Andy K.
Yelp
My girlfriend and I stopped in here before a show at the Fillmore, and we were pleasantly surprised to see that was a great idea--Fulton does a deal where, if you show them your tickets to a show at the Fillmore that night, you get $1 off each beer you purchase. We had no idea going into the brewery that was a thing, so that was a nice little revelation, and they apparently do it for every show at the Fillmore (a shrewd marketing tactic if you ask me, especially with how close it is to the venue).
After we got our beers, we each ordered a meal. My girlfriend got a BLT sandwich with some coleslaw, and I got a Chicago-style hot dog with chips for the side. The hot dog was delicious, and I wouldn't consider myself someone who gets hot dogs a lot when we go out, but the description was just too good. It was loaded with creamy cheese sauce, bacon bits, and green onions, and it was the perfect pre-concert food to get my stomach ready for some beers at the Fillmore. (This was also back in August when we went--looking at the menu now online in December, it looks like the food has completely changed, so that says to me the kitchen is dynamic and the menu is pretty fluid, and the options they have now look just as amazing as the ones they had back in August). So, if you're looking for a place to grab an actual bite and not just bar food, this place is perfect for that.
Another great aspect of this brewery is the space itself--there is a very large indoor area with many smaller and larger tables, and there's a big outdoor patio that is perfect to sit at in the summer when it's not too hot. We started on the patio, felt the sweat starting to form on us from the hot August sun, and headed inside to finish our meal and beers. The patio overlooks 6th Avenue and the Fillmore across the street, and it would be a perfect place to hang out with your friends on a cooler summer or autumn night. There's also a street entrance directly to the patio, so that's always nice as well.
The beer was solid--we got one pint of the Chill City Chugger Shandy, which is basically their flagship beer with a bit of lemonade in it, and a pint of the Star Tribune Extra Extra!, a decent pale ale. Both went down very well with the food, and neither of them were heavy, something we appreciated for the summer season and the hot weather. They also had a 6-pack of their non-alcoholic beer, which I picked up for home (I try to not drink as much at home compared to when we go out, and NA beer is an easy way to practice that mantra), and, for an NA beer, it was a pretty good brew. When I'm in town next, I'll be picking up another 6-pack to put in the fridge next to the usual Athletic cans.
And finally, the staff--staff is what can make or break a place and your experience with it, and the staff here were awesome. They were knowledgeable, funny, and personable, and they were helpful when we were trying to figure out what to order with their suggestions. The people who came around and cleaned up the tap room stopped and spoke with us several times as we ate our meal, and all of them had laid back attitudes and were super polite. I felt extremely welcome at the brewery, and kudos to Fulton for hiring such awesome workers. Make sure you tip them well when you visit!