Zeus Brewing Company - Poughkeepsie (NY)

5 /5 Tara Konya: Honestly, I loved this place for the people-watching, but the beer, food, and conversations made it even better. The tempura broccoli was packed with flavor and surprisingly filling! While the seasoning didn’t quite complement our Pink Marg pizza, we were still glad we ordered it. The pizza itself was great and the perfect size to share. And hands down, the Zeus IPA was the favorite at our table. We also tried the Variable Frequency from their Experimental NEIPA series. Even though the description highlights juicy notes of red berries, honeysuckle, and blood orange, it definitely drank more like a West Coast IPA, crisper and more bitter than hazy and juicy. Still enjoyable, just not what we expected based on the style. Great spot overall, fun vibe, and we’d absolutely come back!

5 /5 Alyssa Danielle: Always a great time. Their food never disappoints and their service is always outstanding. For my gluten free friends, menu is clearly labeled and staff is willing to answer questions and help you out. I highly recommend the wings or gluten free pies. For their food in general, they have an expansive selection of pies and salads, giving options for everybody. Their food never disappoints. Their drinks are outstanding, always a great selection of special cocktails and their beers (from what I hear from my friends) are amazing. You can either sit inside in their gorgeous, modern dining room or outside on the rooftop with a beautiful view of the Hudson. Be mindful of what time of day you sit at the rooftop though! It can be very hot if you don’t have a table with an umbrella and the sun beating direction down at you. The staff on the roof is helpful with seating and umbrellas. The staff is always attentive and always helpful, I have never had a bad experience there. Our waiter on the rooftop yesterday 7/4 was awesome and we had a great time. We loved the 4th of July spirit even though we didn’t go to the rooftop party at night. I love bringing friends from out of the area here and I can’t wait until the next time I come back!

5 /5 Christine Robins: 845 pie was so delicious. All the pies are! Carly and Madison were great at the bar. Met the brewer Harrison. So personable and wanted us to try some different styles. The new experimental IPA Variable Frequency was good and the peach cream ale was interesting and refreshing for summer Spicy Boi yum. Definitely check it out.

2 /5 Truth Talker: Zeus Brewing: A Masterclass in How Not to Treat Your Guests My fiancé and I came up from Manhattan to house hunt and were genuinely excited to try Zeus Brewing. It looked beautiful online and seemed like the kind of place we could see ourselves frequenting if we moved to the neighborhood. Being craft beer lovers, it was one of the top stops on our list. At first glance, the space lived up to the hype—clean, modern, and inviting. We were seated quickly, got water within a few minutes, and thought we were off to a great start. But what came next was an absolute trainwreck of service and hospitality. We sat at our table for twenty minutes—yes, a full twenty—without anyone taking our order. Three different staff members walked past us multiple times and didn’t so much as acknowledge we were there. A wedding party showed up about 5–8 minutes after we were seated, and suddenly the staff’s ability to multitask or even make eye contact vanished. Frustrated, we went up to the bar hoping for better service—and were met by someone who appeared to be the manager on duty. Unfortunately, he was not only unwelcoming but dismissive. He avoided eye contact, gave off zero enthusiasm, and seemed completely uninterested in having us there. We felt like an inconvenience, not guests. I asked for extra onions on my pizza—he forgot, didn’t apologize, and only after the food sat untouched for ten minutes did Bridget (one of the only bright spots in the experience) come by and offer to fix it. She was the only person who acknowledged the issue and showed any sense of care or accountability. She even apologized, which is more than I can say for the manager, who seemed checked out from beginning to end. Here’s the part that’s hard to ignore: as a person of color and a gay man, I couldn’t help but notice that all the non-ethnic guests around us were greeted quickly and served attentively. I don’t know what was behind our treatment—but the contrast was striking, and it left a bad taste that no craft beer could wash away. What makes this even more disappointing? We just put an offer on a house one block away. This could’ve been our new local spot—somewhere we’d bring friends, family, and out-of-town guests. But after this experience, I wouldn’t recommend Zeus Brewing to anyone. Now here’s the twist: we ended up going to Schatzi’s Pub and Beer Garden afterward—same ownership, totally different world. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted with a smile, seated quickly, and received warm, timely service throughout. We sat in the back patio and were still checked on frequently. The food was fantastic, the drinks were cold, and most importantly—we felt welcome. We stayed for hours and spent money happily, because that team understood what hospitality means. If Zeus wants to succeed in a community like this, they could learn a lot from the crew at Schatzi