Pooles Island Brewing Company

The food and drinks were really good. Betty-Jean is the best bartender ever!

Great people and the owner's nice

My favorite local spot and their pizza is excellent! Always great service and a great environment to meet friends or hang by yourself.

TLDR: Excellent pizza/ wings and solid beer. A wonderful addition to Middle River for a place to hang out with friends

- Located in the back of a nondescript business park, Pooles Island is certainly a destination gem. Upon entry, the brewery itself is quite large with ample seating for groups both large and small. There are also seating options both outside on the patio and bellying up to the bar. Pooles operates predominately by using their pay as you pour tap wall, which is perfect for those who want to sample as many brews as possible. For some of the higher ABV beers, you must ask a bartender to pour those for you from the designated selection behind the bar. The kitchen is located in the back of the brewery and uses both their online portal via your phone and onsite kiosks located throughout the brewery for ordering. This was very convenient, as some people ordered ahead of time on their phones on the way to the brewery as well as some in our party ordered onsite. When your food is ready, they simply call your name at the kitchen counter and you retrieve your eats.

- The staff both at the kitchen and behind the bar were wonderful. Everything was laid out very intuitively, so interactions were minimal, but any time we needed anything or had a question, the Pooles staff was happy to help.

Beer/ - We came for a Sunday Funday with a group of 6 and we had a blast sampling their dozen or so beverages and a few pizzas. We absolutely loved their take on the buffalo chicken pizza, which was spicy, tangy and crispy from end to end (they do elongated pies). The wings were also a hit, as we ordered a dozen or so classic buffalo which also did not disappoint. On he beer front, everything we tried was tasty and well brewed. It was hard to pick a favorite amongst the group as beer tastes can be pretty subjective, but I recommend taking advantage of the pay as you go beer taps and try them all! Just be warned, this exercise can get pricey, as some pours will get you into the $12+ pint range. Overall, Pooles is a great place to come spend quality time with a group of friends in the county without having to deal with the production that is day drinking in the city.

We used to go here weekly. Even supported them through COVID with weekly to-go orders. They have really gone downhill with customer service. The last straw was letting people smoke cigars on their patio. The bartender did nothing as multiple families left.

Not kid-friendly anymore and not worth trying to keep a local business in place anymore.

Cool spot, but whoever stocks their toilet paper needs to be sternly disciplined.

We used to go here weekly. Even supported them through COVID with weekly to-go orders. They have really gone downhill with customer service. The last straw was letting people smoke cigars on their patio. The bartender did nothing as multiple families left.

Not kid-friendly anymore and not worth trying to keep a local business in place anymore.

Deserves 5 stars for craft brew and the inside food truck (only when Tyler is cooking). Food just not as good with other cooks. So inconsistent results.. This place could do so much better if there was some marketing...I was shocked to here its been open for 5 years! And because the location is hidden, they need lots of marketing and a presence on social media.

Stopped by around 5 on a Saturday. Not very busy, so seating and volume were not an issue. There was a guitarist playing some cover tunes. Ordered some fries and nachos, both were decent. We used the tap wall and tried almost all the beers, with Illuminated Darkness (a white stout) being the favorite.

Excellent glad we stop in for five year anniversary. First time. Great selection of craft beers.

Wonderful drinks and food! Always something new.

This is a wonderful little tap room with great locally brewed beers. I went here instead of a coffee shop to take care of some work on a nice spring day. The have a nicely laid out inside and outside with areas outside where you can put a laptop or hang out, but it is located in a business park so its just woods and other buildings outside. Also has free wifi and food trucks, but the food trucks are outside vendors so they can sometimes be a little pricey or hit and miss. Every beer I tried was good though and the staff was good. There sometimes ends up being a short line which people closing out tabs later in the day though.

Nice and chill place to grab a glass of beer

We stopped in late afternoon on a Saturday on our way from PA to MD. We thought we could see a light house from here (according to a map we looked at prior to going) but, alas, no such sight. We had an enjoyable time anyway. They have self serve beer however we sat at the bar and just ordered from the bartender. There were several beer options but we only tried two. We liked the Squeeze IPA. Our bar neighbors were friendly. The bartender was also friendly. We had a side salad and some wings - you order separately but the kitchen is on-site. The food was ok. The place was pretty full but not overly loud or uncomfortable. There were some people celebrating birthdays. They are dog friendly. Parking was easy - it was a big lot.

Nice place to get together. Love that my friends can ride up on their horse!