General Lafayette Brew Pub

General Lafayette seems to be in trouble, and if this business has to go under, I wanted to make sure I had a chance to check it out before it was too late. Last weekend I made the annoying trip out to Lafayette Hill, PA to check out the food and beer at this legendary spot. The results were mixed, to say the least.

Because the General is primary a brewery (at least in my mind), I want to focus on the beer. Brewmaster Christopher Leonard keeps his taps rotating with several beers, alongside the tried and true house brews. Germantown Blonde, Sunset Red Ale, and Pacific Pale Ale are the house brews. I tried two of these, and they are very good, but not outstanding.

Other brews when I visited where a chocolate porter and Biere des Cerises (I passed on both of these), and Griffin's Mild (think brawler). Two beers stood out for me that night: The Mirage, at 2.8% beer that's the best one I've had of that style. It's well carbonated, not bitter, and perfectly hopped. Even better than that was they Le Marquis de Lafayette, a Belgian style amber ale with amazingly subtile and complex fruit aftertastes. I wanted to buy a case of this on the way out, but sadly, they weren't bottling it.

All pints ran from 3 to 5 dollars, with most ringing in at $4. For the with quality of beer you're receiving, this is excellent. If you're indecisive (or driving) bring on the Four, 5-ounce samples of your choice - $6.00. Additional samples just $1.50. They also always have a beer on cask, if that's your thing. The General also fills growlers, which I would have purchased, but they're been out of stock for months. For a business/profit standpoint, this type of oversight has no explanation. I was also bummed not to be leaving with beer.

I wish I could stop writing here, because it just goes downhill. Our server was slow, but very friendly and good. To be fair, we were the only table in the courtyard, which I can't really understand as it was a perfect summer evening.

We ordered buffalo wings to start. They were okay, but I'm becoming much more critical of foods that are served everywhere. If you're going to serve something that every other place also does, you need to make it outstanding. These wings were not.

I was out with Rachel, and we decided to spilt to main dishes since we were being indecisive. I tried to order the sweet potato fries, but the kitchen had run out. Before we were even half way through out wings, the mains came out. We spilt the crab cake and a burger. The crab cake was bland. I think we should have known better than to expect this to be worth ordering. The burger was just plain bad. It tasted as if I cooked it at home and did a terrible job. The meat seemed to be a poor cut and the grill was too hot, so the inside wasn't cooked enough and the outside too much. The meal was all around disappointing.

Sadly, the place was mostly empty for the whole evening. When we left a bit after 10pm, there was only one other table in the dining room. If this spot were in the city, it would be hopping until 2am, especially with the free live music they provide most nights. At the very least, I like this place better than Triumph, which can pack in crowds most nights.

Bottom Line: It's annoying that this place is so far away because the beer is excellent. It is honestly worth making the 30 minute drive from my house. The beers are sold at Bella Vista in the city limits, but the cases have been sitting for some time and may not be recommended. Try to come here after dinner or lunch to avoid the food, although there were a few other appetizers that I wanted to try and may be good. A new chef could make this place on the top of its game. Still, get to this place before it's too late, I know I'll try and go again.

Essentials:

646 E Germantown PikeLafayette Hill, PA 19444

(610) 941-0600

Avg Ent: 9-17

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes, but not needed