Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen — Restaurant in Waitematā

Changing to 3 star from 5 after 2nd visit.

Went with a large group and after dinner we were going to play on the street fighter 2 machine where all the boys would have stayed longer and drunk more as the night was still young.

Bar tender grumperly told us the area was closed off.

It wasn't roped off it anything. Maybe just didn't want to clean that area again. The machine was turned on and working.

Disappointed we left and went else where Original review below.

Fantastic Experience at Sweat Shop Brewery!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Sweat Shop Brewery, and I must say, it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. This place deserves nothing less than a five-star review!

Let's start with the food. The pizza and Korean chicken were absolutely amazing! The flavors were bold, and the quality of the ingredients was top-notch. The pizza had a perfectly crispy crust and a delicious blend of toppings. The Korean chicken was incredibly flavorful and had just the right amount of heat. I couldn't get enough of it!

Even though there was a minor mix-up with my pizza order, the waitress handled the situation with utmost professionalism. She quickly rectified the mistake and brought out the correct pizza without any hesitation. Her attentiveness and prompt response were truly commendable. It's refreshing to encounter such dedicated and efficient staff members.

In addition to the excellent food and service, I was pleasantly surprised to find a fully restored mid-90s era Street Fighter 2 arcade machine at Sweat Shop Brewery. As a fan of classic arcade games, it was an absolute delight to immerse myself in a nostalgic gaming experience while enjoying my meal and drinks. The arcade machine added an extra layer of fun and entertainment to my visit.

The overall ambiance of Sweat Shop Brewery was fantastic. The place had a trendy and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect spot to relax and unwind with friends or family. The staff members were friendly, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond to ensure that every guest had a memorable time.

All in all, Sweat Shop Brewery exceeded my expectations in every aspect. The combination of incredible food, exceptional service, and the presence of a retro arcade machine made it an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great dining experience in a lively and enjoyable setting. I will definitely be returning soon for another round of delicious food and good times!

Thank you, Sweat Shop Brewery, for providing such an amazing experience. Keep up the...

I really loved this bar and the music, we had a great night after we were eventually let in. My friend and I had ventured over from Sydney for our 30th birthdays. This was the beginning of our evening. The security guards were nice and pleasent and let us in. The Manager (I think he was Scottish)..the short mousy-blonde man.. then started screaming after us and chased us down the entrance and yelled over and over again that we needed a NZ id. We replied that we were Australian and didn't have NZ id. Keeping in mind that we are 30.. We (attempted) to ask if we should go get our passports as our hotel wasn't far away, where he continued to scream (literally yell) at us to "get the F* out" repeatedly. I was loathe to go back because of this, but our friends were inside so we went back to get our passports and came back. Once again, the bouncers were lovely and we showed our passports and we all had a bit of a laugh about it. The same short man then went inside and whispered to all of the bartenders in front of our faces. We were getting served at the time, then after this whispering, the bartender just turned away from us with no explaination, then another girl tried to assist us and the whispering continued. We got one of their attention and showed our passports once again. The male bartender then apologised and said they had spoken to the front and we were (now) okay to be served. The female bartender then also apologised and once again, they were really friendly. The manger was a coward and LITERALLY RAN AWAY from us and avoided us all night, pretending not to see us. For such a fun venue with live music, your Manger.. who also is NOT from New Zealand might I add, really needs an attitude check. I understand you need to check that everyone in your venue is legally allowed to be there. We appreciate that. However, perhaps approaching us calmly, explaining the situation and when we asked if our passports would suffice, perhaps listening? Perhaps not screaming like a banchee? An apology wouldn't have gone astray either.. Other than that - as others have said, I was convinced that there was no alcohol in our drinks at the time which seems to be a common occurence here. Basically we paid $20/drink for Red Bull and lemonade..live band was great though and we didn't wake up hungover so they were the positives.. also liked that the doors were open as well so there was a breeze and it felt a...

I really wanted to like this place. I like smokehouse barbecue. I like craft beer. Sweat Shop Brew Kitchen had come up on lists of craft beer bars in Auckland, and it was on my suggestion that I met a couple of friends here. Early evening on a Friday things started out okay - I tried the American Pale Ale brewed onsite, and the barman kindly offered a taste of the IPA, which was okay, but I went for the APA, and once my friends arrived we took the suggestion from the bar staff that jugs were the way forward. Whilst the atmosphere in the place did change as the night went on, all was fine until we switched to a jug of IPA, which was quite undrinkable. I alerted a passing member of staff and he assured me he'd get back to me. When he didn't return I took the jug up to the bar and told them about the problem. I was told they were already aware of the complaint but had dismissed it. I invited the barman to taste the offending beer - he did not entertain this and maintained that it was fine. On the off chance that there is any staff training process or quality control, his name was Ally. More alarming was that the brewer himself who was also behind the bar did not appear to care either. Whilst the place was getting busier it was only 9pm in the evening. I was told by the barman (Ally) that if they took action every time somebody complained about the beer they would not make any money. This place needs to decide what it is. If it is going to make its reputation and advertise itself on being a craft beer bar there are obligations that come with that. The main one being you listen to your customers when they report the beer you have just served tastes terrible. Following on from that you take appropriate action. I have run cellars myself so am not a novice. I will not be back here again. Ironically there are at least two bars within a short stroll that do genuinely take pride in the beer they serve - Brothers Beer is about 100 meters away and The Brewers Collective is not...