemingly annoyed) and said "Hi, there was something wrong with your food?" - I said "Yeah, I ordered the friend chicken and it was burnt. I unfortunately couldn't eat it" - His response was "no, your chicken was not burnt. Me and the staff all agreed after looking at it". I was shocked. I said the inside of the crust was black and the chicken was dried out. His response was "No it wasn't". Again, shocked. I said, "yes, it was... do you blacken your chicken first?" and he responded with a snarky "No, it's fried chicken, not blackened chicken". I surrendered to the idea that this conversation was going not going anywhere and said "everyone at this table said it looks burnt, it tasted burnt, the girl who recommended it and tasted it said it tasted burnt, and looks burnt, and said it's usually golden (guessing like in the pics posted in other reviews). I tried to work around it but I can't eat it" - He said "It's not burnt... well, what do you want me to do for you man, do you want something else or what?" Despite really wanting fried chicken I decided at this point that after arguing with a manager nothing good would come out of ordering food from someone obviously pissed off I said "no thank you, I ordered another beer, I'll pay for my food and go". His response as he walked away "Okay, whatever" Happily the beer I had ordered wasn't available and while I was offered a different IPA I decided to grab my kiddo and split. Gave one of my friends money to cover my meal (and despite my food, tipped well) so I didn't have to wait around for the others . In my haste I had left my keys inside and when I went back in to grab them, the server was talking with our friend who had recommended the place saying "they said his food wasn't burned" I couldn't believe again there was a discussion of "The customer is wrong". I said "listen, it wasn't that big of a deal to begin with. What is a big deal is arguing with a manager who could care less what the customer thought. It was unprofessional, unnecessary, and embarrassing". The gal who frequents bru said "they aren't charging you for your meal". I said that that was fine but didn't matter. all I wanted was fried chicken. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is our server (David I think) was really busting his hump and seemed genuinely apologetic for all of the issues - and the belgian pale ale was decent. But the cluster of mistakes highlighted by the indignant attitude of the manager, and the bad taste left in my mouth by the burned (overcooked) fried chicken, left a bad taste in my mouth for this joint. Put a damper on our little celebration. Really disappointed, especially with all the glowing reviews
(2)Kirsten M.
Om nom nom!! Good beer, great food!! Medium rare steak w/bacon infused mashed potatoes! Best meal I've had in awhile. Every beer I had in the beer flight was good. From the saison to the stout
(4)Morryah M.
Their beer flight was awesome. Nice to try before you buy a pint! The grapefruit vanilla homemade soda was amazing! Their cheddar corn fritters was exceptional especially the jelly. Their sandwiches are highly recommended! The chicken salad and their shrimp salad were bomb along with the coconut curry soup. Love this place and the service is too notch and helpful.
(5)David B.
Bru has one of the better combined beer and food menus for the Boulder brewery. They have some nice brews and good variety. The Ozo stout was delicious, and the flavors were quite aggressive. They are trying to achieve a higher end kitchen and achieving it to some degree. But the value is inconsistent and the sides need some work. I had the fried chicken meal and it was quite good, particularly the honey sauce. The side was collard greens which were not good. My girlfriend was disappointed in the portion size of her meal which only had 3 shrimp. So, the value varies significantly. I didn't try the pizza, but it looked quite good and reasonably priced. Only other negative comment is the open kitchen permeates a fried smell through which you take with you when you leave.
(4)D. W.
Wanted to update since my last review when I was not overly impressed by the food. Went to Bru again for a late night dinner with friends and we were all blown away by our experience. Everything was perfect including the tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza, wood-roasted veggies, bahn mi, and the killer cheese and meat board. The beer is in my opinion, the most innovative, delicate, refined and delicious beer being brewed in Boulder's craft beer scene right now. A serious score for beer geeks. Don't miss the Beezel, coffee stout, Dubbel w sour cherries, Belux and Citrum.
(4)Joe S.
Amazing...... sushi den is my favorite sushi bar of all time. as a brewhouse with food? my girlfriend gave me hell coming here, she gave me an amazing night after being here and it is now one of our favorite musts when visiting boulder. if u r a foodie this is a must. tell ur waitress what u like and let her or him guide u.
(5)Adam P.
I visited Bru on a recommendation from a friend. He said he enjoyed their beers so I thought I'd give them a try. Bru is located in this odd little strip mall/restaurant strip just south of Arapahoe. You've kinda got to be looking of it to find it. Upon arriving the first thing I saw was a mouse hanging out in their firewood in front of the entrance. Note to Bru; mice and restaurants are not harmonious with one another. Once we were inside we were quickly greeted by a nice gentleman who also took our drink orders. We ordered several beers in a flight and all of them were pretty tasty. He also helped us make our dinner selections and we relaxed in the artsy environment enjoying their wood fired bread plate. Which I will say was good but it appeared that the bread was oven baked then warmed in the wood oven so it was a little misleading. Not to mention at $4 I thought it was kind of a joke as any reputable restaurant serves bread compliments of the house. I ordered the roast Berkshire pork and my wife ordered the fried chicken. Both meals arrived rather over cooked. The pork was dry and unexciting. The flavor was rich but had been muted by its preparation. The chicken was also over cooked and it appeared that it was cooked way too quickly. The fat had not rendered from the meat but it was overdone and dry. You almost have to try to pull that off. The sides were okay but nothing that corrected for the proteins. I really felt that this place had decent beers but their gourmet twist on the food was not going well for them. Maybe try sticking to simple foods that are quick and easy to prepare. At the price point this was not a value and I could not recommend the food. This review may sound harsh but I think it's only fair to be honest when you expect your guests to shell out of this type of meal. I'd say stop in and have an appetizer and make your own conclusion. I'll be back for a beer or two.
(3)MD F.
Great food, great service, and great beer. Their happy hour is awesome and they have amazing desserts and fried chicken on their regular menu. It's clean, has a really nice little patio and a good atmosphere. I love this place and will definitely go back. Best brewery in Boulder and I'd recommend it to anyone.
(5)Philipp S.
Still a great place for beers. But after my last visit I just have to mention that they should change their bread!this bread is not a good fit for a bahn mi or some of the other dishes. Too hard, way to thick and lacking flavor. But other than that still one of our favorite places to go.
(3)Ann C.
Go to Subway. It's right next door. Very disappointed in Bru. This is my second lunch here. 2 hours from the time I sit down to the time I'm out the door is unacceptable. Menu selection is poor at best. A member of our group got a dirty napkin. Service? What service? And can they mail you the bill? Rediculous.
(1)S N.
First time here thought it was good beer and great food. Second time it was good beer and average food. Their beer isn't nearly good enough to balance out the meal I had. Hope they get it together.
(3)L H.
This is totally my favorite place to go for beer. I consider their food list pretty extensive; great creative options for a restaurant-brewery combo - and very gastropub. There are allergy free options (yay for the no-dairy ones!) + a variety of food hails to satisfy each and every tastebud. Great service; excellent Beer (so many good ones to try!), food + atmosphere. I live in downtown Boulder and getting here is somewhat of a hike, although very much worth it. BRU, please move closer to downtown!
(4)Linda C.
Visiting gastropubs is something of a hobby for us, so five stars means this amazing place is at the top of our list. It was well worth the trip up from Colorado Springs. Although the place was packed when we arrived on a Saturday night, we were seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen, which quite frankly is the best seat in the house. We sat there amazed watching the chefs coordinate their dishes in a fascinating ballet - things in and out of the wood-burning oven, making pizza crusts, garnishing plates, all making our mouths water. I am very sensitive to smells and sounds, and I never noticed the smoke from the oven. We started with a sampler of five beers, all of which were excellent, with the 5290 as our favorite, a crisp, refreshing saison. The food was simply amazing. We had the spinach beet salad, the hanger steak (love the beet spaetzle), and the special, a scrumptious chicken mole. They had run out of the bacon chèvre mashed potatoes, but the roasted vegetables were outstanding - I wish I could make them at home. Our plans to take food home were dashed as we devoured our entrees. We finished off with a yummy roasted squash with creme fraiche ice cream - all ice cream is made in-house. In addition to the top-notch beer and food, the entire staff was super friendly, including the chefs, and service was spot-on. We can't wait to go back to try the sourdough pizza (a crust recipe unique to Bru).
(5)Brittany H.
Great beer and service was so awesome! We sat at the bar and they were definitely busy but I never felt like the bar was overwhelmed or frantic, just slinging out beers like there was no tomorrow! We had a bread plate app with whipped honey and mustard butter, and being somewhat of a pretzel+mustard connoisseur this did not disappoint. Fresh made bread with a butter/mustard concoction, what could be better? Everything else coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled amazing, definitely going back soon!!
(5)Jimmy M.
Great food and great beer. I have had a couple dinners here. Pizza and salad with hanger steak. Both were good I love the IPA as it is smooth and not too much bite. Fun place to go.
(4)Alison M.
Great beer and fresh food. It's really cool that you can see into the kitchen prep area especially since the view of the chef was pretty nice.
(5)Kate M.
Bru has made it's way onto my top five best restaurants in Boulder. Ian Clark and his crew are making some really innovative and delicious food with beer to match. Don't miss their monthly beer dinners. We went to the Colorado game dinner in March and it was one of the best meals we have ever had. On the regular menu, the shrimp and grits is outstanding as is the Bru pizza. In fact, all the pizza is delicious. Go check this awesome restaurant out!
(5)Andrew F.
We live in east boulder and had stopped in here a couple times for drinks and dessert and enjoyed It. We recently went back for dinner and we blown away by the great food. The fried chicken and steak were outstanding. Can't wait to go back!
(5)L B.
We are visitors to Boulder and to our great fortune, the Inn where we are staying told us about Bru's special beer supper tonight. Bru presents a special pre-fixe three course dinner the second Tuesday of every month. The theme this time was end-of-summer with completely local ingredients. The salad was a delicious combo of roasted kale, cantaloupe, feta cheese, pickled zucchini and sweet pecans. The main course was a fabulous smoked pork shoulder with peach bbq sauce with wood roasted leeks, beets, carrots and zucchini. Blue corn hominy was the side dish. The desert was a lemon tart with local honey, grilled peaches and whipped cream. Each course came with a paired beer... a pitcher per course and a glass of a dessert beer with the dessert. The vegetables and the pork, if I recall correctly, were fed/fertilized with the spent grains from the beer brewing process. This was a terrific experience and a very enjoyable meal.
(5)Alden P.
Good beer, good food. I'm not a beer connoisseur, but they seem to have a wide variety. We tasted four different styles (an IPA, a brown ale, something fruity, and something dark and bitter), and liked them all. For food we had the bahn mi, chicken wings, roasted vegetables, and a pizza. The appetizers were great. It's hard to roast vegetables to that perfect combination of crisp + caramelized, but they did it. The bahn mi was tart and savory and the bread was great. Chicken wings were not the usual fiery red, but something more subtle but also more tasty. Appetizers were also beautifully plated. The one thing I didn't love was the pizza. It was billed as "mozzarella, tomato, and microgreens," but the microgreens consisted of four large leaves of basil, one on each quadrant of the pizza. If they had called it "mozzarella, tomato, and basil" (and had chopped up the basil to distribute more evenly) I would have been more satisfied, but I also thought the cheese & sauce were kind of uninspired. The crust was good though. The service was attentive and fast. I also liked watching the chefs at the pizza oven. I saw one chef take a taste from a pot of something (with a clean spoon, don't worry) which I thought was a good sign that they were not just cooking by the numbers. We were there for happy hour, and we both ate well and had a beer or two for under $50 including tip. We'll go back.
(4)Nick L.
Big fan of Bru! Most excellent beers and the food is pretty spot on. Relatively small'ish dining area, but for the location it probably works well for them. Very nice & cozy atmosphere - much more sophisticated than the surrounding strip mall. We love the beers and the Beezel was one of the better attempts that I've tried brewed outside of Belgium. Citrum was very good as well! Once Avery moves up north, this might be our new go-to location for east Boulder drinking. Only knock was the pizza we had, while by no means bad or terrible - it wasn't as good as expected. Will certainly give it another go, but they might want to tweak that somehow. Looking forward to going again soon!
(4)Dan N.
I recently went to BRU for the first time and was impressed with the variety of beers they make. I went with friends for happy hour. It only went till 6:00; fair but not the best. The server was great about letting us get a last round in before it ended. Not all brews were available at the happy hour pricing. The happy hour menu had a reasonable variety. I had the chicken wings which were very tasty. Nicely glazed and piping hot. I also had the shrimp which were large and tasty. Generally pricing and portions were decent. We also got a couple pizzas, can't go wrong with the wood fired oven. Our bill worked out to $30 each(including tip) for 2 beers plus enough food to call it a light dinner but I definitely needed more food after I got home. The space is nice and the service was great. I would go back for happy hour(I'm cheap) but would make sure I'm not starving going in.
(4)Jay P.
A friend brought me here raving about the beer and the food, so I had high hopes. When I walked in I was encouraged as I was greeted by great smells and a pleasant environment. We ordered some appetizers and beers and things went well until my beer arrived (I ordered a rye 'session' special). All 4 of the people at my table tried it and the comments ranged from 'whoa, that is terrible' to 'why would they serve that?' which was my question - had they tasted it themselves? If Bru was my place I would have poured the whole batch down the drain, not sold it to my customers. After that I ordered another beer that was described and an IPA - it was not even close to an IPA - more a blond ale - and very mediocre. OK, so far not so good. Our appetizers arrived fairly quickly and were competent, but nothing to write home about. Then we waited, and waited. At one point the waiter came by and said 'your food will be right here', then another 15 minutes passed and no food. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Eventually the food arrived - the pizza was pretty good - but by then, we had all pretty much moved on. We paid the bill and drove down the street to Avery to get some good beer.
(2)Csvin V.
Beer was good. Not a fan of IPA so ordered an ale. Really enjoyed the belux Belgian ale. Wood roasted chicken flatbread has a spicy kick but still pretty plain. Would like to try their dinner menu.
(3)Colleen K.
Delicious beers, and great happy hour munchies! I particularly enjoyed the Rigley Red Rye IPA, and my husband liked the Dusseldain Alt Beer. We ordered lots of snacks too - if you are a seafood fan, the mussels are absolutely amazing. If it were not a bit frowned upon, I would have totally chugged the Citrum IPA broth!
(5)Martin S.
Went to Bru Friday night - called at the last minute and got the last table in the place it was packed. The 4 of us sampled 3 of the appetizers and they were all yummy. I had the honey fried chicken and it was fantastic the 2 beers I had were tasty, so much so that we took a growler home. My only complaint falls under the" it's not you it's me category" Full of people on a Friday night that place is loud - like yelling at the person next to you loud. That being said I will definitely be going back, just maybe not for dinner on a Friday.
(4)Caitlin J.
I was in Boulder for work and our partners took us here. Great beer, very fun atmosphere. Chalkboard tables! The salads with arugula were fresh, light, just right. The meat and cheese plate was good, but a couple of the meats were on the tough/gristly side. The trout was a whole fish- the texture was superb, but they might want to call out that it is a whole fish, bone-in, etc. Some of my companions were thrown off by this. The little pancake fritters/ biscuits that accompanied the fish were also really tasty. I like spicy things, so I asked what they had for hot sauce. They make their own Sriracha!. Yummy! Homemade ice cream to end the night.
(4)Laurel T.
Wow...while on vacation we stumbled across Bru and were very impressed. We had the cheesy biscuits with onions and. Gravy and it was sooo fresh and delicious. We also had a ricotta and ruburb turnover which was decadent. We also did a flight of there homemade beer..I know it was really early (about 945am..) but it was....brunch. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it. I really liked the brown beer with dates and sugar. Actually everything we tries was great. One of the best brunches we have had and I am a brunch addict. Great food, beer and our server, Hailey was super friendly, provided lots of information and had a great sense of humor. We also found that Bru has only been open 3 weeks and hope next time we go on vacation and I need to work in DEnver we can come back. We also found they make everything on site...from their beer, cure their own meats and cheeses. WE did have a hard time locating Bru when our gps directed us to us the address...it is in the far right hand corner.
(5)J. E.
Now THIS is a brew pub with really wonderful food, excellent service, and excellent atmosphere. More of an intimate size and not loud at all. No TVs either, which I prefer. A great place for a date, but I've only been with family and friends and we love it. My favorite brew is the Ozo coffee stout (or was it a porter?). Can't remember what I ordered anymore, as it was a couple months ago, but it was delicious. So much so that I went back the next week with my daughter, and we both enjoyed everything we had. We were there just as Happy Hour was ending, but we got it all on the Happy Hour menu and prices. I'll be back again very soon!
(5)Wendy P.
Second time, great service and great food. I had the muscles and a grilled vegetable appetizer, it was fantastic!
(4)Charlie I.
I recently went to Bru with several friends for lunch/happy hour. I have worked in the brewing industry many years, and I was genuinely impressed with the beers I tried. The food was very unique and absolutely phenomenal. Our server Mike was very knowledgeable and attentive. I have, and will continue recommending this place to my friends.
(5)kari b.
I still love this place but my husband and coworkers will not go with me here anymore:( I am sad to say after my last visit I understand why. The service is terrible. I watched to parties come in and leave before ever being seated because there was no one anywhere to help them. The chairs are soo uncomfortable and the music is way too loud during lunch. My guess is that they are severely understaffed. I watched my lunch sit under the warmer for almost ten minutes, at that point nothing tastes that good. Of they get there service issues under control i think this would be one of the best spots in Boulder.
(3)Alexis B.
I love this place. The food is outstanding - I would actually say healthy. Most delicious chicken wings. The ice cream flavors will keep me coming back for more. Did I mention they area brewery and have great beer!
(5)John W.
Tried today (Sun, 12:30pm) for the first time. Walked in and place was near-capacity. Small-ish dining room, but quaint and nicely decorated (rustic). Kitchen is open and there is a nice stone wood-fired pizza oven dominating it in the middle. Hostess sat our party of 9 in two tables, 4 and 5 to accommodate us, which was nice. Service was..."leisurely"...felt like we were forgotten on a couple of occasions early on. Finally got to order drinks...they were our of their Rye IPA, so I had the "citrus" IPA. Not bad - kind of light and refreshing. Good for a brunch-type meal. They were also out of several soda syrups for our daughter (they make all their sodas by hand) so she had to settle for a vanilla-style soda. Ordered a Rhubarb and ricotta turnover to share. Was mostly cold and rather dry. Also more tart than I would have preferred. Got to ordering food (finally! Like I said, service was a little on the slow side) and we ordered the breakfast pizza, poached eggs with trout and a salad with fava beans and jicama. The poached eggs were served on small baguette slices with creme fraiche and smoked trout. Eggs were cooked perfectly. Nice size portions. Could have used a little more seasoning (S&P to start), but otherwise was a nice dish. The breakfast pizza had a single fried egg (sunny-side up) on the top with pesto and other assorted items on a light sauce. Was very good. The pizza's not sliced (to preserve the egg) so it was hard for the ladies to share the pizza. The salad was a nice size (especially for the price) and well dressed. I also ordered the Belgian-style Pale Ale. Nice flavor, a little bitter on the finish. Others had their BRU-mimosa. If you've been to Snooze and had their brew-mosa, same thing. Only this one comes in a pint glass and is more beer than OJ. Wife thought that more OJ would be better. Overall, I think that there is great potential here...service needs to be a little faster (though our server was super nice and friendly), having more stock on-hand would be nice, and beers take time to get all the kinks out before knocking it. I'd give Bru 3 1/2 stars but can't, so I have to use 3 only. I'll definitely go back in a few weeks to see how things are going and try some other of their menu items. More breweries is only a good thing; we live in such a fabulous area for micro-brews. Combine good food and good beer and this place can become a home-run.
(3)Bob C.
There are soooo many new breweries/restaurants in the Boulder area that it's easy to overlook Bru. Don't do it! Go to Bru. Right now. Everything from beer to dinner to dessert was just fantastic. Every sip/bite was literally packed to overflowing with flavor. How many beet salads have you had in the past 5 years? Well, Bru's beet salad is far and away the best one you'll ever have. Yeah, them is fighting' words to all y'all Boulder vegetarians, but it is just so good you'll want to smack the last chef who made you a sub-par beet salad. The service is excellent as well. Nikki was our very personable and passionate server, and she was truly proud and knowledgable about the food and beer. Anyway, we'll be back. Maybe tomorrow morning for brunch...
(5)Adam K.
I want to like BRU, but the service has been way too inconsistent. One reason this works for an office lunch is they can sit a large group. On this day they decided a 12 person table was good for someone on their first day. Bad idea. 3 stars for the decent Belgium style beers, and the interesting food choices.
(3)Tim M.
F@#% that was delicious! One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had the corned beef brisket, which seriously rivaled some of the fifty dollar meals I've had in my life but for half the price. One of the only brew pubs I've been to where the food and the beers are both exceptional. If you're not completely satisfied after dining here, then you need to check your pulse.
(5)Ben R.
The dual restaurant-brewery Bru was especially nice because we could take advantage of a larger food selection than simply the half-forgotten pub mix they sometimes put in front of you at other bars or breweries. Our waiter was quite the dude, although I've been known to rate people higher on my zero to ten scale for the long hair and beard combo, being in possession of said qualities myself. He suggested the buffalo wings saying, "truthfully, they're the best I've ever had." Well, I can't pass that up, even if it was to dash his faith in these wings with my hardcore reviewer side. I can see it now, "excuse me sir, but I am a reviewer from Yelp, and these wings were not the best I've ever had. In fact, they were the worst. A pox! A pox on all of you!" Or maybe I just dearly want to cast a pox on someone or something. I wasn't able to cast the pox, which should say something, and yes, the wings were downright beastly (in a good way). The sauce or something that they put on them has to made from some exotic, extremely rare Ecuadorian plant that must be harvested on the second moon of every month that begins on a Tuesday. That last sentence doesn't even make sense, but trust me the process must be pretty intense to make this flavor. The only disappointing thing is they only give you five, which leaves that awkward third wing if you're sharing it with someone. I ate it. The pretzel we ordered along with it was fine--more of a bread thing really--and if I were you, I would just not order it. The brews were pretty exotic with ingredients like they felt like shoving whatever they could find in the compost pile into their beer. I was skeptical at first, but they turned out to be quite good--the Belgian with honey, black pepper, and orange peel I ordered was tart and refreshing. After we were limbered up by a few such brews, we felt eloquent enough to attempt a short interrogation of our waiter (interesting how beer does that), who was more than willing to confess as to what the brewery was actually up to. All good stuff really, they try to make as much in house as possible, even to using leftover brew ingredients for food items and to using herbs you can see growing in a small planter from the outdoor eating area. The outdoor tables were fairly tastefully put together, but the chairs--sorry for my crudeness--sucked. The backrest was all too willing to shoot you out of the chair should you put too much weight on it. If I were them, I would destroy their chairs with impunity.
(4)Kimberly R.
Great Pizza and Great Beers! This was our first stop when we arrived into Colorado for the GABF. Super stop! The place smells like fresh baked goodness and the wait staff was great!
(4)Kevin M.
Hidden gem. A great handbuilt beer selection that is under rated. Food is very good. Sandwiches and the pizza are my favs.
(4)Paul S.
Go for the beer. IPA and Brown Ale is excellent! Food is OK and over priced- $18 for fried chicken! Portions are very small. Friendly staff. Inside is small, cramped and loud. Definitely a place to go for a beer or two after work but for me, not a place to go on a date night for dinner.
(3)John B.
My fourth visit and it keeps getting better. Sat at the bar and got GREAT service from bartender Whitney. Lots of tasting of almost all their beers. Bru isn't a hoppy brewer and I like that. Excellent beers for my tastes from Belgium style ale to Ozo coffee stout. What really separates Bru from other Boulder County brewers is the food. Well prepared, unique entrees, smaller plates and pizzas. My friend from New Orleans had shrimp & grits w/braised ham and said it was the real thing - delicious. My chili was very good. The in-house made ice cream sandwich was a dessert I can't get anywhere else, made with ingredients from the brewing room. Met the founder/chef Ian Clark. I liked Bru before and after talking with Ian, I love it now. I'll return. P.S. I bought a growler of 5290 Saison beer to take with me.
(5)Jill M.
There is great food, dessert and beer at Bru. The service is friendly and helpful, the menu items are innovative and tasty and this is a fun place to be!
(4)Leslie H.
If you get to the area this area is a must for the beer lovers & an added kick the food is fantastic!!! Pickled vegetables appetiter was fabulous which I've never had before. This place has craft beer love all over it. I wish I could get Bru back in the Midwest!
(5)Beverly B.
I'm what's known as a procrastinator. This update should have come a long time ago. I was so pleasantly surprised to get a nice hand written card accompanied with a gift certificate inviting me back from chef Ian Clark. I honestly believe my lunch experience was a very uncommon one for this establishment. Not to mention it was newly opening and still ironing out some last minute kinks. I'm looking very forward to going back. The beer was beyond excellent, the food choices were outstanding and as previously stated, I just hit Bru on an off day. Thank you Ian. It's nice to know you are willing to go a long way to go above and beyond to make your customers happy. I have for sure become a loyal customer. Cheers!
(4)M G.
Great atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, and terrific food. We loved the bread with honey and mustard butter... yum. Pizza was spot-on. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. We ordered the beer sampler and we were super-impressed. Don't let the strip-mall setting deter you. The inside makes it allllllll good.
(4)Ann S.
Excellent! This place has great food. I went with a group of friends and we all ordered something different and everyone loved their food. I'm pretty much a foodie and loved my roasted chicken and crepe vegetable entreeThe service was great and I would highly recommend!
(5)Jeff C.
Judging by the prior mediocre reviews, Bru has it's service and food prep down now. We've gone here three times and each time has been great. Prompt service, tasty beers, delicious food. Don't be turned off by the strip mall location as the outside isn't impressive. The inside is very well done and looks like they used a lot of reclaimed wood. I'm a big fan of reclaimed wood and said beers. I suggest you go... now!
(5)Leonard S.
We visited for the first time, for happy hour. We were very excited to find a great new brewpub in the area! It's a find! The small plates were very interesting, creative. I had trail mix, whichever as a great surprise. Other dishes were wonderful. Very creative atmosphere. Such a great place!
(4)Johnny V.
Bru is my new favorite micro brewery in Colorado excellent food ice cream made with beer and they bru up excellent sodas as well love you guys
(5)Amanda W.
Food just not great! Expected more. Fun beer selection. I'd pick Fate over Bru. Too bad...
(2)Colleen L.
The bartenders at Avery told us to visit Bru which had been opened by a chef who had been home brewing. The beers were great! We had a flight. We didn't have any good, but the menu looked really good. The place had a great atmosphere.
(5)Erin S.
We went for happy hour and I was thoroughly impressed. Great prices and I am in love with the atmosphere. Very hipster and cool. I'm always wanting to find new places and this is one I will defiantly be coming back to. They really do a great job and the service is really friendly.
(4)Sam S.
Ian Clark is one of the best chefs in Boulder. Mix this with amazing beers and a great atmosphere and you got a winner! 5 stars across the board
(5)Kelly E.
Great variety of house-brewed beers - leaning toward Belgian and German ales. Entrees and appetizers were excellent. Really enjoyed the wood-roasted veggies and radish and bean salad, and the sourdough pizza was fantastic. Reasonable prices and decent service. I'll definitely be back!
(4)Mike S.
Great happy hour, delicious homemade beers and delicious snacks with great service.
(5)Harry S.
BRU is a local brewpub with a very welcoming, family-friendly feel. The food is much better than brewpub average. The thin crust pizzas are quite good. The crust had excellent texture - just chewy enough around the edges and while remaining crisp. Their beers are for the most part quite flawed, with the exception of the CO2, a very nice sessionable fresh hop American pale ale. The IPA had way too much caramel character, not enough American hop flavor and aroma, significant oxidation, too much residual sweetness. The Belgian-styled beers that we tried were generally out of balance, under-attenuated, and some excessive hot alcohol and solventy notes. I like their vision and that they're making some lower-alcohol beers so that you can have a couple and still drive home responsibly. However, it seems like there were too many beers on tap with obvious problems and that they would do well to offer maybe five beers and get them really well dialed in so that every one is a 'wow' experience. I'll go back for the food and fun, laid-back atmosphere, but the beer is just so-so. I hope things improve because this place has serious potential.
(3)L M.
Love, love, love!! The beer, the food, the atmosphere. Thankfully it is a little ways out of town 'cause this makes it easy to get into. If it was downtown, there would be no way. Keep doing what you are doing guys, awesome!
(5)Eliza H.
This place is amazing, in my opinion. The beer is all great - it reminds me of classic Belgian beer is all its varieties and I've tasted everything (after like 3 weeks of visiting) - light to dark, it's rich. The food is totally gourmet - much like Frasca, but I like it better. Next time, I'm going to invite my CU prof-type friends.
(5)Johnny W.
Food portions are tiny. Friend got some kind of bratwurst dish. I thought it was an appetizer. Another friend got a sandwich where the small slices of bread was super dense w/ 4-5 small slices of meat. My third and last time here. Service was so slow. It looked like the staff needed more training.
(1)Shawn R.
I didn't even know that this place existed until my friends were raving about this new brewery in east Boulder. We were a little taken back as we pulled into this old shopping center on the edge of Arapahoe. Hesitant at first, but as soon as we walked through those doors we knew we were on to something good. There was no hostess so we weren't really sure what to do when we walked in until this nice young man came and greeted us. The beers were awesome! Loved the Rigley Red Rye IPA and the Arium Dubbel. Their brew master really knows what he's doing serving up these full flavored beers that really are a true delight. The food was great! I liked the fact that our server was able to explain the dishes to us and that he came back to make sure we were enjoying ourselves (he had tattoos). Our server was great, but it did take some time to get our beers. We noticed the bartender having multiple conversations distracting him from making our drinks, which was a little annoying. I would strongly recommend the daily sausages that they make in house. I think that day ours was a 5 spice pork sausage. Their salads are amazing, nice and fresh. Our pork entree left little to be remembered, but there's definitely potential. Nothing very unexpected, which is not at all what I was expecting. Although, our server informed us that most of their food is local and organic. I was truly amazed at the amount of food that was prepared in house. I think this place makes literally everything in house, from the butter to the ice cream. I was a little bummed that my daughter had only a few choices for sodas, something like blueberry and strawberry/melon. I was expecting to get a nice root beer or something for her. If you want good/personable service, fresh homemade food and exquisite beer then BRU is definitely recommended. They still have a little fine tuning to do, but I think this place is on the right track. I'll definitely be back for more beer and I wanna try their pizzas!
(4)M S.
Delicious food. Horrible service. The menu selections are superb. The food was flavorful; it is high on my list of favorites. However, the service was pitiful. It took seemingly forever to receive one beer and was only delivered after we inquired as to where it was. The soup appetizer was served luke warm, we were told it was because the hops they added was kept at room temperature. Service was slow with the waiter only checking on us as he walked past. He couldn't even take the time to stop at the table as if we were just an after thought. When the food arrived more than 30 minutes later, it was wrong. The manager came to apologize with a new order being delivered a fast as the kitchen could make it. Our server never checked in from that point on. We had to ask the bus boy to bring us the check. The manager returned with the check to apologize again explaining how he took two items off our check. I would hope that we didn't have to pay for the item that was never ordered. The other issue we had was the seating. Nothing is padded and there is no real back support. Maybe this would not have been an issue if our dining experience had not taken so long. If Bru could get their service together, this place would easily land a 5 star rating. The management did a great job of trying to make up for their short comings all be it a little too late. They did try to mend the situation with homemade, scrumptious ice cream sandwiches and provided us with cards for complimentary beers (which were very good) for our next visit. This was a nice olive branch, but not sure it is enough for us to return any time soon.
(3)Tina H.
I love, love, love this place. It can be pricey depending on the time, but I've been five times now, for brunch, lunch, dinner, and just beer, and I keep finding myself using every trip to Boulder as an excuse to come again and introduce new people to Bru. I've tried items off the menu that didn't sound like anything I'd like, only to discover that they were delicious. Same for the beers! The atmosphere is so gemütlich, it always smells crazy good, and I love every little design element from their decor to their crazy tap handles. The servers have always been very attentive and friendly. I'm getting hungry now...can't wait to return!
(5)Paul S.
Ian Clark's food is really wonderful and the beer is good too, sadly it's the service that let's all the hard work down. Slow, and seemingly inexperienced servers, messed up our order, served cold food and seemed to care less. This place has such potential, come on Ian, you can do it, get rid of the stoned servers and you'll get the five stars.
(3)Christie V.
I've now eaten there three weeks in a row and am seriously thinking about getting a new job just so I can afford to make it a regular thing. It can be a bit pricey but I love that it's not downtown, and not too cool for school. And I really really love all day happy hour on Tuesday! Here are things I've had and loved and made other people take bites of: 1. Kale caesar with grilled shrimp. I love the copious shaved cheese. I love the polenta croutons. I want to marry the charred kale and perfectly grilled shrimp 2. Carrot soup - delicious and surprisingly filling. 3. Corn and cheddar fritters. Ate them the first time I was there with my buddy and he insisted we get them again - good call 4. Chili lime popcorn. An awesome starter for $2. Do it. Thank me later Here are things others have gotten and been really into: 1. BBQ pork sandwich - my boyfriend wanted to lie in the grass and happily take a nap afterwords 2. Bahn Mi pork sandwich. Every time I've been someone has gotten it and loved it 3. Fries. I keep stealing them. They are delish I finally just did it and got a flight of beers for $9 and that was fantastical because I got to taste 5 awesome beers. If this place has one flaw it's that they keep feeding me so well that I do not have room for their desserts which I hear are also quite wonderful!
(5)Mike S.
We had a nice dinner at BRU. At he waiter's suggestion, I started with a Rubus Belgian dark ale. The menu says this beer has a 5.3% alcohol content, which is low for a Belgian dark, which is usually a very strong but drinkable beer. If I didn't know, I would have guessed it was a porter. It tasted pretty good though not what I'd say is a good Belgian dark strong. Later in the meal, I ordered a Beezul Belgian strong ale. It again tasted ok but wasn't what I was expecting for the style. For our entree, we split an order of fried chicken. We asked for the chile honey glaze on the side but they put it on the chicken anyway. It didn't really matter because it was pretty light and I couldn't pick up much chile. The chicken was very good but we weren't too impressed with the sides. The pickled collard greens were pretty plain and served cold. The biscuit was ok but nothing special. We also ordered the oven charred cauliflower. The menu says its made with yellow curry but we didn't detect much curry in the flavor. All in all, the meal and beer were fine. Not special but enjoyable. Of course, it was enhanced by sitting outside on a gorgeous evening in Boulder.
(3)john W.
Don't get up to Boulder often, but we're two for two in making sure we stop at Bru. Pretty tasty beers each time, always nice folks behind the bar. Quite a selection of beers, If you're like me and more a wheat beer, mild beer drinker, not many options, but those I've had I've liked.
(4)Jenn M.
Great beers and seriously delicious pizza! I love the Citrum IPA and BRU pizza. Service is friendly and the atmosphere is unbeatable.
(5)Dale Z.
The smoke from the wood oven here overwhelmed my sinuses almost as soon as I sat down. I was just getting over a cold and this hit me like a hot and smoky, wet wool blanket. Despite my oxygen deprivation issues, I really enjoyed the beer they were serving on this visit. I had several brews that I enjoyed, but the Obitus American Brown Ale (with dates and caramelized sugar) was my favorite of the bunch, and it was truly delicious. Surprisingly, I think I liked the food even more than the beer. They were on the brunch menu while we were here. I went with the Sourdough Breakfast Pizza (sausage gravy, cheddar cheese, and roasted chiles with an egg on top). It was fan-freaking-tastic. I had this right before we left and it was scorching hot from the oven and pumped full of flavor. I would order this again in a heartbeat.
(4)Conrad S.
Awesome place to go get some food in Boulder. The flights of beer are great too and they even write the names of the beers on the flight board. I wish they wouldve organized the beers from lightest to darkest (as they should be drunk) but I'm not color blind so I was able to tell. The beer is fresh. I did order food but I cant remember what I got. Oops, maybe that speaks to how good it is. I didnt think it was bad but it wasnt anything special.
(4)Dave C.
Nope. Didn't get it. One and done . . . . Stopped here recently on our way to Estes based on the reviews. Seriously folks, 5 Stars? I had one of their IPA's, and it was good. Not great, not special, not amazing - good. I really wanted to try one of their "specialty" brews, but at $10 for an 8oz pour you gotta be kidding me . . . . did the golden goose p**s the stuff?? Appetizers: Popcorn - $2 for about a cup; 1/4 of the serving was nothing but old maids. Innocuous chile powder seasoning. Pass. Jalapeno Fritters - $6, not bad. Not great, but not bad. Me: Fried Chicken, greens, biscuit. Ooooohhhh myyyyyy - nasty. They're trying for that Memphis spicy chicken, but all I got for $18 friggin bucks was three lumps of overdone breading (nah, burnt breading) on some tiny bits of chicken. Free-range, no doubt. Biscuit was so dense I thought it was a table decoration made out of Plaster-of-Paris. Inedible, even if I'd asked for some honey to go with it. Greens were the best part - tasty and zippy. Wife: $22 Trout. She enjoyed it; hot and flavorful. Roasted red potatoes looked good. This place was packed on a Friday night. . . . nope, didn't get it at all . . . .
(2)Holly C.
We've been here twice. Each time, we were first rebuffed at Blackbelly. The happy hour was a great bargain. And it was popular! It got crowded towards the end of happy hour each time I was there. Probably because of the great beers and good happy hour food. The Citrum IPA was delicious. The pickled vegetables were really good. The mussels, too. And I really enjoyed the BRU pizza, as did my toddler. The sauce on the pizza was really good. Somewhat kid friendly with a decent kids menu and lots of crayons. The food wasn't really toddler friendly, though. The grilled cheese was huge and had some sharp toothpicks in it that we had to take away from our toddler. She was fixing to do some damage with those things. After we took those away, she lost interest as the thick, crusty sourdough bread was too much for her to handle. She didn't eat the chicken tenders either, even though they were delish. And no diaper changing table that I could find. But there were lots of people with small kids there during our visits so at least we didn't feel out of place.
(4)MaryBeth R.
I've never been much of a beer lover, but I think that Bru is about to change that! I've stopped in at Bru 3 times now, once for a light on-the-run lunch, once for Happy Hour, and once for "brunch" with the family. I'm hooked. First the food: fresh, with both innovative twists on old standards (spinach, roasted beets and goat cheese - fondue!- salad) and some new and interesting flavors - charred cauliflower with a curry, lime and garlic aioli. I won't even get started on the Bru-tine hand cut french fries smothered with cheddar cheese and gravy! Watch out, Quebec! Now the beverage: I'm sold on the lovely, light and refreshing brus: The Saison is my favorite, followed closely by the Belux, but not to be outdone by the richer and heavier Loch Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. So many brus to choose! Lucky for me, they have a nice "flight" of 5 samplers for $9, or head over for happy hour, when a nice selection of their beers is offered at the bargain price of $3/pint. Whoo! Just don't have too many....at up to 10.9% alcohol, some of these beers will have you under the bru bar before you know it. (And if you find yourself getting a bit tipsy...there is always a home-bru'd soda alternative. Tasty!) All in all, a very pleasant few experiences at Bru. Lovely atmosphere, excellent food, and a friendly, attentive staff make this a place I'll put on my "regular haunts" list.
(5)Rodger M.
Daughter suggested this place while we were visiting recently, sure glad we tried it out. Excellent food, service & beer. Will make it a habit hopefully to visit again!
(4)Brian K.
Hands down my favorite destination in Boulder. The venue isn't too large, the food is really really fabulous, very well put together. The beer suits my tastes better than anything else outside of Ft Collins - not too many hoppy selections, beers rotate, Belgium selections sometimes available. Please don't tell too many people about this place though, I don't want it to grow. Hint - sit at the kitchen counter (only has three seats, seats two ocmfortably)
(5)Nicole W.
Stopped here on a mini beer tour of the "not so famous" breweries in boulder. IT was an amazing day and this place made us very happy! There are a-lot of beers on tap - a lot! The tap handles are super fun and adorable. The staff is amazingly friendly - helpful, very informational with all the beers! The pizza oven looked fab - but we had just had brunch and the rest of the menu looked delish too. I hope to return and enjoy some of the food options. But as far as the beer - i did a flight of 5 to get a feel for their beer: Solus patersbier- not very sour but drinkable Bru tang cream ale - not bad, not amazing Osito stout - not bad El oro- tasty - do again!! Hers - tasty
(5)Heather M.
This place was awesome! We had a great experience here. We sat at the bar and received awesome service. It started with a free sample of a chocolate bacon scone from the chef. Oh my gosh, yum. We ordered a taster of all the beers. We liked the Citrum IPA and Brown Ale the best. Then we ordered almost everything off the happy hour food menu! Oops! Hard not to when everything is $2-4! Seriously! The "BRU"tine was ridiculous. So tasty. We also loved the corn fritters with red pepper jelly. Can't wait for our next visit!!
(5)Solomon W.
Bru Handbuilt Ale & Eats sits among one of the most unique strip centers upon which I have graced with my presence: Jazzercise, a "Growth" shop, some tax offices... and well, a gastropub with a phenomenal food program to pair alongside its own booze. Here, you will find beers ranging from the wheatiest, for the weaklings, all the way down to the depths of coffee-flavored porters and stouts. And it fill up the ocean of craft beer in your stomach, they have fantastic happy hour dining options. Among my the favorites of my wife and me: oysters--yes, they had Chesapeake's; poutine, with a good smothering of sausage gravy; stout-chile glazed wings with horseradish ranch. How does food this good come out of a joint this humble? So humble, that they lowered themselves into a strip mall, a full 2 miles from Pearl Street. If you are dropping through town, or heck, if you are staying downtown and want a quality meal, do not let the location scare you away. The drinks are strong, the food satisfies, and by golly, the people that run this dark horse know what they are doing.
(4)Sue H.
Seriously delicious. Wildly creative menu. Fantastic interior space that makes entering a seemingly blah strip mall an incredibly rewarding discovery. Kale caeser salad with polenta croutons was the game-changer. Loved the popcorn. Skip the fritters. Both the beer and cider were fantastic, and the 9-oz size is super friendly for the petite peeps among us. FANTASTIC addition to the boulder food scene. Head and shoulders above the inventiveness of so many of the Pearl St go-tos. Here's the innovation, passion in food creation, and wildly cheerful service.
(5)Andrea L.
Meh. The place is gorgeous, and was almost completely empty when I showed up in the middle of lunch hour. I ordered coconut curry soup- needed salt - and charred cauliflower with curry - WAY too salty. My companion ordered a sandwich with fries, but the fries didn't arrive until after we paid the bill and were walking out the door. No reason to go back when you live or work in Boulder, with so many amazing choices available.
(2)Deanna J.
Great happy hour! Stopped by after off-roading in the area and the beers and bites sure hit the spot. Tough to find (at least for me!) but well worth it once you get there :) PS- Try the curry cauliflower!!
(4)Amanda D.
Great local joint for craft beers, craft eats and even a decent selection of wine! Happy hour daily from 2-6pm. Maybe you should invite our fellow astronaut right around! :) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le…
(5)Lauren B.
Yum! Food was out of this world. We had corn fritter app, fried chicken and sea bass and beet gnocchi entree. Save room for their ice cream which was phenomenal- salted caramel and coconut were the two we had. They also have a large beer selection from which to choose. I liked the sour orange (a wheat) and obitus (a brown ale) but others looked worth trying as well. Great dinner stop on your Boulder brewery tour.
(5)Alyssa Y.
I have to say, having lived in Boulder almost a year, I feel like I've found most of my favorite spots to eat in town - and it's rare I venture outside of that. I'm happy to say that today I ventured off of an invite from a co-worker and I was so happily surprised. This is a hidden gem for sure, with yummy food and a laid back (but decorative) atmosphere. I tried the mussels, curried cauliflower, and kale caesar. All were pretty great, and the citrus IPA was a nice compliment. Check it out!
(5)David J.
Fried chicken. Pizza. Cool deserts. Plenty of parking. Great beers on tap friendly staff. Go and enjoy.
(5)Nat S.
Great beer, and atmosphere. The food was good too, we had the chicken wings, gravy fires, and fritters. They make their own ice cream too, and wood fired pizza. Some Maine people run this joint and they are representing the vibrant food scene of the home state nicely. On my radar as a favorite Boulder brewery destination.
(5)Kyle W.
This place is fire. That means it's exceptional. The beer is excellent. I tried both hoppy, and malty. All beers I tried...fire. We had the $4 Bahn mi which was honestly the best little sandwich I've ever had. Flavors bursting. I highly recommend it. If you don't, get it next time. Seriously. Entree is on its way, but I have beer to drink so I'm getting off my phone. So far, deserves 5 stars for service, food, and drink. Update soon.
(5)Rachel D.
Very nice little place tucked away in an unexpected location. The beers were very delicious, love having the options of getting flights. We had veggies, pizza, and a salad - all were great!
(4)Alissa W.
A friend and I came up from Denver to hop around some breweries. When we pulled up to BRU we had NO idea how awesome it was from the outside. It is super cute with great ambiance. Seating is awesome and unique. Staff was so sweet too! I am not a belgian beer fan, and while they had mostly belgian beers, they also had some other options that I really enjoyed! I recommend trying it out!
(5)Kevin K.
This is my go to place in Boulder for a relaxing date night. Great beer, and even better food. If you are in the mood to splurge on something maybe not so healthy, the fried chicken is unbelievable! Really, really good with honey drizzled on top. Their cooked vegetable platter is also amazing if you want to eat healthier. They vary the menu monthly based on seasonally available foods and what the chef has been toying with. This keeps it interesting. I highly recommend getting a flight of sample beers if you aren't sure what you'd like to drink!
(5)Helen K.
I'm not much of a drinker, but the boyfriend loves beer tasting. We decided on the flight of five to accommodate both of us and I was surprised with how great they were. I typically don't like the beer taste (ha) but I found a brown ale that I liked from the five. Knocking down a few stars because the entrées we ordered weren't appetizing. We started off with the mussels which were tasty, but when we got our chile hanger steak and bitter salad with hanger steak, we were pretty disappointed with how insanely salty our plates were. Unsure if the steaks we got were from a bad batch or if it's just that they were cured (wasn't stated on the menu), but I couldn't finish my plate... Everything tasted off balance in our opinions. TL;DR: great beer, great service, order something other than the hanger steaks.
(3)Julie R.
BRU was alright. Not bad by any means but nothing outstanding. We went for happy hour with a friend with celiacs disease so our choices were very limited. Although, they were happy to make suggestions and alterations to the menu which is very nice, there still was not much to choose from. Boyfriend and I got fries and fritters. Good but nothing extraordinary. Friend got shrimp and "roasted" veggies. This is what gets me... These "roasted" veggies were not roasted AT ALL. Boiled/steamed. Do not promise roasted veggies if you can not deliver. To pay money for all items that could be better prepared at home is just plain disappointing. Boyfriend out beer which he said was good. Friend and I both got wine. Nothing to write home about. Probably won't keep BRU on our happy hour rounds.
(3)Ed R.
Stopped in for lunch and what a nice find. Had a nice IPA and took lunch to go. Grilled shrimp pita was flavorful with fresh sweet shrimp. Spicy chicken salad, yes I ordered chicken salad, on a pita was great too. The pitas are actually their pizza crust folded in half and are perfect. A little chewy with great flavor. Which leads me to the cheese pizza I took home for my boys...they are lucky they got any. Perfect crust. Great sauce. I will be back!
(4)Christy V.
I think Bru is a great place and despite its somewhat weird strip mall location the interior is welcoming and cozy (love the pillows on the benches) and gives the vibe of Brooklyn rather than suburban.Big compliment from me as I am always longing for Brooklyn! One of my favorite features is the five-flight beer option for just $9. And you can choose any of their beers to add to the line-up. The Belgian Quad is one of my favorites as is the Nitro Stout. The food is also delicious and varied. I love that you can share a selection of small plates or also opt for a very affordable larger main. Most recently my friend and I shared four delectable items: charred cauliflower with a yellow curry sauce, beet and arugula salad (loved the deconstruction!), duck confit chili (so savory!), and the wood-roasted PEI mussels in a ginger broth. Make sure to ask for extra bread to sop up the goodness!
(4)Kyle P.
The beer is very good! I had the pizza which was pretty meh. Tried my wife's fries chicken and it was great. The atmosphere is very cool and it's not too loud.
(3)Lynne F.
I've been here three times now, trying to like the place, but it is a distinct 'meh'. First the food. Some of the dishes are quite good. The fried chicken, hanger steak and pizza are all fine examples of well executed items. Others are not worth ordering. The mussels lack salt and flavor, the oysters come with a "cocktail sauce" that is nothing but doctored catsup (really! It was gross), and the fish was overlooked and greasy. The menu overall lacks consistency and cohesiveness. As for the service, it is lacking all around. The waitstaff seem undertrained, don't know the wines or dishes as well as you would expect (or at all in some cases), food delivery is poorly timed, requests for additional condiments and beverages are slow to be handled, etc. I WANT to like this place, but given the many excellent Boulder restaurants, they really need to step it up.
(3)Emma B.
The food was awesome, but the service was TERRIBLE. I am a waitress, so naturally I'm pretty tolerant of poor service, but our experience here was beyond slow. It took well over 15 minutes to get our drinks, and I wasn't offered a second round until I asked after my beer was empty for almost 10 minutes. It took her almost 15 minutes to take an appetizer order, 30 min before the apps came, 30 minutes for a dinner order, then over an hour before the entrees came. One of our parties entrees came out cold. In addition, the same person whose entree came out cold didn't receive a portion of her meal. If the restaurant had been extremely busy, I would have been more forgiving, but we were one of 4 tables being handled by 2 servers. Outside of the service, the food was great
(2)Todd G.
Crazy good selection of hand-crafted beers. Pick the flight (5 choices @ 5 oz each) to sample a bunch of them. The food was outstanding. Meatball and humus appetizer had a nice kick to them. The fried chicken was amazing and just remember to ask for more honey sauce on the side.
(5)Marissa H.
Great beer and great food. Our waiter was very knowledgable about food and beer and was attentive without being overbearing! Would definitely return!
(5)Shaun B.
Really enjoyed the pork sandwich and the miso soup, though the soup really tasted more like a jaeger sauce found on schnitzel. Very interesting, still tasty. Service was excellent. The porter was delicious and they even did a half-pour for me so I could try something else.
(4)Krista L.
Great food and service. If I lived in Colorado I would ear at this restaurant everyday.
(5)Meghan B.
Just pure liquid greatness paired beautifully with their pizza oven creations, mussels, chicken, salads.
(5)Craig W.
Not sure how this place makes any money, given the price to quality ratio. This is a good thing for us consumers, as this place gives amazing food at very reasonable prices. Ate brunch there today and had the breakfast poutine and the bacon egg sandwich. Total of $7 for all of that with happy hour prices. Had a delicious pumpkin porter with it. Girlfriend had the almond crusted French toast and a mimosa. She loved it too. Will absolutely return to this awesome gastropub on our next trip to Boulder.
(5)Kat Z.
Bru is one of our favorites in Boulder - we eat here at least monthly and always take visitors. We love the beer, ambience and the food. Service is always great too. I love seeing what kind of new ice cream flavors they have along with the new menu items.
(5)Jonny H.
East Boulder's Bru is home to the best gastropub I've ever visited! Ever. In all the places I've traveled. In all the dreams that I did live. Incredible food & beer pairings abound, and the service is so polished, efficient and cheery. I have never been a fan of the Boulder bar & restaurant scene, but on a whim (and with a blind date), I discovered a place where I truly felt at home. Well done, Bru! God speed and pour on and on and on... Recommendation: Order a beer flight of 5; share a pork banh mi sandwich; savor the chilled asparagus & leek soup; relish the oyster mushroom arepas; and chillax with an ice cream sandwich for dessert!
(5)Christine H.
Lovely beers. Lovely food. Attentive, friendly waitstaff. Had a sampler of several of their beers and the hanger steak w/crispy rice and seared greens - all high quality and super tasty. Can't believe we found out about Bru from our Boulder passport. Great find. We will be back!
(4)Kristine E.
I've now been to Bru 5 or 6 times and it honestly keeps getting better! We had dinner there on a Tuesday, which is all-day-happy-hour. We shared a bunch of small plates that even my 8 year old loved. My favorites: Bahn Mi and Curried Roaster Califlower; My son's favorites: Duck Confit Chili; Chicken wings (had to order a second portion) and the corn fritters; we also had the Bru-Tine (fries with gravy) which was delish too. The beers are really great as well!!!
(5)Sarah M.
We love trying out new breweries and wanted to give this one a try. It was an odd experience. Every few minutes when they grill some item in particular, the whole place is filled with smoke and everyone, from the guests, to the employees, starts coughing. It calms down for several minutes, and then the whole scene starts again. I don't know how they got it past the city with out better venting. The couple next to us commented to their server that they like dishes rare, but theirs was raw. There's a guy who guides everything at the pick up counter and he seems to just stand there and yell "all hands" when an order is up, rather than just taking it himself, since he doesn't seem particularly busy.
(2)Paul K.
Great, great beer. A little too cute with some of the menu items, with a few items tending towards just hip rather than just tasty. Though, a great bahn mi sandwich, and, truly, the best mussels I've ever had in Boulder (better than even 1010). Menu changes frequently, the space is very neat (sit by the kitchen if solo or on a date! Super fancy oven) and the servers have always been pleasant, knowledgeable, and unobtrusive. Pricey, but not exorbitant.
(4)Jeff C.
This place is so great, I almost want to give it a bad review for selfish reasons, but they deserve an honest pitch. First, the beer is part beer and part crack or something...it really is that good. They clearly stand out in a town that has more microbrews than Starbucks. Red Rye...killer. Coffee Stout...call me a cab, I'll have another. Barley Wine...tasty wonderfulness. The food is creative, well priced and satisfying. Roasted Shrimp, Curried Cauliflower, Pizza and Ice Cream are all super. The attention given to the dining experience comes through in great quality and service. I'm forwarding my mail and moving in. Wake me for my breakfast beer please!
(5)Mark R.
A nice and small brewpub. Interesting and tasty food, great beers, kind staff. Hard to find but worth seeking out for an alternative to the big and noisy bars.
(5)Phinn M.
Went to check out Bru tonite for a group dinner (birthday) as one of our friends could not stop raving about how amazing everything was. She agreed that this evening was not a pleasant experience. Made a reservation in advance and everyone checked out reviews and menus online. Having a bunch of kiddos with us added to the chaos but our server was pretty on point. Having had a chance to check out the menu before hand most knew what the wanted. The first order was a few gluten free pizza's for gluten intolerant parents and children at the table. No dice - out of gluten free dough (6:30pm Saturday evening). The wife of the couple took her kids to Snarfs next door and brought a sandwich back (it was a birthday celebration) for them. She ordered a ceaser salad with the dressing on the side - when the salad came, the salad dressing was both on the side and on the salad. When she asked about it, our server looking perplexed walked away, came back and said, the told me it was residual dressing from the bowl in which it was flipped (???). She ended up asking for a different salad all together I ordered the fried at the recommendation of our friend who frequents the joint. When my chicken came it was a very dark brown. I took a bite of the drumstick and tasted burnt. I started pulling the crust off of the drumstick to eat (really hungry and didn't want to make a fuss especially after the other issues) and one by one the people at the table said my food looked burnt. The gal who recommended it took a piece of the crust and said "oh yeah, this is burnt. This is way overcooked - you should send it back. I said I would just peel off the crust (though the chicken was overcooked) because I didn't want to cause a hassle (and it's pretty rare for me to send food back) but she said, "no they'll take care of you they don't want you to eat an overcooked meal". I asked for our waiter and said "I hate to complain but I can't eat this - I've tried pulling the crust off but this is no good" - I pointed to the blackened inside of the crust and said "this is way overcooked". He said, OK let me grab the manager A guy in a tee-shirt and jeans walked up to the table a few minutes later (no introduction and seemingly annoyed) and said "Hi, there was something wrong with your food?" - I said "Yeah, I ordered the friend chicken and it was burnt. I unfortunately couldn't eat it" - His response was "no, your chicken was not burnt. Me and the staff all agreed after looking at it". I was shocked. I said the inside of the crust was black and the chicken was dried out. His response was "No it wasn't". Again, shocked. I said, "yes, it was... do you blacken your chicken first?" and he responded with a snarky "No, it's fried chicken, not blackened chicken". I surrendered to the idea that this conversation was going not going anywhere and said "everyone at this table said it looks burnt, it tasted burnt, the girl who recommended it and tasted it said it tasted burnt, and looks burnt, and said it's usually golden (guessing like in the pics posted in other reviews). I tried to work around it but I can't eat it" - He said "It's not burnt... well, what do you want me to do for you man, do you want something else or what?" Despite really wanting fried chicken I decided at this point that after arguing with a manager nothing good would come out of ordering food from someone obviously pissed off I said "no thank you, I ordered another beer, I'll pay for my food and go". His response as he walked away "Okay, whatever" Happily the beer I had ordered wasn't available and while I was offered a different IPA I decided to grab my kiddo and split. Gave one of my friends money to cover my meal (and despite my food, tipped well) so I didn't have to wait around for the others . In my haste I had left my keys inside and when I went back in to grab them, the server was talking with our friend who had recommended the place saying "they said his food wasn't burned" I couldn't believe again there was a discussion of "The customer is wrong". I said "listen, it wasn't that big of a deal to begin with. What is a big deal is arguing with a manager who could care less what the customer thought. It was unprofessional, unnecessary, and embarrassing". The gal who frequents bru said "they aren't charging you for your meal". I said that that was fine but didn't matter. all I wanted was fried chicken. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is our server (David I think) was really busting his hump and seemed genuinely apologetic for all of the issues - and the belgian pale ale was decent. But the cluster of mistakes highlighted by the indignant attitude of the manager, and the bad taste left in my mouth by the burned (overcooked) fried chicken, left a bad taste in my mouth for this joint. Put a damper on our little celebration. Really disappointed, especially with all the glowing reviews
(2)Kirsten M.
Om nom nom!! Good beer, great food!! Medium rare steak w/bacon infused mashed potatoes! Best meal I've had in awhile. Every beer I had in the beer flight was good. From the saison to the stout
(4)Morryah M.
Their beer flight was awesome. Nice to try before you buy a pint! The grapefruit vanilla homemade soda was amazing! Their cheddar corn fritters was exceptional especially the jelly. Their sandwiches are highly recommended! The chicken salad and their shrimp salad were bomb along with the coconut curry soup. Love this place and the service is too notch and helpful.
(5)David B.
Bru has one of the better combined beer and food menus for the Boulder brewery. They have some nice brews and good variety. The Ozo stout was delicious, and the flavors were quite aggressive. They are trying to achieve a higher end kitchen and achieving it to some degree. But the value is inconsistent and the sides need some work. I had the fried chicken meal and it was quite good, particularly the honey sauce. The side was collard greens which were not good. My girlfriend was disappointed in the portion size of her meal which only had 3 shrimp. So, the value varies significantly. I didn't try the pizza, but it looked quite good and reasonably priced. Only other negative comment is the open kitchen permeates a fried smell through which you take with you when you leave.
(4)D. W.
Wanted to update since my last review when I was not overly impressed by the food. Went to Bru again for a late night dinner with friends and we were all blown away by our experience. Everything was perfect including the tomato/basil/mozzarella pizza, wood-roasted veggies, bahn mi, and the killer cheese and meat board. The beer is in my opinion, the most innovative, delicate, refined and delicious beer being brewed in Boulder's craft beer scene right now. A serious score for beer geeks. Don't miss the Beezel, coffee stout, Dubbel w sour cherries, Belux and Citrum.
(4)Joe S.
Amazing...... sushi den is my favorite sushi bar of all time. as a brewhouse with food? my girlfriend gave me hell coming here, she gave me an amazing night after being here and it is now one of our favorite musts when visiting boulder. if u r a foodie this is a must. tell ur waitress what u like and let her or him guide u.
(5)Adam P.
I visited Bru on a recommendation from a friend. He said he enjoyed their beers so I thought I'd give them a try. Bru is located in this odd little strip mall/restaurant strip just south of Arapahoe. You've kinda got to be looking of it to find it. Upon arriving the first thing I saw was a mouse hanging out in their firewood in front of the entrance. Note to Bru; mice and restaurants are not harmonious with one another. Once we were inside we were quickly greeted by a nice gentleman who also took our drink orders. We ordered several beers in a flight and all of them were pretty tasty. He also helped us make our dinner selections and we relaxed in the artsy environment enjoying their wood fired bread plate. Which I will say was good but it appeared that the bread was oven baked then warmed in the wood oven so it was a little misleading. Not to mention at $4 I thought it was kind of a joke as any reputable restaurant serves bread compliments of the house. I ordered the roast Berkshire pork and my wife ordered the fried chicken. Both meals arrived rather over cooked. The pork was dry and unexciting. The flavor was rich but had been muted by its preparation. The chicken was also over cooked and it appeared that it was cooked way too quickly. The fat had not rendered from the meat but it was overdone and dry. You almost have to try to pull that off. The sides were okay but nothing that corrected for the proteins. I really felt that this place had decent beers but their gourmet twist on the food was not going well for them. Maybe try sticking to simple foods that are quick and easy to prepare. At the price point this was not a value and I could not recommend the food. This review may sound harsh but I think it's only fair to be honest when you expect your guests to shell out of this type of meal. I'd say stop in and have an appetizer and make your own conclusion. I'll be back for a beer or two.
(3)MD F.
Great food, great service, and great beer. Their happy hour is awesome and they have amazing desserts and fried chicken on their regular menu. It's clean, has a really nice little patio and a good atmosphere. I love this place and will definitely go back. Best brewery in Boulder and I'd recommend it to anyone.
(5)Philipp S.
Still a great place for beers. But after my last visit I just have to mention that they should change their bread!this bread is not a good fit for a bahn mi or some of the other dishes. Too hard, way to thick and lacking flavor. But other than that still one of our favorite places to go.
(3)Ann C.
Go to Subway. It's right next door. Very disappointed in Bru. This is my second lunch here. 2 hours from the time I sit down to the time I'm out the door is unacceptable. Menu selection is poor at best. A member of our group got a dirty napkin. Service? What service? And can they mail you the bill? Rediculous.
(1)S N.
First time here thought it was good beer and great food. Second time it was good beer and average food. Their beer isn't nearly good enough to balance out the meal I had. Hope they get it together.
(3)L H.
This is totally my favorite place to go for beer. I consider their food list pretty extensive; great creative options for a restaurant-brewery combo - and very gastropub. There are allergy free options (yay for the no-dairy ones!) + a variety of food hails to satisfy each and every tastebud. Great service; excellent Beer (so many good ones to try!), food + atmosphere. I live in downtown Boulder and getting here is somewhat of a hike, although very much worth it. BRU, please move closer to downtown!
(4)Linda C.
Visiting gastropubs is something of a hobby for us, so five stars means this amazing place is at the top of our list. It was well worth the trip up from Colorado Springs. Although the place was packed when we arrived on a Saturday night, we were seated at the counter overlooking the kitchen, which quite frankly is the best seat in the house. We sat there amazed watching the chefs coordinate their dishes in a fascinating ballet - things in and out of the wood-burning oven, making pizza crusts, garnishing plates, all making our mouths water. I am very sensitive to smells and sounds, and I never noticed the smoke from the oven. We started with a sampler of five beers, all of which were excellent, with the 5290 as our favorite, a crisp, refreshing saison. The food was simply amazing. We had the spinach beet salad, the hanger steak (love the beet spaetzle), and the special, a scrumptious chicken mole. They had run out of the bacon chèvre mashed potatoes, but the roasted vegetables were outstanding - I wish I could make them at home. Our plans to take food home were dashed as we devoured our entrees. We finished off with a yummy roasted squash with creme fraiche ice cream - all ice cream is made in-house. In addition to the top-notch beer and food, the entire staff was super friendly, including the chefs, and service was spot-on. We can't wait to go back to try the sourdough pizza (a crust recipe unique to Bru).
(5)Brittany H.
Great beer and service was so awesome! We sat at the bar and they were definitely busy but I never felt like the bar was overwhelmed or frantic, just slinging out beers like there was no tomorrow! We had a bread plate app with whipped honey and mustard butter, and being somewhat of a pretzel+mustard connoisseur this did not disappoint. Fresh made bread with a butter/mustard concoction, what could be better? Everything else coming out of the kitchen looked and smelled amazing, definitely going back soon!!
(5)Jimmy M.
Great food and great beer. I have had a couple dinners here. Pizza and salad with hanger steak. Both were good I love the IPA as it is smooth and not too much bite. Fun place to go.
(4)Alison M.
Great beer and fresh food. It's really cool that you can see into the kitchen prep area especially since the view of the chef was pretty nice.
(5)Kate M.
Bru has made it's way onto my top five best restaurants in Boulder. Ian Clark and his crew are making some really innovative and delicious food with beer to match. Don't miss their monthly beer dinners. We went to the Colorado game dinner in March and it was one of the best meals we have ever had. On the regular menu, the shrimp and grits is outstanding as is the Bru pizza. In fact, all the pizza is delicious. Go check this awesome restaurant out!
(5)Andrew F.
We live in east boulder and had stopped in here a couple times for drinks and dessert and enjoyed It. We recently went back for dinner and we blown away by the great food. The fried chicken and steak were outstanding. Can't wait to go back!
(5)L B.
We are visitors to Boulder and to our great fortune, the Inn where we are staying told us about Bru's special beer supper tonight. Bru presents a special pre-fixe three course dinner the second Tuesday of every month. The theme this time was end-of-summer with completely local ingredients. The salad was a delicious combo of roasted kale, cantaloupe, feta cheese, pickled zucchini and sweet pecans. The main course was a fabulous smoked pork shoulder with peach bbq sauce with wood roasted leeks, beets, carrots and zucchini. Blue corn hominy was the side dish. The desert was a lemon tart with local honey, grilled peaches and whipped cream. Each course came with a paired beer... a pitcher per course and a glass of a dessert beer with the dessert. The vegetables and the pork, if I recall correctly, were fed/fertilized with the spent grains from the beer brewing process. This was a terrific experience and a very enjoyable meal.
(5)Alden P.
Good beer, good food. I'm not a beer connoisseur, but they seem to have a wide variety. We tasted four different styles (an IPA, a brown ale, something fruity, and something dark and bitter), and liked them all. For food we had the bahn mi, chicken wings, roasted vegetables, and a pizza. The appetizers were great. It's hard to roast vegetables to that perfect combination of crisp + caramelized, but they did it. The bahn mi was tart and savory and the bread was great. Chicken wings were not the usual fiery red, but something more subtle but also more tasty. Appetizers were also beautifully plated. The one thing I didn't love was the pizza. It was billed as "mozzarella, tomato, and microgreens," but the microgreens consisted of four large leaves of basil, one on each quadrant of the pizza. If they had called it "mozzarella, tomato, and basil" (and had chopped up the basil to distribute more evenly) I would have been more satisfied, but I also thought the cheese & sauce were kind of uninspired. The crust was good though. The service was attentive and fast. I also liked watching the chefs at the pizza oven. I saw one chef take a taste from a pot of something (with a clean spoon, don't worry) which I thought was a good sign that they were not just cooking by the numbers. We were there for happy hour, and we both ate well and had a beer or two for under $50 including tip. We'll go back.
(4)Nick L.
Big fan of Bru! Most excellent beers and the food is pretty spot on. Relatively small'ish dining area, but for the location it probably works well for them. Very nice & cozy atmosphere - much more sophisticated than the surrounding strip mall. We love the beers and the Beezel was one of the better attempts that I've tried brewed outside of Belgium. Citrum was very good as well! Once Avery moves up north, this might be our new go-to location for east Boulder drinking. Only knock was the pizza we had, while by no means bad or terrible - it wasn't as good as expected. Will certainly give it another go, but they might want to tweak that somehow. Looking forward to going again soon!
(4)Dan N.
I recently went to BRU for the first time and was impressed with the variety of beers they make. I went with friends for happy hour. It only went till 6:00; fair but not the best. The server was great about letting us get a last round in before it ended. Not all brews were available at the happy hour pricing. The happy hour menu had a reasonable variety. I had the chicken wings which were very tasty. Nicely glazed and piping hot. I also had the shrimp which were large and tasty. Generally pricing and portions were decent. We also got a couple pizzas, can't go wrong with the wood fired oven. Our bill worked out to $30 each(including tip) for 2 beers plus enough food to call it a light dinner but I definitely needed more food after I got home. The space is nice and the service was great. I would go back for happy hour(I'm cheap) but would make sure I'm not starving going in.
(4)Jay P.
A friend brought me here raving about the beer and the food, so I had high hopes. When I walked in I was encouraged as I was greeted by great smells and a pleasant environment. We ordered some appetizers and beers and things went well until my beer arrived (I ordered a rye 'session' special). All 4 of the people at my table tried it and the comments ranged from 'whoa, that is terrible' to 'why would they serve that?' which was my question - had they tasted it themselves? If Bru was my place I would have poured the whole batch down the drain, not sold it to my customers. After that I ordered another beer that was described and an IPA - it was not even close to an IPA - more a blond ale - and very mediocre. OK, so far not so good. Our appetizers arrived fairly quickly and were competent, but nothing to write home about. Then we waited, and waited. At one point the waiter came by and said 'your food will be right here', then another 15 minutes passed and no food. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Eventually the food arrived - the pizza was pretty good - but by then, we had all pretty much moved on. We paid the bill and drove down the street to Avery to get some good beer.
(2)Csvin V.
Beer was good. Not a fan of IPA so ordered an ale. Really enjoyed the belux Belgian ale. Wood roasted chicken flatbread has a spicy kick but still pretty plain. Would like to try their dinner menu.
(3)Colleen K.
Delicious beers, and great happy hour munchies! I particularly enjoyed the Rigley Red Rye IPA, and my husband liked the Dusseldain Alt Beer. We ordered lots of snacks too - if you are a seafood fan, the mussels are absolutely amazing. If it were not a bit frowned upon, I would have totally chugged the Citrum IPA broth!
(5)Martin S.
Went to Bru Friday night - called at the last minute and got the last table in the place it was packed. The 4 of us sampled 3 of the appetizers and they were all yummy. I had the honey fried chicken and it was fantastic the 2 beers I had were tasty, so much so that we took a growler home. My only complaint falls under the" it's not you it's me category" Full of people on a Friday night that place is loud - like yelling at the person next to you loud. That being said I will definitely be going back, just maybe not for dinner on a Friday.
(4)Caitlin J.
I was in Boulder for work and our partners took us here. Great beer, very fun atmosphere. Chalkboard tables! The salads with arugula were fresh, light, just right. The meat and cheese plate was good, but a couple of the meats were on the tough/gristly side. The trout was a whole fish- the texture was superb, but they might want to call out that it is a whole fish, bone-in, etc. Some of my companions were thrown off by this. The little pancake fritters/ biscuits that accompanied the fish were also really tasty. I like spicy things, so I asked what they had for hot sauce. They make their own Sriracha!. Yummy! Homemade ice cream to end the night.
(4)Laurel T.
Wow...while on vacation we stumbled across Bru and were very impressed. We had the cheesy biscuits with onions and. Gravy and it was sooo fresh and delicious. We also had a ricotta and ruburb turnover which was decadent. We also did a flight of there homemade beer..I know it was really early (about 945am..) but it was....brunch. That is my excuse and I am sticking to it. I really liked the brown beer with dates and sugar. Actually everything we tries was great. One of the best brunches we have had and I am a brunch addict. Great food, beer and our server, Hailey was super friendly, provided lots of information and had a great sense of humor. We also found that Bru has only been open 3 weeks and hope next time we go on vacation and I need to work in DEnver we can come back. We also found they make everything on site...from their beer, cure their own meats and cheeses. WE did have a hard time locating Bru when our gps directed us to us the address...it is in the far right hand corner.
(5)J. E.
Now THIS is a brew pub with really wonderful food, excellent service, and excellent atmosphere. More of an intimate size and not loud at all. No TVs either, which I prefer. A great place for a date, but I've only been with family and friends and we love it. My favorite brew is the Ozo coffee stout (or was it a porter?). Can't remember what I ordered anymore, as it was a couple months ago, but it was delicious. So much so that I went back the next week with my daughter, and we both enjoyed everything we had. We were there just as Happy Hour was ending, but we got it all on the Happy Hour menu and prices. I'll be back again very soon!
(5)Wendy P.
Second time, great service and great food. I had the muscles and a grilled vegetable appetizer, it was fantastic!
(4)Charlie I.
I recently went to Bru with several friends for lunch/happy hour. I have worked in the brewing industry many years, and I was genuinely impressed with the beers I tried. The food was very unique and absolutely phenomenal. Our server Mike was very knowledgeable and attentive. I have, and will continue recommending this place to my friends.
(5)kari b.
I still love this place but my husband and coworkers will not go with me here anymore:( I am sad to say after my last visit I understand why. The service is terrible. I watched to parties come in and leave before ever being seated because there was no one anywhere to help them. The chairs are soo uncomfortable and the music is way too loud during lunch. My guess is that they are severely understaffed. I watched my lunch sit under the warmer for almost ten minutes, at that point nothing tastes that good. Of they get there service issues under control i think this would be one of the best spots in Boulder.
(3)Alexis B.
I love this place. The food is outstanding - I would actually say healthy. Most delicious chicken wings. The ice cream flavors will keep me coming back for more. Did I mention they area brewery and have great beer!
(5)John W.
Tried today (Sun, 12:30pm) for the first time. Walked in and place was near-capacity. Small-ish dining room, but quaint and nicely decorated (rustic). Kitchen is open and there is a nice stone wood-fired pizza oven dominating it in the middle. Hostess sat our party of 9 in two tables, 4 and 5 to accommodate us, which was nice. Service was..."leisurely"...felt like we were forgotten on a couple of occasions early on. Finally got to order drinks...they were our of their Rye IPA, so I had the "citrus" IPA. Not bad - kind of light and refreshing. Good for a brunch-type meal. They were also out of several soda syrups for our daughter (they make all their sodas by hand) so she had to settle for a vanilla-style soda. Ordered a Rhubarb and ricotta turnover to share. Was mostly cold and rather dry. Also more tart than I would have preferred. Got to ordering food (finally! Like I said, service was a little on the slow side) and we ordered the breakfast pizza, poached eggs with trout and a salad with fava beans and jicama. The poached eggs were served on small baguette slices with creme fraiche and smoked trout. Eggs were cooked perfectly. Nice size portions. Could have used a little more seasoning (S&P to start), but otherwise was a nice dish. The breakfast pizza had a single fried egg (sunny-side up) on the top with pesto and other assorted items on a light sauce. Was very good. The pizza's not sliced (to preserve the egg) so it was hard for the ladies to share the pizza. The salad was a nice size (especially for the price) and well dressed. I also ordered the Belgian-style Pale Ale. Nice flavor, a little bitter on the finish. Others had their BRU-mimosa. If you've been to Snooze and had their brew-mosa, same thing. Only this one comes in a pint glass and is more beer than OJ. Wife thought that more OJ would be better. Overall, I think that there is great potential here...service needs to be a little faster (though our server was super nice and friendly), having more stock on-hand would be nice, and beers take time to get all the kinks out before knocking it. I'd give Bru 3 1/2 stars but can't, so I have to use 3 only. I'll definitely go back in a few weeks to see how things are going and try some other of their menu items. More breweries is only a good thing; we live in such a fabulous area for micro-brews. Combine good food and good beer and this place can become a home-run.
(3)Bob C.
There are soooo many new breweries/restaurants in the Boulder area that it's easy to overlook Bru. Don't do it! Go to Bru. Right now. Everything from beer to dinner to dessert was just fantastic. Every sip/bite was literally packed to overflowing with flavor. How many beet salads have you had in the past 5 years? Well, Bru's beet salad is far and away the best one you'll ever have. Yeah, them is fighting' words to all y'all Boulder vegetarians, but it is just so good you'll want to smack the last chef who made you a sub-par beet salad. The service is excellent as well. Nikki was our very personable and passionate server, and she was truly proud and knowledgable about the food and beer. Anyway, we'll be back. Maybe tomorrow morning for brunch...
(5)Adam K.
I want to like BRU, but the service has been way too inconsistent. One reason this works for an office lunch is they can sit a large group. On this day they decided a 12 person table was good for someone on their first day. Bad idea. 3 stars for the decent Belgium style beers, and the interesting food choices.
(3)Tim M.
F@#% that was delicious! One of the best meals I've had in a long time. I had the corned beef brisket, which seriously rivaled some of the fifty dollar meals I've had in my life but for half the price. One of the only brew pubs I've been to where the food and the beers are both exceptional. If you're not completely satisfied after dining here, then you need to check your pulse.
(5)Ben R.
The dual restaurant-brewery Bru was especially nice because we could take advantage of a larger food selection than simply the half-forgotten pub mix they sometimes put in front of you at other bars or breweries. Our waiter was quite the dude, although I've been known to rate people higher on my zero to ten scale for the long hair and beard combo, being in possession of said qualities myself. He suggested the buffalo wings saying, "truthfully, they're the best I've ever had." Well, I can't pass that up, even if it was to dash his faith in these wings with my hardcore reviewer side. I can see it now, "excuse me sir, but I am a reviewer from Yelp, and these wings were not the best I've ever had. In fact, they were the worst. A pox! A pox on all of you!" Or maybe I just dearly want to cast a pox on someone or something. I wasn't able to cast the pox, which should say something, and yes, the wings were downright beastly (in a good way). The sauce or something that they put on them has to made from some exotic, extremely rare Ecuadorian plant that must be harvested on the second moon of every month that begins on a Tuesday. That last sentence doesn't even make sense, but trust me the process must be pretty intense to make this flavor. The only disappointing thing is they only give you five, which leaves that awkward third wing if you're sharing it with someone. I ate it. The pretzel we ordered along with it was fine--more of a bread thing really--and if I were you, I would just not order it. The brews were pretty exotic with ingredients like they felt like shoving whatever they could find in the compost pile into their beer. I was skeptical at first, but they turned out to be quite good--the Belgian with honey, black pepper, and orange peel I ordered was tart and refreshing. After we were limbered up by a few such brews, we felt eloquent enough to attempt a short interrogation of our waiter (interesting how beer does that), who was more than willing to confess as to what the brewery was actually up to. All good stuff really, they try to make as much in house as possible, even to using leftover brew ingredients for food items and to using herbs you can see growing in a small planter from the outdoor eating area. The outdoor tables were fairly tastefully put together, but the chairs--sorry for my crudeness--sucked. The backrest was all too willing to shoot you out of the chair should you put too much weight on it. If I were them, I would destroy their chairs with impunity.
(4)Kimberly R.
Great Pizza and Great Beers! This was our first stop when we arrived into Colorado for the GABF. Super stop! The place smells like fresh baked goodness and the wait staff was great!
(4)Kevin M.
Hidden gem. A great handbuilt beer selection that is under rated. Food is very good. Sandwiches and the pizza are my favs.
(4)Paul S.
Go for the beer. IPA and Brown Ale is excellent! Food is OK and over priced- $18 for fried chicken! Portions are very small. Friendly staff. Inside is small, cramped and loud. Definitely a place to go for a beer or two after work but for me, not a place to go on a date night for dinner.
(3)John B.
My fourth visit and it keeps getting better. Sat at the bar and got GREAT service from bartender Whitney. Lots of tasting of almost all their beers. Bru isn't a hoppy brewer and I like that. Excellent beers for my tastes from Belgium style ale to Ozo coffee stout. What really separates Bru from other Boulder County brewers is the food. Well prepared, unique entrees, smaller plates and pizzas. My friend from New Orleans had shrimp & grits w/braised ham and said it was the real thing - delicious. My chili was very good. The in-house made ice cream sandwich was a dessert I can't get anywhere else, made with ingredients from the brewing room. Met the founder/chef Ian Clark. I liked Bru before and after talking with Ian, I love it now. I'll return. P.S. I bought a growler of 5290 Saison beer to take with me.
(5)Jill M.
There is great food, dessert and beer at Bru. The service is friendly and helpful, the menu items are innovative and tasty and this is a fun place to be!
(4)Leslie H.
If you get to the area this area is a must for the beer lovers & an added kick the food is fantastic!!! Pickled vegetables appetiter was fabulous which I've never had before. This place has craft beer love all over it. I wish I could get Bru back in the Midwest!
(5)Beverly B.
I'm what's known as a procrastinator. This update should have come a long time ago. I was so pleasantly surprised to get a nice hand written card accompanied with a gift certificate inviting me back from chef Ian Clark. I honestly believe my lunch experience was a very uncommon one for this establishment. Not to mention it was newly opening and still ironing out some last minute kinks. I'm looking very forward to going back. The beer was beyond excellent, the food choices were outstanding and as previously stated, I just hit Bru on an off day. Thank you Ian. It's nice to know you are willing to go a long way to go above and beyond to make your customers happy. I have for sure become a loyal customer. Cheers!
(4)M G.
Great atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, and terrific food. We loved the bread with honey and mustard butter... yum. Pizza was spot-on. The atmosphere is cozy and casual. We ordered the beer sampler and we were super-impressed. Don't let the strip-mall setting deter you. The inside makes it allllllll good.
(4)Ann S.
Excellent! This place has great food. I went with a group of friends and we all ordered something different and everyone loved their food. I'm pretty much a foodie and loved my roasted chicken and crepe vegetable entreeThe service was great and I would highly recommend!
(5)Jeff C.
Judging by the prior mediocre reviews, Bru has it's service and food prep down now. We've gone here three times and each time has been great. Prompt service, tasty beers, delicious food. Don't be turned off by the strip mall location as the outside isn't impressive. The inside is very well done and looks like they used a lot of reclaimed wood. I'm a big fan of reclaimed wood and said beers. I suggest you go... now!
(5)Leonard S.
We visited for the first time, for happy hour. We were very excited to find a great new brewpub in the area! It's a find! The small plates were very interesting, creative. I had trail mix, whichever as a great surprise. Other dishes were wonderful. Very creative atmosphere. Such a great place!
(4)Johnny V.
Bru is my new favorite micro brewery in Colorado excellent food ice cream made with beer and they bru up excellent sodas as well love you guys
(5)Amanda W.
Food just not great! Expected more. Fun beer selection. I'd pick Fate over Bru. Too bad...
(2)Colleen L.
The bartenders at Avery told us to visit Bru which had been opened by a chef who had been home brewing. The beers were great! We had a flight. We didn't have any good, but the menu looked really good. The place had a great atmosphere.
(5)Erin S.
We went for happy hour and I was thoroughly impressed. Great prices and I am in love with the atmosphere. Very hipster and cool. I'm always wanting to find new places and this is one I will defiantly be coming back to. They really do a great job and the service is really friendly.
(4)Sam S.
Ian Clark is one of the best chefs in Boulder. Mix this with amazing beers and a great atmosphere and you got a winner! 5 stars across the board
(5)Kelly E.
Great variety of house-brewed beers - leaning toward Belgian and German ales. Entrees and appetizers were excellent. Really enjoyed the wood-roasted veggies and radish and bean salad, and the sourdough pizza was fantastic. Reasonable prices and decent service. I'll definitely be back!
(4)Mike S.
Great happy hour, delicious homemade beers and delicious snacks with great service.
(5)Harry S.
BRU is a local brewpub with a very welcoming, family-friendly feel. The food is much better than brewpub average. The thin crust pizzas are quite good. The crust had excellent texture - just chewy enough around the edges and while remaining crisp. Their beers are for the most part quite flawed, with the exception of the CO2, a very nice sessionable fresh hop American pale ale. The IPA had way too much caramel character, not enough American hop flavor and aroma, significant oxidation, too much residual sweetness. The Belgian-styled beers that we tried were generally out of balance, under-attenuated, and some excessive hot alcohol and solventy notes. I like their vision and that they're making some lower-alcohol beers so that you can have a couple and still drive home responsibly. However, it seems like there were too many beers on tap with obvious problems and that they would do well to offer maybe five beers and get them really well dialed in so that every one is a 'wow' experience. I'll go back for the food and fun, laid-back atmosphere, but the beer is just so-so. I hope things improve because this place has serious potential.
(3)L M.
Love, love, love!! The beer, the food, the atmosphere. Thankfully it is a little ways out of town 'cause this makes it easy to get into. If it was downtown, there would be no way. Keep doing what you are doing guys, awesome!
(5)Eliza H.
This place is amazing, in my opinion. The beer is all great - it reminds me of classic Belgian beer is all its varieties and I've tasted everything (after like 3 weeks of visiting) - light to dark, it's rich. The food is totally gourmet - much like Frasca, but I like it better. Next time, I'm going to invite my CU prof-type friends.
(5)Johnny W.
Food portions are tiny. Friend got some kind of bratwurst dish. I thought it was an appetizer. Another friend got a sandwich where the small slices of bread was super dense w/ 4-5 small slices of meat. My third and last time here. Service was so slow. It looked like the staff needed more training.
(1)Tina H.
I love, love, love this place. It can be pricey depending on the time, but I've been five times now, for brunch, lunch, dinner, and just beer, and I keep finding myself using every trip to Boulder as an excuse to come again and introduce new people to Bru. I've tried items off the menu that didn't sound like anything I'd like, only to discover that they were delicious. Same for the beers! The atmosphere is so gemütlich, it always smells crazy good, and I love every little design element from their decor to their crazy tap handles. The servers have always been very attentive and friendly. I'm getting hungry now...can't wait to return!
(5)Paul S.
Ian Clark's food is really wonderful and the beer is good too, sadly it's the service that let's all the hard work down. Slow, and seemingly inexperienced servers, messed up our order, served cold food and seemed to care less. This place has such potential, come on Ian, you can do it, get rid of the stoned servers and you'll get the five stars.
(3)Shawn R.
I didn't even know that this place existed until my friends were raving about this new brewery in east Boulder. We were a little taken back as we pulled into this old shopping center on the edge of Arapahoe. Hesitant at first, but as soon as we walked through those doors we knew we were on to something good. There was no hostess so we weren't really sure what to do when we walked in until this nice young man came and greeted us. The beers were awesome! Loved the Rigley Red Rye IPA and the Arium Dubbel. Their brew master really knows what he's doing serving up these full flavored beers that really are a true delight. The food was great! I liked the fact that our server was able to explain the dishes to us and that he came back to make sure we were enjoying ourselves (he had tattoos). Our server was great, but it did take some time to get our beers. We noticed the bartender having multiple conversations distracting him from making our drinks, which was a little annoying. I would strongly recommend the daily sausages that they make in house. I think that day ours was a 5 spice pork sausage. Their salads are amazing, nice and fresh. Our pork entree left little to be remembered, but there's definitely potential. Nothing very unexpected, which is not at all what I was expecting. Although, our server informed us that most of their food is local and organic. I was truly amazed at the amount of food that was prepared in house. I think this place makes literally everything in house, from the butter to the ice cream. I was a little bummed that my daughter had only a few choices for sodas, something like blueberry and strawberry/melon. I was expecting to get a nice root beer or something for her. If you want good/personable service, fresh homemade food and exquisite beer then BRU is definitely recommended. They still have a little fine tuning to do, but I think this place is on the right track. I'll definitely be back for more beer and I wanna try their pizzas!
(4)M S.
Delicious food. Horrible service. The menu selections are superb. The food was flavorful; it is high on my list of favorites. However, the service was pitiful. It took seemingly forever to receive one beer and was only delivered after we inquired as to where it was. The soup appetizer was served luke warm, we were told it was because the hops they added was kept at room temperature. Service was slow with the waiter only checking on us as he walked past. He couldn't even take the time to stop at the table as if we were just an after thought. When the food arrived more than 30 minutes later, it was wrong. The manager came to apologize with a new order being delivered a fast as the kitchen could make it. Our server never checked in from that point on. We had to ask the bus boy to bring us the check. The manager returned with the check to apologize again explaining how he took two items off our check. I would hope that we didn't have to pay for the item that was never ordered. The other issue we had was the seating. Nothing is padded and there is no real back support. Maybe this would not have been an issue if our dining experience had not taken so long. If Bru could get their service together, this place would easily land a 5 star rating. The management did a great job of trying to make up for their short comings all be it a little too late. They did try to mend the situation with homemade, scrumptious ice cream sandwiches and provided us with cards for complimentary beers (which were very good) for our next visit. This was a nice olive branch, but not sure it is enough for us to return any time soon.
(3)