After spending the morning hiking in a nearby Silver Falls State Park, I ventured into the town of Silverton, Oregon looking for food and beer to recover after a morning on the trails. As luck would have it, the eponymously named Silver Falls Brewery was close by and had both of those things. Brewing and serving small batch beer since 2015 as one of the main breweries in town, they have grand plans to expand their current location soon, adding more capacity to their current 2 bbl system. Luckily, I was able to get here before the shiny new expansion opens to experience the original version of this neat microbrewery. So sit back, grab a beer, and splash in to my latest brewery review.
- Beer – For such a small brewing operation I was pleasantly surprised at how many different beers were available. With 20 taps listed on their menu, most of them are filled with their own creations with a few guest brews and non-alcoholic options as well. They pour the requisite IPAs and DIPAs of course, with a nice mix of various ales and lagers added into the repertoire. While they dabble in some esoteric flavors and combinations, most of their beers stick with more traditional styles and flavor profiles. Traditional does not mean bad though, as I rated most of the beers I sampled highly, and I think they do an excellent job of creating clean and balanced beers that go well with much of the food on their menu. Score: 3.5/5
- Brewery – Positioned as more of a restaurant than tap room, Silver Falls feels cozy yet spacious, probably due to the abundance of large windows around the room and the vaulted ceiling. The indoor seating area is divided into a small bar at the back and a handful of tables of various size scattered around the room. Outside there is a lovely patio area, complete with fire pit and umbrellas for those hot Oregon summers. They have a full food menu, comprised mostly of pub style food that was delicious and underscoring their emphasis on food and beer pairings. Add in reasonable prices for the area and operating hours from lunch until evening every day except Tuesday (though you can rent the restaurant for private events) and it is not hard to see why they have fast become a favorite in the area. Score: 3.5/5
- Ambiance and Entertainment – Apparently being in the heart of downtown Silverton means having a steady line-up of events at the brewery. From live music to yoga, watch parties for various sporting events to holiday parties and everything in between, this is the place to be most weeks. Probably my personal favorite on the list is the monthly live Irish music group that plays every Tuesday night, but honestly there is something here for everyone. Score: 4/5
- Location – As I already mentioned, Silver Falls is in downtown Silverton, providing ample opportunity for shopping in local stores as well as other options for food and drinks should they be one stop of many in your day. With a large onsite parking lot plus plenty of street parking, you will never have an issue finding a spot, plus the brewery is very easy to find from the street. Score: 4/5
- Customer Service – Since this is more restaurant than tap room there is table service for wherever you sit. Our server was wonderful, making some good beer and food suggestions as well as being patient as it took the group I was with a little while to decide on what they wanted to eat. Drinks and food were brought out quickly and we were checked on frequently, making this an enjoyable afternoon with friends while enjoying good beer and food. Score: 4/5
Total Score: 19/25
Favorite Beer: Oregon Sunshine – 6.7% New England IPA
Final Thoughts: Within five minutes of being here it was easy to see how Silver Falls has carved out its niche in a crowded beer scene here in Oregon. While Silverton is a little off the beaten path, I recommend stopping into the local brewery if you are in the area, perhaps even after hiking in the nearby Silver Falls State Park. I will definitely be back every time I go hiking to see some waterfalls!
Brews Alert 