Sunday 14th of February 2010 11:05:20 AM

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I stopped in at the Livery while on my most recent trip to SW MI. I actually sat at the upstairs bar. Mike the bartender was great with his knowledge of the beers and was great to talk about current events with.

I had heard that this place like to do a lot of german styles and there were plenty to choose from.. Red lager was interesting... Samplesd the IPA and DIPA. My favorite was the German Dunkel it hit the spot after a long day... I did see they had growlers to go but did not inquire about pricing.

I was able to order my food for upstairs and had the Turkey Sandwich. Also had some pretzel nuggets with a sweet horseradish sauce for dipping it complemented my sandwich nicely. The sandwich was good not too big as I was just looking for something quick prior to getting back on the road. The menu seems to be mostly sandwiches and lighter offerings which sometimes is ok.

The upstairs bar is really a open spacious area with a large stage I believe they do a lot of music acts and such on the weekends. I did not make it to the downstairs bar so I can not comment on that. I did met some locals and had some nice conversations with them...

I would love to come back and try more stuff that I just didn't have time to try...

Sunday 14th of February 2010 10:45:08 AM

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The Livery was my last stop on a beercation that had taken me from Chicago to Detroit and back again. We arrived shortly after opening time on a Wednesday.

Only the basement bar was open so that is where we went. The atmosphere was "some guys basement". It literally looked like someone had decided to have a bar setup in their barely finished basement. There was a very small bar that was already filled at the early hour of our arrival. There were a few mismatched tables and chairs. The wood support beams added a little character to the place. If there was a TV I don't remember it.
So, the atmosphere was not "cozy pub", but I didn't mind. It kind of feels like you are hanging out at your homebrewing friend's house. I came for the beer anyway.

The number of beers on tap was impressive. Unfortunately most of them were not to my liking. I did find one or two that were fairly tasty in my opinion, but most of them seemed to be sour and/or weak on the hops. (I tried many, since I didn't want to waste my opportunity to fully experience The Livery.)

The food selection was limited to soups and sandwiches, but they were OK.

This is strictly a no-frills bars as far as service goes. It wasn't bad, just minimal. The bartender was very nice whenever I went up to order beers. She let me open a tab for the evening which I appreciated.
The food must be ordered from a counter on the other side of the room from the bar.

Overall my impression of The Livery is mediocre. I kind of liked the unpolished atmosphere, but it would have all come together better if the beer had been fantastic. I'm torn on whether I would return again if I pass through again.

Monday 23rd of March 2009 09:16:09 PM

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The Livery sits in downtown Benton Harbor. The brewery is located in what was once a horse livery. The exterior is rustic brick. It's weathered exterior doesn't give much of a clue to what lies within.

When you step inside you have two choices. Upstairs is the performance hall. Downstairs is the bar and cafe. (There is also a door leading to a beer garden left of the entrance. )

The upstairs area hosts live music and performances. It's a unique layout. A balcony surrounds the room and serves as an art gallery. In the center the old horse elevator is the prominent feature. Very interesting historic building with very modern usage.

The basement bar is a no frills, comfy room. The bar has room for maybe ten patrons. There are several tables in a variety of sizes in the room. There's a pool table and a couple televisions. If you want food, there's a counter in the back. The atmosphere is welcoming to locals and travelers.

The Livery brews a wide range of beer. Twelve taps included four lagers. They do have three beer engines, but nothing was being pulled on our early afternoon visit. (a couple firkins were going to be on later in the day) The quality of the beer is quite good.

This is one of those hidden gems that is worth checking out. It's location is easy to hit for Michiganders heading to Chicago, or those of you coming around Lake Michigan on your way to Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo or whatever Michigan beer mecca you're making your pilgrimage.

Thursday 13th of November 2008 11:38:13 PM

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This was our last stop in beer tour of southwest Michigan. We stopped here on a quiet, cold Saturday night. The staff was cool, the space was cool and the music was good, but the crowd was non-existent. There was no entertainment going on upstairs, so we were in the downstairs (basement) bar. There's something cool about basement bars. They had a great selection of beer styles; lager, English-style ales and Belgian-style beers. We sat the bar had some hot food (a Manhattan, a.k.a., hot beef sandwich) and sampled some beers. The IPAs (there were three of them) were all good. I had a full pint of the Paris Roubaix. I think I liked that one because it reminded me of my homebrew. The place was kind of quiet except for being able to listen to the new Metallica album all the way through. The owner was there and was real cool. Lots of music and other events (like Yoga classes) go on upstairs which is also a bit of art gallery as others have said. I like the idea of a brewpub sort of also functioning as a sort of civic center. Very cool. I will go back if my wife let's me; I split a growler of the Livery beer at home and she says mine is just as good and I needn't go all the way from Chicago to Michigan for good beer. Yes, I say, but I need to support the arts...

Sunday 15th of July 2007 09:10:19 PM

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The Livery is someplace I always enjoy coming to when I’m in the area. My favorite time to arrive is right when they open on Sunday at noon. It is located about a mile off of Interstate 94. The brewpub is located in a three level building that once upon a time was an actual livery business.
There is a bar on the lower level with a few tables and maybe a dozen stools at the bar. The lower level was the stables for the horses back in the day. The bartender Mikey G. is friendly and knows his beers. He has plenty of good stories about the trials and tribulations of operating a brewpub.
The second floor is where the large bar is located. I would guess-timate the capacity at over one hundred. This is the main bar area and also where they have live nationally known bands playing on the weekends.
The third floor is a balcony that goes all the way around the bar. Here you will find a photographic art gallery. It always has works that I enjoy browsing through.
Anyway, back to the beer. The beer is always worth the trip and they really have a way with barrel aging. You can’t go wrong here.
Stop in and tell Mikey G. that Evil Keith says hey.

Friday 27th of April 2007 12:37:39 PM

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I really like the Livery. The location is easy to find and it is right off the beaten path from Chicago to Kalamazoo (and all Michigan points east).

There is a small bar in the basement that is where I usually end up drinking. The Livery has 8 or more taps of varying styles. Showcasing both lager and ale varieties as well as a couple or three different types of hand made wines (some of the wines are on tap as well).

There is an upstairs bar as well, but the beer selection is not as vast as the one in the basement. The upstairs is dedicated mostly to live music. The owners of the Livery are very active in promoting live music as well as promoting craft brewed beers.

The Livery is just a great place that should be a stop if you are ever passing through the area. They do have food, but I have not tried any on any of my visits here.