Insight Brewing & Taproom — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Stunned by my experience at this place on Saturday 5/4. After watching a friend try and sort a problem she had with the manager, I tried to speak with the same manager. Once I identified myself, she started in on what the problems were. I didn’t even really get a chance to explain why I was trying to speak with her. I wasn’t even sure she was actually working as she was sitting on the end of the bar DRINKING! I asked if there was anyone above her I could speak to and she said no. She was it, the manager of the whole place and there was no one above her. I asked about contacting an owner, and was told ‘good luck with that!’ Things elevated from there and she threw me out, and several of the people I was with. From here, this manager attempted to prevent me from retrieving my personal effects from their patio. Angry, but not getting elevated, I told her we were leaving... and she couldn’t keep me from getting my phone and keys to go, but her response was “yes I can”. She then got into a verbal exchange with my wife and called the cops on us. All of this, while I’m simply trying to get my things to leave. Having finally retrieved my phone and keys, I now attempt to leave the patio area where I am met by the same manger, holding her hand up to my chest while on the phone to the police asking my name. I tell her I’m leaving but she keeps asking my name and won’t move. I ask her, then tell her to get out of my way. That I’m leaving and she can not prevent my exit. I had to go so far as to tell her she couldn’t put her hands on me. This continued into the parking lot until we were finally able to leave. We are not people who go to places to stir things up. In fact, we were there last night to celebrate someone getting their PH.D. We simply tried to address a situation that had gone horribly wrong and spiraled into something I could never have ever predicted. While I’m sure this is not the norm for Insight as they could never stay in business if it was, I’d never return (aside from the fact that I am apparently banned from the place now) And letting your staff represent you while drinking at your bar.... if she wasn’t intoxicated last night, she sure left the...

Insight Brewing and Taproom is a large, expansive, local taproom, with polite and friendly staff behind the bar. There are lots and lots of seating options, including a suedo "living room" showing movies, long "Munich Oktoberfest" style high-top tables, bar stools at the long and curving bar, and a number of intimate booths and cubbie areas to snuggle up with your "significant other".

Insight has a large parking lot located on the West side of the facility, and is convenient in location being just a couple of blocks west of 280.

Atmosphere is down-home comfortable, with a good mix of ages throughout the taproom. Great vibe! Dogs are certainly allowed, and there were many of them present last night. The taproom offers a wide variety of beers on tap, including 6 - 7 THC seltzers and limited release collab beers. There are also a couple of kombucha and soda NA options.

Only downside for me last night was the strong smell of cleaning fluids wafting throughout the brewery. Granted, I showed up approximately 1.5 hours prior to closing, so the staff was cleaning up prior to close. But it was a strong smell just the same, and messed up my taste of the otherwise delicious beers I had there last night (I tried the Level Up, a classic American Pale Ale and their Night Shift - a delicious, heavy, dark and semi-sweet porter). In terms of the cleaning smell, I am thankful that they ARE cleaning the taproom with the strong chemicals! Good health for all!

Overall, great...

Be cautious of bringing your dogs here—they advertise as “dog friendly” but we were made to feel extremely unwelcome as soon as we entered with our dogs. They were very rude about “reminding” us (first thing they said when we walked in) that our dogs were not allowed to bark, whine, or make noise or we would be asked to leave. Any time our dogs made the tiniest noise, we were glared at. Dogs bark. Ours barked once, at another dog. It wasn’t obnoxious, no one in the brewery seemed to even notice them, and we know how to control our dogs, they’ve visited at least 50 other dog friendly breweries with us with no issues. If you don’t want dogs in your brewery, don’t be dog friendly.

We would have stayed for a second round but instead we closed out and left. Upon leaving, one of the employees made sure to point out the “dog rules” on the wall before we left.

We went down the road to 56 Brewing where our dogs are always loved up on by the bartenders. Customer service...