Red Castle Brewery - Lehighton

Oh. My. God. This place has awesome food and good beer. And it's all ridiculously cheap. What more can a beer-guzzling, gullet-stuffing hedonist like myself ask for? To start, the building is quaint and has a nice little deck on the side to enjoy the weather. It is a brewery but the atmosphere is pretty jovial; kids wouldn't be a problem. The beer is pretty good; when we were there they were flushing the tap lines and only had three beers on tap; of them, I tried the pilsner and a blueberry shandy; the pilsner was pleasant and easy to drink, smooth and very mildly hoppy, while the shandy was surprisingly good, tart and with a strong blueberry scent to it. The latter would make a good summer beer. As for the food... (drools). Excellent Polish classics (at least judging by my encounters with Polish food during my travels in Russia), with the noodles being especially addictive. The castle burger, meanwhile, was an interesting twist on a normal burger, with mustard and raw onion on the bottom of the patty and cheese and homemade chili sauce on the top. It was excellent. A bit tangy, salty, and with some crunch courtesy of the onion. All in all, a five star meal.

Excellent cheese steak from the special menu. Large, juicy, cheesy, well seasoned, and... salty(a bit too salty). Fries are freshly out of the fryer, and well seasoned and again too much salt. Beer unfortunately wasn't as great as I hoped. Tasted a bit too watered down with what tastes like seltzer. Service is excellent. Overall had a great time here enjoying great food.

Best pierogies ever. After I spotted the Polish flag inside, I knew I was going to have a great meal with my little family. Ashley, our server, was all smiles in a bar maid outfiit. She immediately seated us and told us about the beer situation and accommodated my young kids with natural flair. Their menu 's pretty clear and simple, but I suggest ignoring most of it and focusing on the From the Homeland and Pierogies sections. From there, I ordered the Polish Platter, a true trifecta of tasty Kielbasa with the perfect snap when bitten, Haluski comforting, buttery, flat noodles, and Halupki a homey tasting stuffed cabbage filled with beef, pork, rice, and spices in a light, creamy tomato sauce. Then the Pierogies so effing good! We ordered 2 types which came topped with crumbled bacon and onions wow! The combination of Potato and Cheddar 's a classic for good reason then the savory Mushroom and Kraut was soooo good (Get this, especially with a side of sour cream)!!! Their American offerings are pretty good, but their Polish dishes are like home cooking of the best kind.

To say I was shocked by how good the beer and food was here is an understatement. When I pulled up and saw the tiny little wood building that houses the brewpub I had reservations. However when I sat down and started trying beers I was blown away. Along with Red Castle Brewing they also serve Insurrection Brewing beers; Insurrection specializes in liquor infused beers. It's a great, and delicious, idea. Zealot, which is a strawberry beer infused with brandy, is very fruity but not sickeningly sweet, and has a high alcohol content to boot. Additionally on the Red Castle side I had the watermelon shandy and DaMoat, which is a hazelnut brown ale. The watermelon shandy was cool and refreshing, both citrusy and fruity. DaMoat was very interesting, almost fizzy on the tongue, and while it had notes of hazelnut and vanilla it was not super sweet. I would totally drink all three again and I am a bit sad I did not get to try more. The food is outrageously good. I love Polish food in general and they did not disappoint. This might sound crazy, but their kielbasa was literally some of the best I've ever had. And guess what? For six bucks you can take home a pound of their kielbasa! Almost everything they serve you can buy in bulk, and because the food is so delicious, I'm going to stock up next time I'm there. I went with a someone who is from Lithuania and has been to Poland, and even she was taken by the food; she said the food was totally legit European style food and that the interior did feel a lot like a pub in Eastern Europe would. I am head-over-heels for their haluski, which I had never had before. While noodles and cabbage must not sound all that great, believe me when I say it is the ultimate comfort food. Their halupki is also tasty, not the best I've ever had, but in good form. I'm dreaming of the next time I can get back to Red Castle, seriously. Are there breweries and Polish joints near me? Yeah, but I still feel like there's something really special about this place. I did not have a single bad thing, and the service here was prompt and helpful. I can't wait until I can get back up there, get some growlers of delicious beer and a ton of tasty food. Keep doing what you're doing, Red Castle.

Needed a place to stop for lunch on a trip from NJ to upstate NY, and so started searching somewhere in the Allentown Scranton area. I was driving, so the bf was in charge of finding a place. I shouldn't have been too surprised when he directed us to a Polish brewery. For one, we both have Polish heritage in our veins and so there is a bit of a nostalgic factor for food our grandmas used to cook. And two, we always enjoy the chance to check out breweries around the country. From the outside, the building is a basic A-framed (red) roof with some patio seating. Unfortunately for us, it was raining that day. The inside is just as quaint with wooden beams crossing the ceiling, several tables, and stool seating at the wrap-around bar. American and Polish flags adorn the interior. Fitting. We grabbed a couple seats at the bar and then took some time to glance over the menu. They had several beers on tap, four of their own and several guest taps. We opted for a flight (four 4-oz pours) of the house beers, because, when in Rome. They were all okay. I think we are a bit spoiled out in CO, but I will say the Lords and Ladies Cream Ale stood out, though that's not my usual go to beer style. We also tried the Queens Guard, an American Pale Ale with subtle hops, Lancers Lager (self explanatory) and Excalibur, a Red Ale. Easy drinking but nothing mind blowing. What was mind blowing however was the food. Maybe we were just really hungry, or maybe I forgot how much I love pierogies and halupki every now and then. But it was absolutely delicious. My bf got the kielbasa sandwich and had to take half home as the portions were large. The fries were also super tasty and I definitely snagged a few off his plate. Prices were reasonable as well; we walked out of there with a bill less than $30 (tip included) with very full tummies and a box to go. I'm not sure I'll ever find myself in the area again, but I recommend a stop to those who do. PS: check in on Yelp, and you'll get 10% off your order.