Latest reviews from Montpelier

“Lots of very good local taps, notably lesser distributed Hill Farmstead. Humid inside,deck fully taken.half pours served. The Capital Town downtown is lovely.“

Sammy 325 days ago

“Hidden on the river, a gem of a beer lover's place. Ambiance is depressing, but the service is great, the selection is fantastic and they have many beers to go, including a number of great local brews.“

GregMooreNH 405 days ago

“They don’t have a huge selection of beer but frankly I’m not sure you could improve upon tacos and Heady Topper. The tacos and quesadillas we tried were very decent but I wouldn’t say remarkable. But certainly a worthwhile place for a meal with a beer in Montpelier.“

Leighton 617 days ago

“Good pizza, decent beer. Got to try a new (to me) Vermont brewery. On the main drag in montpelier. 16ish taps. One restroom (single person) is an issue.“

bytemesis 924 days ago

“I just saw this while driving to HF and stopped in on the way back. A tad dumpy in appearance. Loads of taps for growler fills and pours available as well. A smallish but refrigerated can/bottle section as well. I asked for two 5 oz pours and the guy refused to charge me for them(!) that was mighty nice of him. Definitely a place to check out if you are in the area.“

bytemesis 2033 days ago

“Right in the heart of Montpelier, there is cheap metered parking out front. Very good taplist, but no flights, though they do half-pours and will do samples. Full kitchen too - they have the Impossible burger (but don't serve it vegan). Friendly service. Not as world-class a stop as the ratings suggest, but it's a worthy stop.“

mcberko 2080 days ago

“Visited in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, right at the tail end of the World Cup Final Hi Pitched Screaming that normally accompanies European football. long bar and some restaurant tables, second restaurant room next door. Lots of beers on tap, but the list is only visible from the front end of the bar, not the rear, and they don't pay Untappd, so you have to wander to the front of the bar to choose your beer. There are printed food menus though. Nice beer list, good variety of styles, with four or five Hill Farmsteads, a Lawson's, and some out of state beers. Pours vary in size, but smallish (10 ounce) pours of the normally 16 ounce beers are possible. Food is tasty. Server knew here beers very well and gave good advice. The town is very pretty too and is worth a short stroll.“

Travlr 2105 days ago

“Located in downtown Montpellier which another beautiful, bucolic Vermont town. Unfortunately on Friday night parking in town sucks. I ended having to park up a hill a 1/4 mile away. The place is divided into bar and restaurant portions. I settled in the bar. It always annoys me when taprooms don't have beer menus. It's poor custommer service if the only menu is written in chalk on a wall which can't be seen easily in much of the bar. They had some solid taps including a couple that they must have saved in their cellar but it was very crowded and very loud and i couldn't wait to get out of there.“

DiarmaidBHK 2372 days ago

“Yeah, their crepes are rad and they sell a can of Heady for $4. Small but creative beer list.“

radarsock 2477 days ago

“Cheapest canned beer in town, if memory serves. Easy to meet friendly locals and talk about life with pool players who loudly read Nietzsche. Dishes were filling but can’t remember anything aside for it being samey pub food. Bartenders actually remember you and expertly get your beer ready as you’re walking in. Pretty badass. Not a beer destination, though.“

radarsock 2477 days ago

“I wouldn’t say that this particular Positive has the notably best beer list (that title should go to its Hardwick location), but still: 2-3 Hill Farmstead beers, Fiddlehead, plenty of Zero Gravity, and some Lost Nation oddities are never a bad thing. They hire some truly exceptional musicians, so if anything go here for the music and to meet some cuties on the dance floor.“

radarsock 2477 days ago

“Nice patio, pretty good service. Steaks are damn good! Heady Topper, S.O.S. and Fiddlehead IPA. My son’s favorite place in Montpelier for their chicken strips. Check it out when you’re in Montpelier.“

Bulk_Carrier 2528 days ago

“An absolutely stellar restaurant with farm to table fresh foods. Taps are well kept and clean with Vermont goodness, mainly. Saw a Unibroue, Allagash and North Coast’s Old Rasputin, but for the most part, they stick to Vermont beers. Also, wine lovers will like this place too, they got a good selection of that. Mostly an upscale sort of place, but I’d go back if I lived in Montpelier.“

Bulk_Carrier 2570 days ago

“Great breakfast sandwiches. Quick service. Beers are mainly New England offerings. Clean little place, nice to take children too because of the selection of chocolates. Sometimes they get Heady, but as far as I know, they never post on their website, which seems to be a luck-of-the-draw sort of thing.“

Bulk_Carrier 2583 days ago

“Ah, the McGillicuddy’s chain continues. Yes, I believe this is the original pub which makes one think it should be the highest rated one, actually, in my opinion, it’s not. I think the ones in Williston, Colchester and Essex Junction are better than this one, comparatively speaking. But in reality, this isn’t a bad option if all of the other beer places are crowded in Montpelier.“

Bulk_Carrier 2591 days ago

“A nice, Vermont-style grano coop with a great beer selection. Not the largest in the state by any means and especially when Vermont offerings are concerned, but solid and focusing on quality. The occasional BackAcre or Lawson may pop out and that’s always a massive bonus. Totally recommendable if you drive in the area.“

Rastacouere 2595 days ago

“I walked in expecting American Flatbread quality pizza and left out a bit disappointed. Large, warmish, but darkish grotto-like atmosphere. Nice tap list, including more non-Vermont beers than most local pubs. HF, Stone and the likes are well represented. The pizza is good, perhaps even great, but not a world-beater by any means. Friendly service.“

Rastacouere 2596 days ago

“A nice unsophisticated, very welcoming two-room establishment, one is the dining room, more quiet and the other is the bustling, laughing bar area. Good food, nice value with the typical Vermont carefully chosen ingredients. Excellent beer selection. The top breweries in Vermont are all well represented, including BackAcre in bottle. Always a fun visit in downtown Montpelier.“

Rastacouere 2596 days ago

“Nice stop, practically right next to Three Penny Taproom. Very clean spot with decent service. Growlers to go. And they get Heady and S.O.S. Pretty good variety of all of the normal suspects of Vermont. When in the area, I don’t mind stopping here.“

Bulk_Carrier 2596 days ago

“Nothing to see here, really as Long Trail, Rock Art and Otter Creek seem to grace the shelves prominently more than other Vermont breweries. And not exactly the cleanest of places either. Value is reasonable, but you’re in Montpelier, there’s other cleaner stores, bars and restaurants to get better beers. Convenience store type food.“

Bulk_Carrier 2600 days ago

“Hmmmm.....well...I parked down at Shaw’s and walked. Once there, pretty clean, and great service - fair amount of people there for a Tuesday lunch. Taps were mainly New England speckled with a nice dosing of Vermont breweries. And Rodenbach showed up on tap. My cheeseburger was really good. Value seemed somewhat reasonable for Montpelier area. But my only rhetorical question: how is this the best rated venue in Vermont? I guess the hype train has died on this place, IOW, a bit over rated. Please check out Blackback in Waterbury or Farm Tap & Grill in Burlington if any of you want top tier beer bars, just saying. Too many out of staters not knowing the rest of the VT vibe. Yes, this place this is over rated.“

Bulk_Carrier 2705 days ago

“Visited around noon on a Thursday. Dedicated parking lot. They are in a more industrial part of town away from the city center. Big grocery store with an emphasis on quality and local sourcing of food and drink. They had a lot of great beer available, as well as plenty of great groceries. I picked up some cheese and spent quite a bit of time perusing the aisles. Some highlights of the beer aisle was lost nation, lawsons sip of sunshine, and a few mikkeller spontans. Worth checking out, and you could easily have a meal here if needed.“

JStax 2740 days ago

“Visited around 1 pm on a Thursday afternoon. Street parking in downtown Montpellier. Not really an issue. We found a free apot maybe a block from the place, but would have walked further if we didn’t luck into this one. Inside is an old timy bar feel. Kind of Euro-centric. They had about 20 beers on tap with a few Hill Farmsteads and Rodenbach Alexander as the standouts. Also a focus on local VT beer. I didn’t see or ask for a bottle list, bit I assume there was one. The bartender was super friendly and knew all about the beer he had. Prices were reasonable. The only thing I didn’t like was not being able to do a flight. A half pour is as close as you can get. Regardless, the place is awesome, and definitely worth visiting when near the city.“

JStax 2740 days ago

“Visited February 2016 and had 2 beers and some food. Nice place with interesting vibes and pretty good selection of beers.“

VastActiv 2742 days ago

“Visited in late afternoon on September 27, 2016. Similar to City Market Onion River Co-Op in Burlington, even smell like, but it is not in the downtown core. Although not big, quite a nice selection, mostly Vermont stuff, but no Heady and Lawson’s (delivery is on Thursdays and it was Tuesday). A smaller selection of none Vermont stuff, a couple of Allagash got my attention. As for the rest of what they sell, I was only here for the beer. Still a nice store to visit!“

Quevillon 2755 days ago

“This bar was a lot of fun, happy to finally make it here, felt like a mix of the cool vermont bars with a nyc craft bar, mix of local and not so local beers.“

vtafro 2761 days ago

“Separated into a bar and a restaurant. Restaurant has window a counter that faces the outside with backed stools. Dining area is mostly wooden booths without any padding. Light rock mostly playing the background. A rotating tap list of Hill Farmstead and other VT brews with one or two very rare Belgians. Rodenbacher Alexander was on tap when I went. Food is a bit pricey as is most Vermont. Small portion burgers for about $12. Pints run about $6 dollars or so some beers available in half pints.“

jc1762 2763 days ago

“Came in here for lunch (and sure, a couple beers) after leaving Hill Farmstead. Was not disappointed. Two areas here--more of a dining room and then the bar area. We took a couple seats at the bar. Nice old wooden bar and plenty of beer paraphernalia all over the walls.

Great service from the bartender--really friendly and personable guy, too. Good taplist with some stuff from Bissell Brothers, Hill Farmstead, Burial, and plenty of local Vermont beer and cider options. Really a nice draft menu.

The food menu was solid as well. The girlfriend got the fish and chips, which were very good. I went for the fried chicken sandwich--awesome choice. Protip: get some of their house hot sauce.

Good prices, good service, good beer, good food. Come here.“

brokensail 2783 days ago

“Pretty much next door to Three Penny Taproom, so we stopped in prior to grabbing some lunch. It’s a fairly small shop and the beer is mostly in the back. Some in coolers, some out on the shelves.

I’d imagine most people come here looking for Heady Topper or Sip of Sunshine. They had the latter during my visit, but not the former (despite visiting on the day that the Alchemist website says they do deliveries). Wasn’t that concerned either way. They do have a decent number of local options, though nothing that really excited me that much. They did have a couple ice ciders as well, but nothing that wasn’t common elsewhere.

Prices are pretty average here and the staff were friendly. They also have a few taps for you to fill growlers if that’s your thing. If it wasn’t for the fact that you can find those "cred" beers here, this place wouldn’t really be of note at all, however.“

brokensail 2783 days ago

“Had to swing in for some Lawson imp stout. Nice place I didn’t get any food. The prices were quite high in my opinion. I mean we are in montpellier not new York city. You would think the prices would be pretty good nope. The selection was nice but pretty much the same as other places in the area.“

BuckeyeBoy 2794 days ago

“Visited on a cold Friday afternoon in October 2014 after a solo trip to HF. It’s a grocery store, so you have to make your way through young families, bread shelves and canned vegetables to reach the beer section. I’ve never been asked if I needed help. Actually, I was completely alone in the area, even if they had just received a fresh stack of 32 oz SoS. At least, the lady at the cashier was nice and kind. Good selection, lot of Vermont and Maine products, some barrel aged Evil Twin, small but nice imports selection(Rodenbach Caractère Rouge amongst others). Prices are good. Great place if you are nearby but there’s better options in Vermont.“

Franckg 2831 days ago

“Stopped in for lunch and a couple of beers while in VT for a weekend. Was fairly empty after open, attentive staff, great burger at a reasonable price and the other food looked yummy too. Had a few HF beers, a Lawson, a couple nice ciders and other local stuff. Definitely worth a stop if you are anywhere in the area.“

pushkinwow 2837 days ago

“Semi busy stop. Paid parking right outside on street. Its look is a bit dated. Typical pub in center of town. Service was pleasant enough. Noting outstanding. What makes this pub special is their beer line up. As mentioned before. Frequent offerings of HF etc.“

Radek Kliber 2845 days ago

“4 HF rews on tap. Lawson’s, all kinds of great stuff. Ordered a burger, seems legit. Prices are tame. This was an awesome stop and totally empty at 2pm on a Wednesday afternoon.“

MacBoost 2942 days ago

“We visited Skinny Pancake for brunch on a Monday in September. It is a small café with a decent sized- patio area for dining al fresco. As well as the tasty crepes, we were pleasantly surprised to see 5 taps of local beers and cans of Heady Topper & Focal Banger. Super fresh and super delicious! We also had pretty good coffee here. A good option if you want to take a food break away from Three Penny Taproom!“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“We visited Three Penny Taproom multiple times on our visit to Montpelier. It feels like quality beer can be found in pretty much every café/restaurant/bar in town, but this is the main beer destination and a must-visit. We frequented during the day and in the evening on a Monday and even then they have a steady stream of drinkers. We sat at the bar area with a mix of locals and beer tourists. They have 24 taps of some of the best beer in the world – Hill Farmstead, Lawson’s, Grassroots, Allagash etc on offer. Couple that with a plentiful supply of Alchemist cans and you have a selection that is hard to beat. We were only too happy to sit here and sip back HF… Do yourself a favour and go visit.“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“We walked over to Hunger Mountain Coop from the centre of Montpelier for beer & food on a hot Monday afternoon. I imagine the primary reason people head here is for Heady Topper on a Thursday. We visited on a Monday and were rather impressed by the store as a whole. They have a great selection of quality local produce, so we picked up plenty of cheese and maple syrup. The beer selection spans a full aisle and a few fridges. They obviously are locally-focussed, but have a great selection of quality beer spanning the globe. We were lucky that they had very well-priced Lawson’s cans on our visit, so we stocked up! A must-visit venue in this part of the world.“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“Positive Pie is a small chain of up-market pizza restaurants in Vermont, renown for quality beer and pizza. The Montpelier branch is well located in the centre of town. We came here for food and beer on a Monday night and the place was pretty quiet if truth be told. First up the pizza was tasty and plentiful and worth a visit for that alone. The beer selection covered 14 taps and perhaps about 25 bottles. They had a nice selection of Hill Farmstead in particular, with the likes of Fiddlehead, Lost Nation, Maine, Allagash and Jack’s Abby also represented. Service was decent and prices pretty standard for this part of the world. If you want food & good beer in Montpelier this is the place for you.“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“The M and M Beverage Center is a pretty dodgy liquor store on the edge of town. They have a few fridges of beers, which are predominantly macro in nature….. They do however get a delivery of Heady Topper once a week (same day as Hunger Mountain) so it could still be worth checking out. There were actually a couple of local VT beers, but nothing I didn’t see elsewhere. The rest of the store consists primarily of junk food, so perhaps if you need a beef-jerky hook-up? Pretty poor overall.“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“Yankee Wine & Spirits is well located on Main Street in Montpelier. It is a pretty standard liquor store, which has a couple of fridges worth of beer and a few taps for Growler fills. This includes some cider and some local options. The main reason to visit is when they get their shipment of Heady Topper, which on our visit was Monday early afternoon at around 1pm (check the Alchemist website and/or ask instore). You were allowed 2x 4-packs of Heady per person. If they are sold out check out the Uncommon Market around the corner.“

Scopey 3007 days ago

“Last place on my "beer trip" today, but actually visited first, just now getting to the review. So, its a grocery store, kinda hippie/liberal sort of thing going on. When the guy asked me if I was looking for anything and I replied, just checking the place out, he responded "groovy dude." Hmmm...must be Montpelier, probably couldn’t hang with my types, lol, yeah, smoke your pot and your pole, hippie, anyways, ambiance - yeah sure - nice. Selection - well, nothing that really stood out from what I’ve seen in the rest of Vermont. Decent value for the Montpelier area. Doesn’t seem like anything special, but nice to check out. I’ll stick my "country boy" stores.“

Bulk_Carrier 3027 days ago

“Visited on a Friday afternoon in Apr-2013. Tons of local, state, and European beer selections. We were looking for more specific finds from the state area except they were out, but we happily picked up some packs of Heady Toppers. Took a while to look through everything as it’s spread out. Neat building and great coop concept. Would probably return if in the area but I’d rather load up at Hill Farmstead and just look here for other rarities. (3/8/12/NA/8/14) 74“

mabel 3034 days ago

“Visited in Apr-2013. A few fridges and shelves of decent local and state beers, but I think many just come here for the Heady Topper when it’s in stock. It’s hard to compete when you’re a stone cutters way away from Hunger Mountain... Worth it to pop in if you’re going to the 3 Penny Taproom, like we did, but I think it might be hit or miss on good beer finds. (4/8/8/NA/8/12) 64“

mabel 3034 days ago

“Visited around dinnertime on a Friday night in Apr-2013. Extremely busy bar, but the waiter found us a table in the restaurant near the back (which eventually filled up). No music playing, lovely wooden tables and benches. Ate the Chicken Stew and Pastry, and the burger, and both were tasty. We tried a flight of three (excellent) brews, but it looks like they have about 24 beers on tap, including: Allagash, Smuttynose, North Coast, Southern Tier, Hill Farmstead, Ballast Point, and others. Not a bad a little spot, I quite enjoyed our experience. Also, Old Rasputin brownies. Yum!! (4/9/13/10/9/16) 84“

mabel 3034 days ago

“Add this little cafe to the seemingly limitless Alchemist sources in the northern Vermont area. They also offer 5 local craft taps often including higher end options like Lost Nation and Rising Tide. Decent crepes for a convenience lunch option, doubling as a good location to have a good beer without dragging relatives or kids into another bar.“

Stine 3040 days ago

“This is a generic, small store that receives Alchemist shipments but offers very little else for beer selection. Lots of Vermont ciders, but this selection can’t compete with Hunger Mountain either. Since it is so close it’s probably worth checking in to cross check if in the area, and they do offer a few basic growler choices now as well.“

Stine 3041 days ago

“Visited here twice in mid November, just for the beer. Easily the busiest of all the bars we tried. Service was still good. Tap list was top notch and seemed to rotate continually. Highlights were Abner and Hermit Thrush Rakau. Lots were drinking cans of Focal Banger. Missus found it too bustling, and the prices seemed higher than average, but I’d definitely return.“

Garrold 3048 days ago

“Stopped by on a friday, around noon, to have drinks before heading to the Worthy Burger. Lovely place. Proudly not serving ABInbev stuff ;) Service was very prompt and frienly. Selection is one of the better, more balanced and interesting you’ll find in the neighbourhood. Prices are decent. Overall, a bar worthy of its high ratings.“

Mathieu87 3083 days ago

“Visited 10-02. Parking around this area can be a pain during certain times of the weekday FYI. Went inside around 11:30 and no one else was there. Perfect! Got service right away and quickly. Beer selection wasn’t as good as Waitsfield for draft, but they did have Heady and Focal cans so I was happy. Food and sauces were awesome as usual. Value is solid, maybe a little high, but I like the food. Great place and it’s right near The Three Penny so you can knock off a top tier craft beer bar too.“

bigda83 3116 days ago