Sunday 18th of April 2010 07:44:08 PM

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Only about 10 min off highway 20 between Columbia SC and Augusta GA, we made a stop when visiting Augusta National for the Masters tournament.
The pub is right on the quaint little town's business strip so its pretty easy to find. The brew kettles and fermenters are displayed right in the front windows while bags of grain line the walls and corners of the dining area (about 10 tables). The oak bar is seperated from the dining room by a free standing wall which kind of breaks up the pub feel a bit.
They have a good selection of 8 brews which made the sampler a perfect selection. The waiter was well versed in the details of their tap selections which was helpful for us beer geeks.
All were good, not a bad one in the bunch. The Thouroughbred Red and the English IPA prompted an additional pint each, as well as a growler of their Grand Crew which went back to Chicago with me.
Two of the four of us were not craft brew drinkers so the addition of the big breweries was helpful, but not the reason we were there.
Over all worth the stop, great experiance.

Tuesday 11th of March 2008 07:59:29 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

I am a regular at the Aiken Brew Pub. The beer selection is mostly ales; it ranges from light ales to heavy robust porters and stouts. A recent addition is a Scotch Ale that is a bit strong but has a delightful roasted taste to it. I like heartier ales and have a hard time choosing every time I go there.
I expect a Brew Pub to reflect the local atmosphere culture; the Aiken Brewing Comapny is the best example I have found of this. The atmosphere is laid-back and casual. The staff is friendly and willing to spend time with you. The food is good.

Tuesday 18th of December 2007 08:51:48 PM

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Update 7-20-09

Horrifically bad service. Worse than anyplace ever before. Asked for water twice and it came after I had almost finished my beer. Food sat under the heat lamps for at least 5 minutes before I finally flagged someone else down and asked them to go get it for me. Waitress disappeared, apparently to the bathroom. Heather - All this could have been avoided, by 1st bringing a water after requested and not waiting until multiple requests are made, 2nd by knowing when a customer's food will be ready and getting it or having someone else get it. In fact a simple policy of whomever is in the kitchen bringing out the food could have alleviated 50% of this bad experience. For anyone reading this, keep in mind the better the person is dressed, the better the tip will probably be so give them the best service you possibly can.

The previous service rating was a 4.5 and now this brings it to a 2.0. The food was previously a 4.25 and now it will drop to a 3.5. I'm also not real keen on the atmosphere due to the smoke, that goes from a 4 to a 3.5, and they only had four drafts on at the time of this visit so the selection goes from a 4 to a 3.75.

I may never go back!

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Aiken Brewing was really easy to find on the main drag through town. The place is really small and grain is even stacked in the dining room. The smoking section is near the bar and only has a few tables and chairs. All that separates the main dining from the smoking section is a partial wall so wafts of smoke find you wherever you sit.

On tap were 7 drafts, at the time of the visit they included: Stout, Double Pale Ale, Thoroughbred Red, English IPA, Strong Scotch Ale, Liberator Dopplebock, and Aiken Blonde. The beer listing is on a chalkboard along with the style of beer, %ABV, Born on Date, and price.

My service was very good. The food was surprisingly good as well. The salad was excellent as were the onion rings. The philly was odd and used sirloin tips instead of the traditional philly cheese meat. Good, but not outstanding.

I'd go back despite one of my beers being undrinkable at the time of the visit.

Friday 25th of May 2007 02:15:26 PM

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Located just one block from the square, Aiken Brewing Company is located in an old building that used to be a furniture store. (The old name is still on the side.)

In spite of dealing with SC’s stupid beer law, they offer pretty decent brews. Their Weizen and Oatmeal Stout were surprisingly good. They also had a Porter, a West Coast Pale Ale and a Red.

Prices were decent.

More patrons were drinking Bud Light than ABC’s brew.

Be advised, they serve beer in frosted glasses. If you don’t want yours that way… be sure to tell them first.

The food seemed good enough.