Driving down Main Street in Coopersburg, you might miss the lively brewery jammed between two homes. To be completely honest, Sage Alley Brewery doesn’t look like anything special from the street. Couple the generic appearance with tricky parking, and most people will want to turn the car around before entering the restaurant. Once you find yourself a spot in the cozy parking lot, an outdoor dining area and a seemingly inappropriate food truck greet you before walking in the back door.

Choose-your-own seating allows customers to opt for a seat at the bar or at the high chairs surrounding. My party and I were immediately greeted with speedy service. The menu is only one page predominantly consisting of bar food. A dozen or so gluten free options are scattered throughout. However, the most prominent issue is the limited array of beverages. As implied in the name, Sage Alley Brewery’s claim to fame is the beer: not the ideal option for a high school student thirsty for soda. But with the long bar being the centerpiece of the dining room, Sage Alley makes it clear that their restaurant is meant to be inhabited by adults.

Along with the menu, customers are given a mission statement, where Sage Alley owners Russell and Heather really drive home the target age range. In all bold letters dead center of the page reads “Sage Alley is an adult setting.” They follow that statement with instructions for how children must be dealt with while inhabiting the restaurant.

When our waitress came back to take our food orders, she enlightened us on the even more interesting kitchen on wheels. The food truck on the patio serves as the kitchen for the entire restaurant. I opted for loaded nachos with ground beef priced at a reasonable $11.99. My dining partners ordered beer infused mac & cheese and a cheese burger, priced at $5.99 and $12.99, respectively.

Utensils, napkins, and condiments must be retrieved from an assortment placed near the front of the restaurant, adding to the unique feel. After some surprisingly speedy service from the food truck our orders came in take out boxes with average sized portions.

My nachos never lost their crunch, and I enjoyed my meal piled high with guacamole and salsa. The cheeseburger satisfied, but did not exceed any expectations. However, the mac & cheese was a different story. The menu did not lie, the dish was infused with beer, and lots of it. In hindsight, I was not terribly shocked that the brewery used beer as an integral part of their food, but for teenagers expecting standard mac & cheese, the beer taste came as a shock. Maybe it would be more appealing for an older, more experienced palate, but I left most of the mac & cheese on the table.

Overall, I would stray away from taking friends out to Sage Alley. Although the food was reasonably priced, generally mediocre, and served in a unique environment, it is clear that this place is not meant for anyone under the age of 21.