Excellent, fresh draught beers. The grapefruit IPA, in my view, is slightly better than the Cinderlands version (Gulpin). I also liked the stout. The barkeep was very chatty, inviting, and knowledgeable. I'm keen to return.
Stephanie S
Emma was fantastic. She was friendly and offered great recommendations. We had Neentini and the Rosemary Ruby Refresher. Thanks Emma!
Stephanie
Emma was wonderful. She was welcoming and friendly. Her drink recommendations were on point. Thank you for the fantastic service. The two places before this need you to train them.
Sam Stewart
The neentini is a coffee masterpiece!!!! If I don't order a neentini, the cuppa cherry is my go to. Please keep it on tap!!!
Kayvin Robertson
Great little spot for a drink in the strip district. They brew their own beer and have cocktail options. No food but a good place to stop in while shopping on weekends.
Bill Doolan
We came after a Pittsburgh Steelers game. After being in the cold and rain, what an amazing experience. The beer is phenomenal and the cocktails are amazing. The couches and chairs are a great place to watch a game. Amazing time can’t wait to come back. Thank you Trevor and Daren!
Jason F.
I stopped by here earlier this month with my wife. Whenever we have some free time we love trying new breweries in Pittsburgh and on this day decided to try Bonafide Beer. It's located right in the heart of the strip near Pamela's and St. Stanislaus were Chicken Latino used to be. The inside definitely has a masculine feel to it with lots of wood and dark colors. It had a bar area to sit at as well as a bunch of comfortable seating. It's also worth noting that they don't just serve beer here but had a wide selection of whisky/bourbon too. While I often like to try flights at a new brewery, that wasn't an option here and I first went with the anniversary stout. It was smooth with the dark malts coming through along with tons of vanilla flavor and a hint of cinnamon. I would never have guessed that it came in at 11% ABV. After that I tried the Bona Fida Lager which also had a smooth start with a nice little hit of malt and hops at the finish. It was definitely an easy sipper. I was also able to try a few others here and all of them were good. It's also worth mentioning that our bartender here was awesome! He was super friendly and talked to us throughout our visit. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. Both my wife and I enjoyed our time here and we will definitely be interested in trying out their new space in Hazelwood.
Steve M.
Judging from all the 5-star reviews this place has, we must have just been really, really unlucky. But this is a true story. On 12/20/23 I met a friend who I hadn't seen for awhile for lunch (Kaya, terrific as always) and after we ate we decided to grab a drink nearby. I had done some research and suggested BonaFide Beer, which sounded great based on the Yelp reviews. We walked in and the place looked pretty nice. There were only three people at the bar and they seemed happy enough. It was after we waited at least five minutes without the bartender acknowledging our presence that we realized something was off. Five minutes is a long time when the place is basically empty and the bartender hasn't even looked at you. He was having a conversation with one of the other customers that he apparently couldn't pull himself away from. Their chat was about Pittsburghese and how much the bartender hated the way people in Pittsburgh talk. Eventually their conversation got to the word "yinz," and at that point my buddy saw his opening and said to the bartender, "You mean yinz as in, 'yinz workin' today?'" Which I thought was pretty funny but it sailed over the bartender's head. He didn't seem to be focusing on much of anything and I realized he was drunk. The bartender still didn't take the hint and it was a few more minutes before he finally wandered over to us and took our order. My buddy got his beer in a normal amount of time but I had made the mistake of ordering a mixed drink. I waited. And waited. The bartender was continuing his conversation with the other customer while slowly beginning to make my drink. Fair enough, but this process went on for about 20 minutes. Eventually my drink appeared to get made and from what I could tell it was in the shaker and ready to pour, but a new problem came up when one of the other customers decided to pay their bill. The tipsy bartender needed help from someone in the back. He disappeared through a door and a few minutes later emerged with someone who appeared to be more in charge. This person seemed to be explaining to the bartender how to use the cash register and the bartender didn't seem to be understanding it. Finally the more-in-charge person went back to whatever he had been doing and the bartender stood there looking more confused than ever and gazed around vaguely, sometimes joking with the other customer who was still waiting patiently to cash out. For most of the next 5 minutes, the bartender just stood there and looked confused and sometimes bantered with one of the happier customers who had been served a drink. Finally, after we had been there for a good 45 minutes, with only three other people in the place and me still not being served a drink - I could actually see my drink sitting there in the shaker, forlorn and abandoned - we left. One of the all-time worst experiences I've ever had with service in a bar or restaurant. If the 5-star reviews are to be believed, their other bartenders are better. A LOT better. But man, this guy was terrible. I don't think there was any malice in his actions. He wasn't mad about the "yinz" wisecrack or anything. He was just really, completely, unbelievably incompetent. My advice - don't go to BonaFide if that bartender is working. You'll know him when you see him. He's the drunk guy who ignores you. (My buddy has also posted about this, but this incident was so bad it deserves to be recounted twice.)
Daryl C.
Comically lackadaisical bartender this afternoon. We were the 4th and 5th guests at the bar, sitting there for several minutes while he, a Bostonian I think, learned Pittsburghese from a woman at the bar. When they got to "yinz" I piped up with "Yinz, as in 'Yinz working today?'" We ordered a draft for me and an old fashioned for my friend. The beer came quickly enough but during the cocktail making the couple at the bar asked for the check, and this was quite the curveball for the bartender, who abandoned my friend's drink to attend to it. Well, he got it wrong, and it took 6 or 7 minutes and two visits from the manager to figure it out. Meanwhile he's standing above the cocktail shaker with the finished, but unpoured, cocktail in it. We walked out, and won't walk back in.
Kelley Neumann
The vibes are superb and the beers are even better! The menu has everything...cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails.
Bar was filled, so sat in the comfy couch area. Very relaxing
James Weiland
Nice friendly service. Relaxing atmosphere
Jonathan S.
Delicious beer and cocktails. High quality drinks and high quality service. Darren provided a remarkable experience and we will absolutely be back.
Adrianne Shurina
Honestly, this is such a cute little spot. My bf and I went last night and had such a good time. Their beers are fantastic, and their cocktails are so delicious. The bartender was a gem, and the vibe there was perfect. Will definitely be coming back.
K C.
Very inviting spot to have cocktails or their handcrafted beer. Management and bar tenders are very attentive and entertaining to the variety of clientele.
Excellent, fresh draught beers. The grapefruit IPA, in my view, is slightly better than the Cinderlands version (Gulpin). I also liked the stout. The barkeep was very chatty, inviting, and knowledgeable. I'm keen to return.
Emma was fantastic. She was friendly and offered great recommendations. We had Neentini and the Rosemary Ruby Refresher. Thanks Emma!
Emma was wonderful. She was welcoming and friendly. Her drink recommendations were on point. Thank you for the fantastic service. The two places before this need you to train them.
The neentini is a coffee masterpiece!!!! If I don't order a neentini, the cuppa cherry is my go to. Please keep it on tap!!!
Great little spot for a drink in the strip district. They brew their own beer and have cocktail options. No food but a good place to stop in while shopping on weekends.
We came after a Pittsburgh Steelers game. After being in the cold and rain, what an amazing experience. The beer is phenomenal and the cocktails are amazing. The couches and chairs are a great place to watch a game. Amazing time can’t wait to come back. Thank you Trevor and Daren!
I stopped by here earlier this month with my wife. Whenever we have some free time we love trying new breweries in Pittsburgh and on this day decided to try Bonafide Beer. It's located right in the heart of the strip near Pamela's and St. Stanislaus were Chicken Latino used to be. The inside definitely has a masculine feel to it with lots of wood and dark colors. It had a bar area to sit at as well as a bunch of comfortable seating. It's also worth noting that they don't just serve beer here but had a wide selection of whisky/bourbon too. While I often like to try flights at a new brewery, that wasn't an option here and I first went with the anniversary stout. It was smooth with the dark malts coming through along with tons of vanilla flavor and a hint of cinnamon. I would never have guessed that it came in at 11% ABV. After that I tried the Bona Fida Lager which also had a smooth start with a nice little hit of malt and hops at the finish. It was definitely an easy sipper. I was also able to try a few others here and all of them were good. It's also worth mentioning that our bartender here was awesome! He was super friendly and talked to us throughout our visit. The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. Both my wife and I enjoyed our time here and we will definitely be interested in trying out their new space in Hazelwood.
Judging from all the 5-star reviews this place has, we must have just been really, really unlucky. But this is a true story. On 12/20/23 I met a friend who I hadn't seen for awhile for lunch (Kaya, terrific as always) and after we ate we decided to grab a drink nearby. I had done some research and suggested BonaFide Beer, which sounded great based on the Yelp reviews. We walked in and the place looked pretty nice. There were only three people at the bar and they seemed happy enough. It was after we waited at least five minutes without the bartender acknowledging our presence that we realized something was off. Five minutes is a long time when the place is basically empty and the bartender hasn't even looked at you. He was having a conversation with one of the other customers that he apparently couldn't pull himself away from. Their chat was about Pittsburghese and how much the bartender hated the way people in Pittsburgh talk. Eventually their conversation got to the word "yinz," and at that point my buddy saw his opening and said to the bartender, "You mean yinz as in, 'yinz workin' today?'" Which I thought was pretty funny but it sailed over the bartender's head. He didn't seem to be focusing on much of anything and I realized he was drunk. The bartender still didn't take the hint and it was a few more minutes before he finally wandered over to us and took our order. My buddy got his beer in a normal amount of time but I had made the mistake of ordering a mixed drink. I waited. And waited. The bartender was continuing his conversation with the other customer while slowly beginning to make my drink. Fair enough, but this process went on for about 20 minutes. Eventually my drink appeared to get made and from what I could tell it was in the shaker and ready to pour, but a new problem came up when one of the other customers decided to pay their bill. The tipsy bartender needed help from someone in the back. He disappeared through a door and a few minutes later emerged with someone who appeared to be more in charge. This person seemed to be explaining to the bartender how to use the cash register and the bartender didn't seem to be understanding it. Finally the more-in-charge person went back to whatever he had been doing and the bartender stood there looking more confused than ever and gazed around vaguely, sometimes joking with the other customer who was still waiting patiently to cash out. For most of the next 5 minutes, the bartender just stood there and looked confused and sometimes bantered with one of the happier customers who had been served a drink. Finally, after we had been there for a good 45 minutes, with only three other people in the place and me still not being served a drink - I could actually see my drink sitting there in the shaker, forlorn and abandoned - we left. One of the all-time worst experiences I've ever had with service in a bar or restaurant. If the 5-star reviews are to be believed, their other bartenders are better. A LOT better. But man, this guy was terrible. I don't think there was any malice in his actions. He wasn't mad about the "yinz" wisecrack or anything. He was just really, completely, unbelievably incompetent. My advice - don't go to BonaFide if that bartender is working. You'll know him when you see him. He's the drunk guy who ignores you. (My buddy has also posted about this, but this incident was so bad it deserves to be recounted twice.)
Comically lackadaisical bartender this afternoon. We were the 4th and 5th guests at the bar, sitting there for several minutes while he, a Bostonian I think, learned Pittsburghese from a woman at the bar. When they got to "yinz" I piped up with "Yinz, as in 'Yinz working today?'" We ordered a draft for me and an old fashioned for my friend. The beer came quickly enough but during the cocktail making the couple at the bar asked for the check, and this was quite the curveball for the bartender, who abandoned my friend's drink to attend to it. Well, he got it wrong, and it took 6 or 7 minutes and two visits from the manager to figure it out. Meanwhile he's standing above the cocktail shaker with the finished, but unpoured, cocktail in it. We walked out, and won't walk back in.
The vibes are superb and the beers are even better! The menu has everything...cocktails, beer, wine, mocktails.
Restaurantji Recommends
Bar was filled, so sat in the comfy couch area. Very relaxing
Nice friendly service. Relaxing atmosphere
Delicious beer and cocktails. High quality drinks and high quality service. Darren provided a remarkable experience and we will absolutely be back.
Honestly, this is such a cute little spot. My bf and I went last night and had such a good time. Their beers are fantastic, and their cocktails are so delicious. The bartender was a gem, and the vibe there was perfect. Will definitely be coming back.
Very inviting spot to have cocktails or their handcrafted beer. Management and bar tenders are very attentive and entertaining to the variety of clientele.