Dunsmuir Brewery Works — Restaurant in Dunsmuir

Popular place with good beer and food (4/5 green stars) I sat inside initially but then realized that outside is a nicer experience and moved to an outside table with a view of the forested hills. Staff members were busy but helpful and efficient - best to arrive when less busy. They were out of nut burgers to my dismay, so I had their eggplant-pepper-portabella sandwich instead. I wanted a side of German potato salad but the server guessed I was vegetarian and helpfully pointed out that it has bacon in it. So I had a side of seasonal veggies instead, which turned out to be grilled corn on the cob. Everything with the food was good – the eggplant was nicely cooked (eggplant often differentiates cooks from bad) and you can’t really go wrong with corn on the cob! The bun was nice too. Beer: Tried a sample of the rusty spike. It was good but I went for the Four Keys honey copper ale in the end and liked it: it had a lot of hoppy character, but balanced with honey. Next, I had the Smokey the Beer – a very nice English-style brown ale made with smoked malt and chocolate malt. Kind of like a smoky, chocolatey Newcastle Brown Ale, or Fort Point's Westfalia but with more body. $5 for each beer and $10.50 for the sandwich w/ side of corn.

I’m also giving them 4/5 “green stars” for social and environmental impact, based on these reasons:

• Beer is brewed on site, reducing the carbon and material footprints (transportation and packaging). • They will fill growlers to-go, again reducing packaging. • I think everything they serve is made in-house (or locally, like the baps). • Decent selection of plant-based / vegetarian options (I think some can be modified for vegans). • They could do with posting more info (on menu or website, etc.) on ingredient sourcing. • They have a little hop garden next door – partly for educational purposes but it looks like they can harvest enough for limited-batch brews. Nice idea. • For the Four Keys beer they use local honey and for Smokey the Beer they smoke their own malt.

Find out more about green-star ratings at Green Stars...

Overall went here twice, on a Friday and Saturday night.

Friday night - ate out the street so we just ordered drinks although food smelled good, made note to try again. Beer was good not great. Also tried the root beer which they brew on site, it was also good not great. Live music and dog friendly environment which was a plus. Also of note, they still were serving food after 8, which is when they said they closed, so kudos to them. Rating the first night 4/5 stars

Saturday night. Arrived around 7:45 and was able to grab the last open table outside. Ordered a Salmon BLT, which was excellent, with a side Caesar and another root beer. Had same waitress as previous night, but no real banter or discussion. The other waitress there was more lively and engaging with the other patrons. Never received the root beer, when I questioned it on the bill she asked if I wanted it in a to go cup. Also no refill on water, despite it being in the 80s still (over 100 during the day). Maybe waiter was having a bad day, They were still serving food at 8:45 when we left, so a plus for extended hours. Score for second visit 2/5.

Overall 3/5 for inconsistency. Pretty good food and hope to luck out on the...

It was an unfortunate and disappointing experience. What began as a beautiful afternoon lunch was quickly tarnished by the behavior of our server.

We’ve always loved the food and the welcoming atmosphere this brewery offers it’s been a favorite of ours for some time. However, on this occasion, the arrogance and unfiltered rude comments of our server, Jeff, made our visit deeply uncomfortable.

When I calmly let him know that his attitude was unappreciated, instead of offering an apology, he abruptly brought us the check. After paying, I attempted to speak with him privately and kindly, hoping to clear the air. Sadly, I was met with even more arrogance, dismissive backtalk, and ultimately, he walked away from the conversation.

I made one final effort to engage with him respectfully, but he began escalating the situation, at which point we decided to leave.

It’s disheartening, as we’ve had many positive experiences here before. This was our first encounter with Jeff, and unfortunately, it left a lasting negative impression.

We truly hope others, including management, take this feedback seriously and that your experience is far more enjoyable than...