The ambiance of the Auburn Alehouse combines the charm and character of this historic brick and mortor building with the bold industrial elements of a gleaming 10 barrel microbrewery. Guests and friends can enjoy lunch, dinner, and libation while watching the freshly crafted beer they are drinking being produced just a few feet away.
Contact Info
Address: 289 Washington Street City: Auburn State: CA Zip: 95603 Phone: 530-885-2537 Email:
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Website: http://www.auburnalehouse.com
The food goes good with the beer, and the beer goes great with the food. This was my fourth trip back. This time I ordered the "stuffed pepper", which is actually a gourmet meal: an Anaheim green pepper filled with crab, wrapped in a chicken fillet, and served on a bed of brown rice, all covered with a delicious sauce. Unfortunately, this item is not always on the menu. Visually, the atmosphere is a 5, but I had to downgrade it because the beautiful metal ceiling creates echoes that make it difficult to carry on a conversation.
It is definitely nice to have a new restaurant and bar in town we need it. Like the atmosphere but can be loud and the first few times there the food was good but the last few times the food was not that good. I will still go but the food and service could use some improvement.
We waited 10 minutes for a table on a Wednesday afternoon which isn't unreasonable considering we were able to order drinks while we waited. Apparently we arrived before Wednesday night's legendary Old Town fly infestation. The service was friendly and efficient and would have warranted 5 stars but it took a while for them to bring me a new fork when I dropped mine on the floor and then we were accidentally undercharged (I finally pointed out the mistake and they comped us a free drink). I ordered the Healthy Heart sandwich (assorted grilled veggies, eggplant, sweet red peppers, tomatoes, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and feta cheese, on whole wheat with pesto spread). I'm not a vegetarian but it was one of the best sandwiches I ever paid $6.95 for... It went well with my yummy Shanghai Stout. We waited 10 minutes for our meal while admiring the combination of updated and preserved decor. I plan to return soon, although I might call ahead to ask if the flies have come home to roost.
My Restaurant Observations
Price Range: Cheap (<$10) Kid Friendly: No
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Ale house needs some help, Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Written by sally esmerian
Overall rating
2.0
Food
2.0
Service
1.0
Value
2.0
Atmosphere
4.0
Overall Experience
1.0
We waited 20 minutes for a table on a Wednesday night and were excited to be seated at the front window. What a mistake! We spent the entire meal swatting at flies with our dinner napkins. Apparently the disgusting fly infestation is a well known problems at the Auburn Ale house because the manager, waitress, and bus boys all indicated they know about the flies but didn't really know how to kill them. So, I spent $50 on dinner for two, the service was terrible, the waitress forgot to bring me our beer, bread or a flyswatter. We felt a closeness with the four other tables in the front seating area because we all had perfected a napkin fly killing technique by the end of the hour. I was amazed the manager did not really seem to care, or offer any accommodation (moving us would have been nice). They were just happy for us to leave our table so they can offer it to another unsuspecting customer. What a shame...
My Restaurant Observations
Price Range: Moderate ($11 - $30) Kid Friendly: No
our group enjoyed a very nice dinner. terrific BBQ Ribs and Jambalaya...mmm great assortment of salads too. the desserts were great, I had the Banana Creme Brule' and he had the bread pudding, very very good. i can't wait to go again. on the weekend expect a 45 minute wait, so that is hard with kids. so it's a great place for date night without kids. lunch w/ kids is better. lupie
My Restaurant Observations
Price Range: Moderate ($11 - $30) Kid Friendly: No
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Auburn Ale House, Wednesday, 04 July 2007
Written by brown
Overall rating
3.2
Food
3.0
Service
2.0
Value
4.0
Atmosphere
4.0
Overall Experience
3.0
Have eaten here with friends several times.We had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table,no one in front or behind us.There were 3 available tables inside and 5 outside.The service needs some work,taking into consideration it is new.I over heard people saying they never got their appetizer. The server did not come back and ask for drink orders enough.I asked for bbq sauce it never came.A drink was served with 3 dangererous chips in it.The burgers are good,, but every time there were very few fries with any order.The salads need help.The dressings have too much vinegar,the chinese salad dressing had no oriental taste and needs help.The gorgonzola ,good but suggest they leave the outer leaves and chop up the rest,saw people stuggling to eat it,we had trouble too.Also the tomatoes were not ripe,no excuse in this area for tasteless tomatoes.I have spoken to other people and they all agreed the service needs help.The beer mugs should be chilled.The patio needs shade cloth to insure shade for all.Hopefully in time all will come to together.Also we all agreed the plates need garnish,lettuce,fruit or something.All in all good atmosphere, hopefully the service will improve with time.
The Auburn Ale House has been open a bit more than 1 week now. Judging from the line of people waiting out front to be seated, we could tell that this new restaurant was generating a Buzz; so last night, we ventured to Old Town to try the place out.
Parking in Old Town has always been a challenge. Don't bother trying to park in front of the restaurant. Grab the first parking space you see and enjoy whatever brief walk you have.
The Auburn Ale House is located in the same spot that the historic Shanghai Bar used to occupy. An extensive remodel took place while converting the bar to a functioning bar, restaurant and brewery. You can't tell this from the outside, however. I liked seeing the Shanghai name still visible under the building's whitewashed facade. Let's hope the owners keep that visible.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were amazed at the transformation that has taken place. The new space is cavernous and packed with people. It is definitely an alehouse both in decor and design. We were hardly able to hear the Hostess as the ambient volume of chatter inside was overwhelming. Fortunately for me, we were able to be seated on the comfortable and much quieter patio.
The menu is extensive and the offerings are reasonably priced. Of course, the Ale House brews are featured prominently in both the beverage and food. Try their special brew sampler, you won't be disappointed. We ordered some delicious crab cakes and spring rolls as appetizers.
The pulled pork tacos I ordered for dinner were delicious!! We had a good laugh when the newly trained waitress asked if my wife wanted fries with her 'Heart Healthy' sandwich. But, the waitress was serious. The sandwich was also terrific, though we suspect that this dish will be offered with a broccoli cole slaw or fruit side in the future.
All in all we really enjoyed our dinner at the Auburn Ale House. With so many delicious sounding menu items, I'm sure we will be back many more times.
