Huss Brewing Company Uptown Taproom + Kitchen Review
| Location | 100 E Camelback Rd #160, Phoenix, AZ 85012 |
| Phone Number | (602) 441-4677 |
| Hours | M-Th 11am-9pm, F-Sat 11am-10pm, Sun 11am-8pm |
| Website | https://www.hussbrewing.com/ |
Jeff and Leah Huss started Huss Brewing Company in 2013. Both of them had worked previously in the industry for years–Jeff at BJ’s Restaurants & Brewhouse and Leah at Papago Brewing Company. Now their company boasts three locations in the greater Phoenix metro area.
When you’re in the “Uptown” area of Phoenix, there is no shortage of unique and thrilling restaurants. But not many of them also brew their own craft beer like Huss Brewing Company Uptown Taproom.
We met up with some out-of-town visitors at the Phoenix Uptown Plaza location recently. It’s situated at the corner of E. Camelback Road and N. Central Avenue. The outdoor shopping mall is also home to a West Elm store and AJ’s Fine Food market. Huss Brewing is tucked in toward the rear of AJ’s building.
The Place
Huss Brewing Company Uptown Taproom occupies a smallish space at the end of a building. This makes it possible for them to offer outdoor dining on their patio.
The entry of the taproom features floor-to-ceiling windows and the patio sits off to the left. Entering the indoor space, you’ll notice it’s bright and open with about 10 tables, one large bar with 14 stools and a smaller bar on another wall.
The Huss Uptown patio has about 8 big wooden picnic tables with shade umbrellas. There are two glass-paneled garage doors that can open between the patio and dining room during milder weather. Of course, when we visited at the end of August it was still far too hot outside to enjoy the patio.
The space’s interior features rustic industrial decor with concrete, copper, tile, and metal materials. The overall vibe is one of a tidy, casual restaurant.
The Food
Huss Brewing Uptown’s menu revolves around various sausages, flatbreads and sandwiches. The food makes for a good lighter meal. Although most of the menu is pretty heavily carnivore-oriented, there are a couple of vegan options made with vegan sausage.
We ordered their Oven Roasted Tomato Basil Flatbread and a Brisket Sandwich. The flatbread actually came out as two flatbreads served on a platter. It was just OK. The cheese and crust were rather bland, lacking the distinguishing characteristics of more specialized venues.
The brisket sandwich was also… OK. The meat was sliced exceptionally thin, usurping the textural qualities that we usually enjoy in a good piece of brisket. The smoke flavor was quite pronounced and somewhat distracting.
Overall, the food was OK. We wouldn’t usually go out of our way to eat there but we would visit again if asked by friends. The fact that they offer their own fresh craft beer is certainly an enticement to visit…
The Beer
They have about 26 available taps and were pouring about as many beers the day we stopped in. Their Tempe brewery supplies the Uptown Taproom. The Huss family bought Papago Brewing in 2016 and now sells a few beers under that label.
The company describes its beers as being a lighter, easy-drinking style. For non-beer drinkers, they offer 3 wines and 2 ciders.
Here’s what we tried when we visited…
Beer Reviews
| Beer-ABV/IBU | Notes |
|---|---|
| C.O.L.D. IPA 6.9%/33 | Appearance: clear, light gold Aroma: hops, grass Taste: funky, rosemary/herbaceous Mouthfeel: light body, low carbonation Overall: unusual in a good way |
| Copper State IPA 6.5%/69 | A: clear golden A: ++hops, sl citrus T: ++bitter, juicy M: medium, med carb O: good juicy IPA – lotsa bitterness balanced by sweet juice, palate buster! |
| Juicy Juicy IPA 6.3%/27 | A: straw, hazy A: citrus, can’t smell a lot else T: citrus, grapefruit M: soft med body O: yum- fun to drink. A favorite of the day |
| Koffee Kolsch 4.7%/16 | A: light med gold, clear A: strong aroma of coffee T: cold coffee, hazelnut, sl sweet M: light, light carbonation O: interesting beer with lotsa coffee flavor-popular novelty beer |
| Oktoberfest 5.5%/26 | A: clear, med amber A: malt, spice T: sweet malt, caramel, sl spice M: light-med., low carbonation O: falls off a bit on the finish |
| Papago Coconut Joe Stout 5.5%/12 | A: clear, dark amber A: coffee, dark chocolate, smoke? T: bourbon, coffee, sl coconut M: med body O: very stylized, heavily flavored beer. |
| Papago Orange Blossom 5%/15 | A: clear, lit-med gold A: orange, vanilla T: orange juice, sl. sweet, vanilla, cookies M: light, small even fizz O: punchy beer to drink near the pool by the quart |
| Scottsdale Blonde Kolsch 4.7%/16 | A: clear, light gold A: malty lightly, tropical fruit? T: sl. sweet, malty, a bit of tangy fruit? M: light, heavily carbonated O: nice, easy drinking Kölsch. A Favorite of the Day |
Overall Impression
Huss Brewing Company Uptown Taproom in Phoenix is a conveniently located place to try a wide variety of lighter craft beers. There were a few that would bring us back for more, including the ever-popular Scottsdale Blonde.
The food items we tried, while perfectly acceptable, failed to make a big impression on us. Come for the beer and you can also find something to appease your growling stomach until your next meal.
Additional Details
A few other tips about the Huss Brewing Co. Uptown Taproom + Kitchen…
- Huss Brewing has two other locations: Downtown and Tempe.
- Kid-friendly with a kid’s menu
- Dog-friendly patio
- Happy hour Mon.-Fri. from 3-6 pm
- Beer sampler available with your choice of 4 x 4 oz. pours of beer
- Their beers are widely distributed to many local stores and restaurants
- Make it a beer crawl with nearby craft beer makers: Roses by the Stairs Brewing, Helton Brewing Company and Wren House Brewing Company.
Map
Sources
- Clark, D. (2017, April 17). Huss Brewing Opens New Location. Brewsician. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from http://brewsician.com/craft-beer/great-suds-at-huss-brewings-comfortable-new-uptown-phoenix-taproom/
- Huss Brewing Acquires Papago Brewing | Mergr M&A Deal Summary. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://mergr.com/huss-brewing-acquires-papago-brewing
