When I first heard the name "Brutopia", it was hard not to imagine a heaven blanketed with beer head clouds, cherubs descending with pitchers overflowing with liquid gold. To my disappointment, the stairway I ascended didn't lead to a heaven. However, the dusty wooden planks clued me in that this was a different sort of pleasure - this was a full-on dive bar.
Brutopia was like all dive bars should be - dark, over-heated and smelling of dust and good times passed. We found the one table with as few wet glass rings as we could and were greeted by a server. She was a sweetheart and introduced us to the bar's chalkboard, listing the place's homemade brews in yellow and blue chalk. Though the names weren't very descriptive, our server made sure to describe what each brew was like. There was something for everyone at our table.
I ended up going with the white ale. Now I'm always a little nervous when it comes to small brews, but this beer was absolutely wonderful. Didn't taste cheap or carelessly made. It wasn't long before everyone at my table was passing their beers to the right, having a sip of each one. There wasn't a single crappy sip.
This place is great for a low-key night out with friends. They have bands play on weekend nights and the place gets packed for that. Don't bring a first date here if you've decided to iron out your fancy pants.
And they give you itemized, separate checks. This place was made for groups of 3 or more.