Matanuska Brewery and Tap Room, Palmer — Restaurant in Palmer

Matanuska Brewing Company was the biggest mistake we made during our recent trip to Alaska to film our fly fishing series. From the time we arrived at the restaurant, we encountered resistance from the staff regarding seating. Our group of 14 people was crammed at a single group of tables that could only realistically seat no more than 10. So we ended up splitting off into three separate groups, which eliminated our normal sharing of appetizers and conversations about the trip and daily shoots. There were seven empty tables on the outdoor patio that the server told us were impossible to move together. But then when other groups arrived, they moved tables for them. The photo included shows a group of 5 that was seated at two tables they moved together to accommodate the small part of customers but refused to seat us in that more spacious area. There were plenty of empty tables in the section but they still refused.

So it felt like they were cramming us in to maximize profits, and our comfort didn't matter. We didn't like being crammed into the dimly lit, close quarter inner dining room area. So we sat tightly - arm to arm to eat a sub-par meal.

Matanuska Brewing Company was particularly uncomfortable for one of our producers because the tables we had to sit at were all high top tables, and balancing there with a sore foot was painful for him.

The food at Matanuska Brewing Company was a 4 at best. Nothing more than basic bar food. Some items were brought to the table luke warm. When we asked for silverware and napkins after we got the food, we had to wait until the server figured out every single order before he gave any utensils. So the food that sat in the window for almost 10 minutes, five feet away from us getting cold, we sat even longer just for a fork and knife. The service was extremely disappointing.

We travel around the globe and seldom even bother to rate restaurants if they are low performers but this one was a record-setting low. The Mantauska Brewing Company is a restaurant we will NEVER visit again and would...

Overall, I was pleased with my meal here. We visited in early June. My group of 6 had a spontaneous dinner here after having a few drinks here and at Bleeding Heart Brewery. I ordered the Lazy Mountain Burger with Cajun Chips. I found the burger to be quite filling and juicy. It was cooked perfectly and the toppings complemented the burger well. The chips were definitely a highlight and a nice change from the fries. They were seasoned perfectly! Highly recommend getting the chips.

The service was as expected and the staff was ready with recommendations for whatever we were looking for. We had members of our party with varying taste profiles for beer and our server gave great recommendations. They were prompt and ensured we had an enjoyable meal.

As we had a larger group, we checked in with a server before taking a seat at a high top along the garage doors. It was later in the evening and the sun was beaming in on our backs which made for a quite warm dining experience. Unfortunately, the place was packed so there wasn't an option to move to another table. There wasn't much the restaurant could do about this and it's part of the experience. All in all, I would definitely come back and recommend Matanuska to anyone looking for food and a great beer selection in the...

The beer is good, half decent selection but a brewery is also somewhere you should know what type of beer they make.

But, the food game is not as strong as it could be. Mainly, this place needs to either hire a hostess and manage servers and seats better, or just cut that out and have customers pick up their bar food, save the customer the cost and let them buy more beer. We sat next to 2 tables that just left early because of the wait, we had 1 drink each and we're not offered a second until after our food came 45 minutes later and half cold.

Our server managed our tables, online orders, phone calls, and counter service for people who didn't want to wait for her and walked to get their own beer. Again, could all be avoided by just making the food the same, pick up at the bar.

I hate complaining, but the best game was not shown tonight and I think the issues stem from the organizational side. Shout-out Chance, not even our server but he spoke with us and salvaged...