Amsterdam Brewpub - almost a year later, any thoughts?

[ercousin]

For me the lack of non-core lineup beers is the primary reason for not going there very often despite living a mere 15 minute walk away.

What makes your brewpub special if I can get most of your lineup at the LCBO/TBS and many bars? Or perhaps we're any afterthought and the focus is on the general public instead?

I've been there 4 or 5 times now and the blackboard (behind the glass in the brewery) is always full of one offs, but the waitresses are generally unaware of what is on tap.

I take a look at the blackboard on my way in and then ask for something on it. If they tell me it's not on tap I ask them to double check since it's listed as on tap on the blackboard. 100% of the time they come back and say they were mistaken and it is available.

[lister]

I've been there 4 or 5 times now and the blackboard (behind the glass in the brewery) is always full of one offs, but the waitresses are generally unaware of what is on tap.

The menu is unaware too.

I take a look at the blackboard on my way in and then ask for something on it. If they tell me it's not on tap I ask them to double check since it's listed as on tap on the blackboard. 100% of the time they come back and say they were mistaken and it is available.

I'll do that the next time I'm there which likely will be next summer as I've done my annual summer sit-in-the-muskoka-chair-staring-at-the-water-and-the-passersbys.

[lister]

I take it the location and patio are what they are mostly selling; I would not call it a real Brew Pub model so much as a Sports Bar, and maybe that pays the obscenely high rent.

And that gets me there once a year in the summer on a nice day. It doesn't get me to return until next year as I'd rather spend my limited disposable cash at Bar Hop or C'est What or if I feel like venturing further afoot Volo/Bellwoods/Get Well.

[TwoPint]

This week on DineSafe:

Amsterdam BrewHouse (245 Queen Quay West)
Inspected on: August 11, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to thoroughly cook hazardous food item(s).

[atomeyes]

This week on DineSafe:

Amsterdam BrewHouse (245 Queen Quay West)
Inspected on: August 11, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to thoroughly cook hazardous food item(s).

hrm.
honestly, that doesn't fully put me off. it happens. well, having 3 Crucials isn't cool. but it happens.
their kitchen is run by the same people who do Gabby's and Mill St

[TwoPint]

This week on DineSafe:

Amsterdam BrewHouse (245 Queen Quay West)
Inspected on: August 11, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Employee fail to wash hands when required. Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated. Operator fail to thoroughly cook hazardous food item(s).

hrm.
honestly, that doesn't fully put me off. it happens. well, having 3 Crucials isn't cool. but it happens.
their kitchen is run by the same people who do Gabby's and Mill St

If it had been three or four infractions then I wouldn't have bothered posting but nine is a significant number. Since June 30, 71 places have shown up in BlogTO's DineSafe articles. Of that number, 54 had five or fewer infractions. The highest number of infractions was nine and only two places had that.

[napoleon]

If it had been three or four infractions then I wouldn't have bothered posting but nine is a significant number. Since June 30, 71 places have shown up in BlogTO's DineSafe articles. Of that number, 54 had five or fewer infractions. The highest number of infractions was nine and only two places had that.

I'm much more worried about the awful taste of the food there than their DineSafe score. Has anyone ever had a nice meal there? The tables on the lake are the only (non-beer) thing going for this place.

[jeremyg]

If it had been three or four infractions then I wouldn't have bothered posting but nine is a significant number. Since June 30, 71 places have shown up in BlogTO's DineSafe articles. Of that number, 54 had five or fewer infractions. The highest number of infractions was nine and only two places had that.

I'm much more worried about the awful taste of the food there than their DineSafe score. Has anyone ever had a nice meal there? The tables on the lake are the only (non-beer) thing going for this place.

yeah, wasn't a fan of their food at all

on the flipside, a place like mill st. has very good food but then you have to drink their beer...

[atomeyes]

If it had been three or four infractions then I wouldn't have bothered posting but nine is a significant number. Since June 30, 71 places have shown up in BlogTO's DineSafe articles. Of that number, 54 had five or fewer infractions. The highest number of infractions was nine and only two places had that.

I'm much more worried about the awful taste of the food there than their DineSafe score. Has anyone ever had a nice meal there? The tables on the lake are the only (non-beer) thing going for this place.

yeah, wasn't a fan of their food at all

on the flipside, a place like mill st. has very good food but then you have to drink their beer...

same company doing the food at both.

eaten at Amsterdam twice i think. once was opening week and the burgers were bland.
had thier pizza months later and actually liked it. not stellar but not pizza pizza.
i've just come to realize that the brewpub isn't for you and i. it is for tourists.

[TwoPint]

They rang up 9 infractions again: http://www.blogto.com/eat_drink/2017/09/toronto-dinesafe-asian-legend-dennys-amsterdam-brewhouse-starbucks/.

[Belgian]

Dining out in Ontario is often not great.

That said, Amsterdam at Queen's Quay last summer did not completely embarrass me to my visiting family guest, in fact the view was delightful as the fog cleared revealing the awesome shoreline view. Very survivable experience, totally OK to stop there on the way from the Island ferry to the CN Tower.

I recently had the pleasure of trying Lake Inez, now THAT is real food worth paying a kitchen to prepare with skill, love and intelligence.

[beerstodiscover]

I was here on a beautiful day this weekend. The location and venue are really great. However not much about the service has changed in the 2 years since I last visited.

My server did not really know what was on tap despite me grilling him 2-3 times asking about what else is available. I walked down to the bar and inspected the chalkboard for myself and found some interesting options (El Dorado Saison, Apricot Sour.) The chalkboard is also not accurate and reflects what could (should?) be available. Space Invader, KLB Raspberry Wheat and Fracture were prominently displayed on the chalk board, but not available.

I had to learn through the grape vine that Space Invader was back about an hour later and tell my waiter to go check the other bars, which he did.

The service is generally confused with some drinks/food arriving twice and sometimes not at all, sometimes waiting 20 mins for a beer. However sitting on the sunny patio by the water somehow takes the sting out of the spotty service.

Also, IMO the food here is pretty good.

[MatttthewGeorge]

No amount of good food or good patio would convince me to go with service like that.

[S. St. Jeb]

No amount of good food or good patio would convince me to go with service like that.

Yah, being at a 'regular' restaurant, you may run in to a server who doesn't know the beer list well, but that's not acceptable at a beer bar or brew house. It's really rather surprising to hear.

[seangm]

I was here on a beautiful day this weekend. The location and venue are really great. However not much about the service has changed in the 2 years since I last visited.

My server did not really know what was on tap despite me grilling him 2-3 times asking about what else is available. I walked down to the bar and inspected the chalkboard for myself and found some interesting options (El Dorado Saison, Apricot Sour.) The chalkboard is also not accurate and reflects what could (should?) be available. Space Invader, KLB Raspberry Wheat and Fracture were prominently displayed on the chalk board, but not available.

I had to learn through the grape vine that Space Invader was back about an hour later and tell my waiter to go check the other bars, which he did.

The service is generally confused with some drinks/food arriving twice and sometimes not at all, sometimes waiting 20 mins for a beer. However sitting on the sunny patio by the water somehow takes the sting out of the spotty service.

Also, IMO the food here is pretty good.

I was there this weekend as well and my experience was pretty much exactly as described. Lots of beers unavailable, servers were unsure of the replacement beers, service was at times slow and inconsistent. I generally avoid huge sprawling restaurants for good reason, but sometimes it can't be avoided unless I forgo my social life. At the end of the day it's better than a bulk of the generic crappy chain restaurants that dominate the core and touristy areas, but not somewhere I'm eager to return.