Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant on Emerson Street in Palo Alto has been serving its distinctive beers and food for 17 years.

Good beer and good food combined with a casual atmosphere continue to draw loyal patrons to Palo Alto’s Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant 17 years after its opening. The unpretentious brewery on Emerson Street is a place where people check their attitudes at the door. On any given day, there is a slew of regular customers whom the bartender knows by name and favorite brew.

That’s what founders Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch envisioned when they opened their first Gordon Biersch near their Peninsula homes in Palo Alto in 1988. The brewpub has since expanded to more than a dozen locations throughout the Western states, including Hawaii.

Gordon Biersch serves authentic German-style lagers made on the premises. The menu consists of appetizers and entrees influenced by a variety of cuisines, all designed to complement Gordon’s signature lager beer that he learned to brew while attending the renowned brewing school Weihenstephan in Germany. Many of the lagers are award-winning beers recognized at the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup Competition.

The brewery serves seven beers on tap made on site, including Hefeweizen, pilsner, Marzen, schwarzbier, blonde bock and seasonal brews. The tanks, where the beer is processed, are in view of the restaurant area.

Beer is also one of the main ingredients on the restaurant’s eclectic menu, which includes everything from hamburgers with garlic fries, pizza and roasted chicken to Ahi tuna, pasta and steak. This is not your typical pub fare.

Gordon Biersch plans to serve a special menu on St. Patrick’s Day that will include beer-boiled corned beef, lamb stew and sheppherd’s pie.

Gordon Biersch is located at 640 Emerson St. in Palo Alto. For more information, call 323-7723.

- Linda Taaffe