Upstream Brewing Company (514 S 11th St)

[bigredmed1]

Unconfirmed rumor, but Upstream related, so I'll put it in this thread...

The downtown location is supposedly going up for sheriff's auction soon. It may have been used as collateral on unpaid loans or other bills for the West O location that closed last year, and someone wants their money back.

Not that this forces them to close down, but certainly would affect things, as their building would partially be owned by the creditors....

I just went to Portalfest, and while I won't be doing that twice, I can tell you that the beers there are better (IMHO) than Upstream's and I didn't get treated like worm food by the staff at either Pint 9 or Kros Strain.

[omaha79]

Unconfirmed rumor, but Upstream related, so I'll put it in this thread...

The downtown location is supposedly going up for sheriff's auction soon. It may have been used as collateral on unpaid loans or other bills for the West O location that closed last year, and someone wants their money back.

Not that this forces them to close down, but certainly would affect things, as their building would partially be owned by the creditors....

Anything more on this?

[Omaha Cowboy]

I have no additional intel..

But if Upstream meets its demise, it won’t surprise me..

Being a craft beer connesiouer myself, the Omaha metro craft scene has exploded in the past 10 or so years with excellent breweries and pubs with good eats and diverse craft beer selections.. I think I said it last year, but I’ve never really been impressed with Upstream- it’s beer or it’s food.. It doesn’t play within my craft beer wheelhouse so I won’t miss it at all if it’s gone...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[bigredmed1]

I have no additional intel..

But if Upstream meets its demise, it won’t surprise me..

Being a craft beer connesiouer myself, the Omaha metro craft scene has exploded in the past 10 or so years with excellent breweries and pubs with good eats and diverse craft beer selections.. I think I said it last year, but I’ve never really been impressed with Upstream- it’s beer or it’s food.. It doesn’t play within my craft beer wheelhouse so I won’t miss it at all if it’s gone...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Have to agree here. Not a beer fan like you all are. But Upstream was never a place that struck me as a place I thought well of. Since the first visit where they wanted me to let some dude just hold on to my credit card while we played pool, to the so so food and the beer that was not that great. Lastly, the big sin of a lot of the earlier beer makers (from Jones Street on) was not canning or bottling their beer. All of them had good two beer beers. The kind where you didnt want a Growler full, but you could drink a couple. Not for sale off premises in non Growler sizes means I don't buy and I find something else.

Food wise, it was never bad, but never good either.

I would say Glacial Till Cider (original flavor), Lucky Bucket's original, Brickway, Kros Strain, Pint 9, and any flavor except vanilla bean at Infusion have been better. Glacial Till, Brickway and Lucky Bucket both sell in cans or bottles and they will get my business.

[Uffda]

I have no additional intel..

But if Upstream meets its demise, it won’t surprise me..

Being a craft beer connesiouer myself, the Omaha metro craft scene has exploded in the past 10 or so years with excellent breweries and pubs with good eats and diverse craft beer selections.. I think I said it last year, but I’ve never really been impressed with Upstream- it’s beer or it’s food.. It doesn’t play within my craft beer wheelhouse so I won’t miss it at all if it’s gone...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Have to agree here. Not a beer fan like you all are. But Upstream was never a place that struck me as a place I thought well of. Since the first visit where they wanted me to let some dude just hold on to my credit card while we played pool, to the so so food and the beer that was not that great. Lastly, the big sin of a lot of the earlier beer makers (from Jones Street on) was not canning or bottling their beer. All of them had good two beer beers. The kind where you didnt want a Growler full, but you could drink a couple. Not for sale off premises in non Growler sizes means I don't buy and I find something else.

Food wise, it was never bad, but never good either.

I would say Glacial Till Cider (original flavor), Lucky Bucket's original, Brickway, Kros Strain, Pint 9, and any flavor except vanilla bean at Infusion have been better. Glacial Till, Brickway and Lucky Bucket both sell in cans or bottles and they will get my business.

I haven’t been in upstreamin a couple of years. I liked the downtown location and a couple of their beers and the jambalaya but that was years back.

As to canning- bottling - big expense for beginning breweries. And Nebraska has restrictive growler laws....

[43county]

I have no inside information regarding their financial well-being or anything of the sort, there could be a bunch of factors I'm not aware of. But I can say with 100% certainty that the Upstream downtown serves more people per week in this town than any other full-service restaurant. It's honestly not even close, and that includes Olive Garden. If Texas Roadhouse was open for lunch, they would be in the conversation, but they're not.

Anecdotally I was in there last night before Counting Crows, and they were on a wait at 7 PM. Place had 400 plus people in it including the patio, easily. If there is any validity to these rumors, it most certainly will not be due to poor sales/revenue. It's like Spaghetti Works at this point. Tourists and families just flock there, it's a huge space and easy to accommodate your large parties, screaming kids, whatever. It serves it's purpose: it's inoffensive and there is something for everyone.

And to be clear, I'm not sticking up for them. It's true that most true breweries have better beer. Food is decent at best. But let's not kid ourselves that place is doing some revenue.

[Coyote]

FIRKIN GOOD BEER!
Feb. 18th, Sat at 1:00PM - 5:00PM
Upstream Brewing Company



Kick off Omaha Beer Week with the 10th Annual FIRKIN GOOD BEER!.. A Cask Conditioned Beer Festival & Fundraiser to benefit the Food Bank for the Heartland & the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild

This unique and intimate fest features one-off cask beers and barrel-aged brews from Nebraska breweries and local homebrew clubs made exclusively for this event.

$27.00 online - $35.00 at the door includes a FIRKIN Souvenir Glass, Unlimited FIRKIN samples, your first Raffle Ticket for FREE BEER & PRIZES and a FIRKIN good time, guaranteed!

Bring non-perishable food for the Food Bank to the door and get extra FREE BEER & PRIZE Raffle Tickets per item.

Featuring Event Exclusive Beers from...
Cosmic Eye Brewing
Kros Strain Brewing Company
Zipline Brewing Company
Kinkaider Brewing
Saro Cider
Brickway Brewery & Distillery
Juke Ale Works
Benson Brewery
First Street Brewing Company
Pint Nine Brewing Company
Scriptown Brewing Company
Site-1 Brewing
Loop Brewing Company
Lost Way Brewery
Local 402 Brewers Union
South Omaha Brewers
Railroaders Brew Club
Upstream Brewing Company

[Coyote]

Seasonal Beer Dinner - Upstream Brewing
November 30th at 6:00PM - 8:00PM
Upstream Brewing Company
514 South 11th Street



Join us for five tailored courses to pair with brews from our limited Seasonal Beer menu hosted by Executive Chef Pete Butler and Head Brewer Dallas Archer

[ChadJK]

Upstream has always perplexed me. With the surge in interest of craft beer over the last 15 years or so, you'd really have expected them to boom. Actually, they've shrunk from two locations back to one. One would expect to see 6- and 12-packs of Upstream Beer for sale all over the metro. Nope. It's still just a restaurant with some unique beer selections. I used to frequent them more often when their Shops of Legacy location was opened, but Old Market is just so horribly inconvenient for me that I've been there maybe once in the last 5 years. Their Smoked Alt is a tasty beer. They also make a great beer cheese soup (which they call their ""Smoke Gouda & Beer Soup"). Their Thai Chicken.Salad was great (and I'm not much of a salad lover), but it is no longer on the menu.

[Brad]

Upstream has always perplexed me. With the surge in interest of craft beer over the last 15 years or so, you'd really have expected them to boom. Actually, they've shrunk from two locations back to one. One would expect to see 6- and 12-packs of Upstream Beer for sale all over the metro. Nope. It's still just a restaurant with some unique beer selections.

They do have some on-off bottles in the stores from time to time, but nothing I have noticed regularly. I'm guessing they don't have the room to do canning, they would need more of a production facility. Infusion and Nebraska Brewing were small little breweries that transition to a large production facility. One never had food and the other dropped their food when they moved. Brickway, purchased lucky bucket and Lucky bucket will be doing most of the canning for both locations, also neither have food. But I think Upstream just wants to focus on the old school brew pub concept with a good food menu and a solid lineup of beers. I'm sure their old market location does great business.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Upstream has always perplexed me. With the surge in interest of craft beer over the last 15 years or so, you'd really have expected them to boom. Actually, they've shrunk from two locations back to one. One would expect to see 6- and 12-packs of Upstream Beer for sale all over the metro. Nope. It's still just a restaurant with some unique beer selections. I used to frequent them more often when their Shops of Legacy location was opened, but Old Market is just so horribly inconvenient for me that I've been there maybe once in the last 5 years. Their Smoked Alt is a tasty beer. They also make a great beer cheese soup (which they call their ""Smoke Gouda & Beer Soup"). Their Thai Chicken.Salad was great (and I'm not much of a salad lover), but it is no longer on the menu.

I’ll echo your sentiment regarding Upstream. Their beer and food has never been great (at least to my palate), but both are solid. Much has changed over the past 10 years as the Omaha (and Nebraska) craft beer scene has boomed with a plethora of great breweries and great taprooms serving very good food; and brewing great beer. Upstream has a great location in the Old Market and to me, it’s been just good enough to continue to be relevant as a brewery and restaurant. I do hope it continues to be successful- even though it’s not a regular establishment of choice for me…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Brad]

with a plethora of great breweries and great taprooms serving very good food.

Disagree with "plethora".

Upstream, Vis Major, Jukes, and Heavy are the only breweries that serve food.

[nebugeater]

with a plethora of great breweries and great taprooms serving very good food.

Disagree with "plethora".

Upstream, Vis Major, Jukes, and Heavy are the only breweries that serve food.

How do you factor Lazlo's in this? Since they do not brew on-site, don't they count?

[DasBoot]

with a plethora of great breweries and great taprooms serving very good food.

Disagree with "plethora".

Upstream, Vis Major, Jukes, and Heavy are the only breweries that serve food.

Add Monolithic to that list.

[Brad]

How do you factor Lazlo's in this? Since they do not brew on-site, don't they count?

I don't know? I always think if them as a Lincoln Brewery. I like the Omaha location, but have never gone there just for beer. Its always been for a meal and the bonus is they have good beer that they make.

Add Monolithic to that list.

Oh yeah, my bad. I've only been in there at happy hour and forget they have food too.

[nebugeater]

How do you factor Lazlo's in this? Since they do not brew on-site, don't they count?

I don't know? I always think if them as a Lincoln Brewery. I like the Omaha location, but have never gone there just for beer. Its always been for a meal and the bonus is they have good beer that they make.

Well then with that logic you need to take HEAVY off you list because they are a Gretna Brewery! ( I kid of course)

[Omaha Cowboy]

with a plethora of great breweries and great taprooms serving very good food.

Disagree with "plethora".

Upstream, Vis Major, Jukes, and Heavy are the only breweries that serve food.

I was including Omaha Tap House, The Blatt and 402 etc as Tap Houses only- which serve very good food and great beer on tap.. Also, as another poster mentioned, Monolithic has pretty good pub food for a brewery with a tap room- their burgers are good..

In any case, so many more options to enjoy great craft beer out and about in the Omaha area than, say, before 2015..which was what I was driving at as it relates to Upstream…

Ciao..LiO…Peace

[Coyote]

Now Serving Omaha:
Upstream Brewing Company



Ready for any occasion with its spacious two-story floor, multiple party rooms and outdoor patio, Upstream Brewing Company (514 S 11th St.), in the heart of the Old Market, is prepped to greet you with a delicious array of food and dozens of craft cocktails and pints. "Upstream is a great local company we've been around since 1996," said Justin Halbert of Upstream's partnership company. "We do a great job when it comes to CWS. When teams are coming into town, we get a call of 35 people, we're able to handle them really easily."

Always stocked with at least 15 brew taps, Upstream's variety of flavors always ensures a perfect pint to pair with your food. "One of our local beers that we're really proud of is the Capitol Pale Ale, it has all Nebraska hops in it," said Halbert. "We work with local hop farmers to make sure we get a cool local product. Great bitterness to it." Offering dinner, brunch and lunch, Upstream's food menu offers pizza, salad, sandwich, steak, fish and more entrees to hungry customers. One of Halbert's favorites is the Nebraska Pub Burger featuring bacon jam, Havarti cheese, and crispy onions.

"We do a lot. We do our own desserts. We do our own breads," said Halbert. Upstream is open 11am - 11pm Monday - Thursday (food served until 10pm), 11am - 12am on Friday (food served until 11pm), 10am - 12am (food served until 11pm) and Sunday 10am - 10pm (food served until 10pm).

[Brad]

I posted about the "Iron Horse" Beer's in the B5 thread. Anyways, so far I have tried 5 of the 12 Iron Horse beers and surprisingly Upstream has the best one of the 5 I have tasted. I say Surprisingly because I have never had a Hazy IPA from Upstream and looking at Untapped, they really haven't brewed many Hazy IPAs.

See all the participating Breweries Here:
https://nebraskabeerforaaronbush.com/?f ... eP1N1x_FGg

[Brad]

New Menu:

Big news from the Upstream kitchen
We’ve been working behind the scenes on a refreshed menu, complete with delicious new additions while keeping plenty of longtime favorites right where they belong.
To make the switch, Upstream will be closed to the public tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21.
We’ll reopen Wednesday, July 22 with our new menu ready for you to enjoy — plus two new seasonal brews on tap.
Thanks for your patience while we get everything ready. We can’t wait for you to try what’s new!

[BuildTaller]

Interesting. I hope my favorites are still on the menu. The pot roast is fantastic.