Sitting on four beautiful acres just off I-80 in North Platte, Nebraska, Pals Brewing Company has been doing something that most restaurants only dream about: making every single guest feel like family since opening its doors in 2017.
Built from scratch by the Oettinger family — brothers Paul and Mark, along with their partners Amy and Mendy — this family-owned brewery and pizza restaurant in North Platte, NE, is the living, breathing result of a 20-year homebrewing dream that finally found its moment.
With 19 craft beers brewed on-site and a pizza menu crafted by the remarkable Mendy Oettinger, Pals is not just a restaurant — it’s a full-on Nebraska experience. 🌾
How Pals Brewing Company Won North Platte’s Hearts
It was Thanksgiving 2015 at the Oettinger family farm just south of Hershey, Nebraska.
Mark and Mendy were somewhere between their second and third plate of dinner when they declared, with complete certainty: “This town needs a brewery!”
Paul — who had been quietly perfecting his homebrew recipes since buying his first kit at the Wine and Hop Shop in Madison, Wisconsin back in 1995 — got that faraway look in his eye.
The dream that had been scribbled in notebooks for two decades was finally ready to become real.
What set Pals Brewing Company apart from day one was the unmistakable combination of Paul’s award-winning craft beer and Mendy’s entirely scratch-made pizza menu — a menu so beloved that regulars have named specific pies as the reason they make the detour off the interstate.
As a top-rated brewery and pizza restaurant in Nebraska, Pals draws not just locals but road-trippers, tourists, and beer enthusiasts from across the region who have heard about the Wisconsin pizza and have to try it themselves.
The claim that North Platte has the best craft beer pizza gets thrown around, but here it’s backed by the kind of loyal fanbase that fills the taproom on a weeknight. 🏆
With over 100 events hosted annually — from live music acts to their massive Boots n’ Beef Music Festival featuring double-platinum artists — Pals has cemented its role as the North Platte, Nebraska craft brewery that keeps the whole community coming together.
Customers who stopped in once on a road trip have returned on purpose, specifically for the pizza. 🚗
That is the quiet power of what Paul, Amy, Mark, and Mendy built: a place so genuinely welcoming and so consistently delicious that it has become one of the most compelling reasons to visit North Platte at all.
Food Highlights
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The Wisconsin — Beer mustard sauce topped with bratwurst, German sauerkraut, Wisconsin cheese curds, and mozzarella. 🧀
- Hog Heaven — Sriracha ranch sauce topped with pork shoulder bacon, Italian sausage, blue cheese, Palsbrew marinated mushrooms, and mozzarella. 🐷
- Keegan’s Special — Sriracha ranch sauce loaded with pork shoulder bacon, pepperoni, fire-roasted chicken, mozzarella, and Farmer John’s Wisconsin squeaky cheese curds. 🔥
- The Nebraskan — Mendy’s housemade pizza sauce topped with beef, Italian sausage, pork shoulder bacon, and mozzarella, finished with a ranch drizzle. 🤠
- The Farmette — Garlic avocado oil base topped with fire-roasted chicken, spinach, Palsbrew marinated mushrooms, goat cheese, and mozzarella. 🌿
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BBQ Chicken — BBQ sauce base topped with fire-roasted chicken, flame-roasted corn, poblano peppers, onions, red peppers, mozzarella, and cheddar. 🌽
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Jalapeño Popper — Popper sauce topped with pork shoulder bacon, fresh diced jalapeños, onions, mozzarella, and cheddar blend. 🌶️🧀
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Pals Supremo — Mendy’s pizza sauce topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, green pepper, Palsbrew marinated mushrooms, and mozzarella. 🍕
Atmosphere
Pals Brewing Company sits on four stunning acres with sweeping views of the South Nebraska Sandhills and the kind of western sunsets that make you forget to check your phone.
The spacious outdoor Beer Oasis — completely dog-friendly and open in warmer months — pairs brilliantly with a cold pint of Pals craft beer and a pizza fresh from the kitchen. 🐾
Inside the taproom, the vibe is warm, unhurried, and genuinely communal — with 19 beers on tap, a lively events calendar featuring live music year-round, and a staff that consistently earns praise for treating strangers like old friends.
Bottom Line
Pals Brewing Company is Nebraska’s most rewarding road trip stop.
A family dream 20 years in the making, award-winning craft beer brewed on-site, Mendy’s scratch-made specialty pizzas, stunning Sandhills views, and legendary midwestern hospitality make this North Platte gem worth a dedicated detour — every single time. 🍺🍕
Address:
4520 S Buffalo Bill Ave, North Platte, NE 69101
📞 (308) 221-6715
🕔 Mon–Sat 11 AM–10 PM | Sun 11 AM–9 PM