Been here a few times to eat or just to have a beer and every time I'm underwhelmed. I keep trying to give them another shot hoping they come around since I live 10mins away but they just can't seem to do it.

Went in yesterday because Maplewood Brewery was having an event there. Being that Maplewood is one of my favorite Craft Breweries, the wife and I HAD to check it out. Advertised on the Untappd App as having free gifts and samples. (more on that later)

When walking up to the place, it seems that it would have "Old world Charm" but in reality when walking in it's underwhelming. You're hoping for an antique type experience but it's nothing like that. Dark, dingy and doesn't seem super well kempt. Passable. Not something you would be tripping over yourself to go back to on ambiance alone.

The bar for the place is in the back so you have to walk through the restaurant to get to it. Always feels kinda awkward as there's no direct entrance to the Bar area...My wife asks the Hostess about the Maplewood event....she has to go back to ask someone about it.?? Strange but ok.

Anyways she confirmes that there is an event and shows us to the Bar. Bar area is cramped and limited seating. Like 8 cramped chairs? No high tops to sit and they don't offer for you to sit in any of the booths as those are for the restaurant?? Either way no one really guides us so my wife sits and I wind up standing mainly because the open seat was right up against some dude and his girlfriend that were all over themselves at the bar. No biggie but I didnt need to be involved. 🤷‍♂️🤣

Bartender seems disinterested in us. Gives us a half hearted greeting...which is the usual experience I have when I've come in here one other time for a beer and a couple other times to pick up food to go. Not sure if it's because we are in our late 30s/Early 40s or what but we certainly don't feel welcome. After looking over the beer list I notice a couple things.

1. They have A LOT of beers available. Most of them though are in cans.
2. The beer list is missing a lot of great local craft Breweries. Didn't see any Noon Whistle, HalfAcre, Mikerphone or many others on the list.
3. Not sure how the beer list is formed but I didn't see one trending area beer on this list.

The STRANGEST thing to me is that they are having a Maplewood event but they only have two Maplewoods on tap and one can available. Which, considering it was A Maplewood event I would expect to at least have one of their great IPAs ON TAP. Not sure who's fault this was, but it was VERY disappointing.

THANKFULLY the Maplewood rep heard us asking about the event and came over to us after my wife sat down and talked about the Brewery, the beers on tap and was super nice. WAY NICER and welcoming to us than anyone who actually works for EPH...she mentions if we order something that she would give us a free pint glass each, some Pins and a Sticker...which she did.

So we order through the Bartender. He was so disinterested in what was going on, he couldn't even look at my wife long enough to take a 2 beer order. Turns his back on her halfway through her speaking. Not the end of the world, but rude. I mean you so nonchalant that you can't even look at someone for 2mins? Very strange. Meanwhile the bartender is dropping/breaking glasses all the while he's not that busy. Seems like other few people there were regulars.

So we finish our beers and the nice girl for Maplewood gives us our stuff. Very nice of her and thanks us for coming in. She was honestly the only positive thing about coming in. Maplewood beers were solid, but not the best I've had from that brewery. The one thing that bothered me is that no samples of anything were offered and it didn't even seem like they were set up for any sort of sampling. So it seemed like false advertising TBH.

In the end I was reminded ONCE AGAIN why I don't frequent EPH even though I live close by. I won't be returning anytime soon. Maybe I'll try them again in a year or two and see if they get better staff/management and/or spruce the place up.