Meh. Â Not the best food or service. Â
Now this place was busy, but pretty sure it was more the server being ultra slow. Â It took about 20 minutes before we even we approached about ordering drinks or food. Â Our server took our drink order and it was another 20 minutes before he brought the drinks to us. Â I accidentally spilled my drink, and I mean the whole thing went all over our table. Â After 10 minutes we saw our server and showed him what happened. Â He threw a towel at us and walked away. Â He did not even ask me if I wanted another drink. (Not Good.)
About  45 minutes went by and he did not come back to even check on us about re-ordering drinks or to take our food order.  I went to the bar to get a second drink and was helped right away.  I went back to my table and after another hour  we finally had our food order taken and we asked for another round of drinks.  Our food came 30 minutes later....and no drinks.  The server came back 10 minutes later and said "oh, you wanted more drinks right?"  I said yes.  I ordered the fish tacos that were to come with mango salsa.  Well, the fish on the tacos was more like the condiment.  The tacos were drowned in salsa, way too much salsa, it was not that great. Â
I don't see us coming back to this place anytime soon.
First, I thought NoLi stood for some behind the scenes adultery type action. You know, No Lie.
Fortunately, I discovered that NoLi stands for Northern Lights. The place is chill and caters to a number of different types of crowds. In other words, everyone will fit in here.
I had the soft pretzel and let me tell you, the gorgonzola mustard had some legs on it--this stuff will kick your butt. It's all fine and good until about 1 second after you ingest the substance. All bets are off. SPICY. I liked it!
My friend and I shared the buffalo chicken salad, opting for a spice level of 2. This is the right amount of tangy. It was just hot enough to be delicious without the heat drowning out the flava.
We each tried a couple of beers. I did the bitters, which apparently won an award. It was decent. I seconded with a Winter Warmer, which was not spectacular, but reminiscent of many other winter beers--somewhat heavy and hoppy.
Nice open space with dark wood decor abounding.
The beer I believe is better than average. Food is okay. When we come to Spokane we generally will stop here for lunch. The restaurant has a nice warm brewpub feeling. Like other reviewers have stated it is understaffed. I don't like to have to leave my seat to get another beer from the bar. Â More beer I drink the more more money right. I know I could have another one but when my glass is empty my wife says time to go. Fix the waits and the reviews will improve dramatically from what I can tell!
Review Source:I was a visitor to the area and had to use my GPS to find this place, so if you are too, better break it out, because it's location can be deceiving.
The No-Li is located in what was once an old bus barn/garage that has been refurbished into the beautiful, rustic yet modern, Â trendy space that it now is. Â I just wish I enjoyed the beer as much as I did the space. Â I'm not a big fan of hoppy beer and as I recall, every offering I asked to taste was too hoppy for my taste. Â Again, for "My Taste". Â
For those of you who lean towards hoppy beer, the combination of hoppy beer and the fantastic space that the No-Li occupies will not disappoint you.
Poor service.
Also, $5 for a pint is kinda high. Was it $4 or $4.50? Maybe. But whatever it was, it was high for a brewery. I love breweries and would have enjoyed my time a lot more if the staff didn't act like we were such an imposition.
For example, we ordered water with our beer. If it's such a hassle to bring water...think about installing a self-serve water station like most bars do. But don't make us ask 3 times for something so simple. A member of our party asked what the soup was and the answer was given as though to a 5 year old. I can't handle that anymore. If you don't want your job, turn in your badge. Too many people are happy to work. It's the service industry--your job is literally to serve.
A few of the beers were out of order, so that's kind of annoying that your seasonal beer, as advertised, on the menu, is gone.
Aside from that, I love the feel of the brewery! We watched a Zags game and I wanted to love this place. But I wanted the place to love me back; is that so wrong? This is Spokane's chance to jump into the beer game. But there's some stiff competition. I get better service at the gas station than I do here.
Think about it, Noli.
Simply Terrible. The beer was horrible, which is the gravest mistake. The only things that looked like they where worth trying where on the board said that they had them on tap, and when I ordered them the waitress made it sound like I was an idiot for not knowing they where not on tap yet. The food, was terrible, I have had better food at McDonald's. All three of the things that were sub par at best. I don't expect killer food at a brewery, but I do expect solid bar food, and they couldn't deliver. If you are looking for a good brewery in the area, this is not it.
Review Source:Poor service. We had a large group for a work dinner, we called ahead weeks prior to reserve the space.
We get there, it took 20 mins before anyone approached us as we attempted to flag someone down. The table was in the middle of the bar, not even a table, it was A BAR. The service was slow....SLOW would have been an improvement. While we waited for water, beer, drinks, napkins, six servers or whatever you call them wearing the No Li gear were standing around b*llshitting behind the bar while more than one table waited for service.
The food was NOT worth the wait.
The place wasn't that appealing or apparently clean. There were TOO many tables and chairs shoved into a WAY too small area. If you wanted to get up and go to the bathroom you rubbed up on at least ten people, none of which wanted to get to second base with you while you stumbled through the table and chair ridden pit to the bathroom in another part of the building.
No surprise, the server messed up not only my appetizer order but my to-go order as well. They threw it in a box, making it look not appealing in the least, then it took twenty minutes to get some horseradish for it.
The only decent thing was the HD T.Vs with the game on, but you couldn't hear the game, and since we were, AS A COMPANY DINNER, sitting at the bar one would expect to be able to see the T.V. since it was right in front of us.
Never will I go back.
I have mixed emotions about No-Li, as evidenced by the mid-range ranking. Â I don't think it was deserving of a 2 star "meh", but don't really think it deserves a "A-OK" three star either. Â The beer was the saving grace that bumped it to 3.
First, I had a hard time finding the brewery. Â I followed my phone GPS to the address and found a strip mall looking building with no brewery signage out front. Â Deciding to investigate on foot, I found the pub in the back of an indoor shopping court area. Â The bar area was uninspired, but clean.
They have a new looking menu, with a probable explanation on it of why there was no sign out front (there WAS a large empty sign holder). Â I'm paraphrasing, but according to the menu, it seems there was a copyright issue with a brewery on the east coast that shared the name "Northern Lights". Â Now this pub/ brewery is called "No-Li", since their attempt at being cooperative with the other brewery was met with silence.
Regarding the service: I sat myself at the bar and was passed by three different wait staff/ bartenders several times for almost 5 minutes before I was even handed a menu, let alone asked what I wanted to drink. Â Not that the place was busy, because it wasn't. Â Jumping to my departure, I also had to wait a while for the waiter to ask if I was done, and literally about 7 minutes of waiting for the bill. Â He kept passing and going "oh!" and he would leave, and then come by and go "oh!" and leave.... Â A guy sat next to me at the bar, and was obviously getting perturbed that he too had to wait a long time to get any attention. Â The guys working there did a lot of standing around and talking to each other. Â I don't mind waiting if they are explaining beers to customers or if the place was hopping, but they were just kind of "hanging out".
I got a sampler of 5 beers, and was quite impressed (I'm a self proclaimed "beer snob", having been to many breweries and drunk many a quality beer). Â Like the atmosphere, other than being attractive looking, the menu was also uninspired - classic bar food, though I found the selection less comprehensive than I expected. Â I got the BBQ burger - it tasted OK, but it had more gristle in it than any burger I can remember, and I kept having to spit out un-chewable pieces.
In short, I would probably pick up their beer in the store (especially the imperial IPA), but I have no desire to go back to the restaurant anytime soon.
This place is alright. I received a "you won't be disappointed!" sort of recommendation from several people about this place - so I admit, I had high expectations. Being a highly recommended brewery I expected there to be  a much more lively crowd considering I went at the 5 o'clock hour - but I was wrong. The beer was good, but as for the overall experience comparing it to other breweries I have been to - I have definitely experienced better atmospheres. Not to mention the place is a pain in the butt to find. The beer was good, the food was alright, the service was okay, but I wouldn't really rave about this place to anyone.
Review Source:Holy sweet Jesus, I fell in love with this place.
My experience may have been beer influenced, but I had a fantastic time the other day.
I went there for the beer. I wanted to get the sampler, so I did. I love trying new beers. The most amazing part was that when I ordered the sampler, they brought me every beer they had on tap. All 12. They didn't have a way on the menu to charge me for that, so they gave me the 12 for the price of 11. A big deal? No. But cool. And I've never been to another brewery that did that.
Did I like all the beers? No. But I don't expect to. I found a few beers I liked (my personal favorite was the Stellar Stout). The lady found other beers she really liked. totally worth it.
Food. I had the garlic burger. I nearly died from the garlicky goodness. The Reuben left a little to be desired (needed more 1000 Island), but I didn't mind it. The pretzel with the cheese sauce was a great and thoroughly tasty way to start the evening.
Service was on time and attentive. No complaints about that. Water was filled, questions answered, and everything was brought out in a reasonable time.
This place was really cute inside, and our service was really great. Â I mean, when they didn't have an avocado for my salad they ran across the street to get a fresh one instead of just telling me to order something different as a lot of other places do!!!
I tried a beer sampler and liked my all of my brews, then had an IPA and it goes without saying that I liked it. Â Our waiter kept our glasses full too--he did well.
My afore-mentioned salad, which was ordered because it was decidedly un-salad like, was yummy. Â It had bacon, avocado, turkey, blue cheese, and oh yeah, lettuce and tomatoes.
Since the restaurant is close to home, affordable, and good--I would go back in a heart beat.
This place is nestled into a kitschy cute building with other shops, yet not difficult to find. The decor is nice and neat, and we were promptly attended to after seating ourselves. It was after happy hour had ended, so there weren't many people there, but the service was very friendly and attentive. We were a party of 3. We ordered a blueberry lemonade cocktail and a glass of latah creek huckleberry wine, the 4 beer sampler and an IPA, and 2 blueberry creme ales. I had the warm pretzel with mustard -- it was good! My mate had the turkey, bacon and avocado salad, and she's not a huge salad lover and said it was delicious. Her aunt ordered chips and salsa, and the plate was heaping and generous. The beer was very very good. Prices were as expected for what we ordered, but not too bad at all. We will be coming back to this nice place.
Review Source:Reviewers who have said it has good/great beer must never have been to a brewery before. The beer was mediocre at best. I guess in comparison to Bud Light it was OK...
Server was not a ray of sunshine. We passed on food and that sounds like a good decision.
Avoid it. You've got better options in the area.
I've only been to Northern Lights a couple of times, but both times the service was dissatisfying to the point where it overruled my otherwise general enjoyment of the place. The first time the waiter just wasn't very attentive and took his time about serving us; the second time it was the same case, but the waiter also completely cleared our table of any food or drink and then left us sitting for ten minutes before bringing our bill while he talked with other servers, only realizing we wanted to leave after we started putting on our coats and packing our bags.
The food is pretty good (the burgers seem standard, but I really enjoyed the portabello mushroom sandwich), and the beer is also pretty good (again, most of it seems kind of standard to me, though their creme ale is nice and I recommend getting the off-menu Black and Blue - a mix of their chocolate dunkel and blueberry creme ale). It's all good enough for me to want to go back, but if the service doesn't start to pick up, I probably won't bother anymore.
I make breweries a priority when visiting any new area and I really like this place. Â As someone else stated, it seems like an unlikely place at first...but you are in the right place. Â Very spacious and I like the decor. Â Really good beer! Â The IPA and the stout are among my faves. Â Great happy hour. Â I tried the seared Ahi app (part of happy hour specials!) Â OMG...served with this lettuce stuffed cone of fried parmesean...lllloooved it! Â Yum! Â I will return to this place again and again AND I'll take home some beer for those days when I can't be there in person!
Review Source:Sadly, Northern Lights seems to be going downhill. Â What was once one of my favorite restaurants in Spokane has become a place I am afraid to go to for fear of wasting my money.
I loved Northern Lights. Â I would always recommend it and bring people from out of town. Â Now, the food just isn't the same but the prices haven't dropped.
Since I have quit drinking, there is just no reason to go here anymore. Â The food is too pricey and the last few dishes I have received just were lack luster. Â Even my favorite philly cheese steak wasn't that great the last time I went. Â I definitely felt like I wasted $15 when I should have spent about $5.
Hopefully they get their act together. Â At least my friends say the beer is still good... *sigh*
The beer was pretty good, but not outstanding. Â The setting was very pleasant. Â
So lets get to the nitty gritty. Â After reading on Yelp I expected grumpy servers, slow service, and average food. Â Unfortunately for Northern Lights they did not violate this expectation. Â Slow service, grumpy, inattentive servers, and average food. Â To echo others, don't go here for the food.
The beers where served quickly (although we finished them before getting the super slow (1hr +) food) and were good. Â I don't really think the place deserves 3 stars, more 2.5, but I always round up. Â They really need to invest in some server training - or at least some people with a little life in their eyes. Â If you like bold food flavors go elsewhere, then come here for a beer.
Great beer! Â Their food is decent but this is a great place to pick up a keg for a bbq. Â And if you are planning on drinking in the morning they even have a Huckleberry beer. Â The now have a sign out on Hamilton but if you don't see it just look for the giant URM store and turn down that street. Â At the end of the road is a big parking lot and Northern Lights is in there.
Review Source:1st problem: website does not contain their street address-- we had to find it online in the yellow pages.
2nd problem: we drove around for 10 minutes looking for a company sign or address & came up empty until we realized that the restuarant is inside a warehouse with other businesses/restaurants. We we really motivated to find it--the promise of micro-brewed beer was really inticing.
3rd problem: even though the menu looked good and it was what we were looking for, ie. upscale bar food, the taste did not deliver: Clams were too salty (the broth that is), and that's supposed to be the best part! The ahi tuna was okay, but not great: the wasabi sauce lacked punch and the parmesan crsip was burnt! Definately, not good eats, as this should have been amazing; And finally there was the sausages- good but overcooked. This is a staple in any bar place and again, they should have been really outstanding with us wanting more!
We had heard the service might be slow, but on this point we had no complaints.
Would we try it again? Maybe. Unfortuately, the beer was nothing to write home about- we've had better.
We went here with a group of 5 with no issues on a Friday night. Â When you pull up to the building, you wonder if your in the right place. Â You are! When you walk into the building the restaurant is in, there are 2 other places in the same building. Â It's a neat stroll down a street indoor.
I did the FULL sampler platter which was 11 tasters! Â I liked many of the beers. Â What this says thought is that they have so many, you bound to find one you like. Â
Top Choices: Crystal Bitter, Stout, and the Creme
Notable Mentions: Blueberry Creme (everyone at our table liked it), IPA (not your normal hop flavors which was different and good)
Food was pretty good, 3 of us had the fish and chips and the other 2 had the cedar plank salmon. Â The Fish was good, they need to get some better fries and it would be top notch. Â The comments about the Salmon was that the Salmon tasted much like the cedar plank that it came on. Â Literally, it came to the table on the cedar plank it was cooked on. Â The comments were the cedar flavor overpowered the salmon. Â
I'm an avid craft brewer and beer drinker and love to visit breweries where ever I travel. Â This establishment is your typical beer pub that has a brewery. Â Had it not been a brewery we probably wouldn't go back, but next time I'm in town I'll check out what they have on tap.
Cons: Â NO WEBSITE!!!!! Â Need to communicate with your followers and promote your beer, come on people it's only 2009. Â I'd be happy to trade website work for beer ;)
We were there on a Friday night, and they were hosting a high school reunion in the patio just in front of the restaurant (and there was a party of 18 or so in the restaurant when we arrived, along with a full row of barstools and a few groups at tables near the bar). Â We had good service after a few minutes of waiting to be spotted (it's a "seat yourself" place). Â My wife doesn't drink beer, so she really focuses on the food, and she loved her salad. Â I had a chicken sandwich, and the 10-beer "sampler", which let me try a little of all their brews while still being able to drive home.
Highlights: Â a Blueberry Creme (one of my 2 favorite "fruit" beers, along with a Strawberry pale that I had in Scottsdale years ago), the Chocolate Dunkel, the Crystal Bitter, and the Amber.
I had their IPA from cask a few days earlier at the Elk Public House, and liked it then, but it seemed much more bitter here.
OK... Spokane is arguably one of the most boring cities I have ever been. With that in mind, I know that boring cities have three things: Easy women, drugs and great beer. Let's just say that Spokane does not want to be pigeon holed. Â Northern Lights does however have GOOD beer. The food was OK, but the service was mediocre at best.
As for women and drugs (I tried neither)...based on some of the gremlins I saw at the bar and the airport, I have my suspicions there as well.
I went to Northern Lights for one reason only...because it gave me miles on my United Dining Plan. Â On arriving are being perplexed about it's weird location, I ordered a drink and an appetizer from the manager because it was apparent that the waitress was way too busy with the 2 other tables she was waiting on. Â My friend and I ordered the balsamic glazed brie appetizer that was delicious (I would have given just this 5 stars) and I got a creme ale which was also very good. Â However, service got slower and slower as the night went on and the dinner was not that great. Â I got the Cajun Pasta. Â Mind you, I am Mexican and love love love spicy food. But this was so spicy that I could barely even eat it. Â My friend got steak which they had no steak sauce for...which sucked. Â So overall, the appetizer/beer was good and the service/dinner was not so great.
Review Source:Inefficient would be the best way to describe our experience. Â
We were passing through and wanted to try and new beer we've never had. Â We sat at the bar at around 3 pm and there were at least 6 people behind the bar...... No one helps. Â Finally, after a minute or two flagging someone down, the manager comes to help us. Â She then passes on the order to a tender that was too busy being loud and joking around with another bartender. Â
Let's keep in mind that there are 6 of them and about 8 people at the bar.
So we eventually get helped after the bartender was done telling his story to his friend. Â God forbid we interrupt, Mr. hat-kinked-to-the-side.
And then the beer is a hair tastier than an MGD. Â Fail!
I have only been here once but I did enjoy the experience. I'm fairly picky when it comes to breweries but that because I've been spoiled by living in the NW for so long and I brew beer.
I dropped in with a couple of friends to try the beer and get a quick appetizer. We had the cedar planked baked brie which was amazing. It went very well with the IPA I tried.
The service was quick but we sat at the bar so it should have been. The food arrived quickly and the bartender was attentive.
The beer was good but not great and by no means was it bad. I will have to go back again and try out more stuff to give them a better rating.
If you're looking for a good brewpub on the east of the hills I would say that this should satisfy your needs quite well. Cheers!
Northern Lights scores with me on several points. Â One, their beer is consistently good, and you can easily get a keg to take home for the kegerator (great for reducing recycling, and a good value per serving too.) Â We prefer the amber, the dunkel, and the fall or summer seasonals. Â Their lighter beers & winter seasonal tend to be a little sharp on the hops for my taste.
Second, the food is good overall and delicious in a few cases. Â Their ahi appetizer is entertaining and yummy, and the black & blue prime rib or steak is mouthwatering. Â The prices are reasonable and the portions generous without being obscene. Â
Third, it's easy to get to and find parking.
The service is generally friendly and competent, although I've had a few servers that made me want to smack the table with my forehead. Â The outdoor area in the summer is relaxing and pleasant, but patience will be necessary. Â If you want quick service this is not the place to sit. Â
Overall a pleasant experience, and someplace we eat a few times a year when we're picking up a fresh keg.
The review of 4 stars is solely based against the other 81 brewpubs I've visited over the past few years. So don't think I'm comparing it to a $50 per plate type of place.
The more I visit Northern Lights, the more of a fan I become. It's above average on the classy scale as far as all breweries are concerned, but below the other locals Steam Plant Grill and C.I. Shenanigans. So don't come in expecting an elegant meal and you will be satisfied.
The food I've had is excellent. The philly sandwich is awesome, and the fish and chips can be amazing, though I have seen a lackluster performance once. Also keep in mind that I'm a midwestern boy, and am not used to remotely fresh cod, so the fish and chips are automatically way better than anything I'm used to.
The specialty ice cream made with their beer can be skipped, it's not that good, but the cheesecake they bring in from the local dessert shop is absolutely amazing and well worth the indulgence.
The beer is extremely consistent. I'm continually impressed by their darker selections, including the Stout and Porter. The lighter ones aren't bad, but for my money, I stick with the well-above-average dark selections.
Went to Northern Lights one night recently to celebrate a couple of family birthdays and had an less than memorable experience. Â At the outset, I was confused by the restaurant's set up -- I couldn't figure out if it was a brewery or a Thai restaurant. Â Also, it was nearly empty at dinnertime on a Sunday, though I might chalk that up to it being well below freezing and icy as heck.
So, on to the food and the service. Â The food was, in a word, okay. Â It wasn't that it was bad. Â The presentation was nice, but led me to hold higher expectations than what was delivered. Â I ordered the lemon asparagus pasta (I'm paraphrasing, because I don't remember the official name from the menu) and I kept looking for flavor that just wasn't there. Â Everyone else at the table reported similar experiences with their meals, which ranged from the Fish & Chips (too bland) to the salmon (too dry), to the chicken pesto sandwich (just meh). Â The only person who seemed pleased with his meal was the birthday boy, who enjoyed his steak. Â Given that he's now 85 and has eaten his fair share of steaks, I trust his judgment. Â
On a happier note, I have to give our waitress props because she had to deal with a table of almost 30 people and was totally pleasant. Â I wish I knew her name so that I could thank her properly. Â She was awesome.
So, my overall rating is 2.5. Â Should I ever find myself back in Spokane, I can safely say that I would not dine here again.
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