The Side Project Cellar — Restaurant in Maplewood

Cory King, the mastermind behind Side Project Brewery, opened his tap room with his wife Karen King (Karen manages the whole operation) amidst much anticipation. After several visits I can honestly say that the Cellar meets all of my expectations. The Side Project Cellar is a craft beer bar that is certainly classy but fortunately not exclusive. Don't be afraid to come here if you don't consider yourself part of the craft beer high society. I say that because the staff that Karen has put together are some of the friendliest bartenders I have ever been served by. They know the carefully curated tap list inside and out and won't hesitate to guide your decision if you're looking for recommendations. As for the beer itself, I haven't had anything that didn't impress me. Usually there are two Side Project (Side Project specializes in barrel aged, blended beers of the wild, sour, and saison variety) beers on tap and several larger bottles (on-site consumption only) available. Cory's beers have received numerous accolades and are highly sought after by the craft beer community nationwide. The availability of the Side Project beers is a big part of the Cellar's draw. Previously, all of the beers could only be acquired via bottle release days at Perennial Artisan Ales. That required you to line-up for an hour or so to wait among the fanatics for a chance to purchase a limited number of bottles. The Cellar cuts out the waiting and gives you access to those choice brews in the company of friends (grab a board game) and the comfort of the bar. It is worth noting that the Cellar also has an excellent whiskey list for those looking for a stronger drink. If you are into craft beer at all (or have friends visiting who are) be sure to come to the Cellar and try out what all the beer geeks are raving about, you won't be...

Let me start off by saying the beer made by this brewery is 5/5 easily. Absolutely amazing. But the service by the staff is abhorrent. Embarrassing. Shameful.

I'm talking about the female bartender with the multi-color (mostly blueish) hair, who is stand offish and can't even give you the time of day. At $9-12 a pour, an establishment can't afford to have a miserable person like this as one of the faces of their business.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved every single ounce of the beer I consumed while I was there. I spent hundreds of dollars over the course of a couple days, and she doesn't have the time (10 seconds maybe?) to take a photo of my brother and I who both serve in the military and haven't seen each other in years? Despicable. Cory: Your beer is better than this. It deserves to be served by people with a passion and friendly attitude, not boring and stand offish. Jesterking doesn't treat patrons like this. De Garde doesn't. SARA doesn't. Hire more friendly staff. Ones that can take 10 seconds to take a photo (it wasn't that busy). Ones that smile when you interact with them. Ones that are as passionate about your product as you are. Not ones that turn you off and make you not want to return.

As much as I adore the beer put out by this brewery, I will never return due to the terrible service by the bar tending staff. Cannot recommend to anyone who likes being...

Not sure what the fuss is all about. Upon walking in, we were immediately blasted with some kind of powerful air "freshener" smell. When we mentioned the perfume/air freshener odor to the staff behind the bar, they seemed oblivious to it. They even said they don't use any air freshener products, but it was inescapable inside the building. Reminded us of the noxious stuff often used in restrooms, times ten. We had to sit outside to have any chance of tasting the beer.

Speaking of the beers, they were okay, but for a place that has built its reputation on sours, the acetic component was unexpectedly excessive. One of the beers even had a significant amount of acetone. These components should be in low enough concentrations so as to contribute to the overall complexity, but should never be individually identifiable. Again, not sure what the fuss...