Chelsea Brewing

(212) 336-6440

59 Chelsea Piers Ste 62
New York, NY 10011 40.7449 -74.0084

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CHELSEABREWINGCO.COM

Last updated 4.01.09

Category:

Restaurants, Sports Bars, Nightclubs, Brew Pubs, Brew Pubs, Singles Bars, Bars & Pubs

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Club Special Features:

Outdoor Seating, After Work

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Chelsea Brewing

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Outside, the crowd's a mixed bag--which is surprising considering the establishment's connection with the preppy-posh Chelsea Piers Sports Club. You'll find just-showered jocks, random tourists and office parties toasting birthday celebrants and departing co-workers. Inside, there's more of a pick-up vibe. As the night wears on and the crowd overflows, the service tends to swiftly decline. Patio-dwellers, beware: Unless you've snagged a table by the door, you'll lose your buzz before you can flag down your server for another round.

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
You're not here for the food, but there's plenty to choose from: appetizers, salads, brick-oven pizzas, sandwiches, pastas and full-on entrees.
What to Drink:
The brewed-on-the-premises beer choices include: Pier 59 Pale Ale, Chelsea Cream Stout, Sunset Red Ale, Checker Cab Blonde Ale, Summer Wheat, Blueberry Wheat. Checker Cab is the most popular year-round--it's crisp, dry and goes down easy. Sunset Red is similar to Killian's, with a light fruitiness.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The staff was friendly, especially the hostess, the view was nice of the river and the beers were unique and GOOD!”
drinks
61.36000156402588% positive
  1. “Mediocre: so-so food counters good beer”
  2. “While this style of pub may be good for some folks, I found the mahogony bar, cigar room, and crowd a bit obnoxious for my taste the few tim.”
  3. “Our waiter was nice, but didn't know too much about the beer, and was hard to get.”
  4. “The Chelsea Brewing Company not only has horrible customer service and business practices- it has mediocre food and beer.”
  5. “Disorganized, over-crowded, rude staff, impossible to reach bar.”
  6. “Food was fantastic, beer phenomonal, service was superb!”
  7. “The staff was friendly, especially the hostess, the view was nice of the river and the beers were unique and GOOD!”
  8. “Regardless, I introduced myself to our server with a big smile and let him know we were celebrating and very generous tippers, slipping him a $20 before we even ordered a drink.”
  9. “do not order the over-priced horrible food or a mixed drink from this place!”
  10. “The Blonde Ale is delicious, and they have a beer for all tastes - Stout, IPA, Wheat, fruit flavored ( in addition to a full bar).”
  11. “had to track down our waiter for menus, then to place drink orders and then to order food.”
food quality
55.879998207092285% positive
  1. “Go to Brooklyn Brewery instead, where you can at least order or bring your own food!”
  2. “The Blonde Ale is delicious, and they have a beer for all tastes - Stout, IPA, Wheat, fruit flavored ( in addition to a full bar).”
  3. “do not order the over-priced horrible food or a mixed drink from this place!”
  4. “Everyone was equally disappointed in the food.”
  5. “There are so many restaurants in New York, they should at least give some kind of an effort for good food.”
  6. “had not been back since the end of the summer last year since the service and the food had not been that great.”
  7. “Bad service and worst overpriced food”
  8. “had to track down our waiter for menus, then to place drink orders and then to order food.”
  9. “But I decided to go back with a couple of my girlfriends and I thought that the food was getting better and the service wasn't that bad.”
  10. “Terrible service & food”
  11. “My burger was not very good.”
  12. “The Chelsea Brewing Company not only has horrible customer service and business practices- it has mediocre food and beer.”
  13. “The fries were tasty and the stout was delicious.”
  14. “Sit out on the deck and enjoy the sunset, or dine inside for a more inimate meal.”
  15. “The food was decent and came as expected, but we waited over half an hour just to place our order and simply left money on the table 20 minutes after asking for the check, which never arrived.”
  16. “The food is absolutely terrible and ridiculously over priced - and I mean, ridiculously over priced especially for such poor quality.”
  17. “Mediocre: so-so food counters good beer”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “had to track down our waiter for menus, then to place drink orders and then to order food.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “But I decided to go back with a couple of my girlfriends and I thought that the food was getting better and the service wasn't that bad.”
service
64.7100019454956% positive
  1. “But I decided to go back with a couple of my girlfriends and I thought that the food was getting better and the service wasn't that bad.”
  2. “The service was so bad it was almost comic.”
  3. “had to track down our waiter for menus, then to place drink orders and then to order food.”
  4. “The staff is friendly, as are most of the patrons.”
  5. “The staff was friendly, especially the hostess, the view was nice of the river and the beers were unique and GOOD!”
  6. “had not been back since the end of the summer last year since the service and the food had not been that great.”
  7. “Our waiter was nice, but didn't know too much about the beer, and was hard to get.”
  8. “Note: we are a friendly group of people who love dining in NYC.”
  9. “The event staff (Colleen) was extremely helpful in setting up the private brewery tour and dinner reservations.”
  10. “The Chelsea Brewing Company not only has horrible customer service and business practices- it has mediocre food and beer.”
  11. “The service is horrendously slow and incompetent.”
  12. “Terrible service & food”
  13. “Regardless, I introduced myself to our server with a big smile and let him know we were celebrating and very generous tippers, slipping him a $20 before we even ordered a drink.”
  14. “Disorganized, over-crowded, rude staff, impossible to reach bar.”
  15. “Food was fantastic, beer phenomonal, service was superb!”
  16. “Bad service and worst overpriced food”
  17. “If you haven't been there lately, the service has improved greatly and the staff is always friendly.”
value
50.0% positive
  1. “Bad service and worst overpriced food”
  2. “The food was decent and came as expected, but we waited over half an hour just to place our order and simply left money on the table 20 minutes after asking for the check, which never arrived.”
  3. “The food is absolutely terrible and ridiculously over priced - and I mean, ridiculously over priced especially for such poor quality.”
  4. “Regardless, I introduced myself to our server with a big smile and let him know we were celebrating and very generous tippers, slipping him a $20 before we even ordered a drink.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “The food was decent and came as expected, but we waited over half an hour just to place our order and simply left money on the table 20 minutes after asking for the check, which never arrived.”
  2. “The service is horrendously slow and incompetent.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/10/09

So Bad it was Almost Comic!!

by venueguru at Citysearch

The experience started with so much potential. A group of good friends on a summer night, celebrating a friend’s birthday, we were all ready to drink, eat and be merry. On top of it, we were ready to spend some $$. Reservations in advance for 15, we arrived to a near empty bar, rudely greeted by the hostess. Regardless, I introduced myself to our server with a big smile and let him know we were celebrating and very generous tippers, slipping him a $20 before we even ordered a drink. Note: we are a friendly group of people who love dining in NYC.

Our beer was served with “hot” glasses which the server would not replace because that was apparently all the glasses they had (the enormous BREWERY that could seat a few 100 was almost empty). We kindly asked to move to a table on the outside patio, which took them 40 minutes to do because they claimed there was no room (clearly in our view the deck was half empty). We waited over a half hour for the server to take our dinner order, another hour after we finished dinner to have the cake brought out, which the waiter basically refused to bring out when kindly asked several times. Asking for the check, that was the fastest service we had received all night – gratuity added and the waiter said to me “be sure to leave an additional tip” WTF?!?!

The service was so bad it was almost comic.

What the Chelsea Brewery didn’t know was that within our group of friends was a restaurant critic for a major food publication, another critic for a well known NY magazine and myself – an events planner in NYC. They lost more business than just the 15 people that came to dinner that night. The food was sub-par.

  • Pros: The venue has potential if it were to change management
  • Cons: Worst Service in NYC
2 Star Rating: Below Average

06/08/09

Terrible service & food

by UptownGirl310 at Citysearch

Let's start with the good: I planned a surprise birthday party here for a large group of people. The event staff (Colleen) was extremely helpful in setting up the private brewery tour and dinner reservations.

The brewery tour was the best part of the evening. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and laid-back, perfect for our group of friends.

The next four hours were terrible. I had to track down our waiter for menus, then to place drink orders and then to order food. When we asked him about the beers, the waiter had absolutely no clue how they tasted. This was only made worse when he finally delivered the pitchers and had no idea which beer was in which container.

The food finally arrived, with only a few mix-ups of who ordered what. It was not worth the wait and definitely not worth the price; my $13 medium hamburger arrived burnt, cold and dry. Everyone was equally disappointed in the food. We didn't see our waiter again until 2.5 hours later when we tracked him down (in a now empty restaurant) for the check.

Save yourself the aggravation and money - go somewhere else.

  • Pros: Brewery tour, outdoor seating
  • Cons: Service, food, management
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/19/09

Come for the view, not the food.

by GramercyGal at Citysearch

Do not in anyway, shape, or form, make this a destination for the food. Come here only to sit outside on the water and have a beer. Otherwise, look elsewhere.

The food is absolutely terrible and ridiculously over priced - and I mean, ridiculously over priced especially for such poor quality. The service is horrendously slow and incompetent. The beer is ok. However, if you can manage to sit out in the sun next to the water, it's not a bad place to spend an afternoon. Just don't come hungry... even the appetizers aren't worth it, unless you only eat over priced, over cooked, fried food.

  • Pros: Marina view
  • Cons: The food, the service, the prices
3 Star Rating: Average

02/24/09

Try it, its getting better

by JUDITHSMITH1 at Citysearch

I had not been back since the end of the summer last year since the service and the food had not been that great. But I decided to go back with a couple of my girlfriends and I thought that the food was getting better and the service wasn't that bad. The only thing I would suggest is that is a renovation, the place looks run down and looks out dated. The beer wwas great and My friends and I will be coming back.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/30/09

Great place for a party!

by thegoldenmonk at Citysearch

I had a surprise 50th birthday party for my husband at Chelsea Brewing Company last weekend and it was fantastic! The party planner helped me plan every step of the way and the party went off without a hitch. Food was fantastic, beer phenomonal, service was superb! The tour of the brewery was an added bonus to my guests. I want to have my 50th birthday party in June at Chelsea Brewing Company too!

  • Pros: Fresh beer, excellent staff, great food selections
  • Cons: parking - pricey in Chelsea Piers parking lot

The Details on Chelsea Brewing

Place Categories:

  • order food
  • overpriced horrible food
  • horrendously slow customer service
  • friendly event staff
  • superb service
  • mediocre beer
  • great place
  • full mahogony bar
  • horrible mixed drink
  • very knowledgeable tour guide
  • nice waiter
  • tasty fries
  • horrible business practices
  • delicious blonde ale
  • rude staff
  • equally disappointed everyone
  • delicious stout
  • extremely helpful colleen
  • nice view
  • obnoxious cigar room
  • poor quality
  • obnoxious crowd
  • not very good burger
  • friendly group
  • enjoy sunset
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