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Individual User Reviews |
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Awesome!
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It seems that many of the regulars seem to remember and love Summit Station. I never visited and this was my first time to Growlers. I drove passed the brewpub the on Friday night and saw that the place was VERY crowded so I decided to wait and visit the next day (October 6th) in the afternoon... when many places aren't really that busy. First thing I noticed was the place was pretty crowded... I also noticed that there were 10 taps and no beer engines (I always have to look for one). I sat down at the bar with my back to the front window... to my left was a window that looked onto the copper-clad brewing. The bartender came over and pointed at the current bear list on a chalkboard over the bar. On tap was the Growlers Delight, the Cream Ale, the Kolsch, Hardings IPA, Irvington's Pale Ale, and Logtowne Porter. My first pint was the Kolsch... most Kolsches are pale yellow or the color of straw... this was almost red... but it sure did taste like a Kolsch... very refreshing and one of my favorite summertime styles of beer. I ordered the Crab Stuffed Pretzel off the menu and it was very good... something I would definitely tell my friends to try. I noticed that the dude next to me was drinking Coors and I thought that was sort of sad with the fresh beers on tap. He said he was a friend of the owner who would kill him if he saw him drinking Coors. I was then told that Growlers is sort of in transition... either the old brewer just left or he is getting ready to leave. But whatever the facts are about the brewer... the beers are pretty darn good... I left my corner and moved out to the more open part of the bar... I had the Hardings IPA next... it smelled of medium hops... had a dark copper color... lightly carbonated. It was OK but no where as hoppy as the DFH 60 Min IPA. Tried the Logtowne Porter next& Had some chocolaty notes in the aroma and also had light carbonation... not stale or anything like that... but light. Fortunately the flavor was much more interesting then the smell... very dark and earthy but well balanced with hops... no over sweetness that so many porters suffer from. Turns out that this could be one of my favorite porters to date. Earthy without tasting dirty if you know what I mean... just awesome. I also tried the Irvington's Pale Ale... it was OK but the Hardings was better. Unfortunately they were out of Growlers Delight and I will save the Cream Ale for the next visit. Obviously they have Growlers but I dont remember the price. The only suggestion that I could make is that the copper clad brewing system was a bit stained... I think if a brewing system can be viewed easily from the sidewalk in front... and from the bar area.... that it should be kept VERY clean.
I am looking forward to returning to Growlers and bringing my friends. AWESOME!
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Todd Hansell,
Roslyn, PA
(10/10/2007) |
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Good
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Good
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Been a while since I was there but I recall that the new place is pretty much the same as Summit Station...no better no worse.
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Beertrekker,
Ellicott City(Baltimore), MD
(08/15/2007) |
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So So
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Joe Kalish doesn't even like beer. When you see him at the BREWERY, he has a glass of wine in hand. Joe was good years ago but no longer cares about the beer and it shows. It is time for some new blood. Heard that a retirement may be on the horizon so a change be be a'brewin' anyway. So let's wait and see and hope for the best - this is a decent location that deserves some good beer.
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mt,
Rockville, MD
(08/08/2007) |
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Awesome!
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The only thing that saves this place is the fact that they have the same brewer Joe Kalish. The beer he brews is excellent. Their Irvington Pale Ale is the probably the best beer I have ever had. The new owners painted the place an especially hideous yellow, raised prices and stopped beer dinners. The staff is mostly changed and not as knowledgeable as before. No one seems to care about the customer. The answer I received a number of times when I asked questions is; we are no longer Summit Station. Not sure they will be able to make a go of it without some changes.
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Patrick,
Washington Grove, MD
(04/07/2007) |
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Great
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Great
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Great
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Lousy
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N/A
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Been coming to this establishment since 1996. Always loved it ... until it became Growlers with certain bartenders who may or may not serve you a drink, depending on whether they feel like it or not. And, it seems, management doesn't care about.
The regulars who patronize this place are the most wonderful people. It's just a shame that good Customer Service is not a priority.
Until it is - DogFish Head is the place to go. Good Beer, Good Food, Good service.
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APV,
Gaithersburg, MD
(03/24/2007) |
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Great
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Good
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No more weekend happy hours, they are gone, No more weekend happy hours, they are gone, No more weekend happy hours, they are gone, No more weekend happy hours, they are gone, No more weekend happy hours, they are gone, is this 50?
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pat,
silver spring, MD
(02/15/2007) |
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Good
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Centennial time agian, Have not tried it yet. Your Mug club has expired. Irvington was good.
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pat,
silver spring, MD
(01/18/2007) |
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Good
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Good
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Saturday happy hour is changed to 12 to 5, 2.00 beers, the mug club does not apply to weekend or monday happy hours, you will not get upgraded to a mug for the 2.00 price. The mug club never emailed me for tappings or special events. Anyway, The irvington and porter are excellent, fresh and tasty as ever. Cheers
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pat,
silver spring, MD
(11/28/2006) |
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Great
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Good
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First stop since the name change. Hardings IPA is nice, not too hoppy, but pleasant. Logtowne Porter had a rich coffee finish but the hops were noticable throughout. Happy hour special on mussels was excellent, best I've had out in a while. Locals at bar pretty standoffish, but who's to say why. Overall appearance inside much nicer than before as Summit Station. Worth a stop.
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Beav,
York, PA
(11/17/2006) |
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Great
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Great
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Great
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Having been a regular of Old Towne Tavern and Summit Station, and given the previous mixed reviews entered soon after Growler’s opening, I thought it best to make several visits before inserting my own two cents (or two pints). First thing, Joe Kalish’s beer is still here. Currently (as of yesterday), he offers 8 taps, including Belt’s ESB, Harding IPA, Irvington IPA, the highly alcoholic Centennial, which is brewed every 100th batch, a Kolsch, a Blueberry Wheat and two guest beers (Dominion Octoberfest and Shiner Hefeweissen). All well-bodied ales at excellent prices – and a bargain for this area.
Growlers will continue Happy Hour prices at the bar and have been honoring Summit Station Mug Club Cards through the end of the year. They now have a $2.25 night on Wednesdays and Saturday food specials during college football season. Since Joe regularly rotates certain styles, you should call ahead for the latest on tap – especially if seeking the brain-raping Centennial.
Much like the previous operations, the menu here goes beyond the average “pub grub.” Having only tried the burger and roast beef foccacia (very filling), I can’t attest for the rest. The prices are about the same. Of course, Pubcrawlers never go anywhere simply for the food.
While I do miss Angel, Keisha, Tim and The Angel, the barstaff have been friendly, proficient and knowledgeable on the beers. One complaint is the hideous centerpiece that now overlooking the bar; it reminds me of an industrial Dutch Oven. One nitpick is the removal of the handy hooks from beneath the bar – no more hanging coats, etc.
Finally, the infamous Summit Station bathroom has been relegated to history and is now a somewhat twee space with faux marble and wooded wainscot. A perfectly fine place where one can puke in grandeur. America is truly a great country. And Gaithersburg beer afficiandos still have a great brewpub.
Note: to the Dogfish Head Alehouse reviewer who recently maligned us “Summit Station regulars,” this is one regular who will be happily dividing precious beer-drinking time between both fine establishments. But, let’s be honest, aren’t we a big improvement over the countless lite beer drinkers you seem to attract?
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Jerry Boesen,
Gaithersburg, MD
(09/17/2006) |
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N/A
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Ale Hound,
Fact: 2Brew disappears and you arrive with similiar style. Coincidence, maybe.
Fact: The beer you had on both visits was the same. Why the difference of opinions or ratings?
Fact: I am real and use my own name not a moniker.
First of all,I apologize if you are not 2Brew. I had a few beers in me and found similiar styles between the two of your posts.
I am a complete supporter of free speech and opinion. This board and ones like it are a very useful tool to the beer community. I think this is the purpose of this board and I like it. Even though you improved your review, I just don't think I could get online and "give a less than positive review" on a place that just opened and also request cheaper beer prices. It would be like judging someone you just met. As for my posting, all I did was "reply" to your review. That is why "reply" is there. I wish I could just "reply" to you but that is not the case.
In closing. Sorry about the name calling and hope you enjoy many more tasty premium malt beverages at Growlers in the future.
Cheers, Barrett
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Barrett Lauer,
Baltimore, MD
(09/04/2006) |
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The beer rocks...I enjoy the lighter beers and the Kolsch, the Summer and the Cream Ale do it for me. I'd love to see the Cream Ale around a bit more often but hey...Joe is brewing and that's all that matters. They are all great! Haven't tried the food yet but looking at the menu I can only hope they add to the soup and salad choices. Trying to keep my girlish figure ya know! :)
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germantown, MD
(08/31/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Barrett,
FYI - You are flat out WRONG. I am NOT "2 Brew" or any other moniker. Unlike you, who does not seem to understand the purpose of these boards (which it to provide an honest review of an establishment, positive or otherwise), I posted my honest opinion of my experience with this place when it opened. Being that it was a newly opened business and my first post was less than postive, I felt it would be best to post a follow-up to relate the fact that, in my opinion, things are improving. Regardless of what you think, I've only posted 2 reviews of this particular establishment.
These boards are for posting one's review of an ESTABLISHMENT, not reviewing the people posting. It's all about one's opinion of the ESTABLISHMENT, not their opinions of other posters. Opinions sometimes are not always positive - let's keep it real.
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ale hound,
gaithersburg, MD
(08/31/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Ale Hound= 2Brew= TurboDoucheBag
This guy keeps bashing and then loving this place. I hope the owners ignore his "Happy Hour" requests. Keep this board positive and keep brewpubs alive.
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Barrett Lauer,
Baltimore, MD
(08/29/2006) |
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Great
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Stopped in on Sunday. What I liked about Summit Station I still like about Growlers -- good food and beer in a pleasant setting. I enjoyed a sampler of six beers (Kolsch, Hefeweizen, IPA, Nut Brown Ale, Stout, Porter) in 4-ounce glasses (6-ounce glasses also available), followed by a pint of the IPA. I thought the Hefe and Brown were good, and the Kolsch and IPA were great. The IPA is well-hopped without being overdone. At that sample size, I found it hard to distinguish between the Stout and Porter, but full pints next time might fix that.
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Paul E. Milligan,
Columbia, MD
(08/22/2006) |
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N/A
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Glad to see to good ole boys are back.
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gaithersburg, MD
(08/20/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Friday evening Happy Hour was kickin' at Growlers - it was great to find that the beers are probably the best they've been in years (MUCH better than opening night), and at a reasonable price ($3/pint). They have a Summer ale on tap that is light, yet quite flavorful, and, as was always the case with Joe's beers, the Irvington and the IPA are most excellent if you like a hoppy taste. They had about 7 or 8 beers on tap Friday, the service was good and the staff were very friendly. The food was ok - one of our group got the Happy Hour pizza and was quite disappointed at the small size for $6 (not too much pizza considering the size slice you can get in just about any pizza joint in NYC for around $2) The Happy Hour wings were very tasty - the dry rub spices provided quite a "kick" and it is a pleasant change of pace from wings drowned in hot sauce.
If your looking for some OUTSTANDING microbrews, this is the place to go - I think that they are only going to get better as they get their system down and get things figured out - I'm definitely going back.
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ale hound,
gaithersburg, MD
(08/19/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Oh, one more thing on the new Growlers...get rid of the video games! Quite honestly, they were the only thing I found annoying on an otherwise great opening night. Do we really need video games here? They take up needed space and are just plain annoying.
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Debbie,
Rockville, MD
(08/08/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Well, Growlers has finally opened and it was actually worth the wait. Having been a fan of this bar since it was called Olde Towne Brewery, then on through its lean years as Summit Station, Growlers is a fairly nice improvement. You'll find the same Kalish beers on tap, which is a relief. But more importantly, you'll find changes that needed to be made. The place has had a small facelift and is actually clean now. The bars have been resurfaced and the upstairs dining room bar has even been intelligently expanded. Moreover, there are several new flat screen televisions just in time for football season!! Wow, someone is thinking!! Finally, women will find that the bathrooms are now spacious, orderly and most of all, CLEAN. As for the menu, well we weren't able to sample that on opening night, as they had only pizza and fries to offer. But, most of us regulars know that there was nowhere to go but up with the food here. As Summit Station, the food here was a huge disappointment, particularly because they marketed themselves as somewhat "upscale." Time will tell if the food will keep customers coming in. Overall, the beer scene in Gaithersburg is back and us beer lovers are quite pleased! Keep up the "so far so good" work!!!
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Debbie,
Rockville, MD
(08/08/2006) |
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So So
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I have to agree with Jimmy - the long-waited re-opening of this establishment was a MAJOR disappointment. I am a big fan of Joe's brews, but something was amiss Friday night - the beer was definitely sub-par compared to what used to be served here. Customer service was non-existent (one would expect a few glitches on opening day, but this was really bad). I think the prices are comparable to the better establishments around, but we were totally caught off guard that there were no Happy Hour prices on their own brews.
I plan to give them a few weeks to get the wrinkles ironed out in their system and then give it a second chance.
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ale hound,
gaithersburg, MD
(08/06/2006) |
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So So
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Bring lots of time and a thick wallet if you want to enjoy a night out here. Having recently moved to the area, I waited with much anticipation for the opening of this bar within walking distance of my home. I was somewhat disapointed. I know they just opened, but the service is horrible. I waited 45 minutes for six chicken wings ($7.85 by the way!) and in that time the waitress only checked on us once.
The food is quite expensive compared to similar bars nearby such as dogfish. The beer is so so, heavy on the alcohol and average on the taste. The waitress confided that they were really not ready to open yet but had a band booked so they didn't want to take the loss.
Maybe things will get better once they work out the kinks. The building is beautiful and I really do hope it imporoves, I would love to become a regular but not unless the service improves and they add some more reasonably priced fare to their menu. I also have to think the beer might have been rushed in order to accomodate the opening. I'm the brewmasted is quite good, so I really hope it was just a fluke. Oh well, good luck.
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Jimmy,
gaithersburg, MD
(08/05/2006) |
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Opening Friday, August 4.
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Paul E. Milligan,
Columbia, MD
(08/03/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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Awesome!
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I have been part of the renovations here at Growlers since we have begun the process. I'm very happy to be here in Gaithersburg and have enjoyed speaking with all of the local beer fans who have called (I answer a lot of the phone calls.) We are finalizing the renovations and expect to open late next week. Our menu looks great, Joe's beer tastes great, (being from Upstate - Finger Lakes NY, I've tasted a few!) and the inside renovations are impressive. Thanks for all your patience; stop in and say hello to me in the kitchen when we open.
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Adam Marshall,
Gaithersburg, MD
(07/28/2006) |
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update: I called Growlers of Gaithersburg (301-519-9400) today to see if beer was available have keg filled. They said they were planning on opening around labor day weekend, but wouldn't have enough volume to handle kegs until end of September.
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George,
Germantown, MD
(07/28/2006) |
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Awesome!
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Great
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Awesome!
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Hey, it s all about the beer with me. I think Joe K. does a great job with it.
I get kegs through them for home, and just put in an order for a Kolsch...for something different.
Any comments about the Kolsch?
thanks much.
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Reston, VA
(07/19/2006) |
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