Elysian Brewing Company

I don't think I would have ever know Elysian Fields existed if it weren't for a friend who wanted to eat lunch there a few years back. It's in a building that looks a tad run down, about a half block from Qwest Field. I wasn't sure what to expect when walking in, and must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's a huge area with large booths/tables around the bar area with TVs at almost every angle, seating behind the bar where you can people watch out of the floor to ceiling windows and a some-what private area that has bench seating around the room with tables and TVs in every corner. The food is pretty good. Above par for regular brewpub fare and prices are typical for a brewery, comparable to The Ram. However, I must say they have two secrets that I am going to share with you right now. The first is that it's the best place to grab a seat to watch any game. Since the location isn't heavily traveled during the weekend you can usually find a seat and enjoy watching with your friends. Second secret - they have the best pumpkin beer I have ever tasted. I've tasted a lot of pumpkin beers before and nothing has come close. You can actually taste the pumpkin. It's a little sweet, but the bitterness of the hops evens the texture without overpowering the main ingredient. It's great as a dessert beer and also available in stores in the Fall months. I myself store a couple bottles through out the year so I am never without. Pros: clean, friendly, great beer and fun place to hang out Cons: parking more

If you'd asked me 2 days ago if I'd recommend The Elysian I would have said "absolutely, yes". Not anymore. I stopped in to pick up some beer to go & was subjected to possibly the rudest "service", if you can call it that, that I have ever had the misfortune to experience in Seattle. My husband & I stood at the bar for some time before the bartender, a smallish, shorthaired brunette, slight accent, chose to shower us with her sparkling personality (sorry, I'm trying hard to be appropriate here). I asked about the availability of growlers. I then asked to get the pumpkin ale. She looked at me like I was mentally challenged & responded "there's 2 kinds". I then asked about them, wanting her opinion as she is employed as a bartender & should be able to give patrons that kind of info....would imagine that's part of the job description. She replied abruptly "one's stronger". I asked stronger how? Higher alcohol content? More pumpkin-y? She looked at me like I had 3 heads. I explained I was going to a beer tasting party & wanted to know more about the beer I was bringing. She could have cared less about that. My husband suggested at that point we just get both. She audibly sighed & went to fill the growlers. While doing so, she pleasantly joked around with the guys at the bar, flicking water at one of them. It seems, when she chose to, she was quite capable of being pleasant. Maybe we were interrupting her time with her buddies, I don't know. The bar was relatively empty as it was around 4 on a sunny Saturday afternoon so she definitely was not frenzied with work stress. When the growlers, which were identical, were plunked down in front of me I asked if she wouldn't mind labeling them so I knew which we would be tasting at the party. She turned her back on me mid-sentence, ripped a piece of receipt paper in half, scribbled the beer names on the paper & slapped them on the bottles with some scotch tape. Then she quite loudly slapped the bill folder on the bar in front of me & walked off. I tried giving her my card & she kind of blew me off for a moment or so, came back & grabbed it. For $44 worth of beer & some very reasonable questions from a customer, I was stunned by how hostile her behavior was. In tough economic times, with lay offs & cut backs, one would think people would be motivated to keep the jobs they have. Not to mention companies wanting to keep their customers happy & coming back. I question any company that would employ someone like her to represent them. I live just a few blocks away from The Elysian & will not hesitate to tell everyone I know of the experience I had. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. I walked out, honestly wondering what the heck I did that could have provoked such enmity from a complete stranger. My conclusion is...nothing. I had merely asked her for her professional opinion & information. Way to go, Elysian, you guys went from a BIG thumbs up to an absolute thumbs DOWN. Pros: decent beer Cons: service more

Met friends here last Saturday night - albeit a weekend evening, we dared to go out and have a low-key night playing Scrabble over drinks and food. Chose the place for their food/drink and large tables. Upon arriving, my friends had already been waiting for 10 min and had put our name in for 5. Were told the wait was another 20 min maybe. After we waited while I was there for 40 min very patiently, a couple of us went to check. We weren't rude, we just inquired. The snotty hostess informed me that someone had set the party at 5. I said we were only 4. My friend was just accommodating another who might join us, but we were 4. She again said it was set for 5. I again said, it's actually 4. Then she said firmly and rudely, 'Well, you'll still have to wait'. I hadn't thought otherwise. I simply asked how long it would be which she never gave us. In another 10-15 min, we did have friends join, which did make us 5, but they were leaving in 30 min to go to Piecora's and see a band so they weren't staying and the booths are plenty big for 3 men and 2 women. Another was joining us after they'd left so it was still 4. When we were seated about 15 min later, our friends followed us - and the hostess came by and remarking w/ a rude smirk on her face that she'd come by w/ another menu, cuz we'd told her it was only 4. It amazes me in these economic times, our money isn't greeted as appreciated. We all drank, ate, tipped well - because the server actually was extremely nice and friendly. The pork tacos were awful tho and sort of tasted like they're slathered in lard - I don't know how I ate one, but couldn't finish the other. I didn't say anything because I figured they'd a bad and busy night. The beer is great. A star for each our server and the beer. I've never been treated so rudely at The Elysian by anyone else there.. and if I hadn't been inside near the window, I would've gotten up and talked to the manager. Inexcusable and I won't go back readily. Pros: Beer, some of the waitstaff Cons: Hostess, crowded on weekends/wait, pork tacos more

The service was speedy, the food was satisfactory, and the beer was very original and full of flavor. From pumpkin to peppercorn, or saison to supernova - this place brews it all! Expect to taste good beer with decent food and sufficient service then you will not be disappointed. Pros: ambience, beer, service Cons: parking, pork tacos, no ranch dressing more

Elysian offers a great selection of beers and good food. I have eaten here several times with many different people and everyone has loved it. In fact, this is the place where my husband and I decided to uproot and move to the great northwest, so I might be biased towards it. I am a veggie and he is not. The menu offers something for both of us. We really enjoy their black bean cakes, nachos, and their avocado curry is outstanding. It is a great place to relax and have a couple of really awesome beers (like the Avatar - aka Jasmine IPA). It can get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights so you should prepare for a wait. You might be able to find a place at the bar. Trust me; there are worse things to do than drink a one of their beers while waiting for a table. Pros: BEER, food, ambiance Cons: Parking... more

The Elysian has always been inconsistant, but worth going to. Often great, sometimes not. Always good beer. The change to the menu makes it tough to choose it over some of the other local restaurants. But if you are looking for good beer on the hill, it is one of your best bets. Pros: Beer Cons: Lack of food selection more

Dear Elysian Proprietors, I have been a loyal Elysian patron for many moons. I love your friendly and efficient wait staff, your convenient location and your outstandingly delicious beer. Your food, unfortunately, has never been great. BUT, I found a dish that I enjoyed, often multiple times in a week: the buffalo wings with an extra large side of celery and carrot sticks. Your fish and chips were also quite delicious. When you recently closed your doors for a brief remodel, I was excited. What might you crazy Elysian people have up your sleeves? Turns out, I was about to be deeply disappointed. Your new, elongated bar is quite nice. Your menu, on the other hand, is a boring disaster. My greatest sadness: no more wings. Also, no more fish and chips. And your formerly delicious and affordable burger now costs over $12 bucks if you add a wee slice of cheddar. Please, Elysian, remember who you are. Bring back the wings. Bring back the fish and chips. I can only speak for myself, but I assure you that the fine people of Capitol Hill will thank you. Pros: wait staff and delicious beer Cons: menu...boring and expensive more

The beer is great, as is the service and ambiance. The food was horribly, heavy, and didn't taste fresh at all. I would never eat here again although I hear the Elysian downtown has awesome food. more

Let me start off by saying, I am not a beer drinker. But I can tell you that my friend if a beer freak, and he loved this place. Usually remarked that the beers were quite good. What I can tell you is that I dig the place because the menu was pretty darn good for a brewpub. Some german fare even! It's also a place where there are a lot of people, but you never feel crowded because the tables are spaced out nicely. Nice big windows. Probably see some interesting people there. Kind of college-kiddy, probably about half their patrons or more - but that is not a bad thing. Groovy place. The bar staff is also super nice. more

Ah the Elysian. It?s a mixed bag here. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. I?ve had some great service and food ? but the past couple times, not so much. It?s really for yuppies, but it?s worth checking out for the beer. All in all, it?s not as good as Six Arms down the street ? go there instead, their service kills anything you?ll get at the Elysian. more

Picture this: Four pitchers, at least 20 pints sitting atop the bar waiting to be served...and it's been almost 25 mintues since your sassy waitress said, "I'll be right with you". Another case of greddy waitstaff, who take on more than they can handle. Even if the food is tasty, or the beer is decent (35 minutes after showing up), the whole establishment becomes a bad memory. Maybe they should consider hiring a few more people to join their waitstaff, or offer "self-serve" beer on tap. more

For being rated "best french fries" on City Search it is funny that the folks rating it have been duped by yet another restaurant. These fries are merely pre-seasoned, frozen fries that come in boxes to be dropped in the deep fry. Anyopne could buy them at a store and other "chain restaurants in town also use the same fries (Wingdome), just to name one. But then again maybe the people rating "best fries" actually havn't ate many around town to tell the difference between hand-cut and frozen bulk. The Elysian fish 'n chips are among some of the worst in town, suprisingly. It's hard to understand how a good cook could screw up battering cod fish but they do. The cut is far to big and soggy in it's light batter, when two otr three smaller pieces would have turned out crisp and tasty. The batter itself tastes "out of a box" i.e. breadcrumbs (mixed with parsley?). To make the feeling of over-rated tasteless food worse, the servers are curt, if not rude, and portray a better than thou aditude that leaves the diner with an upset stomach. If looking for good breweries in town, skip this one. more

Elysian is the place to go when you don't want to cook, your college roomate is in town for a meeting & has 2 hours to spare, on the way to a movie..... well, in short, a great every day place. Our family hits this spot at least 2 times a month -- a good 10 block walk home after the fries & beer. Nice to have a brewpub in a neighborhood that feels good for families yet doesn't lose its Capitol Hill / Pike Pine edge. We like the tatooed hipster waiters. We have had nothing but great experiences -- you may have to wait an extra minute or two but it is a big & busy joint. Our 12 year old has moved from the kid menu to a full burger and the waiters have always treated him like an adult. Favorite foods? Hands down the Pork Taco with peanut arbole sauce.... also great burgers & fish & chips.... big piles of fries & homemade tartar sauce. Prince Charming likes the Perseus Porter & I drink whatever is gold & cold. more

this place delivers for people watching as well as getting a good pint of beer. i find this place relaxed, easy and fun more

I went to the Elysian Brew Pub for the first time last night, and overall, Im giving it a thumbs-up. As Im not much of a beer drinker, I was concerned that I might have to leave my comfort zone being that the Elysian -is- a brew pub. My fears were immediately put to rest, however, as I entered to see the full bar. My drink for the evening was a glass of Syrah-Viognier, which was only $6.00 and pretty enjoyable. The Elysian has high ceilings, low-backed booths, and plenty of windows which keep the space airy and open. There appeared to be a couple of standing-only tables, but for the most part, this seems to be a sit-down sort of place. I was impressed with the many food offerings, though there didnt seem to be any happy hour chow specials. My friend and I settled on the yummy crumbly-coated French Fries (accompanied with a unique sour cream-horseradish) and a great Mediterranean plate complete with hummus, baba ganoush, olives, roasted peppers, feta cheese, tomatoes, and stacks of pita wedges. The food was tasty, although we did seem to come up short on the pita wedges...or maybe we just received gargantuan servings of hummus and baba ganoush...? Our server, while perfectly friendly, did seem to stop passing by our table as the place filled up. As she was otherwise attentive, I have to wonder if the pub was short-staffed. Id go back, though...nice place, worth a visit if you havent been there! Pros: Many choices on menu, full bar, high ceilings Cons: No happy hour food specials? Seemed short-staffed more

I love the Elysian. The food is often just what you had been craving all day. I highly recommend the bangers and mash as well as the hummus platter. The beer is great, especially the great pumpkin ale. The special guest beer nights are a great way to spend an evening while being introduced to many more delicious types of beer. The Elysian has some of the hottest waitresses around. The servers are very knowledgeable about the beers and have always given me tasty suggestions. Pros: excellent food, great beer, hot waitresses more

I've been to the Elysian several times. And, as some of the reviewers suggest, the beer can be hit or miss. The Immortal IPA is...okay, for the most part. The food really is quite good, I've never been disappointed by it. When you go, if you do, go when there are very few people. Naturally, there will be better service (one would hope) if there are not many people around. The last time I went I got the sampler and ended up loving their Jasmine IPA, so that's a good way to go if you go visit. The staff might seem a little out of it and strange, but IT'S SEATTLE! Most people there are! Pros: Good Beer, Cool/Hip Setting, Great Food Cons: Can be Hit-or-Miss more

Great beer selection. Good location- except parking can be a hassle. Service always seems to have attitude of some sort. Food can be average, but I've also known it to be shockingly bad. Space can be loud. Pros: location, beer Cons: service, food, noisy more

There is a fantastic vegetarian food selection with things like cheese "steak" sandwiches and specialty mac & cheese which is a major bonus for pub food. The beer was bitter and I tried 3 different types (schooner size). It is a family friendly place during the day and that is also a plus when you want a tiny beer after a long day with your toddler. Although smoking and family friendly don't go together...a smoking section would be nice. Pros: Great Vegetarian Food, Good For Kids (day) Cons: Yucky Brews, Smoking, Noisy more

The food is great and they have some extraordinary vegetarian dishes. The beer is fantastic (if you love stout, try the Dragon's Tooth) and their seasonals are exceptional (the pumpkin ale is amazing). The service, on the other hand, could be improved. A couple of the waitresses are quite personable, but the rest just plain unfriendly. Pros: Food, Stout, Locale Cons: Service more