Shire Beer Co.

"The Shire has it all and is, as they say, the real deal. Fantastic Food. Atmosphere. A stellar line of a variety of beer. Friendly staff. And an occasional open mic night to benefit charity. The brewery and restaurant are located in the lower level of an old factory, called the Stationery building. There is plenty of parking behind the building. Entering through the large glass enclosed staircase head downstairs and through the carved door. A nice detail that would make Bilbo, Frodo, and JRR Tolkien proud. The space is long and open. One never has the sense that we are on the lower level. The tables and bench are made from the very wood that used to be part of the floor. And the long wooden bar comes from a tree harvest just a couple of miles away. Details like these say a great deal about the care that must also go into the beer. And based on our tasting, we believe that this is true. Although there are many beers and different varieties to choose from, we went with a flite of four IPA. And they were all exceptionally good. We even tried the double ipa with 8% alcohol and were surprised at how smooth and drinkable it, and all the beers are. Defiance had a slight grapefruit taste Joey sighting was nice and smooth Rancor (the double ipa) had a grapefruit taste and was surprisingly drinkable most beers at 8% or above struggle to keep the flavor forward - and here rancor delivers where most other fail. Space Turtles - great flavor with a slight effervescence - my favorite from this stellar sampling. We opted for tacos, really delicious fish tacos that were accompanied by a slightly spicy sauce, as well as the vegan tacos that were flavorful as well. Our only regret having visited the shire is that we live more than 100 miles away!"

"We walked in about 4:30 on a Thu and sat at the bar. We were the only customers, but that would change a good deal by the time we left around 6pm. The atmosphere here was perfect for us - relaxed and comfortable. This includes Orin (spelling?) who was our very personable and knowledgeable bar tender. We hit it off well with him but so did everyone else, and many locals were sitting at the bar rather than tables. A nod to him for sure. Beers have amusing names and several were exceptional (ie, Roller skating on your head & Did you bring your bucket?) We’re headed back to Cincy in Ohio this weekend and I can say that from NY to Maine and now MA this bar was our favorite. It’s all about the experience and the Shire handles this very well! Thanks so much!!"

"Delicious food with a full bar and there own brewed beer. It's very loud when it gets crowded but it's great to see people coming out enjoying themselves. We had chicken parm and wasabi battered shrimp. We will be back!"

"My first visit. Outstanding home brews! I got a flight so I got to try 4 different beers. Food and service were top notch! Wonderful live music too. Will be back !"

"We had an amazing time here tonight. We were served directly by the head chef Matt who stuck around to swap stories. The food was excellent. The meal started with an awesome ceasar (homemade dressing) and smoked wings in just the right amount sauce (again house made, a very flavorful heat). I had a perfectly cooked, massive burger (chuck-sirloin blend, if I remember correctly) with caramelized onion, candied bacon, smoked gouda, and chipotle aioli. My partner had what she described as one of the best paellas she's ever had. She also loved the sour from the connected brewery, and the IIPA I got was super good. Overall highly recommend."