Schussboom Brewing has arrived

Long-awaited south Reno brewery opens its doors

Many of us have been watching the signs for Schussboom Brewing go up for months, wondering when permitting would finally allow the first south Reno brewery to open. Alas, the wait is over; Schussboom welcomed its first patrons on June 2. 

The food menu is up and ready, turning out really delicious, simple bar food: pizza, wings, salads and starters (mostly fries and tots). The beer, however, is still on hold. The eatery’s taps are rotating through guest beers from other local establishments, but the stuff brewed on site will take a couple more weeks to get up and running, no thanks to a construction delay. That being said, no one is complaining about picking up their favorites from Revision, Stone and more. 

Regardless, ownership will be the first to tell you that this place is a brewery first—and all that other stuff comes second—so getting that beer to guests is priority number one.

Pizzas take up the bulk of the menu—specialty pies, classic combinations and make-your-own options. One serious upside to ordering pizza from Schussboom, while we are well aware Reno isn’t short on pizza, is the wait times. Fifteen minutes for a meat-loaded dream-come-true? We’ll take it! It certainly makes grabbing pizza at lunch more plausible without angering the boss. 

When it comes to our picks, we’re going all in on the Wild West, where the sliced house-made meatball is the star of the show, complemented by sharp cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, perfectly sweet grilled onions and a bold barbecue sauce before it’s perfected with scallions and fried onions strings.

We warn that the portions here may not be like your usual go-to—a small (12 inches) can feed a couple just fine while the large may satisfy a small army (18 inches) and barely fits in your fridge when you have leftovers.

Our other favorite pie is a twist on a classic. The Toes on the Nose feels like your favorite Hawaiian pizza got an upgrade. Country shaved ham and fresh pineapple make up the base, along with a signature red sauce. Sweet onions and roasted bell peppers take it to the next level. Served warm, toasty and fresh from the oven, our mouths are watering just thinking about it.

When it comes to guilty pleasures, poutine is high on my list. And while there are a few places to grab the Canadian staple in town (shoot me a message and I’m happy to fill you in), it’s not exactly on every menu.

Schussboom having poutine is perhaps the highlight for me. Made with French fries or tots doused in a demi glace (to replace the traditional gravy) and piled high with beer-braised short ribs, Wisconsin cheese curds (that are meltier than the standard), shiitake mushrooms and fried onions strings, it’s easy to see this dish isn’t trying to be the original, but we applaud its creativity.

Those who want to go light can order up a salad instead. And we hear the wings are mighty tasty, too (though the flavor options aren’t very extensive). Honestly, we can’t wait to get our hands around a cold mug of that beer they keep teasing us with on social media. Rumor has it, the time is almost here.

The other big upside to Schussboom is its many spaces. The large, former Shop-n-Go market has a bar area for the over-21 crowd, an attached dining room with large picnic-style tables to accommodate families and large groups, and an outdoor space with both an upstairs and a downstairs for when the weather is right.

The view may not be much, but the ambiance of friends laughing and first dates happening on one of Reno’s few “rooftop” spots is all we need to be beckoned out under the stars.

Editor’s Note: The Schussboom Brewery team seems to have a good sense of humor as well.