Departed Business
 This entry refers to a departed business that has closed or left town. All information here is for historical reference only. |
|
Location |
| 2001 2nd Street |
| (Under the Pole Line Road overpass at 2nd St.) |
| Hours |
| Permanently Closed |
| Phone |
| (530) 758-8700 |
| Website |
|
not updated: http://www.sudwerk.com/Sudwerk.html |
|
https://www.facebook.com/Sudwerk-Restaurant-Brewery-1622066024720710/timeline/
|
| Founders |
| Ron Broward and Dean Unger |
| Opened |
|
1989 |
| Closed (Restaurant side only, For brewery see: http://sudwerkbrew.com/ ) |
|
June 30th, 2016 http://www.davisenterprise.com/business/restaurant-side-of-sudwerk-to-close/ |
Closure:
Reported by Comings and Goings column, published June 19, 2016:
"Sudwerk Restaurant is closing at the end of the month. Sudwerk Brewing Co. and Sudwerk Restaurant have been under separate ownership since 2006. Restaurant owner Tim McDonnell did not respond to requests to comment. The brewery operates a taproom, The Dock, which will not be affected.
McDonnell, a San Francisco resident, owns three other restaurants: Sudwerk BrewHouse Grille in Folsom, The Spinnaker in Sausalito, and Tarantino’s in Fisherman’s Wharf.
Sudwerk’s founders, Dean Unger and Ron Broward, were pioneers in the microbrewery field when they introduced the Davis brewpub in 1989. They sold the restaurant business to McDonnell in 2006. Unger died in 2011 and Broward died in 2013. Broward’s family still owns and manages the property, and Unger’s grandson is one of the brewery’s owners.
Longtime patrons and customers with reservations are being told about the impending closure. Sources say McDonnell negotiated with the landlord to keep it open through June, to accommodate graduation parties, and events like the Davis High School Class of 1956 reunion, set for June 25."
Sudwerk, short for Sudwerk Privatbrauerei Hübsch [Sudwerk Private Brewery Hübsch (family name)], is a Davis local microbrewery and restaurant of the same name. Popular among UCD students is the Dollar "Pint" Night which is on Wednesday nights. Every night there is a "Late Night Happy Hour" during the last hour-and-a-half before closing.
On July 1, 2006, the Sudwerk restaurant changed ownership.1 Live music was suspended during the ownership transition. The new owner is Tim McDonnell, the restaurateur who owns The Spinnaker in Sausalito and Tarantino's in San Francisco on Fisherman's Wharf.
There is also a tasting room in the loading dock called the Sudwerk Brewery Dock Store. The dock store has four taps serving specialty brews and blends. You can buy a flight of all four beers, a pint, or a growler from any of the specialty taps. The dock store also serves a firkin of cask conditioned beer on Fridays. The dock store hosts several live music events a month. Live music shows are free and open to the public. The pricing for the doc is as follows: $7 keep the mug pints with $4 refills $25 Growler and Fill $12 refills $3-5 22oz. Bottles $5 taster flight Annual Membership $100 (for new members)
One growler fill
$2.50 mug fills
A T-shirt
Dogs are welcome.....Cats must be on a leash.
Some German beer snobs say that this is the only beer that they will drink in California. The town's only microbrewery also makes some non-traditional beers, including a decent IPA which seems to always be on tap now, despite formerly being listed as a seasonal.
Sudwerk Brewery’s Pilsner beer was awarded a gold certificate and took home the first place award in its category at the 2011 California State Fair’s Commercial Craft Brew Competition. The California Craft Brew Competition takes place every year and is said to be among the most prestigious craft brewing competitions in the country. Sudwerk Brewery has won various awards in this competition over the years, including a "Best of Show" in 2010 and 1998.
In 2011, they entered into an agreement with UC Davis to produce Aggie Lager. It is estimated that the proceeds from the agreement will fund $25k yearly in scholarships. The logo for the beer is the Gunrock athletics logo, and can be spotted on the tap handle at the bar. It's also for sale around town.
Want to avoid trouble while eating and/or drinking here? Check out the Bar Taboos page before entering.
Events
Sudwerk hosts the annual Beer Fest in early June. The 2011 event was held on June 4. It typically brings more than 30 breweries with a total of more than 100 craft beers to taste. Tickets were $25 in 2007. In 2011 they were $35 pre-sale, $40 at the door.
They also host a large Oktoberfest event.
In August 2013 Sudwerk Brewery and de Vere's Irish Pub hosted the First Annual Davis Bike and Brew Fest, a family friendly beer festival with unlimited tastings from over 50 breweries and 10 wineries. Proceeds from the event went to benefit the US Bicycling Hall of Fame. The event was held downtown in Central Park.
Food and Drink
Be sure to check out the Doppelbock, a seasonal Sudwerk holiday brew. This is the best beer I've ever tasted. - KenjiYamada
- My wife and I video taped our Doppel Bock tasting session. It was fun, (and extremely nerdy). - justincox22
Sudwerk has entered into an agreement with UC Davis to offer Aggie Lager at Sudwerk and other local restaurants. Sudwerk is brewing the beer.
Good $$ to Alcohol ratio: The Sampler. 5 types (4*5=20 oz) of Sudwerk's own brew for a very low price (~$5.50). Good$$ to Alcohol ratio:
The Sudwerk truck parked on the side of I 80, visible as you come into town over the Yolo Causeway (circa 2003)
Beware: the beer served during Pint Nights is from the bottom of the barrel—literally. According to someone who used to work there, they use Wed. nights to get rid of the beer they would otherwise deem unworthy to sell.... That explains the worse-than-normal hangovers, eh? —ss
Do you also think that Natty and Keystone are from the bottom of Bud and Coors Barrels? There is no way that's true, the beers come straight from kegs and besides...the bottom of a barrel of beer is not "bad beer" it may have more yeast but in no way is it bad. Also, if anything it would give you LESS of a hangover since yeast at the bottom of the barrel have vitamins that help cure hangovers. —kegman
Food is mainly pub food: Good snack-type food items: Garlic Parmesan Fries, and Avocado Egg Rolls, Fried Calamari, Onion Rings, etc. They also have the best buffalo wings in town!
As of February 4, 2005, the Sudwerk Restaurant and Brewery was for sale for $7 million. Prices since have fluctuated. See http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2005/02/07/story2.html. Presently, though, Sudwerk is undergoing a transition into new ownership from Ron Broward to a new owner. The transaction occurred on July 1, 2006. Reportedly, Mr. Broward had trouble finding someone who would buy both the brewery and the restaurant together, not separately.
Sudwerk has a big dog friendly patio and frog fountain. 
A thirsty patron enjoys two liter-sized steins on the patio. 
Oktoberfest 2010. Prost!
Sudwerk also sells their beer in kegs and has large banquet rooms that can be rented for business meetings, banquets, parties, etc. Parties of 25 or more are usually recommended to make reservations for these rooms ahead of time and have to pay a deposit and cleaning fee.
| Size (gallons) |
| Price |
| 5 |
| $65+tax |
| 7.75 |
| $80+tax |
| 15.5 |
| $125+tax |
Keg prices are current as of July 2013, not including a $100 deposit
There have been rumors that the "Pints" on "Dollar Pint Night" aren't actually pints; that they are 12 ounces instead of 16 ounces. This is debatable. If filled to the brim, they are a full 16 ounces. They easily become 12 ounces if the head on the beer is big enough or if your cup isn't completely full, though. Note that the confusion may result from the fact that a UK pint or "beer pint" starts out being larger (about 20%, 568ml vs. 473ml), plus the standard pub glasses allow for a head. In fact, UK law has a "head line" on glasses. Therefore, a Sudwerk pint is a US pint including head, while a traditional pint of beer is a 20% larger imperial pint and does not include the head.
If you like Sudwerk's beer, and would like to try or buy some of their specialty brews, you might want to try going to the Sudwerk Brewery Dock Store!
Older Reviews
Current Reviews
2006-09-19 21:43:11 I really don't care for their food, but I really, really care for their marzen and doppel bock. Mmm...doppel bock... —SteveKent
2006-09-27 12:41:69 The food menu here has changed dramatically in the past month. When I was here for a job interview on 8/13/06, there were lots of German plates and cuisine. When I went back about a week ago, there was only 1 german item on the menu which was the sausage and German potato pancakes (very tasty!!). Unfortunately, the sausage sampler platter I had when I was here in Mid-August is no longer on the menu. The German cuisine has been replaced with your typical Applebee's/TGIFriday's pub grub. Also, dollar pint night is definitely an interesting event. When I was there last week, they seemed to be strictly enforcing the fact that you can't show up early and buy food and be exempt from paying the $3 cover. All in all, a good place with solid beer. For those of you who like their doppelbock, I would highly recommend Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock. I am unsure of its availability, but your best bet would be one of the Nugget stores (both have a different selection of beer) or Aggie Liquor —CaseyBarc
2006-09-27 13:48:28 I did a blind taste test with Sudwerk Doppel Bock, Spaten Optimator and Ayinger Celebrator and ended up picking Sudwerk's. —KenjiYamada
-
I could argue that anyone drinking three mugs of Dopplebock close enough together to compare them wouldn't be in fit condition to compare them (: —GrumpyoldGeek
- We used a very small glass of each. It was science! —KenjiYamada
2006-10-17 23:27:17 My Girlfriend and I found out about this place shortly after we moved here a little over a year ago. We have been eating here on and off since then, always impressed with the great food and excellent beer. Myself and her parents (former restaurant owners) were chatting with one of the staff when he told us that the restaurant was under new ownership and that changes would happen. He assured us that the only changes were going to be better tv's and other cosmetic upgrades, thats it. We were quite excited by this assurance that the overall experience would remain the same ie. German food matching German beer. Tonight, me and my gf went back and we found that the menu has essentially been destroyed. There is almost 0 German food. This is a German brewery, right? Part of the charm going here was getting German food as Sudwerk was the ONLY German restaurant in Davis. The menu now is essentially TGI Friday food. Many people who just came for the beer (Understandable as it IS some of the best beer anywhere), probably wont care, but for those that came for the whole authentic experience, they will be sorely disappointed. Please, tell others, we want a unique experience, not some generic one we can find anywhere!! Bring back the authentic food!!! —JustusBranscomb
- As of 10/20/06, there is NO German food on the menu any more. In the past week, they took the last German entree (Grilled Sausage with Potato Pancakes) off the menu. I left a comment in their comment box voicing my intense displeasure. Ironically, they don't have any comment cards and I had to use a scrap piece of paper. —CaseyBarc
- I second this (as of 06/01/07). Without having been there again, their new menu looks decidedly all-American, the only German dish I could find being their sausage platter. This is definitely not a German restaurant. I still like their beer, though — my hope is that'll not go down as well, with brewery & restaurant now being separated. —JoFeuerstein
2006-10-23 12:39:40 We are also very disappointed with the menu changes. This started at the Roseville location. Why go to the restaurant when you can get the Marzen at the store? I'll just come in to pick up the Doppelbock and go now. —MyaBrn
"2006-10-29 9:23:12 I decided to go to Sudwerk's after reading the German menu online. I was sorely disappointed to arrive at the restaurant and see NO German food on the menu. I can get a club sandwich at IHOP if I so pleased. Boo :(—EricaMacGregor
Can you update the entry above to say what kind of food they currently have?
Here's the NEW menu: http://sudwerk.com/menu.pdf (opens with Adobe)— apparently they got on task and changed it—EricaMacGregor
2006-10-30 22:39:33 I'm indifferent to the menu change. However, I ate there tonight and was quite pleased. The butter lettuce salad with walnuts and bleu cheese was tasty enough for me to eat nearly the whole thing, a rare occurance for a light eater such as myself. —AnnaJones
2006-11-09 16:29:49 I've eaten here twice since the change in ownership. The first time was shortly after the change, and although I was really disappointed that the German food and the wonderful pub-grub was gone (goodbye, luscious onion rings), I thought that the menu was much more unified than the traditional Sudwerk menu, which seemed to be torn between bar food and german cuisine. I ate here last week, though, and it completely changed my opinion of the menu being more unified. It's all over the place. Four things that *really* bugged me last week: 1) the server preceded the description of four separate items with "this is from the new owner's other restaurant". Great, so this is some other restaurant's food? Am I supposed to care? It completely turned me off. 2) Too many of the dishes seem like they have no chance of standing up to the beer being served. Maybe the Hefe or the Lager, but certainly not the Dunkelweizen, Doppelbock or others. The high number of seafood items just reinforces this. These beers (which I love) can't just go with anything, and I think the menu needs to reflect that. 3) They appear to have shorten their hours, essentially removing the 'bar' aspect. 10 or 11pm? Those are clearly restaurant hours. This is supposed to be a brewpub as well. 4) What *is* the theme? We were given a dessert menu, and half of it was Italian-influenced. Can eating crab cakes followed by tiramisu while enjoying a dunkelweizen work? I'm not convinced. The absolute best change I've seen is the additional beers on tap. Prior to the new owners I was never able to go there and choose between the standard beers and four others. The beers are still heaven, so I'm still going, but I hope they continue to rework the menu. It's struggling both for an identity and a way to match the beer. If the name wasn't Sudwerk, I'd bet the owner would ditch the beers completely. —MattCzarnowski
2006-12-12 12:40:05 We went to Sudwerk last week. Overall, the atmosphere was quite nice, the beer was spectacular, and the service was great. The food, however, was less than ideal. Some items were OK (the skinny onion rings I liked, my pasta was fine). Other items were disappointing (my sister had a salad that she basically refused to eat, which is rare for her). They clearly are not overly concerned with the quality of the food. But I would go back, if just for the beer. —JonathanEisen
2007-01-09 21:45:10 I'm drinking one of their doppel bocks right now. Definitely good stuff, nice and flavorful. I tend to have a respectable quantity of Spaten Optimator on hand as my "generic" beer, but the Sudwerk packs more punch. I think I prefer the Spaten overall, not that the flavor is any better, but because I am not always in the mood for the rich bite of the Sudwerk, as good as it may be (and doppels are supposed to be hearty!). I've tried a number of doppelbocks and so far my fave is definitely Weihenstephaner Korbinian. I like to have a bunch of them on hand at home at all times if at all possible. —DireDeparra
2007-01-09 21:47:45 As for the food at Sudwerk, it used to be pretty good, with some generous portions. I love German cuisine, and I was horrified to hear they pretty much eliminated it when the new owner took over. Now it serves rather generic, if competant pub fare. Completely redundant. It's this sort of thing that makes me depressed about life around here. Now the ONLY place I know of that serves German (and Austrian) cuisine is Cafe Vienna in West Sacramento. They have a fairly decent lunch buffet at a good price. I haven't eaten dinner there yet though. I wish there was at least one other restaurant nearby that serves German food. If there is one, I hope someone would let me know so I can rejoice and treat them to dinner for sharing the good news! Alas, the only place I can get schnitzel on a whim is in my own kitchen. —DireDeparra
2007-02-06 20:02:00 i just logged on to the website. it says new hours: 11:30am to 10pm Mon-Wed. does this mean no more 1$ pint night?!?!? i'm saddened, now instead of drinking 6 beers until the wee hours i have to pound a couple and bounce... LAME —EightFishies
2006-03-02 20:47:00 In town for the weekend a tried out Sudwerk's my first night in town based on the recommendation on this wiki. The beer is very good, authentic german lager style. I wanted to clear up a bit of stuff in the comments about weissbier in the W/NW US. Yes, Widmer is distributed by Anheuser Busch and they have a 40% ownership. The quality of all of their beers has gone down since. However, if you get a chance to goto the Widmer brewery in Portland, and try the Hefeweisen at the source, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. At any rate, comparing Widmer Hefeweisen to Sudwerk is like comparing apples and oranges - Widmer is a simple slightly sweet and yeasty weiss beer, but it is not authentically german - the Sudwerks beer has the authentic weisbier flavor. Pyramid, well, just sucks. As do the other breweries they have bought up (Mac's for instance, was good before Pyramid bought them).—CalebPhillips
2007-03-15 23:30:14 The BBQ burger is fantastic, but the appetizer platter if way too monotonous and greasy. Every item is fried, and the onion shreds work better as a side dish than an appetizer. The BBQ tri tip sandwich is really good, but the bread is a bit overpowering— it would be improved by giving more meat or making the bun smaller. The mushroom burger is pretty good. I had the $2.50 nachos on Thursday fiesta night, and I'd recommend you ask for chips with no toppings instead— I enjoyed the chips, but the "cheese" was watery and conformed to no known dairy, non-dairy, velveeta, or aerosol based cheese food product. It was supposedly made from an asiago, jack, and cheddar mix, but it was whey gross. —CraigBrozinsky
2007-03-29 23:22:07 Sudwerk has gone really down, the food is not good, service is not good, beer is just ok. New owners do not seem to care about the food or service. over 45 minutes to receive any food, which was over cooked and under cooked. we will pass the place till new owners take over, or it improves. —JamesMorton
2007-03-30 08:56:53 my favorite part about sudwerk was their onion rings, but now, with the new menu, they are like little tiny peices of onion, battered and fried and served...I don't want FANCY onion rings, I want real onion rings. —RohiniJasavala
2007-05-31 18:38:38 Go to http://theshamelessfoodies.blogspot.com/2007/03/sudwerk-shmoodwerk.html for Brooks and Kristen's opinion on Sudwerk food and beer. —BrooksHayes
2007-07-07 22:49:04 The food isn't so great but the beer is good. Dollar Pint Nights are great, especially if you want to get out and you're low on funds. —intangible
2007-07-16 22:21:04 Me like beer me like it good me caveman me like beer very good, food not so good but me like beer, me caveman —dickjones
2007-08-01 13:34:55 Sudwerks was a dissappointment in the long run, I ordered the combo appetizer, not tasty(only thing worth eating was the crab cakes) For my entree I ordered the mussels they were advertising as a special. I could not believe how small they were and the lack of seasoning and such. I had to order a seperate plate of pasta. The beer here was good!!!! would not go back anytime soon —ElizabethBarthel
2007-08-03 12:57:42 Food is not that good, beer is great —Brians
2007-08-26 15:58:12 Food was never that great here. New Menu? I think it's a year old now?? It still sucks gentlemen. Taco pizza? what the hell is that? who ever is behind the kitchen show is a moron. Will not eat here again. great beer. love the marzen —heyman
2007-09-02 05:34:22 I think I am love with the Märzen from the tap. Sadly from the bottle it doesn't taste quite as good to me. —JayJ
2007-09-15 08:33:21 Went there last night to discover that the German restaurant has sold out and removed most of its German items!! So disappointed. What the hell is the point of a German restaurant that sells American food??? Then they charge me $6.25 for two three inch lon sausages. I won't be back. Thanks for ruining it for me. —DavisLurker
2007-09-26 22:36:36 Why the hell does this place close so early? —bordiga
2007-10-10 09:39:58 I never thought Sudwerk's German food was that good, so I wasn't really disappointed that the menu has been more Americanized. The Sausage plate is not what it used to be; I'm not crazy about the little sausages they're using now. However, I've never had a Sudwerk pizza I didn't like, and their various burgers are excellent. The beer continues to bring me through the doors. —AdamSchneider
2007-11-11 00:16:03 Rob's a doll. The pizza was great. And there's that really cute waiter kid... Wish I could think of his name. Doesn't matter. Nice kid! :-) I don't care for the scene in there alone, frankly. Much more fun if you bring company. —Casey
2007-11-13 20:35:50 I took my boyfriend here for his birthday tonight. Great service, great food- but no birthday dessert! The new owner stopped having birthday desserts to cut back costs! So sad! —Idunitt
2007-11-15 08:24:27 I went with a large group last night (a professional crowd—we do this every month or so) to Sudwerk for dinner and drinks. We showed up at 7pm and ordered about $200 in food and drinks. After spending nearly $200 there, we learned that they wanted to charge us an additional $3 each ($27) so we could get more beer at dollar pint. RIDICULOUS!!!! They even tried to kick us out at 10pm since we weren't there for dollar pint (but I was certainly not going to let them do that without giving me the rest of my liter of Marzen to go...) and they kept coming back to ask us when we were leaving.
The owner's new policy is insulting! We would've likely spent another $50 in drinks that night (even with $1 pints) in addition to whatever we would've spent on future visits. We aren't going to make that mistake again. Next time we'll go to Woodstock's where they know how to measure a pint and serve up the kind of food they advertise.
On a side note, I really doubt the owner's new policy helps him rake in a large amount of extra income. During the 7-9pm transition, we noticed very few people stayed (now we know why) and the majority of the restaurant patrons were families anyway. As my friend put it, the new policy is penny wise, pound foolish. —CherieWilliams
2007-11-29 19:24:46 They let me and my friends get food, drink beer, and play cards for hours on end. We mostly go because it's the only place we can do this without it being too loud, at and the beer is delicious. The food is alright. —ChristyMarsden
2007-12-17 02:00:36 Dollar pint night still goes on during school breaks, right? A very student-centered question, yes, but I'm not sure if they don't have dollar pint nights when all the kids are back home. —BrianMac
2007-12-21 Little late, but yeah, they're still doing pint night on Wednesdays for break. —ClaytonRehmus
2008-02-09 09:15:27 this place has HORRIBLE service. on a thursday night, my friends and i just left. beforehand, we ordered appetizers (good kalamari), but this waitress with a red shirt and blond, ponytail hair was walking over and rolled her eyes at us. it seemed like she was irritated by us, even though it took forever just to find her in the bar. my friend actually had to walk around the entire place to find a waitress who knows NOTHING ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE. Her tone didn't help either. —mikam
2008-02-15 17:46:37 The atmosphere is good, but I've been a few times and the food hasn't ever been too remarkable. Everyone seems to like the beer but the food (and appetizers are mediocre at best). —jglovicz
2008-04-06 13:33:04 Went there with my family over spring break. I had the santa fe sandwich which was amazing. My Grandma ordered shrimp pasta. They neglected to put the shrimp on the pasta the first time, so it got sent back. Only 2 minutes later and it was back on the table. You could definitely tell that they had put frozen shrimp on top and microwaved it. Nonetheless it tasted like crap, so she got a burger instead. I would suggest their burgers and sandwiches, with the amazing fries. I would avoid the other entrees. I will be returning, especially to try more beer, its nice to have a local brewery in town. —BrandonBarrette
2008-04-08 20:44:51 Mai Bock is back, my heart weeps with joy. —ArmyDecoy
2008-04-23 19:34:25 for those of you who didn't like the food before the menu has changed a while ago and is much much better than before, and of course the beer is awesome. try it! interesting fact: when the head brewer gave a talk in my beer class at UCD he said that they import all of their hops from Bavaria —JeffKreis
2008-05-21 20:29:20 Last year I discovered their barbecue ribs, and came back repeatedly for them until one time when I brought my parents. Apparently they changed meat distributors, and the ribs were disgusting, along with the hamburger my mother ordered. Beer was still good though. —carlaisnt
2008-06-23 13:40:40 My boyfriend and I have not experienced the Sudwerks previous owner, but the current one is not the best. We both orders hambugers with the side of fries because there was not much else on the menu. We literally got 5 potato wedge with our ok burger. I think Applebees is better then here. It is sad to hear that our local brewery is less preferred to Abblebees or TGIF. —fayeweezer
2008-06-25 20:37:11 I gotta say, I'm a sucker for their 'beermaster's schnitzel'. It's always delicious, so I don't bother trying to get anything else. —JoePomidor
"2008-09-27 23:30:30" I haven't been here in maybe 8 years because of terrible service I got here. Since I haven't been back since the change in the menu I decided I would give it a try. For some reason, we had to wait half an hour for a seat for our party of 4 when there were no less than 13 tables available inside and half a dozen outside as well. These tables remained open for our entire wait and the entire time we were dining as well. I ordered the chicken and when I finally got it (the rest of my party was done eating) it was completely undercooked. Parts of it were still pink and raw and bloody. Since i'm not a fan of salmonella, I sent it back (which I have never had to do). After we left everyone felt sick to their stomach and one of my guests threw up shortly after. It's safe to say I will not be eating here at least for the next 8 years. Love the beer, but it's not worth it. —Cole
2008-11-07 23:10:30 The place is worth going to for the beer, but not much else I'm afraid. Service isn't that great and the food is a major disappointment. They really skimp on both the preparation and the portion. For beer+Euro food combination I would go to Little Prague instead. —Xenophon
2008-11-10 15:46:36 I found this place to be poorly decorated and the food was mediocre at best I will not be returning to sudwerks if I want there bier I will get it from the store but I would rather have actual German bier instead —Smashduc
2008-11-10 23:04:25 If you are a vegetarian...yeah don't go here. Luckily I am a pesco-ovo-lacto, so I got the crab-cake burger (is this what it is called?)...but that ended up being a miscalculated mess. It was greasy, and totally inappropriate for the work dinner I was attending. Ugh. Maybe I'll end up loving this place when I am old enough to order my own beers...Aree Rating (w/o alcohol): 6.5/10 —ArianeMetz
2008-11-16 20:41:06 they stop serving food at NINE so they can serve bar purposes, and some nights service for dinner is stretched thin- food isn't really anything extraordinary but good —Chrissapher
2008-12-06 02:28:59 I don't know what everyone is complaining about. First of all, as a vegetarian, they have a quite few options (pizza, a pesto pasta dish, veggie burger, salads) to choose from. The portion sizes are generous, and the servers are friendly & efficient. The beer is delicious, and well priced (a LITER for only $6!). I LOVE going to Sudwerks with my friends for drinks after work or to grab a bite to eat on my lunch break. We usually have the same server, and she is always great! (I think her name is Shawnna or something close to that). Sudwerks is definitely a fun place to go. —JazzyJasmine
2008-12-14 19:54:06 Great food, excellent beer, all for a good price in an awesome facility. My favorite restaurant in Davis. —RichardNichols
2008-12-21 23:35:06 NEVER EVER AGAIN. I have been to sudwerks before on dates and once for a work meeting, but Friday night I had the worst service of my entire life. I made a reservation and we were seated and served drinks, and everything seemed honkey-dory. We were waiting on two other friends and so we asked our waitress if she could wait a few minutes before we ordered...she didn't seem to have anything to say to this and simply walked away. Our friends arrived and our waitress came by and asked if we were ready to order, we said we weren't because our friends had just sat down and didn't even have any menus, and then she ROLLED HER EYES and said "ugh, whatever." WHAT? We were kind of shocked at that response...was it really such an inconvenience that we needed an extra few minutes to wait for our friends and allow them to pick something to eat? When we were ready to order, we closed our menus and waited. 30 minutes (i am not kidding here) later we decided to stack our menus up at the end of the table to see if this would catch our waitress' attention, and it did. We ordered. Notice that the first girls to sit down had been sitting for 45 minutes already, and no drink refills. Another 30 minutes later (one of my friends was timing because she had to be home by a certain time) we received our food. One of my friends ordered a cheeseburger with cheddar, but the cheese on the burger was clearly swiss...still our waitress reassured us that it was cheddar and did not offer to verify this. My friend ate a few bites of her cheeseburger and decided not to finish it, we had already spent so much time in the restaurant that she didn't want us to wait for a new burger. After we had finished eating we waited another 20 minutes before my friend (the timer) decided to get up and ask for our check. After we handed our check and credit cards in, we finally were given our first refills of the night. Over 2 hours after first being seated, we were finally able to go (at this point all of the other couples and families who had been seated around us had already left). The service was painfully slow and sometimes outright rude, maybe they are understaffed...or maybe our waitress was having an off night (or she may have been hideously drunk)...still, we didn't tip (this is a first for me) and I will never return. —ArianeMetz
2009-02-05 19:03:16 Sudwerk has had a new head chef since Dec. 18, 2008. His name is Donovan Kelley. —DonovanKelley
2009-04-27 21:11:45 Great place to go on Super Bowl Sunday. They don't mind if you stay a bit longer just to watch the game. I had the polish sausage sandwich and fries, and wasn't able to finish it all. Very good, though. —BrookeB
2009-04-28 11:15:37 I really like the beers and the bartenders: Katrina, Shauna, Rob and Sean. All are friendly and offer good service. Mark, the manager, grew up in Davis with his brothers and knows a lot of the customers, me included. Among my favorite dishes are the Shrimp Louie Salad, Sauteed Chicken Piccata and the Grilled Salmon. The hamburgers are excellent. Go there on a Thursday night for karaoke. They have a great selection of songs and some of the staffers like Mark, Zach, and Mel will get up and sing along with the customers. —nowhereman
2009-05-31 05:30:26 I'm sad about the change in ownership, still. I'm half-German and do love German foods, so I was sad to see a lot of the traditional German and Slavic items go off the menu. They did keep a couple of good ones, though, so that is some comfort. One thing anyone that comes here should try is the sausage sampler. I LOVE the chicken apple, but the others are very tasty too. As I'm under 21, I can't really say much about the beer. ;D] My dad very much likes it, so I'll just have to take his word for it. Working at a hotel, though, whenever I'm asked by a guest where to find some good drinks, this is where I send people. —KBathory
2009-06-14 12:46:33 the food here was good but the service makes me not want to come back. they forgot one of our orders, the waitress almost never came to check up on us. we asked for some ketchup three times. it was never brought to us and we had to go to a table nearby and ask to borrow their ketchup. the waitress never even refilled our water, not once throughout the 2 hour experience. it sucked that there was a gratuity charge because she definitely did not deserve a tip that big. —skinnyfatgirl
2009-06-15 17:42:05 Went here recently for dinner. The food was mediocre for the price; I got the sausage plate and was underwhelmed, especially by the Bratwurst. My companions got a pizza and a burger, both were equally underwhelming. The beer however, was good as usual. I don't believe they serve a bad beer.
Service was lax, it is a big place though and I imagine it's hard for one or two servers to efficiently cover the whole place. —JamesWaterhouse
2009-07-16 16:35:50 The Karaoke DJ here is really awful. No one could hear anyone singing the entire night, and he neither turned up the mic volume or told people to hold the microphone differently. —ScottRitchie
2009-07-24 02:30:05 WORST SERVICE EVER!!!!!!!!! I've lived in Davis my whole life and this is seriously the most horrible service I have ever experienced. They need to close this place down or get new owners. Our waitress was extremely rude. We needed ketchup, water, and soda refills and got none of the above. We probably got one drink refill at the end of our less than appetizing meal. And honestly, the potato wedges that are supposed to be french fries are tastier at KFC. That, in itself, says a lot about this place. I don't think I'll be returning here anytime soon. —sm0729
2009-08-08 13:46:50 Sudwerk is really a very sad story. They have what is probably some of the best tasting beer you could hope for in a local brewery. Authentic taste and well made. I love living in Davis and knowing that Sudwerk is our local brew. And then, there is the food and service. Seriously, I don't think the new owner really cares about the quality of the food they serve. Consistently since we relocated to Davis in 2007 every time we have gone to Sudwerk, lured by the excellent beer, we have had what can only be described as some of the worst food we could imagine. Our most recent visit included: a bacon avocado burger that was topped with completely brown, oxidized and totally unappetizing old guacamole—a least that's what we assume that it was supposed to be. What is amazing about that is that someone in the kitchen had to reach into the tub that was stored in and spread it on the bun. And it was not just brown and oxidized on top, it was brown through and through. So clearly, no one cared to even think about what was being served or was even concerned about putting a quality product up on the pass. The only thing to top that was the mysterious 'thing' in the fried potatoes. Was it a bone from a pork chop? Did one of the staff loose a finger when they were prepping the potatoes for service? I am not sure what the 'thing' was, but it was not particularly appetizing to bite into. Examining only enhanced the sense that I had just tried to take a bite out of something clearly not potato. My club sandwich was unremarkable. Sadly this is exemplary of every meal I have ever had there. I even tried to take a group of sales people there after a meeting one night. The comment from the entire party was, "Well, the beer was great; but the food sucks!" Unanimous opinion with no dissent. The sad thing is that given the limited depth of the all to familiar American pub grub menu, it is not food that takes particular skill to make well. But it does require at least the minimal interest of the kitchen staff to make it better than just barely edible which seems to be the standard to which Sudwerk's kitchen aspires. If I were the owner, I would fire the entire kitchen and seriously consider replacing the manager if that is the best that they can do. In summary, go for the beer, but unless you have absolutely no taste for decent food don't eat there. —ctotten
2009-08-15 22:33:07 Tonight we decided to take my son and his grandparents to Sudwerk for a “last meal” together before his heading off to college. We were hoping for a great night. Told the wait would be 20 minutes - reasonable. After 35 minutes, we were told that there were no tables outside, but we could have an inside table until something outside became available. Took the inside table and ordered immediately- with senior citizens long waits aren’t welcome. After 35 more minutes, we called the manager (and his trainee) to the table to express that “this wasn’t a good night for us at Sudwerk’s.” We then heard a LECTURE from the manager about how we should have made a reservation and delays such as what we experienced would not be unusual for evenings with music. We weren’t satisfied with this response. (To their credit, the manager and trainee then hustled back to the kitchen and brought the food to the table (thanks).) On the way out we again expressed our disappointment with the evening. Seemed to fall on deaf ears. I notice an entry on the Davis Wiki that patrons question if the manager really cares about customer satisfaction... hmm, based on tonight’s experience I wonder also. Not sure how fast we’ll be back, if at all. —clb2
- It sounds pretty reasonable to say you should make a reservation if you don't want to be waiting for long on a night with live music. You wouldn't expect the manager to give you a table before other people who had been waiting longer, would you? What else could he have done? —KenjiYamada
2009-08-28 16:42:01 I know people tend to write reviews more frequently when they've had a bad experience, so I'd like to add my 2 cents: i love sudwerks! I think the manager(s) are great and DO seem to take their job seriously, unlike some of the robots I've experienced (both while dining and working in the industry). I do agree with a couple of the negative comments, though - the service, i'm sorry to say, IS ALWAYS slow. I've had a few different servers, and regardless of how busy it is, I do not feel like they have ever been instructed on checking back once or twice throughout the meal (because, as I would hope you've recognized, servers are managed very differently in different restaurants). Once to see how everything is, twice for drinks/to see if it's still going ok and to give the diners an opportunity to ask for the check early if they're in a hurry. Secondly, the calamari!! It used to be my FAVORITE thing ever there! It was greasy before (which is not always a bad thing, everyone craves greasy food at some point), but now it's just teensy little pieces that I feel like i have to wipe off with a napkin...or maybe wring out. But they're so small there's not much I can do, they used to be huge and delicious. I have no complaints, other than that I have always had great experiences. If you're in a hurry - get In-N-Out. Or, HEY! Let your server know at the beginning of the meal! —dontworryaboutit
2009-09-04 20:40:03 By far the worst experience at the local brewery!!! Have been going to Sudwerks regularly for the past 12 years. Tonight was unbelievably terrible. The hostess was wonderful but following that our time was awful. Our server, if you could call her that, took 20 minutes to even acknowledge our existence. Finally she reluctantly spoke to us, clearly upset with the rest of the staff for not letting her know that they had seated people in her section. We paced our order quickly for fear that we may never see her again. When the food came out (all ordered off the appetizer menu) we were wishing our server had never acknowledged us in the first place. Ordered the app. sampler, fries, seared artichoke, and a cup of chowder. Not to difficult. Sampler cost us $12.75 for two halves of a chicken strip (I know that would equal 1 whole strip only the size of the 2 halves were less than 1 strip), 5 onion rings, 2 halves of an egg roll (same explanation as the chicken on the 2 halves bit), and a handful of calamari. Artichoke was not cooked and the fries were equivalent to the fires I would pull out of the freezzer for my kids on a busy night. All in all, if we didn't have our beer, it would have been a disastrous night. Thank god for beer, for it can mask just about anything! Horrible new owners...if your looking for a good burger and a great selection of beer check out Burgers and Brew downtown. —suebee
2009-09-16 14:29:47 My roommates and I went there last night. The beer is okay, but the service was terrible. It was a slow night there, but our waitress still took forever to serve us. We had already finished our meal by the time our beers came. We noticed that the bar tender had poured them about 10 minutes before the waitress finally served them to us. We had to ask her to bring new ones because they were already starting to get warm. We never even got a water refill during the meal. Terrible. We've decided never to go there again. —craiggilmore
2009-09-16 17:01:40 I like their Pilsner but I haven't had it on draft. Their beer costs a little bit less at the market than most other premium or microbrews, which is certainly nice. Coming from three years in Chico it is hard for me not to support the local brewery! Given the kind of food they serve at the restaurant, and its location, I likely won't go, but if I do, I'll review it. —RyanMikulovsky
2009-10-26 09:07:00 We were once long time patrons of Sudwerk for years, but the last few times we've dined there we've found the food to be marginal quality and the service to be merely acceptable. We brought out of town company in, and were so terribly embarrassed we won't likely be returning. I don't want to name her, but our server (or should I say 'Order Taker') was inattentive, absent and not even the slightest bit friendly. We had to ask numerous times for just about everything (napkins, ketchup, crackers for our fidgety toddler, water, bread that came with the salads). Our friendly blonde busperson ended up doing all of the work, so we slipped her a personal tip on our way out.
Also, the Santa Fe sandwich I ordered was kid sized, and I had to eat again when I got home (I'm a normal sized guy with a normal appetite). I wanted to order the wing side dish, but I was shocked at the $12.75 price tag for 12 wings. Exhorbitant.
So, I'm sure we'll end up in the restaurant again as nostalgia for the good ole days kicks in. I'm assuming as relatively new owners, there are still kinks to work out. I'll hope for the best. —skawt01
2009-11-11 10:49:53 I miss the old menu, especially the warm German potato salad. I had a burger here the other night. I asked for it to be done "Medium well". It was burnt on the edges. They do have some excellent beer and the best calamari (with chipotle mayo) I have ever tasted. Make sure you get a fresh batch of the calamari. It gets soft if it has been sitting under the warming lights for too long. —GJC02
2010-03-02 04:29:17 The servers here are so incredibly shady. A couple of my friends and I headed out to Sudwerks, I was DD so I only have 2 beers while I was there. My friends decided to get sloshed. Our total came out to $12 and change, I gave the waitress a $20, she comes back and gives me a couple coins for change thinking we won't notice because most of the group seems hammered. As she's walking away, I have to yell at her to come back to give me the 7 remaining dollars. She got no tip.
Yes the beer is AWESOME and the food is pretty good, but why in the world would I ever return to an establishment that treats their customers like this? Until they straighten up Sudwerks will not be receiving my business or positive mention. —davisreviewer
- I thought DDs aren't supposed to drink at all. Also, how'd you have to drinks, your friends get "sloshed" and the bill come out to only $12? How cheap were the beers that night? And how many beers does it take for your friends to have gotten sloshed? Sorry if I sound mean, I'm just confused by this story. That aside, maybe the waitress thought you were being extra nice...who knows? —SunjeetBaadkar
2010-03-12 16:02:48 overpriced. sometimes the food is pretty good but the service is consistantly bad. i probably wont be back. —sarahpurcell
2010-03-12 16:16:17 I've been going to Sudwerk for a long time. The food is great, but the service is consistently bad. Never come for dinner unless you have at least two hours to spend. When you make reservations, tables are rarely ready when you show up. Instead, it seems like you just get bumped to the front of the waiting list when you arrive. A typical wait with reservations is 10 minutes or so. They also drastically under-staff. Not enough people busing tables, not enough waiters, and apparently not enough cooks, either.
That said, if you're there with good company and will enjoy talking while you're waiting, it's a great place to go. The food is very good. Their burgers, their salads, and their pizzas are all quite good. Their chicken wings are the best in town.
The beer itself is alright. The Marzen is pretty good, the IPA is decent, and a few of the seasonals are solid. Last time I had the Hefeweizen (several years ago, admittedly), it was complete crap. It was so malty it tasted, in the words of my wife, like meat. I like intense beers of most varieties, but it was just disgusting.
Frankly, I think their decision to save costs by under-staffing is a poor one, as they undoubtedly lose customers. When I've got plenty of time for a tasty dinner, though, Sudwerk is still one of my top picks. The wings are just too damn good to pass up! —TomGarberson
2010-03-12 18:07:18 Good food, Good people, Good times. Especially on $1 Pint nights! —longboardlover
2010-04-03 23:00:29 I had high expectations about Sudwerk, BUT after eating in this establishment I was VERY very disappointed with the food. I ordered the "Sudwerk salad", very bland taste it had, very few pieces of chicken, if any, it was as if I was eating a whole bowl of iceberg lettuce — seriously not worth the $12 I was going to have to pay. Without a doubt, I had to send the plate back. I was pleased that the waiter allowed me to choose another plate, I ordered a veggie burger. Not surprisingly, I was not pleased whatsoever. The hamburger buns were cold, the lettuce and onions were staled, the portion reminded me of a "Happy Meal" from McDonald's. Don't get me wrong, I am not a picky eater, at all. But my experience at Sudwerk was a total nightmare!!! Just go for the beer, not the food, I highly discourage going there for dinner. —hgonzalez
2010-04-10 18:33:32 I came and had the clam chowder. It was nearly inedible and the food I tried of my friend's was bad too.
It was during their happy hour night so it took forever to get a table and the waitress seemed to be pretty busy and did not ever refill water or check to see if we liked our food.
2010-04-23 12:33:25 I heard Sudwerk is debuting an imperial pils today (or at least, it's debuting at the Grad today). Sounds really strange to me, but I'll report back on it this weekend! —TomGarberson
2010-05-09 19:04:35 Sudwerks is not so bad if you know what to expect!! I've never had to wait for a table, and I've gone there for dinner every day of the week at one point or another. I agree with the slow service - that part is true without a doubt - but like I said, now that you know what to expect, it's not so bad. Some people like to eat dinner and move on, and some people like to visit and hang out. I feel like the food is a little pricey, but that may be because I am perpetually on a college student budget. Also: chinese chicken salad is awesome. —mooodavis
2010-05-27 15:18:50 I really enjoy Sudwerk beer, but I have only tried the hefeweizen and IPA so far. I have to get a keg this weekend; any suggestions as to which beer from Sudwerk would go down the best for binge drinking? —ScottMeehleib
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My top picks are the IPA and the Marzen. The lager is a fairly easy drink, but not that interesting IMO. IPA is too bitter for a lot of folks, and the hefe is too disgusting for a lot of folks (not that I'm biased or anything...). My recommendation would be the marzen for a mix of mass appeal and tastiness. BTW, the Co-op has a great selection of beers available to order by the keg... not sure how long they take to get, though.—TomGarberson
- Thanks Tom, and also to Dagon who left a comment on my page, for your suggestions. I went ahead and got a keg of the Marzen since you both recommended it. I look forward to trying it this weekend. :) —ScottMeehleib
2010-06-19 17:49:08 I would pass on their BBQ Tritip sandwich if you actually know what a good one should taste like. I think they actually pan fried the meat instead of BBQing it. It was really gross. —lsklena
2010-06-24 13:08:17 I went to Sudwerk this past Monday night for dinner with a group of 10 and we had the best service I've ever experienced there. Servers are always friendly, but I've usually had long wait times before. This week, though, our waitress came by promptly, was friendly, brought drink orders quickly (they've taken 10+ minutes sometimes in the past), and brought our food out pretty quickly (probably about 15-20 minutes; it's taken 30+ minutes sometimes in the past). The place wasn't crowded at all, but again, I've had bad service in the past when it was almost empty. Maybe we just got lucky, or maybe they're improving things... either way, it was a really great experience. They were out of the IPA, though, which was a bummer. Their extra pale is still solid, though. And they still have the best hot wings in town. —TomGarberson
2010-06-26 15:29:41 The current staff is doing a good job. The women bartenders—Katrina, Shauna, Paula—are cute, friendly, and have a good sense of humor. Paula is also a very talented singer. Donovan and Cormac are great cooks. The only drawback is that Sudwerk closes earlier than many bars, especially on weekdays (with the exception of Pint Night). You may get last call at 9 pm on a Sunday or Monday.
2010-06-26 23:43:59 Sudwerk is a good restaurant to go to if you are super hungry. They have variety of pastas that are very filling, the jambalaya is really good. They have a great selection of tasty burgers and a good tri-tip sandwich. I think their guacamole bacon burger is very yummy. I tried a bite of their veggie patties and it was good too, and i usually don't like those. I also really like the brewmaster schnitzel and the pan roasted marsala chicken. Don't miss the buffalo wings on pint night, or any night for that matter. They have excellent desserts too, their brownies are so good sometimes I think there's weed in them. —reviewaskew
2010-07-19 08:45:13 AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS!!! Based on the fact that Sudwerk has good beer, I was expecting an equally pleasant dining experience and could not have been more dissapointed. The food was terrible, portions were very small, and the prices were exhorbitant. Before the new management took over the food was very good and reasonably priced, but it seems like the new mentality is to cut corners and maximize profits at the expense of the patrons. Needless to say I will never be back. —Furly707
2010-08-07 21:17:05 My friends and I have come here a few times because it is convenient and they can accommodate a lot of people. Every single time the service is so slow! It takes forever to get your food and forever to get any other type of service. The most recent time was about 2 weeks ago and again, it was extremely slow. I understand that service can be slow on busy days but there were a ton of servers and not many customers around. I don't recommend it unless you want to wait around a while to eat. —themichelle
2010-08-11 11:39:20 Sudwerks is only good for one thing - beer. A while back, I was sitting at the bar during pint night, and a cockroach started walking across the bar in front of me. I really felt inclined to say something since there was food all over the place - so I went over to the manager and told him, and his response was "oh yeh, I already know about that, we'll take care of it later." This is absolutely astounding to me. I come from a family in the food business, and to have cockroaches in your establishment, needless to say that management knew about it and didn't even care, is shocking. I would never EVER eat here because of this. I almost wanted to call a health inspector. Overall, great place to drink for the buck on pint night (just make sure to check your cup), but this issue coupled with their bad customer service makes me not eat there. —aggie2009
2010-09-02 12:22:29 came here few days ago for the first time. I had Cajun something pasta. It was spicy for me but tasted very good. Ordered the IPA beer and loved it. definitely will come back again. :) —MBui
2010-10-08 11:30:34 Have not eaten here in a long time because the food was so bad. But, recently went there for a after work send off for a co-worker. The service was very good for our large group. I ordered the the mediterranean pizza with fresh baby spinach, artichoke hearts, Roma tomato, Kalamata olives with basil pesto sauce,feta and mozzarella cheese. It was really good. Thin crust, not overcooked with lots of flavor. Other folks also seemed to enjoy their meal. —LokiAbbi
- Yeah, anyone who hasn't been here in a few years should try it out. They've dramatically improved the food. Service varies somewhat, but it's never terrible; just a bit slow sometimes. When I came to Sudwerk a couple of times for dinner as an undergrad it just wasn't very interesting. Over the past 5 years, though, it's steadily improved. As have several of the beers! —TomGarberson
2010-11-13 07:17:05 I had dinner here last night for the first time in a while. Got my usual hot wings, and they were spectacular as always. My wife had the north beach pizza, which was delicious. Our friends ordered the schnitzel and the sausages entrée and both enjoyed them. The schnitzel looked pretty tasty, although it wasn't pounded nearly as flat as a traditional one. It was probably a good half inch thick. —TomGarberson
2010-11-29 00:17:30 What's the size of the pizza relative to the standard S, M, L, XL sizes at pizzerias? Is it just for one person, or is it large enough to share with a group? —TheShah
It's a big meal for one person, or a small meal for two. The pizza plus an appetizer would make for a nice, big meal for two. —TomGarberson
Ah, Thanks! —SS
2010-12-05 17:17:32 We had dinner here again last night. As always, the food was excellent. I got the bacon and blue cheese burger and added jalapenos (my all-time favorite combination). Delicious. Unfortunately, they were out of the Fest Marzen, but the IPA remains interesting and tasty.
One thing I'll say: I *hate* that stupid dirt parking lot. I don't know whether Sudwerk owns it, or just has rights to use it, but they badly need to pave it or at least redo it to fill in the 10-foot-wide potholes. I doubt it would be safe for someone with a car with low clearance to drive through there. —TomGarberson
2011-02-24 00:10:58 I went here with a group of friends back in December, and it was great fun. The service was alright, they happily split checks, and didn't mind us moving to a bigger table when more friends arrived. The beer was the best I've had, and the food was good. We had pizza, garlic parmesan fries, artichoke dip, and a lot more, and no one had any complaints. I'd definitely come back...many times. —TheShah
- Does anyone know how much they sell 6- or 12-packs of beer for? —TheShah
2011-03-06 10:07:24 Bitte machen Sie Kolsch bier. Please make Kolsch beer. Let 'em know next time you visit. Thx —spook00
2011-03-06 11:47:37 Take it from a Sudwerk Regular... Ride Unitrans to Sudwerk or any Davis bar for that matter. Avoid a DUI or worse. DUI = $10,000+/Unitrans = $1. Davis PD hangs out around Sudwerk from time to time. The beer is great but strong. Unitrans uses GPS so you can see exactly where your bus is! Unitrans also has apps for your phone... Sweet! —spook00
2011-05-16 13:19:07 Be sure to check your bill when you pay and check your credit card statements. I have been overcharged or double charged 2-3 times in the past month and the manager said this happens at least once every 2-3 weeks. I guess I was unlucky? —ymdean
2011-05-21 21:23:03 We had a mixed experience last night. There was a 35 minute wait, but a bunch of empty tables (I'd estimate at least 30% of the restaurant was empty). The avocado egg rolls were REALLY tasty, but six one-inch pieces are definitely not worth $8. I got the fettuccine alfredo. It was adequate, but nothing I couldn't make at home. I liked the tomatoes on it fine, but they weren't mentioned on the menu which is strange since tomatoes are not standard for the dish. My partner got the bleu cheese and bacon burger with fries. The fries were (not my words) 'meh.' I had to agree, and the fry portion was tiny as well. The main problem was with the burger. It was ordered medium, and it came out rare, possibly rare-medium-rare at best. Um, gross. We asked for it to be thrown back on the grill for a few minutes... the nice thing is after waiting a while they sent out a whole new burger (and fries... which, if added to the previous portion, would almost match other restaurants in town). The not-so-nice thing is this time it came out well, instead of medium. Super dry, but my partner was really hungry after waiting so long and would rather eat it than wait another half-hour for them to give it a third try. I also kind of thought the manager might come apologize since undercooked ground beef is a pretty egregious error, but nope! They could also use more vegetarian choices. The best part was the service. Our waitress (I think her name was Kimberly) was very nice and apologetic about the burger even though it obviously wasn't her fault. —MeggoWaffle
2011-06-22 14:29:22 Love their Brew master schnitzel! —ashleyinthemist
2011-06-30 20:35:47 So here's a story that about how amazing their deep fried foods are:
So for the past week or so I've been sick (what kind of loser gets sick in the summer?). I finally got tired of feeling the need to sleep 12 hours a day and the headache I had from a congestion so I take some pseudoephedrine and some caffeine. Of course, this combination is a somewhat effective appetite suppressant. So I really had to force down food most of the time while on the combination but when I was having some of their onion rings, potato wedges, chicken tenders, and stuff I actually ate enough that I gained and maintained at least five pounds of water weight the next day. Yep, they're so good, appetite suppressants fail to make them hard to eat. —hankim
2011-08-18 09:29:29 Pint night has changed. Sadly this night is no longer without cover if you get there before 9:00pm, and it also now starts at 9:30. Staff was extremely rude and thugish when they confronted us about not having wrist bands rather than simply explaining their current policy. Furthermore our DD was forced to also purchase a wrist-band even though she had no interest in drinking their alcoholic beverages. This ruined the experience that Sudwerks previously had delivered. I certainly do not enjoy going out for entertainment and drinks only to leave feeling angry and wronged. We won't be back. —iVeterinaryStudent
2011-10-12 22:36:27 Dear Mark,
Consider this a formal complaint in regards to your business policy of "no backpacks" on dollar pint night. After having a rough day, all I was looking forward to was relaxing with some friends in what I thought was a friendly environment. I live within biking distance, so to be a responsible consumer of alcoholic beverages, chose to ride my bike to your business on Wednesday night. Also, due to the fact that I am a girl, I do not carry my wallet on my person. Normally, I bring it in a purse or handbag, but since those are not conducive to bike riding, I chose to put my belongings in a backpack. Upon entering your lobby, I was promptly told "No backpacks allowed." When I questioned the reasoning for this, I was told it was due to avoiding people sneaking in their own personal alcohol. When I offered to have my backpack inspected, all three of your lovely bouncers refused me. One questioned if I had a car to put it in, and I obviously said no, since I rode my bike. Another asked if I had anything valuable in it, and suggested I remove any items of value and leave it in the entryway. My backpack itself is worth over $100, and this is a college town full of sociopathic students who would LOVE a free backpack, so of course I told him that was not an option. The bouncers gave me contemptuous glares of "too bad". After having such a trying day, this was the very last straw. I am irate over this idiotic policy, especially given that just last week I was at your "pint night" and had a giant purse with me, at least the same size of my backpack, which was not questioned or looked at twice. Don't you think a college student could sneak alcohol into your establishment with a purse? Your bouncers' logic is fundamentally flawed, and their attitudes were rude and unacceptable. Next time you hire, consider individuals who don't act like thugs and let their $8 an hour jobs manifest into a pathetic power trip.
Suffice to say, I will never return to your brewery. I am beyond upset by this incident, and my friends are joining me in boycotting your establishment as well as all of your products. Look for my reviews on Yelp and DavisWiki as well. I hope this is a wake up call for you to address your severly defective business practice.
Sincerely,
Colleen —ColleenO
2011-10-13 02:58:57 Love Sudwerk—Love the beer, the food, the patio—everything! I miss going there after work and just eating, drinking and . . .chatting and seeing and being seen! heh. —AshleyHamidi
2012-06-21 11:32:47 Apparently stacking empty pint cups is dangerous or hazardous! We were at Sudwerk last night and commenced in the stacking of the cups when out of nowhere an angry Asian bouncer guy came and shouted at our table, "Take that down NOW!". I think our tower was 4-5 cups high, nowhere near a Sudwerk record. We took down the cups but seriously, does it take passive-aggressive bouncers to do the work of waitresses? Doesn't look good on the service side to a table of eight. my 2cents —ucdMBAguy
2012-12-12 17:11:55 This place makes me sad. I came here in my college years to get German food. Now the owner has sold out and eliminated the German food, and added the same stuff every other pub has to its menu. The owner even has the bad judgment to now put an Asian menu on the menu. This is a GERMAN restaurant that doesn't know what it wants to be. Nearly empty last night. I will never go back. And owner, schnitzel is not supposed to be made with a thick ece of chicken. Horrible. —DonnieDarko
Footnotes
1. http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2006/07/31/news/153new0.txt Davis Enterprise
2015-12-31 15:41:01 We were here with my wife two days ago. I had here the worst hamburger in my life. I asked for medium-rare it was almost burnt when I got it. I was way too hungry so I made a huge mistake and instead of sending it back I ate it. It turned out I got food poisoning, I threw up many times during the night and was shaking... I believe the meat might have looked suspicious so the chef tried to cook it as much as possible, apparently this did not help. My wife had a veggie burger which also looked and tasted terrible. Luckily she did not have problems during the night. Oh, btw, instead of regular buns, hamburgers came in dried out rolls. Furthermore, the waitress was super rude, she did not care about us at all. Do yourself a favor -- when you go to Sudwerk, don't eat, just drink! —vormar
2016-03-07 02:22:46 RIP dollar pint night. That is all. —DavidBarnum
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