Sunday 6th of January 2013 02:48:08 PM

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Gritty is a fitting name for the set up and look of this place. It's got a great coastal small town feel to it, and seems to attract both locals and tourists. The inside of the bar has lots of character.

The place was busy, and there was a wait for a table. Tables are first come first serve, so we eventually just settled in at an open spot at the bar and made due. A more organized approach would have been appreciated.

The beers are good, not great. Nothing really stuck out as anything I must have again.

Wednesday 28th of September 2011 09:44:29 PM

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Good spot in Old Harbor. Excellent selection of beers on tap. The Halloween Ale did not have pumpkin (as most of the fall seasonals do) and was pretty good. The 21 IPA was definitely my favorite here- I could've had a couple of pints of that one. Very good atmosphere here- it had everyone from your regular dive-bar crowd to people dressed up for a night on the town. Definitely will head back there next time in Portland.

Friday 11th of June 2010 06:44:36 PM

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Gritty's is my favorite all around brewpub in downtown Portland. I have been here many times and I tend to start my vacations and end my vactions to Maine here. First of all the atmosphere is great. They have a copper top bar and exposed brick walls. The upper part of the bar has long tables for large parties and the barside "barrel" tables are great for people watching. The bar seating itself is one of the smallest for a brewpub in downtown Portland though and if you get a seat her after 11:00 PM, keep it! They don't have the largest beer selection in town but their beers tend to be consistent at every visit. The Christmas Ale is one of my favorites and I usually bring a keg back to North Carolina every year to share it with my friends. They usually serve cast conditioned versions of their bitter and brown ales as well. The late night crowd is usually college age and I have had so many great nights talking to the patrons that I feel the need to commune here almost every night I can. It usually is "packed" later at night which makes a great environment for meeting new people and having "interesting" conversations. This is a late night "must stop" for any beer connoisseur who wants to be entertained. If you want to try the food I would recommend lunch or an early dinner and overall the food is good. Feel free to bring the kids for lunch.

Tuesday 3rd of June 2008 12:52:54 PM

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Flat, Flat, Flat, mediocre.

I have been to this Pub 4 times. 3 out of the 4 times the beer has been flat. That aside, none of the beers are outstanding. Worth a stop if the beer isn't flat due to the pub's atmosphere. But if you only have time for one stop in downtown Portland, go to Shipyard brewery down the road, it is much better.

On the plus-side, Gritty's is a pretty cool pub to hang out in. Aside from the bar they have long wooden tables and benches. This makes for good mingling late at night since 2 or 3 groups of different people may be at one table. I have only had a couple appetizers there so I can't say if the food is any good.

Monday 10th of September 2007 08:28:21 PM

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This port-side pub has character in both its brick walls and tremendous selection of beer. Of six beers in the sampler, only the raspberry wheat was unappealing. Our favorite was the Best Bitter, and the Stout, and the Pub Ale, and the Best Brown... These beers are truly "hearty", just as a Mainer would want, and full of flavor. The atmosphere is no frills with wooden barrel tables and a simple long bar, but the people, typical pub food, and especially beer are worth a special trip.