Olentangy River Brewing Company — Restaurant in Orange Township

Olentangy River Brewing is a very nice brewery with an integrated coffee shop called Roosevelt. Their logo is a large arrowhead in a circle, which you'll see on the front of the building as you approach. They open early each morning (for coffee and beer both) and are known for having various special events. They do not have a kitchen, but in the mornings they serve baked goods from a local baker, and in the evenings they often have a food truck outside. They have plenty of dedicated parking space behind the building. Actually, their facility consists of two connected one-story buildings that affords them plenty of space. One dark grey building is concrete and houses their large brewing operation. When the loading dock doors are open you can get a glimpse of their farm of midsize stainless steel fermenters. Further back are their midsize stainless steel brewing vessels, as well as a modern mill room, cold room, keg washer and more. There is plenty of room for future growth, and eventually they'd like to put a canning line. Good sized operation and good beer. They have 15 house beers on tap, which are available by glass, sampler flight, or growler. These span a good variety and are very well received by the patrons. My favorites were their Breakfast Stout and Russian Imperial Stout. For their upcoming first anniversary they have a couple barrel aged beers in the works. Their main building with a steep pyramidal roof houses their tasting room. In the center is a walkup service bar where you can order drinks. To the right is a straight black bar surface with 11 chairs. Behind the bar is a long set of tap handles and overhead is widescreen that itemizes their offering. Soft background music is playing and there are several muted televisions for sports. Their spacious tasting room has a polished concrete floor and unfinished wood walls, creating a rustic and relaxing, but also classy, atmosphere. A screen door opens to a nice patio area with several tables enclosed in a wood plank fence. String lights add a nice ambience. The overall architecture is very engaging and comfortable. The brewery only opened in late 2018, but due to the prior experience of the staff, they have immediately exhibited a mature business model and top notch hospitality. This space and its amiable staff create a special charm, most definitely worthy of a visit. The staff is welcoming and cheerful. They work hard to make sure everyone is satisfied and answer any questions. Really couldn't ask for...

Came here Sunday, September 8th, 2024 just before 11:00am ET. The place was buzzing with happy customers, most of them drinking coffee or espresso drinks. The place literally smelled of coffee and was amazing, though I wanted to try the beer.

Very nice young lady at the counter said they were already serving beer, so I brought a beer flight. Their flights have five beers and a small cup of salty pretzels. I hot different styles of beer, all of them weee delicious, well made and not watered down. That is, their beers are not boring. My favorites were the ‘Double Oak Cheers to Five Years’ which is a barrel aged stout and the ‘Hero, by Enrique Iglesias’ which is a malty red ale. Highly recommend these two beers though you know what? All of their beers are top notch.

The outdoor patio is large with plenty of tables and a lot of beer, so be careful. At first I sat at a table close to the entrance. I had to move because there are too many customers looking at me as if they’ve never seen a beer flight at 11:00am. Had to move to a table further away and it was very agreeable experience.

They had a food truck, though I didn’t buy any food.

The place was clean inside and outside, and the men’s bathroom was immaculate. It’s clear that the folks who work here care about the place and the customers.

I will definitely come back the next time I’m in the area. Heck not even a few annoying customers will...

Location is great. Facility is pretty good. Staff are all friendly.

I end up coming here every couple of years. Why only every couple of years? Because I hope the beer gets better. Every time is another disappointment.

EVERY beer I ever had here is average at best and usually below average (had an IPS, ESB, and Stout last night, plus tried the beer my wife had).

I've have been to many of the breweries in Central Ohio. The only one I can think of that was equally as bad in their beers was 1487 in Plain City, who recently went out of business I suspect because of their poor product. Zaftig is also close to as bad but I've at least had a couple of surprises there.

This may sound harsh but I'm just being honest. The Untapped ratings on their beers just reflects what I'm saying as well.

Make better beer and I'll come back. But perhaps the core customer base likes subpar craft beers, and if so, more...