The Bier Abbey
Server: Â Michael
Table: 3 Guests
I've come here a couple times since they opened up last year. It's a great place to try different beers and get some pub food.
The following are out of 5 Points.
* (5) Customer Service - Meaning how well they assisted me in my needs.
Great service. Michael was on point with our needs and even though the place was very busy the food and drinks came out in a timely manner.
* (4) Decor - The atmosphere of the place.
Décor speaks "Abbey", it has pews as their chairs in the one room. Interesting artwork on the walls, and if the music is too loud and you ask them to turn it down. -They will turn it down!
* (5) Food & Drink - How well the food tastes, their selection of drinks
We enter a limited menu. However, even though it is limited you're going to find something that you will want to eat. We shared a plate of mussels which were cooked in a spicy red sauce. I also went for the Bier Abbey Onion Soup, and this soup was slamming. No instant packets here!  For entrée I got their Veggie Sandwich which was pretty damn good, the sandwiches can come with "Frites" which are your typical fries however they fresh cut them here. For dessert I got the Stout Cake Sunday which comes with ice cream and homemade berry compote. The compote was a little too tart for my tastes but everything else with dessert was excellent. The "Bier" descriptions are what you have to pay attention to since they will tell you how your taste buds will perceive the beer. I got the Mortis and Kroovy. The Mortis which made me think I was going to get this BLACK "Bier" with skulls floating out of it; however I get a clear beer that has this twisting flavor to it. The Kroovy was delicious with its caramel malt.
* (5) Price - Here I am not grading my cost, but by the quality of the food I get for the money I spent. (Example: I pay $5 for a hamburger that I could make myself.)
You definitely get what you pay for here, you almost feel as if you're paying too little. Â
* (4) Presentation - How things are presented. Food, Drink, Staff, etc.
It's pub food, yet the food does come out with its own beauty. From an on looker the staff would appear unknown. The secret is they're all wearing the breweries t-shirts that are being served at the Abbey.
Overall Score: 23/25
Great spot in Schenectady... Â Very big beer selection and even has some Gluten Free options for individuals who have allergies. Â I was pleased. Â A bit pricey but worth it once and a while. Â The cheese plate was a wonderful addition to my beer. Â Cheeses change all the time and the chef came out and explained them to us as we didn't know what they all were.
Review Source:Love this spot. Love the building. Love the decor. Love the lighting and feel inside. Very informal . Attention to detail. They keep beer the right temperatures. The food is very solid. I split a salad, had some french onion and a massive burger. Wonderful beer and my server was kind enough to bring me a taste of one i hadn't tried.
A recommendation for the future, don't be shy and ask for a taste. If you haven't had the beer before, taste it first. The person I was with ordered a very strange style beer which we both though was going to be more like a framboise. Turns out the beer was very thick and tasted much like cough syrup. This is due to the intense natural cherry they put into the beer. I can see how someone may like this style, but neither of us did. As we didn't taste it before ordering, we at 10.50 on a pint of this beer. Our server told us it was a beer that was very much either loved or hated when she came back and ordered a different one, but that would have been good information before we ordered it.
If you are a beer person this is the spot to check out. Make sure to try some of their food. The menu is simple, but what they put out is spot on.
We go to the Abbey on a semi-regular basis and there are a few patterns that cannot be ignored.
When we sit at the bar the food is hot and quick, and the beer is plentiful. The bar tenders have all been great (Thursday and Sunday), but when we get a table that's when it goes to hell. The service is NOT awesome, no matter the server, and heaven forbid you're behind the "wall of doom" in the back room. You will wait forever to order, forever and a day for a beer, and forever and a month for your food.
If you're at the bar and the keg kicks halfway through your pour you don't get charged full price. If you're at a table you do. If you're at the bar the food is hot and someone asks you if everything is alright. If you're at a table, neither of those apply.
To summarize, the food isn't half bad (though it was better when they first opened than it is now, it is still the best in the area...the kale is amazing) and the beer selection can't be beat (though I would still like the option of a sampler, no matter how low-class that may seem), but the restaurant part needs A LOT of work. Hopefully it's just growing pains, and that's why we keep returning, because this area needs more places like the Abbey...the Abbey just needs to up the game a bit on one side of the house.
I came in friday night with a party of 10 and was greeted right away. They told us we had about a 30 minute wait, which was expected. Due to the set up of the place, it was really awkward to wait inside, even though it was 32 degrees outside. A few of us attempted to go to the bar but due to the unavailability of an atm, only a couple of us decided to grab a beer.
We couldn't find somewhere to stand so we went back towards the dining room and stood in what we thought was a vacant area. More than a few waitresses asked if we needed a seat and we told them that we were waiting for one. We saw one of the larger tables open up and asked if we could sit there. The hostess (who might I add was incredibly snotty) said we could but it just needed to be cleaned up. So we sat and waited for them to clean the table up and give us menus. It took us almost 10 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge us. Finally a waitress arrived and didn't notice we didn't have menus. She didn't wipe the table down but brought us some beer and food menus. A few of us ordered beers, and then shortly after we ordered food.
The main reason I gave this place 3 stars is because of the food. Other than the food and the beer, the service is terrible. We're pretty laid back people and usually hang out in small dive bars in Albany or Saratoga but we do love the food here so we will come periodically. Honestly my biggest issue was the hostess being so snotty to us, and the waitstaff getting annoyed with us waiting inside, even though their bar is so small you can barely hang out in there. Also, not a single person in the place has a sense of humor.
To be honest I'm not sure if we'll be back.
Visited on a Thursday night with a party of 8. Â We waited 20 minutes for a long table in the back room dining area which has old church pews for seating. Â Very cool atmosphere.
Beer is taken seriously here with an amazing selection of microbrews and imports on tap along with wrought iron beer label art on the walls. Â Bonus points for the specialty glassware used for each beer. Â
Service was top notch. Â Our waiter was patient as our table of out-of-towners made special requests for vegetarian entrees and grilled cheese. Â This prompted a couple of trips to the table by Chef Ryan who consulted on each request and delivered creative dishes to satisfy our needs. Â
Overall, the beer and service were amazing and the food was good.
I went back to the Bier Abbey for dinner and a couple of drinks. Â Service was very good, even though I selected to go during the same time that the Schenectady Chamber of Commerce was hosting a mixer at the Bier Abbey. Â That was a plus.
It appeared that the Bier Abbey has expanded their food menu, which now features a few more sandwiches, some new entrees and whatnot. Â As someone who is open to the idea of having different menu options to go along with my beer, I thought that this was a good addition to what the Bier Abbey has to offer.
As for the beer, the Bier Abbey continues to have a rotating stock of beer choices on their menu. Â I tried a Winter Solstice beer, which came from a California brewery, and it was worth the trip. Â I also tried a Last Chance, which is a very, very hoppy IPA. Â A little too much in the way of hops for me, but certainly something that I will not hold against the good folks who run the Bier Abbey. Â A nice bonus that I didn't notice during my first trip to the Bier Abbey was that they are able to see beer in 4 ounce glasses, so if you want a taste of a beer, but not sure if you want to commit to a larger pint of beer, you now have that choice.
I'll be back.
The beer selection is staggeringly awesome. Â I don't even like beer, but I actually found something I enjoyed each time I've been.
The food and service is a mixed bag.
My first trip there was a Friday night after work, and the place was PACKED. The 3 of us sat in the barstool table area, but when our party grew to 6, they moved us to a booth that had just opened up. Despite the craziness, our server was awesome. He was knowledgeable about the beer selection without being snobby or preachy. The food and drinks came out quickly, and the wings and spinach salad were very good. Â They didn't rush us out of there even though there were lots of people clearly waiting for a table.
The second time was a completely different experience. It was a Tuesday night, and the place was empty. We were one of 3 occupied tables in the back. Our server was sweet, but didn't know anything about the menu or beer selection. Â The food and service were fast, but my chicken sandwich was bland (the menu said marinated?) and burnt. Â Luckily there are multiple condiments at every table. Â
I'll probably come back for drinks and wings/dessert -- the Belgian waffles looked delicious -- but I'll skip the main entrees.
Finally wandered to Schenectady to see if all the hoopla about this place was real.  We were seated fairly quickly after one drink at the bar.  ( more about that in a minute)  The beer selections are as good as they get around this town.  I don't really think the prices are out of line for microbrews served appropriately.  Waitstaff at our table was attentive and quite helpful. Our 4 meals were fine; a blend of apps and a  couple of hot sandwiches - my understanding is that a new chef has been making some positive changes and it showed Saturday night.  Solid mussel dishes as well as frites with a variety of sauces should not be missed.  A few ok vegetarian options too.  Waffle dessert should not be missed- with a good dessert beer.
  Our only negative experience came while at the bar-  a rather snobby and unfriendly bartender that evening. ( and NO he was not too busy)  There is no  fine line between beer snobbery and a willingness to discuss or merely suggest  beer options with your customers.  We apparently were not cool enough to even bother saying thank you to after leaving a fairly generous tip as well.  ( what can I say - we were in the business)
 Yes, the beer selections are wonderful and the atmosphere brings another positive note to the lower Union area.  We will most likely return but will avoid the bar area unless things seem a little bit more welcoming there.
I've stopped by the Bier Abbey about 5 times now, and have had a good experience every time. The servers have been friendly and knowledgeable about the beer, which they have a great selection of that changes pretty regularly. Yes the beers are more expensive than standard selections, but that's kind of the point... they aren't standard. Lots of small batch offerings and less common imports that you won't find at a $2 happy hour. I tried the mussels and frittes... the mussels were in a tasty tomato-based broth that was soaked up by the toasted bread that came on the side. Good variety of dipping sauces for the frittes. There's a nice patio out front for the warm weather.
Review Source:My wife and I stopped at the Bier Abbey on a road trip this past holiday season. We were lucky enough to order the house Cesar salad, which features a locally sourced sheep's milk cheese and fresh rosemary.
We live in a fishing village North of Boston. The house Cesar from our favorite local restaurant tastes of ocean -- salt and fish and a crispness that reminds you of a December afternoon in New England. And I was under the impression that that's how all Ceasar salads were supposed to taste.
The Cesar at Bier Abby, was equally compelling in a completely different way. Funky and earthy, it gives a little glimpse at the highlights of living in central New York. It's pretty wonderful when food can do that.
So, yeah, for any travelers, the Bier Abby is definitely worth a stop.
I had heard good things about this place but needless to say I will never be going back. People were extremely rude and service was slow. I felt unwanted and uncomfortable the entire time I was there. Plus, the beer selection was all over the place... Having lots of beer choices doesn't mean that half of them have to be crap. Unless you're a local with nothing to do but drink and smoke, don't go.
Review Source:Waaaaaay overpriced -pints are $8-10 each. Â Clientele and bar tenders are all male, for the most part so don't expect snappy service if you're female. Â When I first walked in, the place is so overwhelmingly male that I thought I was in a gay bar. Â For ONE PINT, you can go over to the Old Public Market and get a six pack of craft beer for the same price. Â Place is a total rip-off if you ask me.
Review Source:The many beers on offer are primarily international and, if domestic, from small craft breweries. This is good in theory, but in practice the selection will appeal to palates that prefer perfumed Belgian beers, ales with a strong aftertaste (Ã la Indian Pale Ale), and bitter continental Pilsners (Ã la Heineken). What is worse (from my corrupted American perspective), they serve the beers at the recommended temperatures, i.e., rather warm, rather than ice cold. When I visit the Bier Abbey with my beer-snob friends (who can't get enough of the ales and Belgians), I look for something cold and German, preferably bock (and thus a little sweeter than a Pilsner, but without Belgian perfume). The food is tasty and hearty. No complaints on this score. If, however, you want a beer, but no food, they won't serve you at the tables (even if it is not busy), and it can be almost impossible to get the bartender's attention, especially if he's involved in a conversation, which he invariably is, with some regular who wants to discuss the flavors of six or seven samples before making his next choice. One might compare waiting for stamps in a post office that has one counter open, and one finds oneself behind a family of six, who have arrived to apply for passports... Such experiences can be frustrating and incredibly annoying. I thus highly recommend accepting the menu, no matter how little hunger you have. Order a token appetizer, and tell the waiter you need to figure out how hungry you are before ordering a meal. Then order your beer. Otherwise, you may not be served at all!
Review Source:Located on an emerging section of Union Ave, the Bier Abbey is a recent addition to Schenectady's burgeoning culinary and nightlife scene.
Housed in a refurbished, classic 19th century home, The Abbey has nice atmosphere if you were able to actually be seated inside the restaurant, as opposed to the isolated and cold side room like we were.
When we entered, we were told the wait time for a table was a half hour, so we got drinks at the bar. Â However, five minutes later we were quickly offered this "other room". Â When we asked for another table actually inside the restaurant, the wait was changed to "about an hour and half" by what appeared to be the manager.
I noticed that there were plenty of seats available ten minutes later...
It became very obvious that because we were only there for drinks and not food, that our service was not welcomed in the main dining area, or in the back "pub" area which was pleasantly adorned with church pews as benches.
They did however, try to accommodate for the freezing room temperatures by shutting the doors, so that we were warmer, but further removed from the actual restaurant.
The Bier Abbey also has an awkward entrance where you have to go through two closed doors to get to the bar, or see a hostess for seating arrangements.
Our apathetic server, who looked like he was trying to kick a bad hangover from last night, couldn't describe the beers accurately. Â For a place that esteems itself with beer knowledge, I find this indifference unforgivable.
Served with the proper glasses and (supposedly) the correct room temperature, the beer list really was impressive and tasty. Â Especially for fans of Belgian style ales like myself, the Bier Abbey really is a beer lover's paradise. There were a lot of beers (both domestic and international) offered here than I haven't seen anywhere else, and thus I suppose, the premium prices.
The Bier Abbey is very expensive, especially for sampling. Paying four dollars for a 4oz glass is pretty ridiculous; I don't care how good or rare the ale is. Â And before I dish out $8-10 on a full size glass, I do want to know what I am going to be drinking.
I hope I am wrong, but I got the distinct feeling that the Bier Abbey might become that pretentious, unwelcoming atmosphere that plagues Mahar's.
Overall, the Bier Abbey is a cool looking place, with some really quality beers on tap. Â Although I can't comment on the food, the Bier Abbey also has some serious customer service and inflated beer price issues to work out.
I really want to like this place more, so I hope we will have a better experience next time we come. Which I am not sure will be so soon.
Quaint, vintage, great charisma... a bit pricey for the brewskies, but they are unique, have great variety, the bartenders are quite knowledgable and local.... so you are getting what you pay for.
I don't imagine this is for everyone, as one must enjoy their microbrews quite a lot, but... they even have the kegs/taps at different temperatures in order to match and promote the individual beers tastes and your palate....
Love the abbey. Décor is sparse yet pleasantly monastic with the main decorations being custom beer related works of art. Seating varies from church pews to high tops.
Staff is as attentive as you want them to be. If you need advice as to which of their current 30 beers would suit your tastes they will be happy to talk to you to identify which styles you like and give examples of that style from their menu. If you know what you want and want to consume a few with friends while only being interrupted for a refill they are happy to oblige.
They have 30 beers on tap and the best part is there is no BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) to be found. The beers are constantly changing with one or two exceptions (they always seem to have Kwak). They have some seasonal beers as well as rare and hard to find beers from around the world. They offer small 4oz. pours so if you want to try more than a couple you are able to do so. They also try to serve the beer at the proper temperature for the style and in the proper glassware.
While the beer is the star of the show here the food is great as well. The chef uses fresh ingredients and makes things from scratch, using beer in some recipes where appropriate. Menu has been recently expanded to offer salads and steaks along with the burgers, wings, chicken tenders and sandwiches. The fries are addicting (ask for the ancho-mayo for dipping).
If you like good beer and good food go here.
The husband and I came to the Bier Abbey in Schenectady, NY to get some 120 Minute from Dogfish Head on tap. Â We only stepped inside briefly and then returned outside to sit on the patio since it was a nice evening. Â We were waiting on my brother-in-law and the server was extremely patient while we waited. Â We ordered some fries to keep us from starving during the wait and boy were they good. Â You get to pick which sauces you want. Â Awesome.
After a while my brother-in-law texted us and let us know he wouldn't be able to make it after all. Â We proceeded to order some dinner. Â The husband had a burger which he very much enjoyed. Â I went with the chicken strips. Â OMG, they may be the best "grown-up" chicken strips I've ever had. Â The breading was just delightful. Â The chicken was real meat, not overly processed crap. Â The food was great and reasonably priced.
After dinner we treated ourselves to some dessert - chocolate cake with ice cream. Â It was delicious. Â We fought over it. Â And had we not been sitting outside with people around, I think we would have literally licked the plate clean. Â
They have a great beer selection, as implied in their name. Â They keep their facebook pretty up to date with what's on tap for the day and it's always a nice variety. Â We didn't ask a lot of questions, but the table next to us had a million about the beers and the staff seemed quite knowledgeable. Â Definitely a place to check out.
Outstanding craft beer selection on tap, with beers from all over the world. (It would be nice if they added some more local beers.) They actually take care to serve each beer at the right temperature. The menu wasn't extensive, but there were plenty of options and they were willing to do a special veggie sandwich. If you like good beer, this is definitely a place to seek out.
Review Source:Visited here two weekends ago with girlfriends and was thrilled with this mighty fine establishment. Â Good food, great, friendly & knowledgeable staff, and amazing beer! Â I loved the vast selection of beers and the fact that they serve 4, 8, and 16oz sizes. Â The 4oz sizes are perfect for sampling and Dan, the manager was awesome at helping you choose. Â Will definitely be returning.
Review Source:Let me tell you the other side of stopping by here.
I was here with a friend at about five on a summer weeknight. Â There was some room at the bar and there were customers sitting at table outside. Â We were taking in the offering board and the beer list when the "beerister" (my term) began to give a live stage show about himself, the menu and the beer. Â I told him thank you, but we needed a few minutes to look at the menus. Â He kept going. Â I told him thanks and he wouldn't stop. Â When he got done, we went back to what we were doing.
He came back and began again.
We ordered a few tasters.
Two minutes after delivering them, he started again.
We drank them, paid and left and will never return.
We went next door to Marottas and had a great Italian dinner with draft beer.
I will NEVER return.
Pathetic egotistical bozos.
I think it's high time I move up to 5 stars, even if only based upon consistency.
Once again we were back at the Bier Abbey to explore more beers that we'd never had and to taste more of their menu. Â My wife ordered a basic Cheese Burger ($7.50) medium rare with fries. Â It was cooked perfectly. Â I decided to try the Abbey Chicken Sandwich ($6.50) with fries after hearing other reviewers recommend it. Â They were spot on! Â This chicken sandwich is nice and moist and flavorful. Â I was told that the reason for this is that they don't use breast meat, they use thigh meat which they marinate in several different beers. Â I'll highly recommend it also. Â Service at the bar continues to be exceptional. Â The bartender Jeremy is quite knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions you may have.
Today's beers that we tried were:
Dutches de Bourgogne (a Flemish Red) $8.50/8.5 oz.; $4/4 oz. Â 6%abv
Talented Mr. Orangutan (American Imperial Stout from Denmark) $9/8.5 oz.; $4.5/4 oz. Â 5.8%abv
Lil' B (Imperial Porter) $8/8.5 oz.; $4/4 oz. Â 11.5abv
Dogfish Head Punkin (brown ale) $6/16 oz; $2.50/4 oz. 7%abv
The first two beers were a perfect match for our food. Â The second two were perfect for simply sitting back with a relaxing conversation.
Ah I wish that I hadn't found this bar right before I left the state. This place is absolutely incredible. It has around 30 or more beers on TAP, all that are labeled with the correct glass to pour them in. Also the guy running the bar knows his shit, he can tell you about every beer, and a lot about each of the companies. Also if you aren't sure what you want, feel free to ask they are extremely helpful (at least at 4pm on a Tuesday when I usually go haha I'm not sure what it's like on a Friday night)
Price wise I've gotten beer deals on craft beers, but I've also gotten worse.The prices are reasonable, although I know where I can get cheaper..but not in Schenectady. So theres that.
Note: I didn't eat them, but there are WAFFLES on the bar menu. I wish I could give it an extra star just for that.
Stopped in this incredible little Pub/restaurant on my way to a wedding. First off they have such a great variety of draft beers and to top it off great food too. I live in Pittsburgh but would consider making the trip here again just for the food and atmosphere. If you get a chance at choosing your server make sure you ask for Nick! He made some great recomendations and he seemed like one of your friends opposed to just someone doing his or her job.
Review Source:I'm not a beer "snob" -- a nice cold PBR is fine by me. But this place is awesome. Such a good selection of craft beer (and the selection changes regularly). Great atmosphere, great staff, super delicious food. They serve the beer in 4 oz and 8 oz sizes, which is great- with the 4 oz. you can try several different beers and discover new favorites. I highly recommend the St. Bernardous, the Coney Island Albino Python and the Sly Fox Oktoberfest. I won't rehash the other reviews. I'll just say that it has become one of my favorite places in the 518 and I highly recommend it.
Review Source:Such a simple review to write.
Beer Selection- out of this world
Food- Have had wings, fries, and the waffle here... all very good. Â The sweet sauce is something else
Atmosphere- relaxed, upscale without being snoby or pretentious
Staff- a little green but so much heart. Â have a question, it may not get answered instantly, but no run around, you will be helped and left smiling.
if you love real beer, a must! Â A great night out!
Serendipity. That's the only way to explain stumbling across this great bar/restaurant as we were dropping our daughter off at camp at Union College in Schenectady, NY. A warm atmosphere, very friendly and helpful staff, and an obvious passion for excellent beers, as evidenced by their impressive beer menu (careful...some are VERY strong, not to mention pricey). The food was quite good, too...kind of upscale pub food. A great place...glad we found it!
Review Source:This is the MIT of Beer education, as well as just a super fun and interesting place. All you need to know is that they have multiple coolers, set to different temperatures to accommodate their varying styles of beer they serve. Â
Spencer and George are some of the most knowledgeable restauranteurs i've ever met, and their well curated list has one of the most interesting and obscure belgian+craft beers that i've ever seen. Good on ya.
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