Like beer? Come here. :)
Great place to come with friends to chat and drink some good beer, so perfect for the beer snobs out there. HUGE selection on tap and bottle. They have a full bar...but if you're here...you really should get the beers...really... The bartenders are pretty knowledgable about their stuff. If you're not a beer connoisseur like me...they are pretty handy...just tell them what kind of beers you usually like and they'll recommend pretty good ones to compliment your palate. Big round tables which are pretty good for big groups. No servers here so serve yourself and get your drinks at the bar. The crowd is pretty mixed...you have jocks/guidos, hipsters, 'mature,' etc...
I was on a date the other night and saw the bartender argue with a customer over how much he was tipped. When the same customer went to use the ATM the bartender through ice cubes at him while his back was turned. That's weird. Other than that, the drinks are pricey, and It's pretty dark, big and empty. Not going back.
Review Source:Simple review as we were just passing through Milwaukee and stopped for a couple of beers. Â The bar is very dark but has a cool look to it. Â The beer selection was great which is why we stopped in. Â Being from MN we were able to try several new brews that we don't get across the border. Â If you are looking for craft beer, check it out.
Review Source:With good first dates and bad first dates here aside, I will let me luck in matters of the heart give an objective review.
Sugar Maple was one of the few establishments that did not allow smoking prior to the ban. It was great place to go and not have your clothes saturated with a thousand flavors. Once the smoking ban was put in place, I would like to say that they had an uptick in patronage, which meant that the comfortable couches were often occupied and a line for seats at the bar and drink menus as well. Don't get me wrong, I know this is great news for the business - just not as good of news for those with tiny voices that need a place a tad quieter for conversation.
I still do enjoy stopping in at Sugar Maple to take advantage of their impressive tap list. Their equipment is well maintained and they are attentive to use proper glassware as well. Every now and again some gems pop up or they have a special event or festival to draw me in for an extended period of time. I've attended holiday markets, tastings, pancake breakfasts and even film screenings here with great enjoyment.
There is a funkier atmosphere thanks to the rotating art collection and couch seating. It is much easier for me to enjoy on a quieter evening but I know some do enjoy a more bustling atmosphere.
If you enjoy a tasty draft beer and want to enjoy a night in Bay View, take note to stop at Sugar Maple and see what you think.
Other items of note: If you're looking for a pitcher of Macro Bräu, you will most likely be disappointed.
Sugar Maple has an aura of cool, what with the ambiguous name and blacked out windows, but the reality is not so intimidating. The cavernous interior is reminiscent of a bowling alley--albeit one with Eames-style chairs--which does not make it an ideal summer hangout. The beer selection is first rate, but they tend to have just run out of everything I order. No matter, I will return to Sugar Maple for their popcorn-topped potato soup; it's a gift from the gods and not at all what you'd expect.
Review Source:I was visiting my friend who lives in the area and we wanted to go out to some local bars. Being the best friend that she is, she looked for places that had good craft beer options for me. Our first stop was the Sugar Maple. The space is nice. It has that darkish modern feel to it, with some local art on the walls. They also have a cool old school register behind the bar. Not sure if they use it, as I paid with credit card.
They have about 62 beers on tap. Whoa. The taps are changing constantly, so don't expect the same thing to be available each time. They have a chalkboard with some beers featured on it, as well as a paper list of beers. I love 3 Floyds, which they had, but I wanted to try something I hadn't had before. I ordered Central Waters Hop Rise Session IPA and my friend had Crispin Apple Cider (she's not a beer drinker). Both beers were $5. My IPA was good. Not the best ever, but a solid IPA. We sat at the bar and chilled and talked for a while. Nice environment. We only stayed for one beer and the bartender seemed a little put-off when my friend said we were bar hopping. Can't always stay at one place all night!
I asked for my bill and when I got it, my friend noticed it was for $17. Yikes. How is that possible? I asked the bartender about it and they realized they put someone else's drink on my tab. They fixed it immediately and then made a joke about it being because I was a White Sox fan as seen on my credit card. So at least they were nice and friendly about it. This is a good bar to come to if you want some good beer and good conversation. Not a dive by any means, but a comfortable place to be.
The best microbrew bar in Milwaukee. Â Over 60 taps always changing. Pay a game of ping ping ion the patio. Â Very knowledgeable staff if you don't know what you want they will help you. Â Good energy. Â It is a little dark. I know that is what they are going or so good but a little to for me. And seating. Get a set at the bar or have a very young back for the wood benches. Â But still the beer selection is the number one reason to o there.
Review Source:If you like beer this is the place for you! I am not the hugest beer fan, however they have a hefty whisky/bourbon selection on hand as well. The atmosphere is relaxed and on the early part of the night quite busy. This place is definitely a good spot to get the night started before heading downtown or further into Bay View for a night of drinking. If you have an affinity for draft ciders they have several to choose from as well. Find the bushy bearded, twisted stache hipster bartender with glasses as he's one of the coolest bartenders in Bay View. If you love a good beer please do yourself a favor and make the trip to Sugar Maple.
Review Source:It's not rocket science, if you like craft beer and want a great selection of regional brews to choose from this is your spot. They have the best selection of craft beers on tap in Milwaukee. I don't go here for the atmosphere nor to necessarily mingle, I go here to drink good beer. Majority of the time the bartenders/staff rock and the service is great, every once and awhile you'll run into the occasional prick.
Review Source:Really, I think I would give this place 3.5 stars, but in the interest of being forgiving - and following the rules my math teacher taught me back in the day - I'll round it up to four, because we really do come here all the time, despite my misgivings.
The beer selection is, I'll grant, astounding. Â I usually can find something that I'll like. Â And while it seems that they perhaps change their taps up more often than Palm does, for some reason it still seems a little stagnant to me. Â I have sort of picky beer tastes I guess, and they tend to favor heavier beers in general, so more often than not I end up getting a cider or mead, even if I'm intending to get a beer. Â My boyfriend can always find something he wants to have, and they are usually really good about letting you try something before you take the plunge, but still... I don't know. Â I feel ambivalent about it.
Sugar Maple struggles with its atmosphere. Â It's the strangest little place, alternately empty and cavern-like on the weekdays, and then so crowded you can hardly get to the bar on the weekends. Â The music leaves a lot to be desired, depending on who's working. Â Sometimes on those empty weekdays there'll be someone blasting screamo, when all I really want to do is listen to some indie guitar. Â Occasionally the music mix is right for the moment, and I appreciate that. Â But most times it's overly loud.
There are some great bartenders and some not-so-great bartenders. Â I really like Josh with the handlebar mustache - he's fun. Â I don't know the names of anyone else that works there, but there are a few ladies who tend on the weekends who definitely aren't as friendly or helpful as some of their compadres.
It seems so strange to me that this place is owned by the same owners of Palm. Â Though I can see the resemblance, it's more like they're half-siblings or cousins, which I guess is good. Â We don't need two of the exact same thing within a mile of each other. Â But if given the choice, I will likely always swing toward Palm...
This place is my personal depiction of what Heaven is, I couldn't believe how many beers are on tap, And two casked Ales, which I had to indulge in. The prices here are excellent. You have to come into this place because there is something for everyone. Excellent service and great knowledge of all the liquids sold in here.
I need to come back here with a large group because this place is set up nicely to handle a good gathering of humans.
Awesome draft beer selection. Countless options so I was excited to see that they offered a sampler of four 6oz pours for $12, great deal!
The ambiance/decor is a bit off.  Long bar with a good amount of seating, but then there are a ton of awkwardly arranged lounge chairs and couches.  The lights are dimmed so much that it is difficult to read the drink list of you aren't at the bar.  The weirdest thing to me was that the second time I visited, it was a beautiful snowy night and the two giant (and only) windows  facing the street had opaque curtains drawn, again.
I also wish they served food, nothing that would require a huge production, but a few creative appetizers would pair well what with all of the beverage selections.
Also had extremely knowledgable and personable bartenders both times!
I had never been to Milwaukee before, I was there for work, I love craft beer & I took a cab from my hotel to try the Sugar Maple & man, was I glad I did!!! Â Great beer! Â Awesome artwork!! Â Amazing vibe! Â Really good soup with WI cheese! Â Totally unique! Â Made my entire trip worth it!
Review Source:I had really high expectations for Sugar Maple. From what I'd seen and read on the internet, I was ready to be blown away by an upscale, chic space with an above-average experience. My expectations were not met.
Upon entering, I immediately noted that there's something off about how this place is set up. It seems like a wide open room with tall ceilings, but low tables. The bar is gigantic, and takes over the space. I suppose it should, with so many beers on tap.
The four of us sat at the bar and perused the selection. My friend asked the bartender for some suggestions based on what she knows she likes, and he responded by saying, "Honestly, I don't know. I've been off the last few days and have only been here for three minutes."
This is fine. None of us expect someone to know everything the second you walk in the door, but he was just leaning casually against the bar, waiting for someone to order. Perhaps you should have been reading your beer list, Sir?
She got a cocktail instead, and thought it was o.k.
For those of us that wanted, we were given samples of a few beers, so that was really nice! The prices were reasonable.
I feel like we just didn't luck out on service that night, so that experience could be much better any other time. I will re-think going here as the end to a fancy night out, though, until they redecorate.
I believe the stars or planets must have been aligned somehow for my first visit to Sugar Maple. Let me explain.
Sugar Maple had been on my "to try" bookmark list for some time. I've read numerous articles in which it's been mentioned as one of the top craft beer spots in Milwaukee. Not being particularly fond of Milwaukee it took me a while to get up there. Anyways, after a night of bar hopping, Sugar Maple was a convenient meeting place as we headed out of the city.
Upon arriving, I quickly noticed that it suffers from somewhat of an identity crisis. The outside gives you the idea it's a dive bar with it's outdated and fading sign and then you walk in and realize you're in a lounge. I have a beard, which automatically declassifies me as a lounge dweller. Getting back to the point, it's not a craft beer bar looking place.
Being the Saturday night of the Packers' playoff game, the place was empty. Sugar Maples has zero TVs. So if you're looking for some place to have the game on in the background while you're socializing, this place does not qualify. Being empty did come with some benefits. The bartender, Josh (awesome name), chatted us up the whole time. He offered us suggestions, contributed to the conversation well and was very entertaining with his outstanding waxed stache.
The beer list was alright. On average they offered 2-3 beers from a wide range of local and domestic breweries and even offer flights. They also serve the beers in their appropriate glassware.
Considering the circumstances I don't know if I will return to Sugar Maple. I was not really impressed, but am giving it 4 stars pretty much because of the bartender Josh. He made our visit entertaining and fun.
You seem so cold and distant, friend. Â Like that bitchy girl that wore black nail polish before it was cool.
Generally, I like things a bit on the snugglier side, but your beer was tasty, so I can look past that. Â There are and enormous amount of beers on tap. Â This is a pro and a con. Â Pro - tons of beer choices. Â You will find something. Â Con - the waiters disappear into the other end of the beer tap abyss and only surface again 10 minutes after you needed a refill.
I liked my beer, and I'm not against returning, but it's not my favorite spot.
I really want to like this place. For all the rave reviews and the avid followers, I really want to recommend this palce.
The bottom line is that you have to make me come back.
I just don't really like it. The atmoshere is cold and unwelcoming. I feel looked down on if I don't have a mustache. The beer list is great - don't get me wrong, and I am a girl that loves her suds, but I just don't like it.
I have been here three times. I always end up eating the soup! When I came here on Saturday I was brokenhearted to hear that they don't offer soup anymore.
Go early on, the crowd gets snootier as the sun goes down.
Either way, don't take my word for it on this one - there's gotta be SOMETHING I'm missing.
I coordinated a group of people who got together every month for a few years, and this was our go-to spot most of the time.  People came from Madison, Green Bay, and  Chicago, and some of these people were true beer snobs...  everyone loved it.  Of the people who liked drinking microbrews, it was always the bar people looked forward to going to.
The selection is extraordinary, and the bartenders are very knowledgable. Â If you're a beer drinker who realizes Miller Lite - no disrespect intended - is not the best tasting beer around, then you should make a strong effort to stop in.
My name is Peter, and I am a Beer Snob.
I have been here about a dozen times and it always surpasses my expectations with the beer selection and knowledge of the staff. Â I love coming here during the day on the weekends and getting flights of beer and playing various card or board games that they have behind the bar. Â
When I finish a flight and looking for another, I always get their soup of the day with the fresh bread that brings me back into the game. Â
They have over 50 beers on tap, they have multiple Nitro Beers (so smooth), usually a couple Firkin or Cask beers, and multiple Sour Beers. Â
The selection always changes and they don't look at me funny when I ask what they have on Firkin or Nitro like most places do. Â
Must visit place in Milwaukee if you truly love beer. Â Please, Please, Please, don't order anything you have had before or even worse, a Miller Lite.
Sugar Maple is home to the most amazing bar in Milwaukee! No, I don't mean the wonderful drinks they serve, because I was introduced to my favorite beer (Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale) here, but the actual bar itself. Yes, you guessed it, the bar is made from maple! The level of intricacy of it is not of this time period. A true artist spent many hours and sleepless nights constructing that bar, so appreciate the glory under your drink!
The atmosphere is that of a funky, retro basement; dimly lit, comfy couches, and plenty of space to sprawl out. Â Sugar Maple is handily equipped with an amazing beer selection that's always changing. If you are a fiend for trying new craft beers, then make a stop here and see what they have to offer.
They really do have 62 beers on tap, I counted. You're welcome! My first time here, I tried the beer sampler, 4-5 little beers which allowed me to narrow it down to a single pint-sized fave. Next time around, we came on a quiet afternoon. The bartender was pretty nice, allowed us to sample the firkin. The seating at this place seems vastly open, but maybe that's because of the small tables. Either way, a great place to meet up with some beer loving friends.
Review Source:If your prospective girl/guy likes microbrews, Sugar Maple is a first date bar to a T. Chill, cool, dim lighting, peaceful, calm, tasty sipping ensue. Â 60 unique beers on tap allows something for every beer drinker, and is perfect for branching out tastes. Â The bartenders are always insightful and friendly and willing to help with samples to finalize decision making.
The tables there are curiously low, but it does help with the lounge effect. Â The bar is extra long and is perfect for a quiet conversation between you and a date or friend.
Drinks are little more expensive floating into the $5,$6,$7plus range but comparably, I think it's cheaper than buying the same beers at most other bars where they would be "the premier, almighty beer." Â
Either way, fun bar. Â It may seem a little intimidating going there if you don't know a list of microbrews or listen to James Blake, but you should check it out anyway. Â If you've had some Lakefront or Sprecher beers and want to expand on those tastes, Sugar Maple is the perfect place to go.
Man, am I behind on my reviews! I stopped in here a few weeks ago with a couple of friends. Â When we got to the front door, we were just going to jump the one step at the front door, but the bouncer noticed me right away and told us the wheelchair entrance was in back through the Patio. Anytime a business has a wheelchair entrance I use it out of gratitude. So we zipped around back and right through a very easy entrance.
Once inside, I liked what I saw right away. Lots of low tables and couches, so my friends were at my level, which made conversation very easy! Â I am not a huge Beer Guy, so I had trouble picking something, but the Bartender let me sample a few things. I chose one that tasted more like Raspberry than Beer. Â That's probably why I liked it. I can't give Five Stars for one short visit, but if I get the chance to return I am sure they'll earn five.
I can think of no better place to go for microbrew in Milwaukee. Â I don't even like most bars, but Sugar Maple is a pleasure to go to. Â It is ALWAYS pleasant there. Â The atmosphere is always warm and mellow. Â Patrons are very well-behaved and are genuinely talking! Â The set-up is ideal for that - plenty of unique spots to sit on a couch and have your own living room chat...right there.
The beer is excellent! Â Scores of tappers from all over. Â Just microbrew. Â Some VERY fine brew indeed that is rotated frequently. Â You'll almost always find new ones when you go back.
Sugar Maple, you are everything I want and need in a relationsh- I mean, bar.
The tappers! Oh, the tappers!
The atmosphere is perfect for Bayview. Dark, gloomy, grandma's attic smelling, grandma and grandpa's old couches adorn the bars perimeter and gracefully surrounds that wonderful row of 50-60 tappers.
I can't imagine going out of your way to come here if you aren't a beer drinker, though.
The bartender was totally cool and were the people inside.
Sugar Maple might just be #1 on my 'Favorite Dive Bars' & trust me, that's a good thing!
I love beer. Oh, how I love beer SO much. But come to find out, my body hates beer (damn, gluten intolerance). So, I do enjoy Sugar Maple since they have Crispin, a fantastic gluten-free cider that comes in SO many enjoyable flavors and doesn't give you gut rot like Strongbow.
The last couple of times I've gone there, their selection of Crispins have dwindled down to just the basic flavor and then I have to remind them to give me a glass with ice. (Crispin is served best when served over ice.)
Yes, I know this sounds snobby, but I feel that the reason people come to this place is for the love of good beer and expect to be delivered that product in the proper way. I love the atmosphere, but my expectations have been lowered a little bit from my last couple experiences.
This place is cool jazz, nice blazer over old t-shirt and beat up jeans, kick back on a couch, take a breather, neo soul, cool art...
To be frank, it is everything I do not look for in a bar. Â The place is like an old warehouse on the inside that has been shrunk down and cleaned up, maybe a bit too much. Â There is all kinds of great comfortable seating and an open flow for people to walk around. Â The bar is big and impressive with a massive bank of taps on the back and a dual firkin on the front. Â There are beer menus and lists all over and the choices were simply great. Â A lot of stuff that you would struggle to find other places.
The lighting is low, the conversation quiet and beers served at the perfect temps. Â We were there on a Sunday and served by Melba who was polite, helpful and well informed.
I will return if only because my daughters' Sunday roller derby practice is so close, but also because I really appreciate the beer selection.
Taken in together with the great selection of Belgium beers at Centraal this is a grand slam corner for a beer enthusiast.
For firkin's sake, clean your lines because your Two-Hearted Ale tastes like Hopslam and your Hopslam tastes like Two-Hearted Ale. Â Or...your big bushy hipster bartender should ask the bar back to see if there might have been a mistake. Â I am not perfect, nobody is, and neither is Sugar Maple. Â
So much potential but a lot of arrogance behind the bar.
Sacrifice any semblance of an ambiance for a major beer selection, and what do you get? Sugar Maple!
I flat-out do not like it here. It makes me feel bad, on the inside. I would need to already be drunk to willingly agree to go here. If that were the case, I'd have a pretty awesome menu of beers to choose from to keep the buzz going.
1 star for the menu, 1 star for the pleasant, knowledgeable service. That's all I can give.
So, I don't get to the South Side very often, unfortunately. Â However, I have been wanting to try Sugar Maple and The Palm for quite some time since I love good craft beers. Â I didn't realize until last night they were owned by the same peeps. (Just as a side note I was told that Sugar Maple's specialty is American Craft Beer while The Palm's is on Scotch, however The Palm had an even more impressive beer list, see my review for more info).
So, I thought the bar was cool, very long with plenty of space. Â What threw me off was the artwork (which was frankly a little dark/scary for my taste) and the open space with strange tables/chairs that did not look comfy at all. Â There were some sofas but I have this strange aversion to sitting on sofas at coffee shops and restaurants. Â I know, I'm weird, but I just don't like them. Â Which was fine because last night there was plenty of stools at the bar for me to put my hiney on.
I think the space would be much better served with a bunch of big comfy booths, that is just my unsolicited opinion. Â I think it would warm up the space and make it much more cozy and not so "warehousey."
They serve soup made by Triskele's and bread and butter by Wild Flour - which is very cool that they went local on that front. Â We didn't partake in the soup but I would like to next time. Â Hopefully by then, a different artist takes over the walls.
I've never eaten  here, but have come here for drinks several times.
Incredible number of (mostly North-American) beers on tap, and many more available in bottles. Â The atmosphere is nice, including a long bar with high chairs or couches surrounding low tables. Â The service can sometimes be on the rude side, but the beer and liquor selection makes up for it.
Bar evaluation only.
Lots of interesting variety of both taps and drinks.
I love the seating available - low tables (knee high) with pretty comfy chairs. Usually seating in a bar is a bad thing, but these little tables and chairs work out really nicely. It wasn't too loud, which was also nice.
Sugar Maple is solid. That's probably the most succinct description I can offer. They have an absurd amount of delicious beers on tap (and in bottles, duh) that are both comforting and exotic simultaneously. They simply have a selection that is probably unparalleled in the city both in breadth and in variety. Plus, the bar itself is inviting with a nice ambiance that allows you to enjoy your beer without someone bumping into you and spilling it on the floor.
If that wasn't enough, they have a really great liquor selection and bartenders skilled to match the advantageous list of offerings. I've ordered cocktails there on occasion that I consider to be really top notch.
Sugar Maple is definitely A-Ok. If you want to have a beer drinking adventure, this is your place to start.
I love the beer and liquor selections-They have a well edited drink menu. Lots of local and tons of micro. I have to give them some respect on that front.
Set-up is funky...think couches and weird little coffee tables. Looks cool, but isn't really conducive to chatting or staying long.
Fairly pricey and definitely hip, which make is a little bit inaccessible and hard to connect with. I like a place that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside and where I feel welcome. I think this may be a place you have to warm up to or maybe they have to warm up to you?
I found it to be way too dark inside. Maybe I'm getting old...But, I could barely see the people I was with. Perhaps I'm just plain not hip enough to get it.
We went in here on a Sunday evening, there was maybe two other people in there. Â The first thing I noticed walking in was that it smelled weird. Â I asked my girlfriend if it smelled weird and she confirmed this, it indeed smelled funny in here but I couldn't really figure it out. Â It's bigger on the inside than I thought it would be, and has a very "modern" vibe that I don't really care for.
The bartender looked like he came off the hipster assembly line, but was friendly and nice and did not let my beer go empty. Â They had some rare brews on tap (not available at even the best liquor stores) that I was excited to try. Â Still, I couldn't get over the bizzarre smell in this place. Â What was it? Â I couldn't really figure it out, it was like a weird mix of rotting dishrags and fermenting organic waste and sweatey undergarments that just hung in the room.
The only food they have is soup, which I think is strange. Â I love beer & food but I have never craved soup with my beer. Â I don't really understand this. Â I mean, soup is great and everything but it's not beer food. Â
Beers were priced pretty nicely, but the way this place smelled was really ruining it for me, and it just wasn't a very comfortable place to sit so we left. Â
My gf thinks the smell was coming from the uber-hipster bartender, she said it smelled like "yeasty B.O." and she thought it was coming from this guy. Â I don't imagine anyone with a neck-beard bathes very often. Â Real nice guy though, and provided great service.
I guess I would try this place again to meet w/ friends or something, but I have no desire to go back really. Â The atmosphere is not really my bag of chips and it just smelled bad in there. Â
Bonus points for the beer being reasonably priced though.
I'm gonna be frank here and just say, "I don't get it." I've heard great reviews about this place, so when I went to meet some friends at Sugar Maple on Friday, I was interested to see what it was like. Keep in mind that I'm not an uber beer snob that enjoys discussing the subtleties of some small brewery's latest Unicorn Fart Dopplebock, so your results may vary.
First off, I will admit that the place looks nice inside. It has a long curved bar and high ceilings. The walls are painted dark and it has an almost lounge-like atmosphere. There are low tables and chairs along the wall opposite the bar and even some nice low couches.
I took a look at the contraband menu (more on that later) and, quite honestly, wasn't overly impressed with the selection. I mean, I get it; they have 60 beers on tap. But in Milwaukee that's not really going to stand out in terms of selection when there are other places that have 300+ beers to offer. Granted, they might not be on tap, but having tap beer usually isn't a requirement for me personally. In the end, I decided on a blond cream ale.
When it was my turn to order, I stumbled over the name of the beer and the bartender literally walked away from me. I was like, "buhh?" Â While I was standing there dumbfounded, the other bartender came up and took my order. Thank you, other bartender. You were nice, even though you were a poop the next time I came up to order.
Once I had my beer, our group took a spot in the back which was much easier on the ears. Sugar Maple doesn't have any televisions on the wall, most likely to encourage conversation. Hey, I can dig that. I dig that a lot. The problem, however, is that the low seating and the high ceilings combine to create some seriously horrible acoustics. Despite the music being at a reasonable level, it sounded like a school cafeteria. I supposed there's not much you can do about it though.
My next foray up to the bar wasn't so stellar either. I went back to the nice bartender and asked for a Lakefront Bridge Burner Ale. She shook her head, handed me a menu and walked away to help someone else. The menu indicated they only had the Snake Chaser stout. Funny, because their website said they had 4 Lakefront drafts. Whoever manages their site might want to make sure it's updated regularly.
Speaking of menus, they must only have about 10 menus in that whole place. They were swiping menus from people left and right. It was seriously the most coveted object in there and they weren't nice about taking it if they spotted one sitting at your table. Considering it's a 1-page, double-sided menu, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't break the bank to print out a few more on the ol' HP Deskjet in the back.
Some things I noticed that could definitely improve this place:
The vibe is definitely that of beer snobs. Personally, I think that's cool. Really, I do. However, if you're gonna practice beer snobbery, you might want to serve those '60 American Craft Beers on Draft' in the glasses that have the name of the brewery on them. They seem to do this for the ciders. They also served the Fat Tire in the proper glass. But everyone else in my group got their beer in a mismatched glass. Both of my beers came in a Lakefront glass, despite them not being Lakefront products. This little touch could go a long way in the hearts of beer lovers.
The other opportunity I saw that was not being leveraged was their liquor selection. It was absolutely mammoth and beautifully displayed. Sugar Maple needs to work that angle a bit more. I even thought about ordering a martini, but after my first two trips to the bar I decided against it in fear that the bartenders might slit their wrists in a depressed rage if I asked them to do anything above tapping a beer.
When you take all the things mentioned above and combine it with the clientele, you really get the full meaning of the "I don't get it" vibe. Some people say this place is hipster. I really wouldn't call it that. It might be diet hipster at best.  Aside from the more comfortable seating, I really didn't see that much of a difference between Sugar Maple and a place like Café Lulu or Centraal. I'll go back, because my friends like this place. Maybe next time I'll order a mudslide just to see the bartender's reaction.
It's probably all been said before, but they have a great beer selection. I've never had a problem with the bartenders, they just always look so happy to see me! And I like being greeted with a smile.
When I first visited Sugar Maple, I didn't find their beer list to be *that* mind-blowing. I'm already familiar with a lot of American micros, but it's great to have a place serving them on tap at a decent price.
The barbacks here suck. They don't do much when it's not crowded, at earlier hours, but once the crowds come in they get nuts. We had a large group at a table that requested two menus so we could make our choices and then proceed to order at the bar. Bartender was fine with that. Well the barback apparently was not pleased about it, and after having the menus for 10 minutes he stormed over, disrupted our table, and snatched them off the table without saying a word. I understand this establishment is getting a lot of hype, but no need to treat people like crap.
I was visiting my dearest hometown over the holidays, and ended up at the Sugar Maple with my husband, brother, and good friends. Â Initially, I was impressed by the pleasant bartender lady and generally relaxed atmosphere. Â I had a good beer selection, good people, and a couch to sit on. Â Life was excellent.
Close to the end of our time there, it was getting really crowded. Â A small group had a table with two chairs to our right, and a girl came to collect two more chairs from the wall near to us. Â She actually asked if we were using them, which of course, we weren't. Â A few minutes later, a very angry young man (a busser, I think?) came by and said, "NO! Â NO!!! Â YOU WILL *NOT* DO THAT!" and grabbed the chairs angrily, dragging them away. Â "Holy shit," I thought, "What is the big deal??" Â Since we were about to leave, we offered the poor people our table-couch area and made them happy.
A girlfriend and I went up to the now extremely crowded bar to pay our tabs. Â The only place to squeeze in was near the edge of the bar, where waitstaff come in and out. Â My friend was situated on the inside edge, but is very thin, and the space very large--giving plenty of space for people to move in and out of the bar area. Â As we waited to be noticed by one of two bartenders working the busy room, Angry Busser Guy shoved--literally shoved (hard!)--my friend out of the way on his way behind the bar. Â Wow. Â What a classy guy. Â And clearly without anger issues. Â Oh, AND my friend was charged for drinks she never ordered! Â
Good times...? Â :-/
I went yet another time, hoping the service would be better. Â One of the same bartenders was working from my last visit. Â We walked to the end of the bar and decided to sit at a table because the bar seats wouldn't fit a party of 5. Â Even though we were at the end of the bar and it would've only been a couple more steps for the bartender, she grabbed menus, pointed them at us from across the bar and said, "Here!"
Her crappy attitude and poor people skills are obvious signs that she should not be in the service industry. Â Once again we felt we didn't fit in so we had some soup, a beer and got the hell out of there. Â Even though I said I would never go back, I went to try them again because we live in the neighborhood--we were hoping to find a new favorite spot. Â Money not well spent--NOW I will never go back.
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