Bend, OR - Bend Brewing Company

Our travels have landed us in Bend, Oregon, home of numerous world class microbreweries.  We decided to visit three pubs this visit, and started with one of the older establishments, the Bend Brewing Company.  Located on a side street off bustling downtown Bend, the brew pub is housed in an older structure situated just off the Deschutes River.  Inside there is a cozy bar and a number of tables where patrons can gaze out the large picture windows at the river, or watch a game on the big screen TV.  Since it was glorious day, we decided to have lunch and sample beer on the outdoor patio.  Accompanying my husband and me on this occasion was our daughter. We found the perfect table for three and settled in for some good food and tasty beer.
 
What did we have: Since this was our first visit, we ordered a sampler which featured ten beers, five of their standards and five seasonals.  It was a very nice selection and we enthusiastically enjoyed most of the them.  The seasonals were my favorities.  I particularly liked the  flavorful Doppelback and the Scotch Ale.  The Outback is one of their signature offerings and is a smooth and  robust old ale.  I was not as enthusiastic about the hefeweisen, usually one of my favorites.  It  was a little lackluster for my taste.  Their porter and stout IPA are both great sipping beers and would be incredibly rewarding after a day of skiing. I definitely need to put in a plug for the food.  The steelhead  trout was very fresh and nicely seasoned served blackened on the caeser salad or grilled on the foccacia sandwich.  The crab cake sandwich was delectable.  Of course we ordered their molten chocolate lava cake served with vanilla ice cream.  The cake was light with very rich dark chocolate flavor.  A definite winner. 

What’s fun: The atmosphere at the Bend Brewing Company is very welcoming.  You can see that the indoor bar area offers a  cozy and warm respite during the winter, and the outside patio a huge hit in the summer.  With ten of their own beers to choose from, there should be something that will please any beer drinker.  The menu is definitely a notch above usual pub grub.  The location near the river, and only a short walk from the heart of downtown Bend , it’s easy to see why Bend Brewing company has been a mainstay since 1995.  If you’re looking for a souvenir, they offer a colorful selection of T-shirts, hats and pint glasses. If you visit Bend, you should put this one on your list.