Friday 13th of April 2012 12:34:18 AM

link
Yes. The score and praise are well deserved for Mountain Sun. The staff is incredible, you are bound to have a half dozen people offer you samples if you stand at the bar for a half hour. The place gets slammed, and it's more of a sit down place (great burgers) with a small group, there's only room for about 15 people at the bar. Mountain Sun is exactly what is good about Boulder, the beer is delicious and menu vast, the staff is great and it has that great mountain town feel that is mostly lost on the super corporate Pearl St. The F.Y.I.P.A, Resinous Ale, and Colorado Kind are crowd pleasers. They even had a ginger brew when I was there last, not as good as Lefty's but, nice to sample. This is the type of place you'll have a few pints and end up smokin a joint with some new friends and playin hacky sack out back, seriously.

Monday 9th of May 2011 05:09:32 PM

link
I love Mountain Sun. I wish it was easier for me to get their beer, because they are excellent, and I want to give them my business.

It's a smallish restaurant, so although I didn't have to while I was there, be prepared to wait. I got this enormous burrito that was delicious, and my company got some equally tasty looking grub. They know what they're doing in the kitchen. Thankfully, they also know what they are doing in their brewhouse.

The beers are GOOD. I got the sampler (Which is HUGE by the way. They don't give you wussy glasses). All of the beers were fantastic, but their FYIPA was unreal. Also, if you are lucky enough to get here in February, Stout Month is not to be missed. They have an enormous amount of both their own stouts, and a few guest stouts. Great great great.

Monday 9th of May 2011 12:59:44 PM

link
Took a day trip to Boulder leaving student-doctor Son#2 to study in peace. Planned on visiting Mt. Sun, Twisted Pine and Upslope.

Stopped here first - missed the rest.

Sunday, Mother's Day 2011 - the place was packed but still the gals in front got us a two-top immediately, all smiles and "welcome, glad you came."

Then we apparently surprised them all, after looking over the beer list, saying: "We want to sample every beer you make." The server, Jeremiah, looked aghast, smiled, said: "I'll be right back."

He wasn't. I started toward the ATM machine in the rear (Be Advised: They DO NOT take credit cards!) when a tall, burly man came up and said, "Excuse me, sir. Are you the customer who wants to sample all our beers?"

Well, anyone who calls me "sir" has my attention. I answered that we did. He hemmed and hawed for a moment until I explained that wife Persimmon and I share our samplers so we need no more than 1 or 2 ounces, not a full 4 at which point he smiled and said, "we can make that happen."

I returned to the table and moments later, Jeremiah arrives with 19 -- count 'em -- 19 samples!

I will not belabored this herculean beer effort upon which we embarked but let me just tell you all:
- Mt. Sun is the very definition of customer service. I (and I'm sure YOU) have gone into a brewpub where the rules are never lessened. 4-sampler or 6-sampler or the bartender / brewer picks the samples or you have to buy 2 sampler trays to get all the beers or the charge is a $1 per sample glass or some such thing. Not what I would consider good customer service. My take is this; If you let me sample all your beers and IF any of them -- ANY of them -- are good, I'm probably going to buy a pint whereas is I'm constrained by your rules, I will spend as little money as possible and make sure my beer-drinking buddies know about your particular pub and recommend they stay far, far away.
So let me repeat myself and Chris, the manager -- 19 samples / "we can make that happen."
- The food was outstanding. I had a Mole en Pollo with shredded chicken that was fabulous while Persimmon chowed down on a monstrous black bean burrito that was "melt in my mouth" good.
- Due to our behemoth beer adventure, Chris asked if we would like a brewery tour and of course, we accepted. Brian, the brewer, was extremely accommodating and we appreciative of our compliments. Clearly he was excited that we liked his beer.
- Which brings me to, the beer! A total experience ranging from witbier (which was actually white) to not 1, not 2 but 3 different types of porters, 3 different IPA's, an Amber that was out-of-this-world delicious and El Chupacabra, a speciality lager that tasted like a Hefewiezen on steroids. Absolutely outstanding!!

As others have said here, this is a popular place but you will be missing a starred spot on your beer "menu" if you chose not to go.

I am the Curmudgeon - I do not give out kudos without careful consideration and I never, NEVER rate anything 100 percent. To do so would mean, the place has no room for improvement and everybody, every place can improve...

...except Mt. Sun.

I have never had better customer service -- better food -- better beer.

I bow to your excellence and I thank you for a WONderful beer-day!

Thursday 12th of August 2010 01:28:45 AM

link
They had lot of beer on Nitro when we visited, which we loved. There was so much beer to choose from and our server was very helpful in finding appropriate beverages for the 3 of us.

Laid back, cozy atmosphere with interesting art, board games to play, etc. The staff rotates their positions, doing all tasks within the premise, making them fairly knowledgeable.

It has a good location, a must if you are on Pearl St, but plan on parking and walking to get there.

Saturday 26th of September 2009 10:49:49 AM

link
Visited during GABF week, so it was packed, but it seemed this place is usually quite busy as it is located very close to the Colorado's campus. In any event, this brewery presented itself in an excellent way. There was a decent line to wait for tables, so the bartenders offered free samples of beer and free appetizers for those waiting. In addition, the bartenders were very knowledgeable and quite willing to provide explanations of each beer. Samplers were huge at about 6 oz. Brewery will remind you of a walk down Haight Asbury.

FYIPA and Nihilist Stout were the two best options in this beer drinkers opinion. They had about 12 on tap, possibly more. They were quite proud of the Nihilist aged in a cabernet barrel, but I thought the normal Nihilist was better.

Sunday 23rd of August 2009 01:01:03 PM

link
We stopped here quite by accident, and were very glad we did. This hippy-hootenany-tapestry of beery love had a good groove going. We were short on time, due to our dinner plans, so I asked the bartender to help me narrow down two beers. She took our likes into consideration and deftly described their stouts/porters and Belgians on offer and I ordered an Isadore Java Porter for my wife and Temperence BPA for myself.

We snagged a hard-to-find seat and sipped away. Both were excellent, and we wished we could stay longer. If we could have, we’d have had more beer (they had probably 15 beers on tap,plus a couple of guest beers), and possibly a meal, and certainly dessert, because the desserts served at the table next to ours looked freaking delicious.

I'd consider this a must-stop.

Thursday 25th of June 2009 02:03:22 AM

link
A definite must-visit on any trip to Boulder.

House beer selection is quite extensive and sometimes difficult to make a choice with all the options. During my last two visits the XXX Pale Ale and Illusion Dweller IPA were my favorites.

The food menu is as extensive as the beer list. Soups, salads, burritos and such, sandwiches, and burgers provide a wide range of choices. The burgers are great with my favorite being the black & blue burger.

The atmosphere is very lively; just like a pub should be. The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. There is no real delineation between bar and table staff; everyone covers all bases. As others have noted, it can be a challenge getting a table during busy times. The lack of chairs at the bar make it pretty much a drinking-only area.

As with other downtown Boulder spots, parking is only along the street or in one of the municipal lots/garages.

Thursday 16th of April 2009 01:05:51 PM

link
The quintessential Boulder brewpub. That pretty much sums this place up. I've been here several times and always enjoyed myself.

Mountain Sun isn't exactly large. Table space can be at a premium on busy nights. The decor here is beyond eclectic. Think of it as the Thrift Store look. Again, very Boulder.

The food is above average and portions are large. If you're a vegetarian, this is your place. Lots of veg choices on the menu.

I'm not a huge fan of Mountain Sun's beers, but they tend to be pretty good. There are usually guest beers on tap if you want something different.

The only thing that bugs me here is that they don't take credit cards. Pretty much inexcusable in this day and age. Still worth the trip, however.

Sunday 8th of February 2009 01:03:06 PM

link
this place was pretty nice and the beers i tried were excellent. i had the ipa and xxx which were both right up my alley. i also tried the coconut stout and actually liked it even though i'm not a stout fan. the service was good and i loved my burger (the sob). my only complaint was that the place isn't big enough. it's pretty small and we had to wait 15 minutes to eat. it wasn't so bad since just stood in the corner and drank a beer but... a nice place with good food and great beer

Wednesday 23rd of April 2008 12:49:11 PM

link
If you ask someone in Boulder about brewpubs, they'll probably first mention this place. Mountain Sun is a Boulder tradition, perched on eastern Pearl Street for many years.
The first thing to know is that this place is very, very popular but also very small. I've been twice, but was only able to obtain a table once when we arrived right when the place opened for the day. If you don't do that, you'll most likely be waiting at least 15 minutes for a table coming for lunch or dinner.
The beer is the main attraction, but the food brings people in certainly as well. The fare is mostly sandwiches but includes a few vegan-friendly items as well as pub classics. The food is good too. Quality ingredients, very well-cooked and prepared, and often unique and inventive on certain menu items.
For beer, they have one of the better ranges I've seen. Almost every type of beer that you'll find at other places, you'll find here: porter, stout, bocks, ambers, browns, and several different kinds of ales. All the colors of the rainbow. I can't emphasize enough what an excellent selection they have. I've had a few different ones, but certainly not all of them. The XXX is excellent: strong and extremely hoppy. Perfect, at least for me. The IPA is lighter, but still has good flavor and enough of a punch. The stouts are excellent: full-bodied with a punch. And the porter is just how I like it: thick and sticky. Even the lighter stuff is good.
The service is great and the atmosphere is fun, laid-back and inviting. You'll find families here just as you'll find college students. This is a must-stop in Boulder.