Congregation Brewery & Cocina - Azusa

Been going to the Pasadena location for years, this was my first time trying Azusa. Definitely much quieter here and easier to snag a good seat. This time I had the aguachile which was just ok but a generous portion. Service is great. Good selection of beers and good cocktails. I definitely want to come back for happy hour and the daily specials. (Margarita Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wings Wednesday)

I’m 60 and it was alittle loud, but on a Sunday for football it’s understandable if you’re out on a Friday or Saturday night at a place that’s loud that’s to be expected. The staff here is cool down to earth, respectful and they listen.

Good vibe and delicious food. This bar and restaurant is located in a beautiful, red brick building. It has open street view seats and other comfortable table seats. It is not very big inside, but there are 6 to 7 big screen TVs, making you feel like that you are in a sports bar. However, it was not loud with the sports bar noise but rather comfortable rock and pop music. The whole vibe was fun and entertaining. The Mexican food that I ordered was authentic and delicious. Plus, even though the service was a little slow, but the bartender/ waiters were very friendly and helpful. I certainly will come back to this restaurant to try different kinds of foods.

Great location! It’s bigger than it looks from the outside. Thursday night was “poppin” with a Dj who played good music. A lil pricey…… specially the food. I didn’t see a happy hour menu and $9 for a pint is a lil too much. (My opinion) Super friendly staff. Bathrooms were a little dirty. (This matters always) Happy October!

Heard of this place and gave it a try. I was happy I did! This place was better than I thought. Our waitress was so nice and very attentive. My friend got a light beer which she enjoyed and I got a margarita flight. I was expecting 3 drinks but I got 5 and they were allllll yummy 😋 I ordered their aguachile and it was very good. My friend got the chicken fajitas and it was ALOT of food and smelt delicious. I would go back to try that dish. I'm giving this place 4 stars I would want to go back and try other things. I did go on a Monday at 5 so there was no people. I would want to see what it's like on a busy day. Overall I enjoyed this place and will be back.

As other reviewers have said about this place, the music is played way too loud. It's tough to hear someone sitting across the table for you. The food was good but the beer seemed off. I ordered a hazy IPA that for some reason tasted like a Belgian beer. Also tried a sip of my wife's pale ale but that was also not the flavor I was expecting. What I can say is that our waitress was very friendly and accommodating. She really made the experience better for us. Also 9 dollars for a pint of beer is pretty expensive. Where I live most are about $7.50

Fantastic place if you're looking to pay ridiculously high prices for mediocre food. Tried the sampler, pizza, and chicken with all of it being just adequate, with the exception of the fries and macaroni bowls (both of which were legitimately the blandest tasting food I have tasted in recent memory). Good thing the burgers are only $20+, otherwise I'd be upset!

Short food menu, but food was delicious with a Latin touch. Brewed beers were very smooth and not a high ABV. Still under works, but this far is a nice place to enjoy a brunch menu with friends and family. Will definitely suggest, and will be returning.

Came here for brunch and college football. Our server was super helpful and attentive, the food portions were very generous, and th flavors were very tasty. The green chilaquiles were flavorful, and th beans at the bottom were a pleasant surprise. The mac and cheese was super cheesy, and the pita bread was a interesting accompaniment. Ceviche needed a bit more flavor but overall good flavors. Buffalo wings needed more buffalo sauce. Parking was available in the back, but also some spots on the main side of Azusa.

Great location! It's bigger than it looks from the outside. Thursday night was "poppin" with a Dj who played good music. A lil pricey...... specially the food. I didn't see a happy hour menu and $9 for a pint is a lil too much. (My opinion) Super friendly staff. Bathrooms were a little dirty. (This matters always) Happy October!

Came here for a birthday celebration. The place was chill and had a few tables. Drinks were good and you know they definitely don't cheap out on the alcohols!

Been going to the Pasadena location for years, this was my first time trying Azusa. Definitely much quieter here and easier to snag a good seat. This time I had the aguachile which was just ok but a generous portion. Service is great. Good selection of beers and good cocktails. I definitely want to come back for happy hour and the daily specials. (Margarita Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wings Wednesday)

Came here on a Friday night for a little date night. This place is a great location with parking readily available. I was honestly surprised on how empty this place was for a Friday night. Needless to say it was not a bad place. Good selection of beers and good selection of food on their menu too. The staff were friendly and the service was quick. The vibe was good with a live DJ playing some throwbacks. Would definitely visit again.

The beer on tap was suuuuuuper good! I also love the nachos and fries! The space is nice and open with Tv's everywhere so everyone can see. Over great vibe, love the lights lol

If you're looking for a group meet up for dinner or drinks you'll like this place. They have a taco Tuesday deal where you can get tacos and a beer for $10 (not bad!). They bring you a basket of chicharrones with green salsa on the side. There were quite a few drinks on the menu that they did not carry anymore which was a bummer. If you like sours, give the Tropical Sour a try. It's got a good fruity flavor to it The calzone option allows you to choose marinara or another sauce on the side. You also get to pick several toppings to include in it. I had pepperoni, onion, bell peppers, and basil. It was served right out of the oven! I wish they gave more sauce. It was a good dish. It could be elevated if they added some garlic butter on the crust.

Went here to meet up with a few friends. There is parking in the back. The drinks are really good. I got the Monday special margarita with a margarita pizza. So delicious! The sample platter was okay everything on it tasted plan, expect for the onions rings. Everyone's food seem to be a hit or miss. Our waiter was so nice and friendly. We sat outside some of the tables tops seems to be popping up. However, had a great time there and would definitely go back and bring friends.

The service here is awesome! So far the food has been on point. Great Fish Ceviche and Fish & Chips!

This place is so sad, negative vibes here. Customer service horrible , their drinks have no taste, I don't recommend this place at all. Stay away!!!!

Came here Last night for a birthday party on the patio. The patio is nice and spacious with enough room for a big party. There were platters of food including pizza, sliders, and various finger foods. The food was good but got cold fast. One thing I noticed was that the space heaters are very high up on the ceiling of the patio and they are on the inside next to the wall, so really it was hard to feel the warmth emanating from them. I think if they were placed more towards the sidewalk side it would help send warmth into the patio area and be more effective which in turn possibly would help keep the food warm longer. I had a slice of the BBQ pizza which was really yummy!!! I also liked the sliders, and the onion rings were awesome because they stayed crunchy even when cold. The mac and cheese was hit or miss, the one we had on our platter was watery and nobody wanted to eat it, but I saw on other tables the mac and cheese looked cheesy. I must say the Servers are very attentive, they were frequently checking on us to make sure that we were ok and if we needed anything, and always with a smile on their faces. Very upbeat and friendly and very helpful. I tried the Amber Beer called Carabella and I really liked it allot. Many people were drinking the No Way Jose IPA and I tasted that which also tasted very good. I loved the music that they had playing loudly, so many good tunes that I wanted to sing and sway to the music with. I honestly expected to see people dancing inside but I didn't see any sort of dance floor, and the patrons were just sitting relaxing and having drinks inside the bar. It's a nice laid back and chill environment with great tunes!

Came for the taco tuesday special, stayed because Panchito is the best bar tender! Made our night will definitely come back.

I really enjoyed visiting here for the first time. I was greeted by the bartender Juan we was so friendly and sweet and very helpful. He made me a very refreshing Ginger Mint Paloma. Love the complimentary basket of fried pork with green salsa. Enjoyed a delicious Fajita plate . Enjoyed the steak soft and tender great flavors . Definitely will be back.

I like the shift in ambience here. It's less divey and more hyped with loud music and mood lighting. The food was good too! The pizza went so quick, I didn't have a chance to take a picture but I highly recommend. I'm also not a big proponent of liquid cheese on nachos, but I have to say it worked for them. I had a sour that was easy to drink and my friend got a Paloma so they also do cocktails too. Delicious! Can't wait to go back!

I finally got around to trying this place today. After eating next door my friend and I were craving a beer. We walked in and it was empty, that's because it had just opened. We sat at the bar and the bartender was extremely nice!!! We sampled a few beers and ended up going with a house beer which was absolutely delicious. Make a long story short I needed up. Having four beers and started up a convo with 2 regulars which was absolutely great. Next time I'm in town I will definitely stop by. I did not try any of their food...next time I do I will give a second update!!

Never again they didn't have soap to wash our hands in the restroom. Major red flag how the fuck do the employees wash their hands. Food was absolute trash I had the fish tacos and the fish was brown in the middle. For the prices the food was trash.

So went in last night for a night cap. Ordered a few beers that were on the list but the waiter said alot they didn't have. WHAAAT?? A brewery with no beer? Ok, I wanted a taste of the "Guera Pistolera" because I haven't had it in sometime and wanted to remember. The waiter was nice, but NOT Juan.. Juan is great. Haven't seen him in some time there. He adds flare to the place. So the taster came out and it was a big NO!! YUCK!! It tasted bad, like a ropa mojada kinda blah taste. I think the line may have been bad or something. Settled on a Modelo and my guy had some other beer. WE ordered nachos with carnitas on it.. It came out and the chips were stale, and the carnitas were cold. We notified the waiter and he called the manager over, she's great!! Always very nice and greets everyone! She apologized and quickly suggested a pizza with carnitas.. Hmmm, interesting but ok.. The pizza came out and it was delicious!! The ambiance was good, music was loud and thumping.. Will definitely go again, but they really need to get some beers in there for a brewery...

Do NOT go here! The food was very bad. I ordered the Diablo burger and the patty was burnt, dry, and not warm. I also got the nachos and they were disgusting and soggy (see the picture). There were only two employees in the entire restaurant. There wasn't even a cook in the back so the waiter and/or bar tender must have been throwing everything together hastily. This place used to be great. I feel sick having eaten some of the food. I paid over 45$ and I deserve my money back.

Love the theme nights, and although not a beer drinker, they do have seltzer options. Jose is great , always with a smile and a hug to greet us. Have never been disappointed with the food but please bring back the chicharron!

My husband and I were craving congregation and we stopped by to get our usual favorites. I was so sad to see how drastically this place has changed and unfortunately, it's for the worst. The setup is no longer order and pay up front. Their congregation Catholic Church theme has lost its touch and is just your average bar place. And most importantly, their menu is completely different and the food quality has gone downhill. My favorite was their pretzel with IPA cheese and the dough they used was heavenly. Now their pretzel tastes frozen and something that you would get from Jamba Juice. Their fries, nachos, pizzas, and burgers are no longer the same either. Whoever took over has turned a unique brewery with a charming presence into a conventional forgettable restaurant that feels so corporate-like. It pains me to write this review since I've been coming here since 2015 and this place was a constant among my favorite restaurant hangout spots. Not anymore. They ruined a good place. In regards to nostalgic restaurants for me, this is my second heartbreak after souplantation.

The location is conveniently located in downtown Azusa. There's plenty of parking in front or to the rear. Once inside you are greeted, seated and provided with the menus. They have a good variety of food ranging from pizzas to tacos. They also have a 3 for $9 mimosa special on weekends. Service is friendly and quick. The prices are fair. The location is comfortable and clean with comfortably padded seats. On to the food. The wings and fries were ok. The mango salad was very tasty and the pork belly tacos were enjoyable but a bit pricy for two tacos. I look forward to returning and trying something different from the menu. This looks like it would be a fun place during the late evenings. I'll be back.

We spent years coming here for the atmosphere and customer service. Then our favorite waitresses left and it was never the same. We stopped in giving our own Azusa based business another chance and we were greeted by JUAN. Today was our second time in here in a long time and we are officially coming back! Go Juan. Thank you for your smile and energy. We enjoyed our drink tonight on our way home :) Azusa BUSINESSES keep thriving.

Long story short wife and walked out and hit Max's cuisine. Congregation couldn't manage to give us our drink within 30min of waiting for two mimosa. Anyways not the place I remembered about a year ago.

Congregation is just not the same I don't know how much longer it will be around the staff is friendly the restaurant is clean, but the food is just not there anymore. The quality is just not there.. no flavor.

Great local spot! Food is great. I've visited the restaurant for 2 events and enjoyed myself.

I loved my experience here! We came on a day where they had music and karaoke which was a whole vibe. The environment was fun and chill - the food the tacos were delish and so good. I loved the service and our server Enrique was such a vibe and good time as he recommended several beers which my husband and I loved and looking forward to going back ^_^

Good service and great food! The Al Pastor pizza was really tasty and the breakfast sandwich was delicious!

Excellent service: fast and friendly. Made sure we were enjoying our food and drinks even being the only ones seated at the patio that night. Delicious food: highly recommend the Sampler Platter- Mac n cheese is uniquely flavored, haven't tasted anything like theirs before! Garlic parm wings nicely cooked with just enough coating. Fries are crispy and fresh. Mozzarella sticks pretty good. Plenty seating: Bar, table, and patio seating available. They also stay open until 1am every Friday. Great ambiance: casual but upbeat with indoor and outdoor seating. DJ played 90s R&B while we were there. Love that the live music inside is reflected outside as well. Would for sure come back! Food was SO tasty and service extremely welcoming. 10/10

New ownership please be warned it is NOT the same food you'd grown to love and expect. I ordered for pick up a large pepperoni pizza and tots and fries. Oh my gosh had I hopped on here and even read a review I would have saved my $40 and gone to Dominoes. The pizza...yes it is bigger than the large Congregation had before but it is so bland. No flavor at all. The sauce might as well be tomato sauce and the dough is not good or sourdough anymore...is this even stone fired still? The tots were all stuck together and had that "I was dunked in grease and left in there too long and then got reheated and sold" I did not eat one tot. The bar fries are what now seems to be fries out of a frozen bag...prove me wrong congregation...no seasoning, but for a sprinkle of salt. I tried calling and asking for a refund or something and the number isn't taking calls...originally I ordered online. Unless there is a change I don't see myself coming back here again.

Had an amazing time Sunday here for my Bestie's birthday--well actually Joey & Heather made it awesome! Joey really took care of us and prepared our meals with so much care. Very delicious! Heather was real attentive & kept checking up on us. The restaurant is located on an avenue of restaurants but inside, it was quiet & cozy. Will definitely come back. Thank you you two for making my Sister feel so loved on her special day!

We called ahead to make sure the restaurant would be open on Easter. They said yes and we were able to book a 12 person reservation. (But the person that answered did sound drunk) We had family drive over from Long Beach and the restaurant was CLOSED! When I called I was told that it was a "last minute decision" to close. Still no one notified us. I will never visit either of their locations again and will encourage everyone I know to do the same. Such horrible customer service!

What can improve you ask, everything! Ambience for sure oh and the mixed drinks were nothing but simple syrup for $12, you gotta be kidding me,gross! No wonder this place is dead. Only good thing was the bartender male tried to make it happen give him that for trying for sure!

Derek (panchito) is the best i love him he has a heart of gold and im so happy we met

Choose Congregation to host our end of year team building event. The food received some complaints of being bland which I fell is starting to become a thing as restaurants are choosing health over taste. Anyways service was great and the place was spacious and accommodating. 5 stars

This review is one of the toughest I've written, Congregation Ale House was an absolute favorite of mine and one of the few places that started serving micro-brewed beer before craft beer blew up, their food and brews were always excellent. The ambiance was upscale-casual with great finishes and friendly and fast service. It's not always easy to pull of themed dining but the execution was impeccable. The place was just a comfortable, cool place to hang out and grab beers with friends, a casual date night or even a family dinner. Admittedly, the amount of times I dined here were reduced after moving further away but I would occasionally stop by, yesterday was one of those days. My friend and I first noticed the vinyl banner hanging out front advertising "brunch and brews" my friend and I were pretty surprised but figured they were just adding some new stuff to the menu and given the numerous new restaurants that have popped up in the area in recent years, I figured it was a good way to bring in more business. As soon as we walked in, I was immediately put off. It didn't take long before I had the realization of what happened (or at least what I surmise may have happened). I'll start with saying that while the "bones" are still there, these new owners (I presume) are trying to pull one over on us by using the name and likeness of what I assume is the now defunct Congregation's. I literally uttered the words "Look what they've done, they've massacred my boy". You're immediately greeted with reggaeton blaring over the speakers, I felt like I had walked into a TJ club, we were then greeted by staff who were very friendly but I was already upset/sad/annoyed and feeling bamboozled. We were then handed menus that said Congregation Cocina (or something like that) and this just added another thing to the list of something-is-way-off-about-this-place, it was all Mexican food. What happened to the burgers? the amazing wings? the freshly made fries? This is where I looked to my friend and told her "let's go, I don't want to eat here" but it was too late, she had been pulled in by the $9 mimosa flight and the buy one get one for $1 entrees. My frugal friend saw this as plus while it just cemented my suspicions. It sounds ridiculous and over dramatic but I was honestly angry at this point. Who the H E double hockey stick are these people and why are they trying to LIE to me and make me thing I'm in Congregations???? The food came out and of course it was underwhelming Mexican food, tepid beans, cold rice, mushy chilaquiles, my shattered heart served on a plate. I immediately jumped on Yelp to try to further decipher this puzzle. Was this a takeover? Did this new owner just decide to use up the remains of a failed business? Did Congregations sell out? Is this a $ laundering front a la' Los Pollos Hemanos? I barely touched my food, my friend went to town and remarked that the mimosas were full sized and the price was crazy low, I found nothing on the internet but I am certainly not done with my research. I also will not be returning to this establishment and hope they stop with this false use of a once respected name. As we walked out while i kept bemoaning about my sadness over finding out what happened, I saw that the Congregation sign that used to hang out front, and now replaced by the vinyl banner, was sitting on the ground and appeared to have recently been removed. This is purely speculative but I think they're trying to bait customers and will eventually do away with the name after squeezing the last bits of life out of it. I'm pro small business but not when it feels like a dishonest ploy. Word to the owners, don't do this.

Congregation ale house is a local bar located in Azusa that has great food and drinks ! Parking is kind of difficult so be mindful of that I think it would be better if your either walking or being dropped off Pricing is reasonable and that taste is good as well! We went for a friends birthday and they also enjoyed it as well We went during the middle of the day 3ish and it wasn't busy at all Overall 2 thumbs up !

Amazing work from panchito! Great service and food! Nothing else around the area compares.

Food was good, service was good, beer was good, all in all good. Wasn't bad, wasn't amazing, not too shabby.

Very slow service. Starters and food all came out together. Took a long time to get anything. Beer and food tasted good but didn't make up for the service. There is street parking and if you go around the block there is a small lot in the back as well.

My best friend and her family brought my son and I here for dinner. We sat outside. The food took a little bit of time to come out, but it was very good. Servers were attentive. I will definitely come back.

We were in the area and wanted to have a few brews! Initially the service was great! We sat outside and I truly feel that we were forgotten about. I ordered a flight and they were great! However my husbands drink was forgotten, the same happened with the food. When we tried to order another round we were passed again. I'll probably give them another try since their beers were good!

The happy hour menu for drinks is fantastic. We started with wine by the glass and then moved on to well drinks. Our waiter was attentive and suggested some delightful options. Overall, it was a great experience. We will definitely return when visiting the area.

Has anyone gotten the shrimp ceviche? This is my first time eating here so I'm not sure if they make their Ceviche differently but when I got my plate the shrimp looked raw and had a slight slimy texture. I forgot to take a pic. :/

I've been coming here for many years. The menu has changed a bit, but the food is still great! I recommend pizza and their specialty drinks.

My friend and I came in on Friday the 27th, and we were greeted & seated by a very friendly young man, unfortunately I didn't get his name but I know he had a few tattoos! We then sat at the bar and ordered beers and the asada fries, those were absolutely delicious. We were served by a woman with long hair, whose attitude was honestly very unfortunate. She just had the worst attitude. Didn't know how to thank you or even acknowledge when we said thank you, she would just simply drop our order off and walk away. We even had asked to order something and she looked at us and just walked away without saying ANYTHING, my friend and I were wondering if she even heard us... but eventually she brought what we asked for. If we had any questions or basically any interaction with her it was so bland & she just seemed miserable. I think this place could find a better replacement. Because when we first walked in and was welcomed by that kind guy it really made us excited to be there, but the lady with the horrible attitude really killed it for us and we ended leaving and going somewhere else.

First time visiting this establishment. Wow. What can I say. Friendly device and Brooklyn was definitely a runner for the food and drinks. And that takes me to the drinks. Had various beers and flavors. If you're looking for cold drinks, this is a must stop Had carnitas tacos, a Gia hole and pretzels for dinner. Superb. Carnitas we're tender and juicy (not over fried). Delicious. Tonight there is a DJ. Music spinning until late in the night. Ready to party. We are. Place is immaculate, clean and very well established. Come on by. You won't be disappointed.

Good food and great beers! Even the food qualifies as desert!!! Ask them! There is lots of parking around back.

Panchito was a great vibe, definitely coming back for his service! He was definitely a good bartender

Good Service and the food Is sooo goood thanks Panchito (Dereck). All Is prelly Good When some body arrived have a diferent things. But When try Its a god experience