The North Shore now has several brew-pubs. The Brew House on Route 1 in the Northbound lane of Danvers is a completely done over former Howard Johnson's. Very nice job on the renovations with a very long bar and comfortable booths. The bar must be 70 feet long with seating on 4 sides so everyone gets to see everyone else. I noticed all bartenders were female which seems to be a current trend. There were three sets of half a dozen or so taps each so this place is geared up to pour a lot of frosties. The several beers I tried were excellent, as good as any brewpub I have visited--and that's quite a few! The stout and the extra bitter were both delicious and served at the perfect temperature. While we didn't have complete meals, the menu looked very interesting and we overheard another couple commenting at how good everything tasted. Meal prices are very moderate with roast lamb dinner at 10.95 and prime rib a few bucks more. They list the chef and sous chef's name on the menu which I think shows they are serious about the food. A number of typical brew-pub items, but presented in an interesting fashion. Next time, I must try the pizza since the crust is made of by-products from the brewery. Note: you cannot get a glass of wine or a cocktail at this place since they only have a beer/brewery license. However the waitress told us you may bring in your own wine ! As word of this brewpub gets around, I'm sure it will be very busy. As with all brew-pubs, a word of caution...these beers can make you rather bloated (and gaseous) so proceed with caution. Two of these ales have the kick of a dozen Bud's so plan accordingly. John Gallagher
Boston, MA