Beer Research Institute

Reviews 4

CL

Clint Stevens

NOTE: I received a very condescending response from the owner after my initial review (updated below). I contacted the owner directly and we have reached a better understanding, but it wasnt the right way to respond to an unhappy customer and I still cant recommend this place based on my own experiences. REVIEW: This was the biggest let-down I have experienced in a long time! I was enamored by the crazy number of positive reviews online (mostly employees and friends, Im guessing?) and convinced my wife and a couple friends to join me for dinner and beers here. I really loved the idea of the place and I like to support local businesses. The location was close to me, the simple menu was enticing and the beer selection was more than adequate for what turned out to be a fairly small place. Unfortunately, our experience didnt live up to the internet hype in the slightest. I must say that the Steak Chimichurri Tacos were fantastic. Perhaps a tad over seasoned, but with a little sour cream and pico thrown on top, this is the one dish we tried tonight that I might come back for if the rest of the experience wasnt so bad. The Carne Asada Tacos, on the other hand, looked similar, but were quite bland and uninspiring. The beans and rice that accompanied both of the taco dishes were truly a sad affair. Im not sure what seasoning they use on the rice, but none of the four of us liked it. The beans were nothing more than a scoop of black beans straight from a can...no salt, no seasoning, barely warm. Another item we ordered was the Not-chos (get it? Nachos). In my opinion, this was a culinary failure! Its a bowl filled with chips and topped with crumbles of the most dry and tasteless machaca beef you have ever put in your mouth. There was barely enough cheese to taste on the first layer and no cheese beneath that, just a big bowl of plain, bland tortilla chips. This item should be a free appetizer for the table while you wait, not a $10 plate! The last food item we ordered was the SW Putin. I was most excited for this one and it was easily the second best dish on the table. HOWEVER, the fries were SO salty that the four of us had to take turns eating it. Were not talking about typical "salted" fries here, were talking about "salt encrusted" fries. Too bad. Lastly and perhaps most importantly: The drinks. Im a huge beer fan, so I tried 7 of their beers and ciders, mostly house, but also a few others. The biggest complaint we had (as noted by everyone at my table) was how warm the beers were. One was nearly room temp! The rest were cool, but certainly not at all cold. The server checked the lines for us and brought back a sample to confirm the temp was now working properly, but we still got charged for all the warm beers we had been given. The BRI house beers we tried were generally good, but I hesitate to suggest that any were great. We didnt try any of the IPA styles since none of us were in an IPA mood. That said, their house selection is better than most breweries and encompassed porters, saisons, dubbels, etc. in addition to the prominent IPA lineup that is popular these days. Yet, while theyre certainly on the right track with many of these styles, most varieties felt like they still needed something "more" to be perfect (i.e. more body on the tongue for the porter, etc). Perhaps things were thrown off by the fact that the beers werent served nearly cold enough. Between exceptionally disappointing food, beers that left us a bit wanting and service that was more minimal than either good or bad, I cant in my heart of hearts recommend this place to anyone else. Its a newer establishment and may still be experiencing some growing pains, but there are too many other really solid brew houses around to waste more time and money at The Beer Research Institute. Sadly, not recommended!

TR

Trevor Stasik

I just had an exquisite time with my wife at the Beer Research Institute (BRI). My friend, Justin, had recommended them to me a few weeks ago; but this was the first chance that Ive had to visit. They have a science theme at the brew pub, with beakers and test tubes everywhere. They make all of their own beer in-house, so you can also see the tanks and kettles in the back. You can tell that they take great care in the exact measurements of only the best ingredients. I had an opulent Pub Burger with fresh cut French fries. The food was very good; filling but not too greasy. However, the real reason to go to the BRI was to try their craft beer. They had 4 of their own beers on tap (they just ran out of the 5th, a Vanilla Porter). They had other craft beers on tap as well, but I didn’t have a chance to try them. I tried a flight of all of the available BRI brews: 480G IPA, Street Cred, Farmhouse Saison, and a Belgian Blonde. Of course, you know I fell in love with the IPA. It was so crisp and fresh! The other BRI beers were amazing too. The staff was very helpful, and was knowledgeable in discussing the make-up of the beers. The waitress and the manager were extremely attentive, and the prices were reasonable. I would highly recommend the BRI at anybody in the Phoenix, AZ area. It’s great food with even better drink.

SU

Susan Botts

I came here solely because of one bad review and I am thrilled to have stepped inside. Not sure what I was expecting, but this warm, small, booth and high table environment was not it. Was met by a delightful young woman behind the bar who has awesome tats and an engaging personality. I had an amazing stout, "Morning Sex" and it could be a suitable substitute, if other options are unavailable.... My companion had an IPA that was equally drinkable. The food. Lets start with the Meat Candy. Bacon, only better, slathered in a sweet sriracha sauce that set my heart beating a song of love. The Silly Cheesesteak barely got past my lips before I melted in joyful abandon. Wonderfully seasoned and garnished with abundant amounts of grilled veggies and cheese. The Stacked Enchiladas were the real kicker. The New Mexican variation on a southwestern staple was a gastronomic home run. Spicy enough to get a bit of eyebrow sweat with a depth of flavor that made me want to lick the plate. These fine folks are worth finding. They are upscale, friendly, inviting, smart and should be on your bucket list of micro breweries, if not for the food and service.

JU

Justin Modglin

Wont come back because they named one of their beers "Dirty Jesus". Owners must not realize what country they live in or have enough business sense to justify me returning. Friend, based on your response I would recommend you correct your menu to call out your cause (youd sell more of it) and realize 80% of the folks walking in BRIs door are recognizing that as Jesus Christ+ who suffered and died for everyone, and rose from the dead 3 days later. The name was made 2000 years ago and keeps going today not because he was just another man with a cause. Please understand my position as I do yours - I do enjoy your replies.