Beer Table

Many (pretty expensive) choices. The offered samples but I really wanted more descriptions for the beers. So hard to choose from the, seemingly, random names.

Cute setup. Nice staff. Good beer selection. Meh selection of drafts. Nothing special for the hype, though it’s always nice to bring your man to a place that specializes in beers. I would go with the flight next time if I came — a decent spot to have a drink before dinner.

radishes and carrots, plain crudite, butter and salt.
welsh rarebit. pickles, very sweet branston-​y pickles
laboratoria del gelato sorbet.
The first course (crudite) was super plain. I like it, but it was a lot of very plain.
The welsh rarebit was pretty delicious. That said, rarebit + two very lazy courses is pretty slim pickings for $ 25. Beers are delicious if overpriced. I’m fine with simple, but the other things have to be better to justify it.
The sorbet was kept way too cold. It’s not made in store so they could at least keep it at a comfortable temperature. As is, I had to chop the sorbet up with my spoon until it was smooth enough to spoon comfortably. It paired ridiculously well with a rochefort 10 though.
The other customers confidently provided a few entertaining exchanges while wearing very weird sweaters.
Girl: Isn’t welsh rarebit like, just bread and cheese?
Guy: No, it’s definitely rabbit on toast covered in cheese sauce.
Girl: i think it’s vegetarian
Guy: definitely not.
different Guy: All of that stuff (referring to, we later surmised, various international conflicts) is all Bush’s fault though, Obama didn’t really want to get involved in any of it.
But I guess a lot of good beer will give you that kind of confidence.

Beer Table is in my opinon, a place for Beer LOVERS. The owner is a sweet gentleman, who is clearly obsessed with beer and his business. He was hospitable and able to give succinct descriptions of the beers we were interested in and led us to the right match.
But you have to understand that it is for Beer LOVERS. There are a couple slightly-​above-​average price ($ 7) beers on tap, but they only get higher. For myself, who is a Beer LIKER, if there was a little more in that range and then maybe 2 thirds of the higher priced beers, It might generate more appeal to the people who just Like Beer and Want a beer and Want to go to Beer Table. But I’m not a beer expert, so it just doesn’t hold the same meaning to me, all I can see if $ 40 for a bottle of beer and I can’t justify that. So that is my fault, not Beer Table’s. I love the atmosphere though and the service which like I said was hands-​on direct from the owner. Also, the beer I did try, I really enjoyed. Just wish there was more cool beers for the everyday woman to try out.
Also, I imagine Beer Table is working with limited space by their food offerings. Don’t get me wrong, I really dig that they have just one three course menu each day. I think that’s smart and family style, but I could go for some more snack offerings. Its tough, when you’re drinking a beer at 5pm and trying to decide between pickled peanuts and a three course meal. Maybe a couple more of those small snacks or a couple heavier items.

If you are familiar with 5 or more beers being offered at any point in time by Beer Table, you have what could be considered an unhealthy knowledge of beer. Beer Table stocks a list of brews that, for me at least, are always new and interesting. I’ve rarely ever heard of the brewers making the beers offered here, much less the specific beers on the menu. This is a celebration of the craft of brewing and the pricing reflects that as well.
Beer Table is a fairly small spot with a few long tables meant to be shared by patrons. There isn’t much in the way of signage marking this spot and, if you just looked through the window, you’d probably never peg this as a beer haven. The interior looks more like what you’d expect of a small wine bar or maybe a restaurant. And, technically, I suppose Beer Table is a restaurant as well. They offer a limited menu which seems largely comprised of small plates. The brunch selection (also small plates) is interesting and well executed, with the pickled eggs being a standout amongst the items I tried.
But make no mistake, beer is the feature here. As I mentioned, the list here is always packed with beers that I’ve never heard of nor seen. It’s entirely craft brew as well. You won’t find any of the standard American swill or any of the common European fare that makes its way to the taps of US bars. This is beer that comes from a tiny monastery in a town you’ve never heard of in Europe or is brewed by a traveling Brew Master who leases brewing operations to produce a single batch. The prices reflect that uniqueness and rarity as well. Most beers here are going to run you $ 10 or more with some getting into the $ 40 range. Many of these are served in large (500 mL or more) bottles, so the price isn’t always as high as it initially seems. And don’t be intimidated by the list. The staff here know their beer and have always guided me with expert advice and recommendations.
At the end of the day, Beer Table is not going to be the place I recommend when I’m out for a long night with friends. But, it’s not meant to be that kind of place. This place is geared toward sipping an interesting glass of something with flavor rather than plowing through 10 light beers and dancing along to whatever is on the jukebox. Not that there’s anything wrong with the latter.

I recently had dinner here with a bunch of lovely ladies and it was great. I was thinking about my dinner for days afterward.
Everything we were served was great, from the selection of appetizers, the kale salad, the johnnycakes (!! super excited to see them called that outside New England), and the star of the show, the chicken. The dessert looked interesting and tasty, but I didn’t have any, because it was banana and I am not a fan. By the end of the meal I looked like I had swallowed the whole chicken, and I would’ve eaten more of it if more had been put in front of me.
Their beer selection was fantastic — some on tap but more by the bottle. I wish I knew more about beer and was more of a beer connoisseur so that I could’ve taken advantage of it, I chose a beer I’ve already had instead of being adventurous. They also offered a few wines and cocktails for those of us who aren’t that into beer.
The owner was our server and he was wonderful. He didn’t hate us for mostly showing up 15+ minutes late (I think one of us was on time!), and explained everything in detail.
Beer Table would’ve earned all 5 stars even without such beautiful dinner companions, so that really sent it over the top. Also, if I could give out bonus points, props to whoever chose to put The Flaming Lips’ «The Soft Bulletin» on the stereo that night. I may’ve been the only one who noticed or cared at all, but I loved it.

Be here.
Beer coinnesuers unite! This hall has many unfamiliar brews for those who seek uncharted territory in beer tasting. Try the Dr. Fritz Briem brews (1809, Grut Bier) for old recipes from Germany, or try some of the newer American Craft brews like Founders. There are many styles (and price points) to choose from. Cheers!

I already reviewed Beer Table’s location in Grand Central Terminal. This time, it’s for the original outpost.
It’s good. The beer is good. I was there when they closed the kitchen to do their fixed price dinner (which I enjoyed watching come out to the next table over but didn’t get to taste) which was fun.
Now, like most places in the same theme, the beer ranges from quite reasonable to «ARE YOU KIDDING ME?». Watch the menu and order accordingly, but I take this as a good thing — if you want the hard-​to-​find beer, you can get it, but if you just want some suds make sure you buy at the lower end of the price range.
If I’m in the area I’ll go visit again, but this is a tough market and much as I like the place it’s hard to justify too long of a subway ride given more local competition.

The family dinner is FABULOUS. The starters are refreshing and light, the lamb is so tender and not too heavy, and dessert is fantastic (grasshopper pie!). Grab a group of 8 friends and go!

My experience at Beer Table was absolutely wonderful from beginning to (almost) end.
I went with a friend on a hot Thursday night. There were plenty of open seats, indie music played in the background, and as we chatted with a warm breeze blowing through the open windows, I was in summer night heaven. We both loved our beers — crisp, refreshing and strong. I’m definitely a beer girl, though I have to admit to not knowing a lot about it. But the descriptions on the menu where so specific, it was easy as pie to choose the perfect beer for me.
The bartender was super friendly (and cute), and even though we didn’t order food, he brought water without us even having to ask.
The wooden communal tables topped with oil lamps are beautiful, as are the lights hanging from the ceiling made from repurposed mason jars. Everything felt so comfortable and lovely. It’s the kind of place I could pass hours and hours in and not even notice the time going by.
The only little hiccup in my otherwise amazing experience came when the bartender gave us the bill. $ 47.91 for four beers. Ouch. I would say you get what you pay for, but there are plenty of other craft beer bars in the Slope that are just as nice for half the price.
Though, I can’t help wanting to go back, anyway. But maybe I’ll wait for a time when someone else is paying.

Stopped by on a rare visit to Brooklyn after visiting the Grand Central outpost on the way to CT. The excellent selection at GC left me curious what the full size location would have on offer.
The selection of beers was interesting, though generally rather on the expensive side — not so bad for committed beer enthusiasts. The staff was knowledgeable, if not evidently enthusiastic.
While the space is small, it is certainly conducive of enjoying some unique brews and meeting interesting people.

This place is everything that Park Slope has become. Snobby, nasty, overpriced horrible service and RUDENESS.
I hope places like these go away and FAST
When there on Paddy’s day the place was empty. Showed up with 15 people which would have increased their sales by 10 fold. They were rude nasty and dam near asked us to leave.
If you consider yourself a snobby hipster you will fit right in here!

We had a really successful group event and rented out the entire bar. Most of our guests had never visited but were eager to return. The food was great and complemented the beer. Owner Justin is EXTREMELY knowledgeable — I’d love to go to a class there.
Lots of people tried to come by during our event but we had to turn them away. This is worth a stop if you are in Brooklyn, and worth a visit TO Brooklyn. Or swing by the location in Grand Central — Beer Table Pantry.

Beer Table is both adored by and irritating to NY beer geeks in that they score some pretty rare drafts but sometimes charge a hefty premium for those drafts. A friend and I came here over the summer to sample Galaxy Imperial Single Hop and tasted a few other things as well. You have the option of full servings or tasting samples so definitely take advantage of that because it’s worth trying several things.
The space is really tiny with only a few large communal tables so it’s kinda cramped. It’s definitely a good spot for a date too if you’re both beer aficionados and no being able to down four PBR tallboys by yourself doesn’t count. The décor is very wood and brick oriented with low lighting and the kitchen is very close too.

Beer Table is a unique experience… it’s really worth the visit just to talk with the staff and waiters about beer. And they will talk beer with you.
I love the passion and spirit of the place. It’s so unique and supportive of local craft brewers… I find it totally infectious.
I’ve also attended a lecture and found it equally interesting. The educational mission surrounding beer really sets this place apart from others.
Plus — it’s also just a great quiet place to grab a drink with a friend. The staff is great at engaging people and knowing when to just let you sit and enjoy a good beer.

From some of the negative reviews, I expected to find snooty waiters in tuxedos charging me for a peek at the menu. Nothing could be further from the truth. Beer Table is simply three long communal counters in a small space surrounded by the carefully curated repository of ingredients such as freeze dried carrot shreds in big jars (these made their way into a salad) and hanging dried sorrel bunches harvested from a nearby vacant lot (these are about to appear in a beer).
Most places that serve craft beers rely on a few distributors; even at the legendary Toronado in SF the same 3 or 4 brewers appear over and over again. By contrast the beers at Beer Table are incredibly diverse reflecting personal sourcing from a wide range of brewers in the US and abroad. You should be willing to pay extra for that. Although not a lot; I don’t agree that the beers are unreasonably priced. My Imperial pint of IPA (name unimportant since it will change by the time you go) was a good buy at $ 9 and knocked me on my ass for the rest of the afternoon.
We had the brunch with the waffles (a bit dry, but nice with maple syrup) and caramelized slab bacon (hello heart attack, and worth it). Definitely worth four stars and I’m kicking in an extra to counteract some of the other comments.

Am I missing something? Or is this place remarkably un-​awesome?
I was out with the hubby and a a friend of ours one Friday night back in the day. We had already been for a couple drinks down the street at the much-​loved Bar 4 and thought we would continue the fun by trying out the much-​hyped Beer Table.
Let me say that I love beer. I grew up in Wisconsin — beer courses through my veins. I love to sample new kinds of beer. I love to be in environments where others love beer. But I do not love the Beer Table.
A few of the deal-​breakers for me:
-$ 14 for a «rare» beer that is $ 6 – 7 less than a block away
-«Small and intimate» translates into «Sitting on top of a stranger»
Beer is, by its very nature, un-​pretentious. Designing a beer bar to be as snobby and over-​priced as the Beer Table is as incongruous as a biker bar serving only virgin margaritas (no salt). I am all about classing up beer — serve rare international varieties, serve it paired with complementary food. But remember, it’s a beer. You have not split an atom, or invented a cure for cancer… you have served a beer. A tasty beer, sure. But still a beer. And I personally prefer mine served without an extra side of pretention.

Other than the price of a beer, what’s not to like about this place?
They have a bunch of interesting beers here. Mostly bottles with a few draughts. Don’t expect to find Bud Light or Coors here. With that being said, I don’t think there was a beer here for less than $ 9.00. I could be wrong about that, but most seemed to be in the range of 10 – 15 with some being much more expensive than that.
The prix fixe meal is a steal. $ 25 for 3 courses. The white bean purée is great. Like hummus but creamier and better. Also, the bacon was awesome — nice, fatty and a mellow maple flavor. Definitely can’t go wrong with these two dishes.

Unless you’re rich, it’s pretty silly to go here. At least not regularly. In this city, you can get beer and food that’s just as good, rare, and interesting (or even more so) for much less than it costs here.
It is a neat experience though, the three wooden tables in this dimly lit yuppie zone, and the server who can go on presumably indefinitely enunciating the nuances of the flavors of each beer, keeping a straight face the whole time, despite your stoned friend giggling into your shoulder at the arguably ridiculous long winded descriptions.
Basically, you’re paying to be forced to really enjoy your food and beer. You’re paying to be made more conscious of what you’re consuming, and that’s worth doing every now and then. The lengthy descriptions of the beer really fire up your dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and neuroimaging studies have shown reliably that this sort of thing really does lead to enhanced enjoyment, whether the purported «prune, granite, earthy, truffle, hibiscus,» tones are «really there» or not.
So a few times a year, even us non-​rich folks really should go with a group of good friends to places like this and pay a little (or a lot) extra to be forced to stop and smell the roses (and the clove and the malt and the tobacco…)

Beer Table is like the bed and breakfast of beer joints — welcoming, warm, cozy, romantic, and, sure, a little expensive. I don’t get paid enough to come here as often as I do, but I guess sometimes I like to forget about that whole money issue. It helps to not feel as guilty forking over the cash when it’s at a place as good as Beer Table.
The proprietors are extremely knowledgeable and have this restrained passion about them as to not scare first-​timers off with unbridled beer enthusiasm. They will often describe not only the beers, but the type of region and culture from which they came. Mind you, they never come off as snobs or aloof or holier than thou or however else you want to spell pretentious. It’s a tough prejudice to shake when talking about daily rotating specialty beer menus. Reducing them to bartenders would be an insult. In fact, they come off more like cool professors. Except while Beer 101 may be the class being taught at the local corner tavern by the out-​of-​work actor, Beer Table is the 400-​level thesis course.
Naturally, all of this is null and void if the beer itself does not live up to the hype. And thankfully, it does — tremendously so. You’d be hard-​pressed to find other places that can match Beer Table’s offerings — let alone all in one place. The drafts are always a good bet because you are encouraged to sample a taste so you know what you are getting yourself into. As for the bottles, you’ll have to take their word for it, either from the proprietors themselves or from the buzz words associated to their beers printed on the menu. Some can taste like wine or whiskey and will be labeled with such a descriptor as «boozy». Others may say things like «sausage in a glass». Pick your poison.
The place is tiny and can get packed very easily. Because of this, I happen to prefer Beer Table on slower nights. I also feel that the establishment only having three tables for patrons ups its intimacy factor — when its not violating some fire occupancy code. Of course, it helps that I live right around the corner and have the luxury of choosing to step through the door or not based on the crowd without really being inconvenienced. Be forewarned, however, I have walked past here many times with customers literally spilling out the front windows.
When all is said and done, Beer Table is a true staple of the neighborhood. Bringing Park Slope virgins here gives your guests a legitimate sense of what the area is all about. Not only is Beer Table one of best little gems in Brooklyn, it’s one of the best little gems in all five boroughs and beyond.