King's Road Brewing Company 127 Kings Hwy East Haddonfield, NJ 08033
Reported by: The Stoutmeister & Pretzel
Review Date: 3/10/18
The Stoutmeister:
First time Pretzel and I (the Stoutmeister) visited King’s Road Brewery, it was on President’s Day weekend when it was closed; so, that was a bust! We were luckier in our second visit because it was open; BUT, when we arrived, we were not sure if we were entering a brewery or a human sardine can. Well, let me put this nicely…I can compare the crowd to a commuter train in Tokyo, Japan, where train station workers literally pushed passengers into the trains during rush hour. The place was small to begin, which partially explains the crowd; and in such a small area, it was very difficult to carry on a conversation without talking aloud (which, of course, makes the noise even worse). We still managed to squeeze our way through and scream our orders for flights and pints.
With all the patrons packed into that brewery, we immediately hoped that the beer better be good…and, we were not disappointed. They had less than ten brews on tap but every beer explained why all those people were there and nobody ever cared if they felt a push every time anybody moves or does anything.
With the brewery set up in a prime location in downtown Haddonfield, I must say that the prices were a little more expensive compared to the other breweries in South Jersey; but then again, everyone has to pay more for everything in that city. So, it is not just the beer…and with that in mind (and no pun intended), we all admit that we also loved the merchandise they had for sale, especially the t-shirts and glassware with their logo featuring a king’s face on a wooden barrel. Growler fills are available just like in every brewery in South Jersey but they also had crowlers (32oz cans of whatever beer you would like to take home). Most of the time, it is more convenient to buy a crowler than to carry in an empty growler to be filled; but, to be honest about it, besides just wanting to take home some of their beer, we also loved the logo design on their crowler can…looks like we will be keeping an empty can on display at home for a while.
Pretzel:
I agree with The Stoutmeister’s comments above, and just wanted to add a few tidbits…
The location in downtown Haddonfield is very strategic. There is nearby shopping, restaurants, and adequate public parking. It gives opportunities for Designated Driver’s (DD’s) to enjoy the afternoon in Haddonfield, while the beer lovers spend quality time tasting the beer offerings at King’s Road.
I have to give a big shout out to the bartenders. The place was packed, yet you never had to wait long to place or receive your order. They were friendly, personable, and provided great service. I had some great conversations with Emily and Chris. I was going to ask for a brewery tour, but King’s Road was so packed, and the bartenders so busy, I did not have the heart to drag them away from thirsty patrons. I did, however, see the brewery room, as it was in a glass enclosed room at the far end of the bar.
The patrons were also friendly, although the acoustics made it difficult to have in-depth conversations. The Stoutmeister and I did manage to get seats at the bar (see my stalking skills do come in handy! All those restraining orders were not for naught!). I did meet Carl and Michelle from Cherry Hill, and we chatted about our favorite breweries in the area.
That being said, this brewery is not conducive to hanging out. It was very crowded, very small, and hence not adequate seating. So forget sitting around a table with friends, playing games, or eating take out. You are better off getting a few growlers-to-go and hanging out at home. I did love the variety and taste of all the beers, and took a few growlers home. So it is definitely a growler-worthy brewery.
Beers on Tap:
- Persistent One – Dry Hopped Pale Ale (ABV: 6.04%)
- The King’s Gold – Blonde Lager (ABV: 5.25%)
- Blazing Rag IPA – West Coast Style IPA (ABV: 6.2%)
- (We) Beat New England – New England style IPA (ABV: 6.8%)
- Potter Street Porter – Caramel Porter (ABV: 4.5%)
- Revolutionary Red – Red Ale (ABV: 5.12%)
- Black Musket Stout – Black stout (ABV: 6.56%)
- Off Kilter Scotch Ale – Scotch Ale (ABV: 6.46%)
- Root Beer – non-alcoholic alternative
Favorite Beers of the day:
- The Rabbit – Revolutionary Red
- B3 – Off Kilter Scotch Ale
- The Stoutmeister – Off Kilter Scotch Ale
- Pretzel – Revolutionary Red Ale, Blazing Rag IPA
- The Wrangler – Revolutionary Red
Additional Posse Comments:
- The Wrangler – really small seating area, good decor. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit again.
- The Rabbit – Brewery seems really small, and downtown area does not have a lot of opportunities for substantial space.
- B3 – Nice selection of beers, but a bit pricey.
- The Stoutmeister – This place gets really crowded on peak hours/days I wish they had a bigger place.
- Pretzel – Love the bartenders! Personable, knowledgeable, and efficient.
- Princess – It was nice that they offered root beer for the DD, but the root beer was pretty tasteless. The space was very crowded, not the facilities fault, but it didn’t make me want to stay.
Website:
Overall Pretzel Score (7.34 out of 10):
Final Scorecard (click to open): KingsRoad
Picture Gallery:
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