I have reviewed Shoreline before, and my reviews have varied, as has my experience. Â I've been present during times where my food has sit under a hot lamp for at least 15 minutes (that's being generous, it was more like 20 minutes). Â Crispy fries become soggy, once fresh food, ruined, but still warm. Â Then I have been there for the good times, Â good beer in a local scene, hip shows with snazzy bands, and occasionally some of the best pub food around.
The times have changed, so has Shoreline. Â I say for the better. The beer is still some of the best in NWI. They have started bottling their beer (Sum Nug and Beltaine), but it's a tad expensive. Â They have eliminated some, if not all, of the frozen foods, no more boneless nuggets (I miss that sauce though) and wantons filled with creme cheese and jalapenos. Â Instead, you will find home-style comfort food, seafood, and pub classics alike. Â I do like a diverse menu new menu, it get's rid of things that are too far on either side (having mac and cheese and sushi on your menu is just weird).
That being said, Â I visited Shoreline recently, and my GF and I had a quiet meal (not usual) of two burgers. Â We both got them medium, with cheddar, and fries crispy. Â The burgers were at our table pretty quickly, they were hot, fresh, and DELICIOUS! Â The fries were also crispy. Â This was one of the best burgers I've around these parts. Â These beef was juicy and delicious, the cheese was melty and complimented the burger well, and the pretzel roll was fresh and delicious as well. Â The fries were amazing. Â I am excited by the menu make-over, and hope the food stays consistent.
The price of the food is adequate, and drinking the beer in house is of average brewery prices. Â We ended up with a bill of about 30 bucks after two burgers with cheese, a beer for me, and a soft drink for my lady. Â Was worth every penny.
Pros: Good Beer, Good Food, Great Atmosphere
Cons: Location is a little bit of problem, Â I personally love it, but for the general public, it may seem a bit hidden away. Â People tend to look at Lighthouse Mall or NIPSCO as they go by Shoreline on Route 12. Â I personally drove by it many times without knowing what it was or even noticing it had a sign.
I wanted to like Shoreline. Â Sometimes, however, a place falls short of expectations. Â I liked the look of the place, but first impressions count. Â Being seated at a hi top that was just washed with a dripping wet cloth didn't bode well; the menu literally stuck to the table. Â And they weren't even busy. Â
Oops.
The place had a good, hip local vibe, with just the right volume settings on the music; and the natives seemed friendly enough. Â I started with one of their house brews. Â The beer had a delightfully high alcohol content, but was bitter in the extreme. Â When I told my server I was not a fan, she recommended a brew I might find more appealing...which turned out to be the beer I HAD ORDERED IN THE FIRST PLACE! Â
Oops.
I was hungry, so I ordered the Hoosier Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.
Oops.
The sandwich arrived at table - and it was ENORMOUS. Â But not willing to substitute quantity for quality, I would not order this item again. Â The breading was surprisingly under seasoned, and the toppings were gloppy. Â The large bun disintegrated as I attempted to eat it. Â The French fries had obviously been parked for a while; lukewarm, oily, overcooked and droopy.
Sometimes I am tempted to chalk up a disaster like this to an "off night". Â In this case, though, I really see no reason to ever return.
This brew pub is a little off the beaten path -- about a block north of Rt. 12 on Wabash Street in Michigan City, Indiana -- so it seems to get two kinds of business: the locals who already live in the area, and beer geeks who have heard about its brews and want to try them. (Count me in the second category.)
They always have 12 beers on tap along with seasonal selections. I tried their Beltaine Scottish ale, which is their top-selling beer and won them silver medals in the 2006 and 2008 World Beer Cup competitions. It was nice, dark and smooth with a caramel undertaste. My husband likes his beer hoppy, so he went with the Sum Nug India Pale Ale, which features both Summit and Nugget hops (hence the name). They also have something called Discombobulation Celebration Ale, which I've just gotta try the next time we're here, if they still have it. It's a super-strong beer known as barley wine, which is actually any beer that's over 7% alcohol. Â
The décor is basic but comfortable, with several big-screen TVs. The menu is unexpectedly good, with typical pub grub like burgers and sandwiches, but also some surprises like spicy cheese-stuffed tortillas, seafood entrees, and Scotch eggs (a hard-boiled egg covered with sausage and deep-fried, which you usually only find in authentic English pubs). They also have a store where you can buy T-shirts, accessories, and brewing ingredients such as grains, hops and yeast. They even have a Ms. Pac-Man video game in the lobby!
At about $4 per beer, Shoreline Brewery is a great bargain, too (until they get "discovered"). Â We're definitely coming back here the next time we're in the area.
Found this place randomly on the way back to chicago from a weekend in Michigan. Â It's kind of in the middle of nowhere (right next to the creepy nuclear power steam vent) but the food and beers were excellent and the service was friendly. Â The have a nice deck in the back that I imagine can be enjoyed in the warmer months.
Also- If you are trying to catch a game, they do have several large TV's.
Stardate: January 1, 2013
My husband and I stopped in for lunch before hitting the outlet mall, and we loved it so much that we came back the same night for dinner. Â That probably says enough in and of itself, but here is a list of the things we inhaled during our two visits:
-Bloody Mary (spicy) x 2: Â The one I had at lunch was far spicier than the one I had later, but they were both excellent. Â Made with Stoli Jalapeno vodka. Â Two of the best I've ever had.
-Blackeye PA / Sum Nug IPA: My husband had these and really liked them. Â I can't comment intelligently because I'm not a huge beer drinker, but the sampling I had of these two were really good. Â I would definitely order either one if not for the full bar.
-Two other beers (AKA "Moby makes New Year's wishes come true"): Â Every Tuesday is open-mic night. Â A Â manager (and a few other random people who rotate in and out with various instruments - including one guy who was playing the barstool) pretty much just plays his guitar and sings all night unless someone else butts in. Â Some dude slapped $900 down on the bar and wanted to buy everyone shots. Â The bartender politely suggested he buy everyone a beer instead. Â Moments later, the entire bar was covered in a variety of beers for all to partake. Â It was a beer buffet. Â No idea what we were drinking, but they were enjoyable, even if they weren't free (for me, that is. Â Moby paid $104.)
-Thistle Sticks: Â Jalapeno cream cheese, eggroll-type bites. Â These were just ok, but at $7 for 5, just skip it.
-Burger: Â Deliciousness. Â You had me at pretzel bun.
-Philly Cheesesteak: Â It was ok. Â The best part was the cheese sauce.
-Bavarian Pretzels w. Beer Cheese: Â I already said I liked the cheese sauce, so why not have more of that the next time around? Â The pretzels were more like 3 miniature loaves of pretzel bread. Â So cute I could eat it up. Â And I did.
-Shoreline Fish & Chips: Â Amazing. Â If not the best ever, at least close to it. Â If you like buffalo sauce, try the Hop Infused Wing Sauce as an additional dipper. Â
A few tips: Â
-If they say something is spicy, they aren't kidding. Â It's a good pain, if you like that sort of thing.
-Sit at the bar, if you can. Â Everyone was so friendly here and a few times I wondered if we were being punked because there were people doing some rather off-the-wall things, though no one ever seemed to notice. Â It's a fun place.
I live almost 3 hours away, but I can't wait to come back here!
We stopped in here after doing some shopping on Monday afternoon, and the food was a-maz-ing. The Veggie Blues was an awesome app- fresh house fried chips with a blue cheese cream sauce that I could seriously have licked out of the bowl.
We ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich, which was a smash hit; the burger, which also was very tasty, and I had the mac and cheese.
I'm a bit of a mac and cheese snob, and I have to admit that this one wasn't my favorite- it was loaded with bacon, which I found a little overwhellming, and the cheese sauce wasn't as bitey as I like. But, it was definitely made from scratch- just not to my palate.
I am glad we don't live close by because I would gain 200 pounds eating here all the time. I definitely recommend it. Our server was great too.
Not even a big fan of beer and I love this place. Cheap drinks, good food, and good people. Never uncomfortably full (don't know why) unless there is a band playing, but even then there is plenty of room to stand.
I haven't had food there, but I've heard it is good! Hoping to try some next time I'm in town.
Really good local pub; lots of room, darts, great beer and greasy, seasoned pub fries! Â They have a great selection of imports and unique brews. Â Only complaint is that it was too cold and too bright inside... at least for this being a pub. Â Super-friendly atmosphere, though. Â Highly recommend.
Review Source:Love Love Love this place! The inside of this place is immaculate, and the decor is very fitting. Plenty of chalk boards with the featured beers and upcoming live events. They also have their merchandise hanging on the wall above the bar. It has a nice "bar next door" feel to it.
Let's talk beer. This stuff is good, real good I tell ya. They rotate their beers on tap to keep things fresh. My favorite is Benny's. Just a regular American Pale Ale I think, but it's good. They also have potent IPA's and a really good Blueberry beer.
They have great specials....$8 growler refills on Mondays and $11 pitchers on Sundays (I think I got those days right). Can't beat that!
I've eaten here plenty of times and the food is delicious too. They even have a separate room if you want to bring your kids (which my husband and I refer to as the aquarium, because there are windows looking into the room almost putting the people inside on display).
Great place, check it out for yourself!
Beer was good. Food was good as well. Just a bit overpriced. The mac and cheese especially was overpriced for what it is. It's a good sized portion but its $14 and you can get the BBQ sandwich or Philly cheesesteak for $9...yeah...didn't make sense to me either. ;-) It's a must-visit in MCI though!
Review Source:I wanted to love this place, but I just couldn't.
The best thing was the beer sampler (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shoreline-brewery-and-restaurant-michigan-city?select=NIGoTPvU2wj2FASpMbTWxw#4zr6gbpoFvVHlgwaBgK2EA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>); 6 beers all for $9. Beer wouldn't be my choice of drink, but this is definitely a high for my boyfriend. He enjoyed the different taste.
The baked spinach was overwhelmed with cheese (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shoreline-brewery-and-restaurant-michigan-city?select=NIGoTPvU2wj2FASpMbTWxw#-jjWkQZa8gHGIswT6zwefQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>). Don't get me wrong I love cheese, but you know when too much is just too much. See I love cheese right? So I went with the Shoreline (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shoreline-brewery-and-restaurant-michigan-city?select=NIGoTPvU2wj2FASpMbTWxw#R4hKnlVUPRcOPjtbf2hq7Q">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>) mac & cheese instead of a burger and boy did I wish I went for the burger. The mac and cheese was extremely bland, tasteless. I had a few bites and that was it. On the other hand my boyfriend went for the Shoreline Burger served on a pretzel bun (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/shoreline-brewery-and-restaurant-michigan-city?select=NIGoTPvU2wj2FASpMbTWxw#ytmuJ1EPKYB2Tgxcoavk4A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>), now that was pretty good, moist and how can you not like pretzel buns? Being a nice boyfriend he shared half of it with me and I regretted my choice of not going with it from the beginning.
Our service was slowwww, the time it took to get our food was even more slowwwwww. I don't know Shoreline I really weren't feeling ya.
I'm having a hard time understanding the lack of love for this place. Â Sure, it's kind of an eyesore, and, yea, the inside smells like a frat house, but it's a BREWERY, and to me, that should be fully expected. Â And they do have a pretty decent patio if you want to avoid the smells, if only they could rip down a few houses to give you a nice view of Lake Michigan while dining!
I thought they menu here was fantastic--I wanted to order at least 12 different items. Â I settled on one of their daily specials--which was a pork tenderloin sandwich. Â REALLY REALLY good--perfectly fried and perfectly topped with some dijon mustard, fresh pickle relish, lettuce and tomato. Â I also tried some of the butternut squash soup, which is one of my favorite soups, and one that they do very well! Â I'm anxious for my next trip to the outlet mall, and thereby, next trip to Shoreline. Â Maybe next time I'll try out a couple of the beers!
The best thing we had was the Sprecher's sodas!
We went into a room for families at the back, where the carpet was sticky and dirty and obviously old. It had an awful smell as well.
The food was worse than the room.
I had the fish and chips, my wife had the chicken sandwich, and my daughter got a burger. Nothing was prepared fresh or bought fresh. It was all from frozen ingredients, including the fries. Frozen fish, chicken, and burger. Absolute crap!
I didn't try the beer, but that's probably the only reason to come here.
The service? What service? The waitress, who we could hear in the service station talking about how 'her underwear rides up her butt when she wears those shorts' was hardly ever at the table. And when she was, she was hurrying us.
If you're thinking about eating here, don't! There must be better places. I know that I'll never be back.
Went here today and loved it! Very impressed! The food was fresh and got a chance to have the barrel aged beer(amazing flavor), we even took the tour. Our server was extremely nice and helpful  and the general manager took the time to make sure we were having a good time and answered  all my questions. I will be going back and the outlets are close by :)
Review Source:Came here late one night with the family. Sat in the "fish tank" as another reviewer called it. Â
Our server was very nice, if a bit frazzled (which is weird because the restaurant was totally empty, but it was near the end of the night and I know how those days can be)
I had the fish and chips and a crab cake, mostly out of curiosity because I work at a sea food restaurant. The crab cake is quite forgetabble. Â Fish and chips were very good and satisfying. Â The beer was great and reasonably priced, and is it just me or a bit on the strong side? Maybe that's the case with most microbreweries, but im not sure. It was open mic night which was cute if anything. Â
It's hard to describe why exactly but I was very satisfied here. Â I'm definitely planning return visits every time I'm in Michigan city, if for the beer at the very least.
First off, the service was horrible. Â There were 8 of us (4 adults, 4 kids) and we sat outside. Â Our waitress kept disappearing inside for overly long periods of time. Â Even the manager noticed (he stopped by our table) but didn't seem to care. Â It took forever to get drinks.
We when finally got our food, one of the orders was wrong but we were too hungry to care. Â Except we didn't have silverware. Â Another server who happened to be passing by took pity on us and brought us forks, knives and napkins. Â
I ordered the turkey burger and it was obvious that it came from a frozen patty. Â Nothing should ever be that perfectly round. Â Everyone else (minus the person who ordered a burger with no onions and got a burger with onions) enjoyed their food. Â But the amount of time it takes to get the basics (drinks, silverware, etc)? Â Unacceptable.
Shoreline is alright. If you don't smoke, and don't want to sit with all the smokers service is lacking. You're basically ignored sitting in the "fish tank" as my girlfriend likes to call it.
We as a group had the fish and chips, the macaroni and cheese, and the burger. All were pretty darn good, but the mac and cheese was a little milky...
They also brew some pretty good beer. The Beltaine, Benney's APA, and the Kolsch are all above par. Nothing I've had has really knocked my socks off though... It's no Three Floyd's. I do fancy their Ly-Ko-Kiwi (Kolsch). Named after a horse trail nearby if you're not familiar with the dunes. It's very similar to how it's brewed in Cologne Germany, which is awesome (and the way it should be).
The main thing is, don't sit in the fish tank. If you can. I think this is the first time in a while where the service was so bad I tipped 15%.
Went here to relax after a day of relaxing at the beach.
For starters, I love the decor of this place. The inside looks like a country barn. There's a separate area for non-smokers, and supposedly an outdoor eating area (that allows dogs!). I really liked the high rise tables that had beer barrels for bottoms.
We sat ourselves and were immediately greeted. I loved the descriptions on the menu about their different types of beer. Since I'm not a beer geek in the slightest, I decided to chose the sampler, which are 5 of their more popular beers in 5oz pours. It's only $9, which is a smart choice if you're not sure what you might like. The boyfriend, however, is somewhat of a beer expert, and picked out a super hoppy beer called Queen something. ($4 for 20oz) He also helped me to drink some of the sampler beers, since I'm not a huge fan of dark beers. Out of the five beers I really really liked Stella Blue. It's a blueberry beer and not sweet. I loved it, and ended up getting another. Â
The food was almost as wonderful as the beer. I got the pulled pork BBQ sandwich ($9.50), which had a wonderful dijon slaw on top. The boyfriend got the philly cheesesteak (with peppers and breaded jalapeños!) which was $11. Both were served with super crispy (almost burnt) fries. I'm not complaining, I love fries extra crispy!
My total for dinner (without tip) was around $40 The whole experience was nice, and when I'm back in the area I will definitely go again.
I stopped in for a quick lunch and was happy with what I found. They serve typical pub food and have a better than average selection of brewed-on-premise beer.
I went for some buffalo chicken tenders because they came with a hops infused hot sauce. That turned out to be hype. It was just regular buffalo sauce. I can't remember which beer I ordered, but I had sips of three IPAs and I was impressed with all of them.
You may come in for the food, but the beer is where it's at. Save yourself the calories and get full on beer!
I'd give the food a 3, but the beer gets a 4 and I'm leaving it there!
I was expecting to find a place sitting right on Lake Michigan shores, so it was a bit of a misnomer...
...however, the beer was pretty good (not all of their offerings, as the BPA was a little watery, and the lagers didn't stand out)--I did enjoy in particularly, the fantastic piney bite of Sumnug (an IPA brewed with Summit and Nugget hops) and the refreshing citrus character of the Sesh Wheat (a good amount of orangey / grapefruity hop flavor / aroma was present in this easy-drinking american wheat,so don't expect the clove / banana character of a german hefeweizen or the coriander / herbal qualities of a belgian wit).
The food has been hit / miss. Â I was unimpressed with their burgers (a little on the dry side), and the soups have been consistently salty. Â I enjoyed the pulled pork the first time I had it, but the second time it was a bit too fatty.
All in all, I enjoy going because of the beer, but the food is adequate (I can at least find something that i like), and it's very close to my hotel.
I discovered Shoreline in 2011 at the Great Taste of the Midwest. When I started planning a recent road trip I and realized they would be along the way, I couldn't help but make the small detour to find them. Â It's a nice brewpub. We originally walked to what we thought was the front entrance only to be directed to a door on the opposite side of the building. Not a big deal, I just wanted to let others know that the entrance on Wabash appears to not be used at times.
When we first arrived we sat down at the bar and service was a bit slow. It seemed that while we were there they were used to regulars and the local crowd so we were pretty much ignored at first while the staff chatted with the normal crowd. They did warm up to us after a while, but service was more of us asking to be served than them checking if we needed anything. Â I don't know if we just hit them at an odd time or if service is always that way. I will say that even though they told us they don't normally open up their store during the week, they did for us since we were from out of town.
The food here was good. I had one of their burgers. The onions caramelized in beer added a little something out of the ordinary. Â My wife had their crab cake sandwich and she enjoyed that as well. They served both on Pretzel bread. I'm not a fan of pretzel bread. I didn't ask if I could get it on anything else, and I probably should have. Â I actually thought the pretzel bread distracted from the burger. Â As an appetizer we had an order of the Thistle Sticks. W O W those were fantastic! Definitely loved them.
They had a wide range of beers on tap and I found three that I absolutely loved. I'm not on here reviewing the beer. Â There are other places for that, but if you want my recommendation. You need to try the Euphonic. It's a great everyday beer with flavors that are not obtrusive. It drinks very easily. Just watch out for the 7.8% ABV. Â They have something for everyone, so if you find one you don't like; try another.
Overall it was a good experience and I'm glad we stopped in. I just wish the service had made a better impression at the beginning.
Woooo Shoreline!! Great brews and food!! if you like 3floyds and never been here its worth the trip! I always get a few pints of SumNug.. 3 Sum and Sam Jakson are awesome when they have it..
NEW----6/26/12
Don't know whats going on with the place but my last 4 times their its been pretty bad..
the beers don't taste the same at all and the alot of the food isn't worth eating now...
I sure hope they straighten up...this was one of my favorite breweries... was
I love everything about this brewpub...the staff, the service, the food, and especially the beer. In the summer, we spend a lot of time at the beaches in NWI, and this place has become the perfect stop at the end of a beach day!
There is plenty of room --you won't feel cramped or packed in like some other brewpubs. The staff is super helpful and very knowledgeable about the food and beer. They give good recommendations and are very attentive. The menu is great --a huge variety of food that changes often. When I say there is something for everyone on it --I mean everyone: sushi, pulled pork, pasta, burgers, steaks. etc. They have a nice sized beer list and their prices are super reasonable. My favorite beers include the kolsch --perfect on a hot summer day, lager --refreshing, and the oatmeal stout --rich with flavor and a really nice finish. Totally worth the trip --check them out!
Stopped here to grab a growler on my way home since the entire state of Indiana doesn't sell beer on Sundays. Â (Which I found out whilst trying to buy some beer on a Sunday. Â For those who don't know, now you know.) Â Do you know what it's like to have every liquor store closed AND to walk past an entire craft beer aisle at the grocery store AND NOT BUY ANYTHING? Â I do. Â It's painful. Â I don't recommend it.
Anyway, I ended up grabbing a growler of Benny's IPA for $15 at Shoreline. Â Once again, Shoreline delivered and I will continue to stop here when I'm in town. Â The bartenders and peops there are always fun and I never feel out of place. Â Until next time, Shoreline.
I am waiting for consistency. The food on any given day could be 5 stars or 1 star; it's this experience that is driving my thoughts here. I ate there last weekend and I started out with a mushroom bisque that I took only two bites of as my pallet was overwhelmed by sodium! It was a liquid salt lick and I have a salty pallet!! The Reuben looked phenomenal, and that was about it. The corned beef was extremely dry and tasted burnt. Now several weeks ago or so when I ate there I had the soft taco special and it was mind blowing!!! Worthy of 5 stars!! The beer? Always tasty, no doubt the consistency is there, they just need to get that consistency into that kitchen!!!! As a side note, I wish they would not allow cigar smoking during dining hours, that stinks! Literally!!!
I will go back, always. Patiently waiting......
Coming back home from Michigan, we decided to yelp somewhere not too far off the highway, but not Chili's or Applebees, and we stumbled across Shoreline. Â By this time at night, I was starving, and anything would have been good ...
Anyways, we pulled into Shoreline, and it looked like it used to be in an abandoned barn, and to it's quaintness. Â Going inside, and perusing the menu, I find that not only do they have Sprechter's Cherry Cola (the holy grail would be Black Cherry), but they also have a Scotch Egg. Â BONUS!
I was bummed because we still had another hour of driving to get back to Chicago, so I couldn't really partake of the beer selections, but I did have the oatmeal stout, and that was pretty good.
For dinner, I had the rueben ... which was top notch, because it's made with Boar's Head beef. Â Good stuff. Â I'd totally go and check it out again.
multiple beer choices....we tried four and found the scottish ale, nut something or other and Benny's quite delightful! Â We split the BBQ pork wrap with fries, Reuben and pretzels stick bread. Â The mustard with the bread was delish, the cheese not! Â The wrap was an issue, BBQ pork too wet for the wrap to hold. Â Taste was good, but the construction was problematic. Â The fries, especially with chipotle mayo, we're very good. Â Not a very large menu at all! Â Go for the beer and graze with appetizers.
I'll go back for the beer, but have to complain about the fact that they can't/won't combine two beers (think black n tan).
Maybe it's because I'm a Hoosier. Maybe it's because I love beer. I just really like this place. I've been here twice and have been pleased both times.
Definitely get the beer sampler and if you're more adventurous, add on a few others to try that aren't part of the set. The fish and chips meal is amazing - and that's coming from someone who is VERY picky about how fish tastes and is prepared.
Take the South Shore from Millennium Station, do some outlet mall shopping and then get your drink on here. No driving needed.
As a true blue beer lover, I had a great time at shoreline brewery. I spent the day at lighthouse outlets, and decided to continue the pleasure spree with a beer sampler and cheese.
Shoreline is big and spacious, with large tvs playing sports, and everything on the menu sounded great. Lots of people were ordering burgers, my boy and I got the reuben and some friend cheese appetizer. Both were a great side to the main dish...BEER!
I liked everything I tried, from the coffee and chocolate flavored stout to the  light wheaty ale. This is the type of place I could spend the whole day at.
Oh thank you Shoreline Brewery for existing in Michigan City. We really like to try local beers (and local restaurants) wherever we end up and you did not disappoint.
We had to try the scotch egg for the sheer weirdness of it all. A hardboiled egg, wrapped in sausage, breaded and then DEEP FRIED? The Texas State Fair is jealous that they did not invent this artery blocker. The food is good, pretty typical bar food, nothing to really write home about, but nothing to complain about either. The kids plate was ginormous, so plan on taking most of it back with you.
We sampled a few beers and decided on the Stella Blue and the Benny's American Pale Ale. Both were decent.
There is an area that is a non smoking area but it is pretty cut off from the rest of the restaurant. Thankful it existed though because tons of people were smoking. Some nights they have live music.
We will be back if we return to Michigan City.
(And just FYI to other Michigan City newbies, the smoke stack nearby is not a nuclear stack - it's a cooling tower for the coal burning plant . . .)
While driving across the country my wife and I decided to stop by Shoreline Brewery for lunch. We had second thoughts after spotting the nuclear power plant located disturbingly close to the brewery, but decided to brave it.
We were rewarded be a nice atmosphere and good beer. The food was just okay though and we were surprised to see ashtrays on the the bar.
I wouldn't go out of my way to come here again, but if I lived close I would probably be a regular.
Correction, I have been informed that it is actually a coal plant, so do not worry about growing extra appendages.
I visited Shoreline on both ends of a beercation, once for dinner and later for lunch.
The atmosphere is nice. Homey and unpretentious with a lot of wood. The place is not covered in TVs either. It was odd that there is no clock. To make things trickier this place is apparently located close to the timezone division between Central and Eastern time. When I asked my server what time it was, he logically suggested checking my cell phone. (It was Eastern time.) The music selection was fun and eclectic. Who cannot love fiddles?
The servers are friendly and they don't rush you. They did seem to be pushing the barrel aged bottles a little hard. These were special 750ml bottles from 2007 for $20 each. Since I am a sucker for barrel aged, I did buy 2, but I haven't actually tried them yet, so it remains to be seen whether I made a good investment.
There were 12 beers on tap on our first visit and we decided to try them all. They advertised 6 of them as a standard sampler. But it was the other 6 that we found the most interesting. We asked the server if we could get those as samples. He had to ask the manager or something... When he came back he said if we were willing to pay individual prices for each of the samples that it would not be a problem.
Sesh Wheat Ale - unlike any wheat beer I have ever tasted. Hoppy, crisp, refreshing session beer.
Queen Mum IPA - good
Exponential Ale - nice bite, very hoppy
Three Sum Imperial IPA - a little on the malty side for an IPA. Flavorful, but odd.
Sum Nug IPA - very similar flavor to Three Sum
Singing Sands Oatmeal Stout - good, creamy dark
Ly-Co-Ki-We Kolsch - interesting, not great. Hint of sweetness, a bit like corn, but in a good way.
Stella Blue - a great smell and flavor. Blueberry balance is carried out nicely.
Don't Panic! English Pale Ale - malty, OK beer.
Benny's American Pale Ale - good, but not a standout
Chester Brown Ale - interesting, a nice comfortable brown ale
Beltaine Scottish Ale - enough flavor to keep my mouth interested, better than Chester Brown
There were no bad beers. I cannot help but to compare against other brewpubs, so nothing at Shoreline struck me as exceptional. Three Sum Imperial IPA was a unique take on the style.
The food at Shoreline is very good as well. In particular I enjoyed the lamb shank, which was huge and tasty.
Overall, I would come back to Shoreline if I was in the area. In fact I did just that when I was on my way back to Chicago from Michigan. It was close enough to the expressway (~4 miles) to justify a lunch stop.
Shoreline Brewery = Awesome
I started with the tasters. I went through six or so of their various brews and checked which one I would be drinking for the rest of the evening. I don't remember all of those that I tasted, but a few were not for me, a few were okay, and a few were great. Much like Candice said in her review, the Stella Blue (Blueberry) was Perfect. I drank a lot. I even ended up getting a growler to bring back to Chicago. Sadly, It lasted less than a day because I was so excited about it. Now I need to make it a point to have friends bring this to me on their way in, and I will have to pick it up when I am out. I miss this beer. It's only been a few days, and I want more.
Although I didn't eat, I have heard great things about the food. I will try it, but I want the beer first.
I returned here a few weeks ago for Dinner with a colleague who is a real beer aficionado. In fact, he belongs to Shoreline's "Mug Club" and is on a first name basis with the staff here. Â We had a great time talking about work and family, comparing notes about Iowa, and discussing the finer technical details of beer making. Â And we both returned safety home - him to his wife and kids, and me back to the hotel and within days, Gayle.
I don't remember much about the food (except that it went well with the beer), as the evening got a little foggy with the consumption of a lot of great tasting micro-brew. And it was "almost" better than sex, beer-wise. Â I'm a "hoppy" sort of guy and the Rillo Rye gave me what I craved and more. It was loaded with Amarillo hops, was full-bodied, had a complex nose that reminded me of wine tasting, and finished me off with a hint of sweet malt. For "seconds", I strayed to a delicious "Cluster Phuch" IPA, and relaxed postcoital with the smooth and rich chocolate and coffee flavors of a tall glass of a Saint of Circumstance Imperial Stout.
It almost makes me wish I smoked....
Next stop on the Brewery Boner Tour 2009: Shoreline!
I'm so glad to get to bump this to the 5 stars it deserves. Yes, the service is a bit slow and the food takes FOREVER but it's good!
The SSLT is pure heaven. Smoked Salmon (cut, pressed, and salted like bacon), lettuce, tomato, and spicy mustard on thick cut, toasted bread. Who would I be to not give five stars?
Oh and again, the blueberry beer gave me a solid buzz before the 2:00 hour. Can't go wrong with that.
Next to a Cool-Looking cooling plant and is not that bad. Â The prison is blocks away, a previous review made that sound like it was next door. Â By the way that is famous prison it held John Dillinger at one point.
The food is nothing more than typical bar food. Â They charge more than they should, although who cares.
The atmosphere is kinda cool. Â Once and a while a good band will come around.
The beer is hit or miss. Â I have been impressed and then disappointed as well. Â
The signature beer is called Stella Blue, its pretty good. Â It is a shame that they don't bottle beer and sell it in stores. Â Some stuff is as good as goose island in Chi-Town. Â
They have a growler (jug that holds about a 5 beers) that you can bring home and have a discounted rate on Mondays for it.
Don't order the Fries. Â They suck, it tastes like they were soaked in beer overnight.
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