Tired Hands Fermentaria - Ardmore

I'll say it. I don't like craft beer. I like a simple lager. Give me yuengling or tecate, a wheet beer with some fruity flavor. But I can't stand IPAs or pale ales, and most breweries are wasted on me. But I do love Fermentaria! First of all, they have really good lemonade and their iced coffee is incredible, so I can find something good to drink. They also have a nice menu with one of the best smash burgers in the are. It's a double smash with Cooper Sharp, pickles, LTO, special sauce,and comes with a side of really good fries. Last time I was there for lunch I looked around and almost half the people eating were having the burger. Another surprise...the dessert offerings! They make some great whipped cream and it's served with a lot of their desserts. I've had the coconut rice pudding and the berries on a biscuit. Next on my agenda is the coffee pot. The servers are great, water was brought out immediately and they've been very friendly anytime I need something. They have moved to a QR Code ordering system where each table has a custom QR Code you scan on your phone. Takes you to a page where you enter your name/number or email then proceeds to the menu where you can order drinks and food. It has a nice option to keep your tab open if you are drinking. I know some people won't like it, but this is the way of the future and we will be seeing more of it. I'll also note I haven't gotten any spam as a result of using it. I didn't ask but assume they have an actual menu if you don't have a smartphone. My dad wouldn't know what to do with a QR code on his flip phone. They have a nice bar, lots of seating, with high and low tops, and a general store, in an industrial setting with really high ceilings and a view of the beer vats. Not a TV in site which was nice, which makes you look at the interesting artwork. They also have a small outdoor section you access from inside. No dogs, I asked! They currently have a pop up beer garden on west chester pike in edgmont just up the road from the movie theater. Dogs are welcome there!

We used to LOVE Tired Hands. The beer, the food, the fancy dinners. Talking to the workers about the different blends. Now there is pretty much no interaction between the workers and the customers. You scan the menu from the table and then your order comes to you. It's really hard to get anyone to come over and ask questions, and when they do they look annoyed. Our beer came quick, and our food came pretty slowly. We had a show at AMH across the street and had to get our food to go 30 min after we ordered it. It wasn't even that crowded. The food was so greasy and salty. The kicker was the app asking for a 20% tip or more. Seriously, we did most of the work while we were there. I am also anti self check out in the market. I don't work there. I don't want to spend time on my phone if I'm out to eat. I want to interact with the staff and talk about beer. Isn't that what Tired Hands prizes itself on? Their beer? That was the last straw. Never again.

We have come here since it opened, but now it is a disappointment. Gone are the candied bacon cheeseburgers and outstanding beers. The bartenders request you order from the website but warn you it may not work. We spent 7 minutes on the website and as we placed the order it was just a spinning circle. Showed it to the bartender and he took our order. Most beers were new to us besides Alien Church and Hop Hands. None of the 6 beers we tried were above average and one was borderline undrinkable. Lastly we went to the store section to buy some merch. No one was there to take our purchase, so back to the bar to get some help.

Perhaps I was too harsh on Tired Hands as a brand all those years ago when I first reviewed them. They do make some great beers, especially their milkshake IPAs. Somehow I like this place better than the smaller Tired Hands brewery down the road, despite the fact that on the surface the brewpub feels like it's more my kind of place. While it's reminiscent of a warehouse, I appreciated that it's less claustrophobic than its sister location. The ambiance doesn't take a hit and this still feels like its own distinct brand. The beers are also still good, despite being told that the beers brewed in the smaller location tend to be better.

I will start with saying that the beer and food are very good, at times excellent over the many years that I have patronized the Fermentaria. That said, Friday will be my last visit unless they desire to make changes. I will defend their right to make whatever policy choices they wish, and to treat customers how they see fit, especially the management. And we as customers can only vote with our business, and so it will be for me. Their manager on Friday night (she offered her name, and did not wish to know it after how she treated me) was beyond rude, and frankly insulting, to me. Some of the staff over the years has at times been what my wife and call snippy and officious , however others have been delightful and the beer and food has been delicious. And now that 's done for us, due to the Friday night manager.