Free State Brewing Company

Free State Brewing Company is one of those rare places that completely lives up to its reputation. From the moment you walk in, it’s clear why this spot is such a staple in Lawrence. The atmosphere strikes the perfect balance between local charm and lively energy — a place where college students, locals, and travelers all mix comfortably. It’s the kind of brewery that feels like it’s been part of the community forever, and you can tell they take real pride in what they do. We tried both the beer and the food, and both were excellent. The beer selection was impressive — each brew had its own character, from smooth lagers to rich, flavorful ales. Everything tasted fresh, clearly made with care and skill. The food matched the quality of the beer, which isn’t something you can say about every brewery. Everything came out hot, seasoned well, and perfectly portioned. It’s hearty, satisfying food that pairs naturally with a cold pint. The service was spot-on. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely seemed to enjoy what they do. Our server offered great recommendations on both food and local attractions, which added a nice personal touch. Prices were fair for the quality and experience, making it a great value overall. Parking can be a little tricky — street parking fills up fast and isn’t free — but once you’re inside, it’s worth every bit of effort to get there. There’s both indoor and patio seating available, and the wait time was minimal when we visited. All in all, Free State Brewing Company is an easy five stars. Whether you’re a beer lover, a local looking for a dependable favorite, or a traveler exploring Lawrence, this place should be on your list. Great beer, great food, and great people — exactly what a hometown brewery should be.

Don’t snooze on Free State Brewing CO’s food. Some of the best specials, so be sure to check those out first. They have the VERY BEST chips & salsa and chile con queso in town. Try it and let me know what you think! Sandwiches and entrees are all very well done and taste amazing. Their beers are unbelievable and barley wine is as well brewed here as anywhere you can find. My wife and I LOVE Free State Brewing Company and we are hometown locals. #Cheers 🍻

We are here for NASCAR. Highly recommend this is the sister business of the local bakery. The beers are wonderful. You must stop and the food is even better. We will be back.

Crispyyyy chicken? I had a hankering for a Buffalo orrr Nashville hot chicken and some beers. Since we were in the neighborhood, we ended up at Free State. First off, the beers were solid. I went with the flight and ended up getting the Larger. They have a great selection of beers. The food was great too. I was expecting a crispy chicken sandwich butttt the grilled chicken wasn't half bad. The onion rings were delicious too. Good seating (upstairs and down) with some seats outside. Overall a great place for some food and brews.

Iconic establishment in Lawrence. Lots of craft beers to choose from, but try the Kenza wheat. Never had a less than delicious meal.

My husband and I took a day trip to Lawrence from Kansas City for something fun to do. He loves going to BrewCos because he really enjoys their food typically. We have had Free State beer in the past, but decided to skip the drinks this time around and just get some dinner since we needed to drive home. Overall it is a fine space. It is deceptively large as it has an upstairs space and a large second room back behind the bathrooms. It is clean and pretty well maintained. Nothing special, but definitely what you would expect from a brewery as far as ambiance. Our server was pleasant and helpful. The food took a little long to come out, but I think there was a large party in the bigger back room that ordered around the same time as we did. The food was... Fine. We ordered the Julius sandwich, the chips, the buffalo Chicken Enchiladas, and a side of onion rings. Everything was underwhelming, but filling. The biggest disappointment was the onion rings which tasted doughy and undercooked. I was excited to try them because they are made and breaded in house, so that was a let down. But everything else was pretty average. The chips were the best thing by far. I don't know if we would stop in again while in Lawrence unless it was to get a drink or maybe try the giant pretzels we saw other people eating. Definitely worth going at least once.

Food was good. I had a burger with onion rings. Onions were fantastic! Burger was good. Service was fast and friendly. Beer was different but good. It was better than most brewery’s. Not usually a big fan of most brewery beer but still not bad. Atmosphere was loud, and seemed tight. It was clean and looked nice. I would recommend stopping here if you in the area.

Always a great atmosphere and a staple of Lawrence, KS. Local brews, great food, and all the fun you could have with friends and family. Spicy Chicken Sandwich with a few Stitchgivers.

Bartenders were great and food was excellent . They even put on the Villanova basketball game and the St Joes game as well..great experience!!

This review is purely based on the beer and not the food. We were on our way to New Mexico and decided to hit some spots in Kansas, and what better stop than their oldest brewery? We parked quite far away, as this fun town was packed even on a gloomy day. We walked in and it was pretty busy, but they had a spot for two at a table, even though the bar was full. I ordered the Free State Lager, and I believe my partner ordered the Amber. Both drinks were really smooth and easy to throw back! We felt a bit rushed because there were people waiting to get a table to actually eat, so we only had one and then left to find somewhere a little more low-key. Ambience wise there was a lot of warm cabin like wood in a lofted space.

Dinner was good! We loved the bruschetta, have been wanting it again! Had fish & chips, was very good!!! Service Downside: Hubby ordered sandwich that was supposed to be on pretzel roll but wasn't told they were out of them until food arrived; the pretzel roll was main reason for ordering that particular item!

This is a very unique restaurant, i love all the decorations they have. The drinks were good and the food was okay, i would probably try something different next time. The hot chicken sandwich wasn't hot and it was made with grilled chicken which i thought was interesting. Our waitress was very nice and they have great fruit cobblers!

Rating is based only stopping in for a beer. We had already eaten otherwise might have been tempted. My husband got the oatmeal stout which was really good. I liked my Gravel City Kolsch although my husband thought it was just okay. This place was hopping for a Monday night. It looks small initially but with the upstairs and back room it holds more than you might expect.

Good service and atmosphere but the food is not good. The onion rings were good but the fried fish, mac n cheese and pork T were all flavorless and greasy.

Always a great experience. The service is friendly and attentive yet relaxed. As for the food, the onion rings stand on their own. Get 'em. The fish & chips are great. The farm sausage tortellini is comforting and creamy, while my fiancée raves about the French dip. Hard to go wrong with any dish here.

My kids and I stopped in for a late lunch. We loved everything we ordered. The onion rings were so good!!! My son had the tortellini and that was very good. Fish and chips were good too. We want to go back and try more

Everything was great! Just stopped in to grab a drink and ordered some rings with yummy batter.

After a long day of driving we arrived at our friends home in Lawrence and shortly thereafter headed downtown to the Free State Brewing Company for some beer and dinner. For my beer, I opted for their flagship brew, Ad Astra Amber Ale, an easy drinking, richly colored beer with a nice mouthfeel, fine carbonation, and frothy head -- a satisfying start to the evening. The menu was loaded with typical brew pub burgers and fried food, but also featured entrees like Hungarian Mushroom Goulash, Santiago Shrimp Linguine, Nashville Chicken Mac, and Jagerschnitzel & Mash. All sounded tempting, but as a fan of German food, I immediately decided to go with the schnitzel. When the food was delivered (after a perfectly reasonable amount of time), my initial reaction was disappointment -- because, strictly speaking -- the dish was not a schnitzel -- that is, it was not a breaded, fried pork cutlet, but rather, an un-breaded, pan seared, boneless pork loin chop. However, after my initial disappointment upon seeing it was not a traditional schnitzel, I dug in and was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with a pretty good dish. The pork cutlets were decently cooked and smothered with a rich gravy, filled with sautéed mushrooms and enhanced with a handful of sweetened tart cherries. The "mash" was a generous dollop of garlic mashed potatoes. A small mound of crispy deep fried shredded onions brought a crunchy element to the dish -- though they really didn't fit a German inspired dish in a cohesive manner. I wish the menu more accurately described the dish I ordered -- I'll lay the blame for that on the management -- but the food and beer were decent and I enjoyed my meal. Next time I'll try something else to see how accurately it is described on the menu. Jagerschnitzel

Only my 2nd time trying this place and for the 2nd time it was just okay. Service was fine, maybe a bit slow at times but I don't know how many tables the server had. Restaurant was fine, seemed clean if crowded with tables and chairs close together. Food wasn't anything to brag about. I mean the fries were good but the main dishes were just okay. Except for the person who ordered the tortellini none of us would order what we got again. Very thankful that there are reasonable gluten-free and vegan options, that in itself earned a star.

Came here on a business trip from San Diego. I wanted to see what's the favorite spots in Lawrence. This spot is legit. The food is excellent, service is very accommodating, and beer selection is great. The food menu has a lot of European takes to it which is awesome to complement the beers. It's very busy during dinner which tells me everyone goes here. I'm Filipino, so I had to try their Lumpia's (Filipino Egg rolls) here which is left field. It was good, but needed some improvements. Portion is kinda small and thin. It's needs shrimp mixed to it or add extra pork added to its thickness. The dipping sauce needs a little tad sweetness to it like honey to it to off set the tangy flavor. But I respect the take. However, I order their French dip sandwich. It was very delicious with the Au Jus sauce. You definitely need to order the Onion Rings on the side. Onions Rings was one of the best I had.

I was in Lawrence for an event. Looked up best burger & this place was open. FUEL bison burger with seasoned fries. Bison was new to me, slightly gamey aftertaste. ATMOSPHERE assistant picked up food (ate in vehicle). SERVICE my assistant said service was very kind, namely because they offered H2O while she waited. Good packing for takeout. I would recommend overall.

Good beer, good eats, good service. Stopped in for lunch last weekend for the first time. They had outside seating and the decor was nice inside as well. Our waiter was funny and friendly. The service was quick but we never felt rushed. The menu was diverse with some good looking German options as well as some burgers and salads. The beer was really tasty. It was Saint Patrick's day weekend so I tried the special on tap which was an Irish beer. It was very good. I also got the goulash. It was not as flavorful as I had hoped. It was still hearty and pretty tasty still. Would check this place out again for another drink soon.

Was in town for the St. Patrick's Day parade, and decided to stop at all the local food favorites. You walk in and it almost feels like you're in an old bank. It's very open the ceilings are tall, and they have the tables divided up in a funky way by adding an upstairs in a few different places but still leaving the restaurant to have that open feel. When you come to freestate brewing, you always have to order the beer ale soup I love to add little bits of ciabatta into my soup. All of the bread is purchased from the local bakery wheatfields. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, I also ordered their Irish beer that they had on tap for the holiday. It was a light beer and fit the theme well.

We took a short road trip from Leavenworth (beware of the toll road) and are so glad we decided to have dinner here! Lots of seating and interesting options on the menu. Good beer selection with at least two tasty IPAs. The best onion rings that I can remember, and very friendly service.

Beer is delicious and worth every penny! Some food items are delicious like their beer cheese soup. Some items are very disappointing. Ambiance is so cool. Service is hit or miss too. All worth it for the amazing beer!

My girlfriend and I were unable to order food at this establishment due to the kitchen closing an hour before, but based on the ambiance on the location, it felt relaxing, and comfortable. We were unfortunately waiting for about six or seven minutes for someone to greet us and I was not the biggest fan of that, but I am looking forward to trying the food options here at this location.

We were seated quickly even though it'd a Thursday night in college town. Had the sparkling cider spritz which was good especially if you like drinks that are only mildly sweet/bitter. I ordered the balsamic beet salad and my friend ordered the bison burger. Both plates were delicious. I also found my portions good. I added chicken to my salad and had Dijon mustard dressing and would order it again. My friend enjoyed her bison burger and it is typically what she orders here. The service was good.

Stopped in for dinner with a friend before a show at Liberty Hall. Freestate is a Lawrence staple for sure. This time I ordered the Bison burger and it was delicious. I got it with fries because they sounded good, but I usually get the cheddar soup for my side. Try it - trust me! Our server was great and there wasn't much of a wait. It's currently beautifully decorated for Christmas also. The atmosphere is very laid back. They have a main dining area, a back dining area and even some upstairs dining. They have a nice patio too, but it's small so always packed.

Great local spot right on Mass! We arrived just a bit before 11am during the week, right before they open, and people were already lining up to get in! Great beer selection, and delicious elevated bar food!

Came here on a Friday night and it was pretty busy, no wait for a table luckily. When we were seated it was very clean and the room was nicely decorated. Definitely very loud due to the amount of people, I could barely hear my own thoughts. Food was pretty average nothing special. Overall a fun place to go once I personally won't come back.

Good service. I wasn't expecting the restaurant family vibe coming in to town visiting. My waitress turned my mood around with cold beer and apps. Food was American and hot so I can't complain.

We always like to check out local breweries in new towns. I would say this place is definitely more restaurant than brewery. However the beers we had were well made, but everyone comes in for a meal. The food was good, typical American fare with a few different items. Service was good. Nice atmosphere. Our server gave us free stickers too, we always like to collect stickers from breweries. Parking is metered, but free after 6pm or something like that.

I asked for the variety pack that was there, but somehow before I going to leave, they ran out. The hostess told the bartender and I wasn't told until last minute. The replacement thing they gave me was ridiculously over priced and cheapskate like. I would not recommend them.

I'm a Bostonian out visiting family in Topeka. Spent the day in Lawrence--cool vibe. If Cambridge MA & Amherst MA had a baby, it'd be Lawrence KS. #IYKYK. I'm not a beer drinker, but my son is. I enjoyed a sour, but the real treat for me was the food. I'm used to Massachusetts breweries treating the food as secondary to the brew. Here, the food was outstanding! Loved the vibe, service was great, and Lawrence was hip and happening!

Pretty good food. Great service (our server was Olivia and she was super awesome). The beer was good as expected from a long standing brewery. A few GF options available.

I have been to Free State before but hadn't reviewed - hoping the PTB actually read reviews and tighten things up a bit Traveling and needed some food NOW- a parking spot opened (miracle) and I took it as a sign. Ordered food and asked for appetizer to go so could have later. Everything was "to go" - sorry server should have made correction and not brought to me "they did it wrong - sorry" If I wanted to go...you get the point. Food was fine but I looked idiotic and felt rushed to get out. No I didn't stiff on tip left 20% Bar nuts have been good before and I noticed my to go cup was almost full of them...of course it was the nuts were almost all burnt Will I come back? Probably - but Lawrence has a ton of tasty options that I will also consider

Purchased a gift certificate through the website from out of state. Free State processed and mailed it to the local recipient quickly--easy peasy process for a great gift! Website is easy to navigate and secure; was able to add message to recipient. We chose this business in an unfamiliar city because of great reviews on Yelp and excellent online presence.

Great atmosphere, lots of interesting food & beverage choices. Not great for someone with limited tastes - but the burger was stellar! I got the spice chicken club, which had so much flavor that it knocked my socks off. Frenchie was really good, pub chips and onion rings also great

Always a good stop when in Lawrence. I recommend an ad astra amber ale with your meal.

Muy Delicioso! Love the cozy atmosphere, made-from-scratch home-cooked vibes, and the service is top-notch! The beer is pretty good, too. I forgot, but I think they have a raspberry radler? I might be thinking of another restaurant....

Burger was ok, cooked well, but ambiance was just off. Put us in a back room that had an Olive Garden feel - felt really disconnected from the rest of the place. Probably better atmosphere if you stay in front room.

We ALWAYS stop at Free State when we are in Lawrence at games or appointments and we are always happy. My go-to is the Nashville hot chicken with Mac and cheese. If you love comfort food this is your meal! My daughter and friend order sandwiches and Larry melts and said they were "ok" Their beers are always good as well. Great choice when wanting to hang with friends and family and have a nice assortment of meals to choose from.

Pretty solid, good beers too. The food is good, smaller portions but tastes pretty good. Small inside, but I like this place, cool spot. Service is usually pretty good.

What could I possibly say that you don't already know? It's one of, it not the, oldest microbrewery in Kansas. Free State bottles and sells locally and you can get growlers to go. Oh, and the food is bomb. Did I miss anything? Macro view: just go for the beer but make sure to sample the fare. I have never come away from Free State anything less than happily sated. Sure, you can get a pub burger or a phenomenal sammich, or dive into a bowl of amazing pasta or signature salads. They even tinker with adding their brew(s) into things like beer-battered fish, marinades, infusing sausages, or condiments (but *that* mustard...). Micro view (brew?): the beer. Wheat State Golden was replaced on the reg rotation with the Free State Lager, and it's still just as fab as ever. For you red ale fans, sample a Copperhead and enjoy, or, for you hopheads, go with the Stormchaser IPA or the Yakamaniac. You simply can't miss, like swinging at a beach ball. Everything is a hit from the tap. Lastly, just *try* the Cheddar Ale Soup. It's ridiculously good, in any season, and is always smooth and filling. If you go beyond try and have a cup or bowl, then you'll have dunkable bread & crackers to go with, but that's just empty gluten. The Cheddar Ale Soup with a mug of Oatmeal Stout is a must do for me in fall or winter. You're lucky if you can park outside the front Biergarten, but hey, it's downtown LFK, so pick a spot, feed the meter when needed, amble to Free State, and enjoy.

What a great spot! If you're looking for an epic burger and a great local beer, this is your place! The service was wonderful and were very attentive. The ambiance was exactly what we were looking for, laid back, and relaxed, and when you add excellent food, you can't go wrong! You will not be disappointed!

Worst experience ever with family for lunch. Ordered a well done burger. Arrived very pink. Called waitress over to send back and she held up plate to face to check. Odd. After rest of family finished meal, my burger came out and waitress offered to box it up ! Yum. So I asked to speak to manager. I explained everyone else was finished so we just needed to leave He was extremely rude, asking where I had gone to culinary school. ... that I was wrong and he had ALL the chefs look at it but that they did cook it some more. Great !!! A group of staff looking at my burger and then cooking it more ? Gross !!!

Great service, great beer and great food! I was very impressed by how fast they flipped tables. Everyone who worked there www doing a great job.

Could be nostalgia from my days at KU but Free State continues to be one of the better places in Lawrence to grab a drink and a meal. We stopped in a few months ago on our way back to KC from a family gathering further west and were pleasantly surprised that while busy there wasn't a wait. Not a lot has changed inside since I left Lawrence twelve years ago, and it took me right back to being a college student. The food is also still as great as I remember it all those years ago. On this visit we had our daughter with us and at 2 and a half dining out is always a journey with her. She did pretty well here though, and it is a family friendly place so we weren't the only ones dining with kiddos in the joint. The beers we sampled were great and our food was equally delicious. I won't go as far as to say the food here is the best in town or so amazing I'm craving it often. What makes Free State a five star business is a constellation of good service, great beer, good food, and a really magical ambiance that combines the vibe of college with a great dining experience. The bottom line is this is a very solid choice while in Lawrence, especially if you are a parent visiting your student - it will have a little something for everyone and be a pleasant meal with your family.

Great food. I always order their French dip, but there's plenty to choose from. It's a lively place and tends to be noisy so it can be a little hard to hear your conversation. There's lots of seating. The service is top-notch. The bartender is happy to give change for the parking meters since it's downtown.

I will never not love this place! Well, I about did when I found out they removed their artichoke dip from their menu. Don't get me wrong they have great food. I was just really wanting the dip. I do t get to Lawrence often so I was a bit disappointed. Drink the beer. It's worth the trip.

Used to live in Lawrence. Love the Free State Brewery: beers are great, staff is friendly and food pretty good and varied. Visit once or twice a year.

Food food food. How do you make a good bar? Thats easy, keepmem coming back! The cheese dip was bomb.com. All our food was excellent

It was okay ... nothing special but decent for lunch/dinner. Kinda pricey for basic food.

Beer is always fresher off the tap and at a good price. The food is decent for the most part. I have never been in a mad sprint to order food again but its not also where I wouldn't go if someone wanted too. They have some local bread and products from other stores which is always nice to see and know that items are fresh from the same area. There have been a few dishes that I have ordered and just seemed to be kind of bland by comparison at times. While not bad it is more of a try something new spot rather than order the same thing over and over again.

We have been to this place before and liked it so we tried it again with friends who live in Lawrence. We were not disappointed. My dinner salad was large and good. The atmosphere is very nice and our server did a good pretty good job. My wife loved her IPA. I don't drink beer so had a glass of wine. Their wine list isn't very good but what did I expect in a beer joint.

Familiar and comfortable choice. We always stop here at least once every time we visit Lawrence. Decent food, excellent service, only need bigger TVs for those KU games! See you again soon!

Great craft beer from the original craft brewer in Kansas. Been going there since they opened. The food is goods as well. It can be very busy, which it means it will be loud inside because the interior is all wood and rock. They also have a nice porch you can sit on and enjoy a beer and/or food.