Sawbelly Brewing - Exeter

My wife and I have been trying since last year to visit zebelly. our oldest child is part of seacoast united soccer and has heard of another parent who rave. I don't pour often, but we were absolutely amazed at their offers! thanks to our server, Alex. they understood immediately our 3 years old was a bit out of the day and brought watermelon shed to snack. the house made an egg, plastered vegetables, and beer are a joy! the IPA flight was the perfect choice today. we are very happy to come back!

We came here for the vibes, but stayed for the incredible food! I was expecting bar food, but no, my Korean sticky ribs and octopus were truly top notch! The duck flatbread and steak kebabs were also great. What's more, this place is really family friendly- we came with a baby and everyone, including the baby, had a great time. Can't wait to come back and sit on the patio once the weather cooperates!

Great and friendly service, excellent food and drink options. We ordered the Korean BBQ ribs and some brussel sprouts for apps, then split the porterhouse. Temperature of the porterhouse was maybe medium rather than medium rare, but the flavor and tenderness by far made up the difference.We ordered the brownie sundae for dessert and it was the perfect topper. Excellent meal, would highly recommend stopping in.

I'm a former certified beer judge and homebrewer and have tasted, at last count, over 3300 beers worldwide. We're from Durham, NH and have been following the craft beer scene since the 80's and loving the breweries in NH and Maine since 1995. We went to this place before it was sawbelly; they were one of the rare brewpubs focusing on German style beers. That's a good thing, because as much as I love Belgians or NEIPA, well, in my book there's nothing that can beat a great German or Czech pils, or lager, or a continental Dark, a fest or oKtoberfest, Kolsch or the holy grail, IMHO, an Altbier. This is a neat place. Great seating options, live music (which I detest; i don't go to brewpubs to shout at my companions, but in all fairness the two performers I saw on both visits here were both very very good, so I guess I coulda sat inside, but just something to know The food is somewhere between good and very very good, depending on what you get. Great service; friendly, maybe a touch slow. Overall, we're in the 4-4.5 star range. Problem? Well, the beers are absolutely....eh. None of them are really true to type meaning none of the 9 that i've tasted tastes exactly like what it should be. And worse, none of them are particularly standouts. They are drinkable, that is for sure. None are spoiled or have off tastes. But they lack smoothness, proper aroma, mouthfeel, finish. I figured maybe it was me, but I've gone back a second time and tried an entire new flight. Lagers can't come close to Jack's Abby. IPA's aren't close to Stoneface, Liar's Bench, Great Rhythm, Deciduous, take your choice. Would I still go? yeeeah....maybe, for the venue. But the beers do not compete with the offerings from the nearby environs of Mass, NH, and ME.

So much fun to sit down in there and watch the closeness of the crew. Seems like a family run operation. Beer selection is tops, mixed drink selection is artsy and the food menu has different, tasty apps and plates.