Bare Bones Grill and Brewery - Ellicott City, MD Brewery/BrewPub/Beer Bar Reviews
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September 05, 2008 @ 11:57 PM EDT
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Type: Beer Bar
Bare Bones Grill and Brewery
Overall: Great    Score: 73 / 100
9150 Baltimore-National Turnpike
Ellicott City, MD 21042
United States
(410) 461-0770
website
Listed Since: May 1996
Last Updated: March 2004

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Beer Guide for Ellicott City, MD
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alternatives
(2 within 5 miles)
1) Clyde's of Columbia
(4 miles)

2) Tomato Palace
(4 miles)

bed & breakfasts
within 5 miles
1) Amanda's Bed & Breakfast
2) Wayside Inn
nearby hotels
w/ online reservations
1) EXTENDEDSTAY COLUMBIA 100 PRKWY
2) HILTON COLUMBIA
3) PERALYNNA CORP EXTENDED STAY
4) SHERATON COLUMBIA HOTEL
5) TURF VALLEY RESORT
(historic places)
within 5 miles
1) Brick House on the Pike
2) Dorsey Hall
3) Waverley
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restaurants

(within 2 miles)
1) Alexandra's Fine Dining Rstrnt
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Overall Average User Rating
Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
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Review Page: [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ ALL ]
Individual User Reviews
Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Great Great So So So So Good
They don't brew their own beer here. I heard, but not confirmed, that they use micros made in the area with their own labels on the taps....Fordham, Clipper City, Clay Pipe.....who knows? But anyway the brews were tasty but the food was ehh. We had good service but like other reviewers their were clearly folks not being properly tended to. Worth checking out the beers and scene.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review Baltimore, MD
(01/25/2008)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Good Great Good
Im confused by this place as Clipper City BC (and others?) used to brew their beer since they sold off the brewery equipment a few years ago, but my understanding is they no longer contract with a Maryland brewery. So who makes it? I get different answers depending on who you talk to.

Either way they offer a good happy hour with cheap larger size drafts and its non-smoking now which is great for my family.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Beertrekker Beertrekker, Ellicott City, MD
(11/14/2007)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good So So Good Good Good
Only four of the "house" beers on tap, and regrettably they were the four on the lightest end of what I remember from their selection. I always used to enjoy stopping in Cockeysville for their seasonals, which often were very good, but now I must guess are extinct. If I told you that I ordered a Clipper City Winter Storm, would that explain things? If you like beers on the light (flavorwise) side, this is a perfectly good stop. Happy Hour specials/buffet weekdays.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Beav Beav, York, PA
(01/01/2005)


Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Awesome! Great Good Good Great
The service was good, but I was sitting at the bar so it kind of hard to be ignored. There was a family seated without a drink order taken for over 18 minutes. They eventually left annoyed. They had come in and left unnoticed by the wait staff. They have five standards on tap. They are Hunt Valley Light, Golden Ale, English Pale Ale, Red Ale, Porter. To give an objective opinion the beers are perfect examples of their respective styles per the Beer Judge Certification Program style guidelines. Each beer was clean without any detectable off-flavors. I was especially impressed with the Hunt Valley Light, because it was also flawless. Which many brewpubs have a difficult time achieving. However, my personal taste lean toward the Porter.

That leaves Ellicott City 2 for 2in the brewpub scene. If I’m every in or near Ellicott City I’ll definitely try to stop in.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from AC AC, Houston, TX
(05/19/2004)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
Not a brewpub...it's this weird Maryland law. You can only have one brewpub in a chain. So all the beer is brewed at Cockeysville and shipped here. That might make it a tied house, but it's for sure not a brewpub, there is NO brewery here. But it doesn't serve a bunch of different beers, either, just Bare Bones beers (which are good!).

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Lew Bryson Lew Bryson, Langhorne, PA
(10/08/2003)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Good Great Great
I personally like the atmosphere at Bare Bones and the folks that work in the bar - they are very friendly. An important factor to me is that it is not so smoky that you can't stand it, if you happen to have sensitivities to cigaratte smoke. This review checklist leaves off "entertainment" and "specials". Of late, Bare Bones has been having some great bands in on Saturday nights. The only downside of this success is that the bands have gotten people up and wanting to dance, and the floorspace is limited for that kind of thing. In terms of specials, Saturday nights from 10:00-1:00 pints of beer are $2.00 and selected appetizers are half price. It's a good deal. Friday night happy hours, I think 4:00-7:00 are a good deal too with reduced beer prices and free appetizers. Check it out.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Dan Rennels Dan Rennels, Union Bridge, MD
(06/28/2003)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Great Good So So So So Good
Tiber Red, wonderful aroma and a great taste...my date and I split a crab pretzel which was pretty good.

Atmosphere was very clean but empty

My biggest problem was I think the staff could have been more helpful. I had two glasses (12oz) of the Tiber Red at the regular price (2.75 I think. It was ladies night and I am a lady and Tiber red was also the featured beer that night. Turns out, under two different specials, I could have had 16 oz beers for 2.00

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Jenni Jenni, Baltimore, MD
(10/25/2002)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Lousy Lousy Lousy
We came to your restaurant for the first and last time a week ago when your "special" was trout stuffed with "crab imperial." We had to ask for bread, and the server told us that "no one likes the bread here!!" The trout was stuffed with what appeared to be parsley-infused mayonnaise with a litle bit of crab meat - not "crab imperial!!" The food was almost cold when we got our meal....

Maybe you should get out of the seafood business and stick with ribs!!!!

WE WON'T BE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review Baltimore, MD
(08/15/2002)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
So So Good Great Great Good
The food and the service were very good, but the beers I tried were fair at best.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Rex Browning Rex Browning, Yakima, WA
(04/20/2002)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Awesome! Great Great
Very good selection of meat, especially their barbeque. The beers are all brewed at their other location and don't seem to travel well, so the beers served here don't seem to taste as good as they used to. Also a different malt is used, so the flavers aren't as unique as they once were. Still, a good effort is made and they serve a flavorful variety.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Foamee Foamee, Columbia, MD
(04/08/2002)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Good Good Good
On June 12, the Patapsco Valley Gold, Tiber River Red, and Old Ellicott Ale were on tap; a guest beer was offered in place of the Savage Mill Porter. I was told that brewing would be done at both locations, though that disagrees with my understanding of state licensing.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Paul E. Milligan Paul E. Milligan, Columbia, MD
(06/21/2001)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Awesome! So So Good
With the opening of the new location north of baltimore, brewing has ceased at this location, making it a beer bar with house beers only. And since the brewery in Cockeysville isn't running yet, they've basically sold through all their in-house beers. Guest beers, such as Stoudt's and Magic Hat, are filling the void. Food is great, but the server offered me a Stoudt's Honey Double Maibock based on the tap handle, not knowing that a wrong handle had been installed (it was the weizen). Tried to make up for it by offering me a Pete's Summer Ale, which turned out to be the house Old Ellicott Ale. They will run out of house ale before Cockeysville is ready at this rate; just eat great food instead.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Alexander D. Mitchell IV Alexander D. Mitchell IV, Baltimore, MD
(06/07/2001)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Awesome! Good Good
I tried the sampler and enjoyed but was not overwhelmed by the 4 standards (and American Pale Ale, a Red Ale, a Porter, and a Brown Ale???) with a seasonal Scottish Ale and somebody elses product. i found all to be good but none to be spectactular. But the ribs there are SPECTACTULAR!!! they served a nice salad and the ribs were just flat out great. had a Savage Mill Porter with the ribs and enjoyed this beer the best, a full and robust porter. Also had the Tiber River Red which had a nice taste but did not jump out for my taste buds. I think the beers here are descent representations of their style without being superior. After dinner i went to Ellicott Mills and had a nice session with their brews (which i consider far superior). i would go back (licking my lips now and drolling thinking about those ribs) but can't say i am in any great rush.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from John Dicken John Dicken, Pasadena, MD
(05/07/2001)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Great Great N/A Great Great
I liked Bare Bones. I thought they had moved since I was there about 4 years ago but they hadn't. It's easy to find, right on the main drag. All the beers were good, particularly the porter, stout, and gold. The root beer was good, too. The gold was round and buttery and the dark beers had good body. It was a fun stop.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from "Beer Island", Lancaster, PA
(05/08/2000)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
So So Good Lousy Lousy So So
Not impressed, another restaurant trying to be something they are not. A REAL BREWPUB.....

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Mike Finnley Mike Finnley, Columbia, MD
(04/03/2000)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Good Good Good
These ales are nice, but not exceptional. There are no false notes, but there are some missing ones. The golden ale, English-style ale, red, and seasonal scotch ale are all in the right vein, but just shy of the mark. The porter reminded me more of a stout, but also a bit shy. I thought the seasonal abbey dubbel came closest to a great rating. This is all faint praise, but praise none the less. I like Bare Bones as a family-priced restaurant with a good happy hour and nice beers.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Paul E. Milligan Paul E. Milligan, Columbia, MD
(02/23/2000)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Good Good Good Good Good
Respectable establishment but neither the beers nor food will knock your socks off. Beers are somewhat flavorful but lack distinctive character. McMahon Ale is the best choice with bit of hoppy bite.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Steve L. Steve L., Ellicott City, MD
(02/18/2000)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Great Great Good Great Great
I am usually f=very suspect of "strip shopping center" brewpubs, I've had so-so experiences with them throughout the country. This was the exception. The beer was very good, loved the Porter< and the service was excellent. It was nice to get a couple of buy-backs through the evening. A sign of good staff and an honest establishment. The food, not so bad. I have definitiely had better, but I've also had much worse. For the travelling businessman, it is a slight drive from downtown Baltimore, but well worth it.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Gregg Bieri Gregg Bieri, Bailey, CO
(02/12/2000)

Beer Quality Beer Selection Food Service Overall
Great Good So So Great Great
The pale is very well done, a very interesting porter, too. Ribs were a bit dry for a place depending on them, but good, nevertheless. Great staff, friendly and helpful.

Write Your Review Reply to this Review Report Review See more reviews from Mike McMahon Mike McMahon, St. Leonard, MD
(09/07/1999)