April 16, 2012
Stopped in for dinner and a comedy show. The hostess had to change our seats for the comedy show to accommodate another group, so we got our tickets for free. Sweet. Had a few beers on tap (oatmeal stout, APA, Winter in Ardennes), and they were pretty nice. Had a "Vermonter" sandwich (pork, apple, bacon), which was good, and an apple baked in puff pastry for dessert. Our server clearly hated his life, and it was a hassle just to have him get a round of drinks for us. The comedy was entertaining. Average ambiance; I don’t know if it’s always filled with drunk college fucks, but it was when I was there, so there were a bunch of meatheads looking to fight. Decent, I’d go back.

March 4, 2012
Visited on a busy Saturday night. Luckily we got there right before the big rush. The bartender was clearly over-whelmed but since we had spots at the end of the bar, he took care of us and was still friendly. The food was average pub fare. Nothing note-worthy. As far as the beer goes, they are average- to slightly above. They only sell Growlers due to CT state law however, A few local stores carry the Naughty Nurse and Blonde on Blonde in 12 oz. bottles. They also had a really cool DJ spinning music after 8 pm. Overall I liked the place but it had a lot to do with the friends I was with. If you find your way to downtown Hartford, I feel it’s worth a pint or three.

February 15, 2012
This is the place that introduced me to ’craft beer’. The food is decent and the service is mixed depending on the time of day. City Steam is definitely a fixture in the brewpub scene in CT, and besides TullyCross in manchester, one of few options in central CT. I try to stop by for a pint at least once a season. I prefer their wheat beers over most of the others, although Norwegian Wood is a hidden gem (when brewed)

September 7, 2011
Stopped here for lunch. What’s most impressive is the building itself. Very large, old and with multiple levels. They had pool in the back and a comedy club as well. I found the brews to be pretty diverse. The Careless Love and Innocence Ale to be my favorites. The food was also pretty good. I would return to hang and see what the place is like when it’s busy.

August 20, 2010
A nice bar downtown. You can find parkig fairly close. Busy, it was pre-Tom Petty concert. A working guy’s place, the several tables and the bar were all taken. The beer was nothing too special, the macros were the guest beers. Heavier drinking bar, cocktails and the like. Service was good considering the activity. Worth a stop if and only if you are in the downtown core. A restaurant more than a ber bar.

November 1, 2009
This has to be one of the best looking pubs I’ve ever been in. The outside is a massive 4 story stone building with lots of original stained glass. On the inside, the huge stained glass windows illuminate a multi-storied pub with polished brass everywhere. I could do without the TVs, but there are very few places these days without them, it seems. The beer is fairly lacklustre, although there are a few decent samples. It certainly isn’t one of the better brewpubs I’ve been to, but I do enjoy the ambiance of the place. It’s proximity to the I-95 is one of it’s greatest attributes.

October 29, 2009
My friend and I ended up stumbling upon this place while waiting to see Green Day in concert. Pretty decent bar scene. They make their own beers that range along different styles, and the sampler glasses they have are unique. If you’re not there for beer, they have tons of sugary, mixed drinks (their own concoctions). Anyway, the bartenders were cool, and I even had a buyback. I don’t know how much they knew about beer through. The overall atmosphere is more like a bar whose primary is to attract anybody who drinks anything than a bar that prides in beer culture. For that it’s disappointing. #10 on 29102009, DG.

July 14, 2009
Walk in to a really cool building with several floors and tables all over stairwells, etc. I think this used to be a department store, maybe... Great vegetarian options, and they use beer in the food, which I really like. They had a raspberry mead, several lagers, an amber, a Baltic Porter, an IPA, and a sweet stout on tap. It looked really interesting. The beer overall was pretty good, the service was great although the place was not busy at all, and the beer was good. It is a tad on the expensive side, but I would definitely return the next time I’m in Hartford.

June 1, 2009
Cool building. Nice outside patio. Good service. Usually 2-3 special beers on tap along with their regulars. Food is good. Pretty good value.

August 14, 2008
A lively place to go with a decent selection of beer brewed in house. On wednesday nights they have live Irish jam band music. I only had a salad there so I can not rate the food, but the beer was mediocre. The atmosphere, more than compensates for the beer.