Brewdog Upminster, Upminster

Pub SignMan left this review about Brewdog Upminster

A suburban branch of Brewdog isn't an every day sight, but maybe its something the company need to look into if this remarkably busy branch is anything to go by. A small outdoor seating space gives way to the large, square main bar, with a screed floor, grey walls and the servery down the right-hand wall. The bar has a simple counter and the usual cinema-style beer board dominating the bar back, with loads of high tables and stools opposite, but comfier banquette and bench booth seating in the partitioned left-hand side, beneath a large TV screen showing a random channel. The usual exposed utilities run across the ceiling, with big industrial lamps, trellises and hanging plants suspended from above. A staircase to the rear leads up to a first floor area which I assumed would be quieter, but was equally as packed. More banquette seating runs around the perimeter up here, but most seating was set up for diners and there were lots of kids up here too, despite it being almost 8pm on a Saturday night. There's another bar on the back wall and a neon sign that reads "Melbourne, London, Upminster".
No less than sixteen Brewdog beers were listed along with seven guests, four of which were rather tellingly, lagers. I tried the Wingman IPA (£6.15 a pint), which is my new go-to beer from Brewdog, and it was as reliable as I'd hoped. The staff were all great as always, from the knowledgeable bar staff to the helpful security who advised I was wasting my time looking for a free seat upstairs.
I've been to Brewdog bars in most major cities around the UK and I've never seen one so packed with happy punters as I did here. It certainly helped the place feel a lot less austere than most of their industrial-styled bars tend to, and although I couldn't settle down properly due to the lack of free seating, I still enjoyed being in such a great, lively pub environment. I can't quite pinpoint why this place was doing so well, but maybe the chain would do well to identify other underpubbed suburban areas and chance their arm opening bars there too.

Date of visit - 2nd November 2024

On 20^th January 2025 - rating: 7
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