FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you have food?

We do not sell food but have the occasional food pairing, pop-up restaurant, or food truck.

Can we bring food into the brewery?

This is permitted and encouraged! Please consider bringing plates/forks etc. as well as we do not provide these. We suggest getting delivery or take-away from any of the great restaurants downtown.

Do have gluten free options?

We do! Please check out our menu. All seven of our guest taps (wine, hard cider, root beer) are gluten free. We do not make gluten free beer though.

Are my kids allowed in?

Well-behaved well-supervised folks under 21 years of age are welcome in the taproom until 8 PM. This is an updated policy, as until about four years ago kids were not permitted in Mason City bars that did not serve food.

Can I bring my dog/bird/lama?

With the exception of service animals, no pets are permitted in the building. Sorry!

Do you have outside seating?

New in summer 2023, we have a beautiful “parklet” patio out front. We plan to keep the patio up as long as the weather allows and then pack it up each winter. Some rules/suggestions to make sure you have the best experience possible on the patio:
- No non-Fat Hill beverages
- No smoking
- Keep you and your drink inside the designated area unless going to/from the bar
- Well-behaved dogs are allowed
- Please order at the bar like you usually would

This building is amazing. What was it originally?

We know, right?! We are housed at 17 N. Federal Ave., which was build in 1925 as a S. S. Kresge dime store. You can see pictures and get a little bit more info about the building on our history page. Our hardwood floors, tin ceiling, and limestone rubble wall are all original.

Where does the name Fat Hill Brewing come from?

We are located in Cerro Gordo county, which is Spanish for “fat hill.” (The county was named after a famous battle in the Mexican American War.)

Can I get a reservation?

We don’t do reservations at Fat Hill, sorry! Seating is first come first serve. However, if you have a very large group that is coming in right at the very beginning of a shift, we can have the tables arranged to your liking ahead of time. Also, if you have a very large group coming in at ANY time, we’d appreciate the heads up because we can add staff to that shift to make sure everyone still gets served quickly. We can also give you an idea of how busy we anticipate the brewery being at a certain time/day. This often helps big groups plan their events. Please email events manager Molly at molly@fathillbrewing.com with any questions about things like this.

Can you fill this growler even though it’s from another brewery?

Sure! We’ll fill any standard size growler as long as it’s clean.

I have a fundraiser/event I need a silent auction item for. Can you donate?

Maybe! Please visit our donation request page.

I’m a musician and I want a gig at Fat Hill. Can I play here?

Maybe! Please email our events manager, Molly at molly@fathillbrewing.com. Please note that we get emails from bands every day and only have so many slots. In general we book very very far in advance.

Do you guys sell kegs?
We sure do! Please email Brewer Jake at jake@fathillbrewing.com and he’ll help you out.

Who owns this place?

We do! FHB is owned and operated by a trio of Mason City beer friends: Jake Rajewsky (brewer/operations), Molly Angstman (marketing/events), and Jon Bendickson (taproom manager).

Why can’t I get Fat Hill beer at the grocery store or at the bar down the street?

We’re focusing all sales out of our taproom right now. We like having so much quality control over our product!

Who did your logo? Your cans? Etc.?

That’s the wonderful work of 818 - A Tiny Design Empire out of Des Moines. A lot of our art is also done by Julie Kim Designs here in Mason City.

Are you hiring?

Thanks so much for wanting to work here! If we are hiring, there will be a notice in the employment section of this website.