BrewEngland visits: Sea Dog Brew Pub - Hull, MA

Sarah and I are getting ready to move and are in the process of packing, so naturally (at least to us) we haven’t done much for cooking lately. We figured this was as good an excuse as ever to revisit the Sea Dog Brew Pub in Hull, MA, so that’s exactly what we did this past Wednesday.

The Sea Dog Brew Pub opened in June of this year, much to my surprise. I hadn’t heard any buzz about it, until about a week prior to its doors opening. Located on Sunset Bay in the northern portion of Hull, passed the summertime haven that is Nantasket Beach, the restaurant perches itself on the third floor of a beautiful waterfront building. What makes this place unique is that it is a converted school house, which we learned during our initial visit. There is a great open floor plan, with exposed beams, ample bar seats, with a few dozen additional tables in the dining area. Also, they feature a great outdoor deck and seating area, where you get one of the best views in Hull, overlooking the bay with views of the Boston sky line.


The view of Sunset Harbor from the roof deck

Adam posing for a pic, in between sips of his Hazelnut Porter


Mug Club members have individually numbered mugs

Sea Dog actually has three other locations, all in Maine, but the Hull restaurant is the first independently licensed location outside of the state. Unfortunately they do not brew their beer on premises; but, they do get all their draft beer direct from the Maine brewery. They do, however, feature five or six Sea Dog beers that you probably haven’t had before. Of course, their flagship beer – Blue Paw Wheat Ale (blueberry), is in ample supply, but so are their Old Gollywobbler Brown Ale, Riverdirver Hazelnut Porter, Owls Head Light Ale, Apricot Wheat Beer, and their Pumpkin Ale.



The pub also invites its patrons to join their Mug Club. For around $50 a year, you can join their Mug Club, have your own individual larger mug kept on hand (for same price as pints), a Mug Club t-shirt, as well as special Mug Club days which members can purchase 1/2 priced appetizers. You even get a free lunch on your birthday!

The food there is a good mix of American comfort and seasonal dishes, and of course features some extensive seafood options. The first time we went, I ordered the fish sandwich and a cup of clam chowdah, and Sarah had a blackened haddock caesar wrap. This time, I opted for the bbq bacon burger with onion rings, and Sarah had the veggie burger with sweet potato fries. Overall I would say the entrees (and chowder) we’ve had were good, and the sides were excellent!

I have to say the beer is the shining star at the Hull brewpub though. The expanded selection, versus simply the Blue Paw Wheat Ale, is awesome. Until we went to the pub in July, I actually hadn’t tried any other beers offered by Sea Dog. Fortunately, they had several options, which helps keep this beer loving fool happy.


The sampler from our first visit: Blue Paw, IPA, Porter, and Brown Ale

Both Sarah and I had a few pints of the Pumpkin Ale, as we’re in total fall beer frenzy already. Our very friendly and helpful bartender/server offered a sugar, spiced rim, which Sarah certainly enjoyed.


L to R: Pumpkin Ale, Riverdirver Hazelnut Porter

Another highlight of the night was meeting Emily Turner, the manager of the Sea Dog Brew Pub. She is a reader of our blog, but more importantly a beer nut like us! We probably spent a good half hour throughout the rest of the night chit-chatting with her about BrewEngland, the Sea Dog pub, joining the American Homebrewers Association, beer books (like Beer School, and the Naked Pint), and more. She also spoke about how she’s has plans to have special beer events – such as brewers dinners, possible movie screenings, and other cool happenings in their second floor event space.


Sarah relaxing in the downstairs lobby

Overall, this was another great stop on our everlasting beer journey. The Sea Dog Brew Pub is located on 2 A Street in Hull, MA. If you're in the area, stop by for a bite to eat and a few pints, and let Emily know Adam and Sarah from BrewEngland sent you!