Latest reviews from Waitsfield
| 80 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Large brewpub in the small ski town of Waitsfield VT. Located in a lodge like building in the downtown area. Bar seating, tables, and outdoor seating available. Large open space with music, no TVs. They had 15 taps, a large proportion were IPAs (ironically most are retailer IPAs not NEIPAs!). Good beer overall but I think they are overrated. Certainly not the best IPA/IIPAs I’ve ever had. They have a small food menu - appetizers, salads, a few sandwiches. Cheese plate was good. Nice place to chill for sure.“ |
| 76 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Pretty empty on a Thursday lunch time in mid-June. Ski chalet ambiance for sure. Very large place, as Lawson's has changed quite a bit as they have grown. But in contrast to Alchemist, this place has tons of character including an awesome outdoor space. Staff is very young and inexperienced, a bit more sterile and standoffish than a bar or brewery staff should be, but maybe that's nitpicking. Although their food list is small, everything was very fresh and very tasty. Beers come in 6 ounce pours or full pours, no flights, but you can do two small pours at a time if you like. I had one hoppy beer which was pretty delicious, a tasty Baltic porter and some mediocre lagers. The shop next door had an extensive range of four packs but sadly no mixed fours. Worth a stop, in any weather.“ |
| 80 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Called in on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and seems a lot of local mountain bikers had also dropped by after a day on the trails. Quite a nice set-up, like others have said it has a ski-lodge feel inside.. lots of bare wood and large beams. The bar is in the middle of the room, surrounded by tables, with a small amount of outside seating on a patio. Food looked really good, sensibly-priced, as was the beer. There's a separate room dedicated to merch and take-out cans. A couple of cycling jerseys but colour scheme wasn't for me. Nice place, beers seemed quite subdued hop-wise but are perfect refreshers after a ski / mountain bike session.“ |
| 82 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Buried in a shopping center, it's quite the hangout for locals. Boisterous and noisy . Heavy metal soundtrack, Kung Fu movies. Rag tag interior. Hill Farmstead on tap. Not for everyone.“ |
| 84 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Hit this spot on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. Looks like a ski lodge. Big u- shaped bar, tables inside and on patio. Large merch area with product to go Good service. Food limited to "starters". Great views and the beer was top notch“ |
| 88 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Well, I must have just missed Peter, and on his birthday, no less! I stopped in with friends on the 6th on the way back from a trip to the Hill. Weather was great, outdoor seating available, plenty of space both in and out. Wait staff bent over backwards to get us a good spot outside around a fire pit. No table service, and lines do form at the bar. Food options limited as stated, but good for snacking. Beer list was about 15 strong, all Lawsons products, all available in two sizes, generally 6oz and full pour (which varied a bit by ABV). Biased towards IPAs as you might expect, but they also had a pils, an Octoberfest, and Faystons in both the base and rum BA variants. Very reasonable pricing. This was a fun place and I expect that I will return.“ |
| 74 /100 Worthy Burger Too (Restaurant) 114 MAD RIVER GREEN “The second location of South Royalton's Worthy Burger, Worthy Burger Too is in a very Vermont shopping center in Waitsfield, just south of Lawson's. It's not a huge space, very cozy and warm inside. Good service. Grab a table and line up to order at the counter. The menu is short but the food is very good. About a dozen drafts are available, including Lawson's, Alchemist, Queen City, and Zero Gravity. It was about $23 for a burger (fries included) and a beer. Nothing revolutionary here but it's a good place for food if you're going to Lawson's, which doesn't have much food-wise, or otherwise in the area.“ |
| 72 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Stopped in here on a gray Saturday afternoon. We called ahead but no one answered, and when we arrived, we were told it was a 90-minute wait. They took a phone number and texted when a table was ready (more like 40 minutes), but I don't understand why we couldn't get a table on the deck ("inclement weather"), which was empty. The tasting room is big and tables were spread out, as pandemic restrictions are still on. They had about 14 things on tap and a dozen or so to go. It's a really nice, new space. Service is okay. There's some light food but I wouldn't come here planning for a meal. I'd recommend Worthy Burger Too, a few minutes away, if you want to eat. I'm one of the only people I know who thinks the beers here are overrated but it's worth a visit if you're in this part of the state.“ |
| 84 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “We came here on 22.12.2019. Great location, very comfortable ski lodge feeling with fire places inside and outside. Mr. Lawson was sitting at the bar and we hade a nice chat with him. Beers were great. 15 on tap. The Maple Nipple was my favorite. Brewery is in a separate building and was not open for public when we came. Many cans available for outside purchase. Another great beer place in Vermont!“ |
| 84 /100 155 CARROLL ROAD “Located in what looks like center city Waitsfield they have both a parking lot next to the taproom plus an auxiliary parking lot half a block away. They had a nice sized tap room which felt a bit like a ski chalet as well as a decent sized patio. They had 10-12 different things on and had a range a pour sized available. The place was packed to the gills but the staff kept things moving while maintaining a pleasant demeanor. The beers ranged from solid to fantastic with the double sunshine the clear winner. They also had most of the drafts available in cans in case you wanted to take some home.“ |
| 62 /100 9 VT RT 17, UNIT 5 “A pleasant restaurant/bar/brewery located in the mountains. Sampled a few of the beers, nothing particularly exciting (either in style or flavor). Pale ale and stout (or was it a porter) were definitely drinkable. Hefeweizen and IPA less so.
Did not try food but they had interesting items on the menu, including veg friendly, but mostly BBQ style.
Atmosphere was big and wooden. Football was playing, but understandably so as it was the Pat's to get into the superbowl.
Beers were about 8 bucks a pop.“ |
| 72 /100 Hyde Away Inn (Restaurant) 1428 MILL BROOK RD “The Hideaway Inn is a semi-rustic yet exceptionally clean and well kept restaurant. Being this close to Lawson’s, yes, they get Sip of Sunshine. I never stayed at their lodge, but I’m a local sorta. Not just beer, but wine and other liquors served too. Only reason why I don’t go back is it’s not exactly "kid friendly." Nothing on them, just my place in life right now.“ |
| 62 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “Basic grocery store that’s not very clean. Alcohol section is located to the far right and completely isolated from the rest of the supermarket.
Beer must be paid in the front despite having a separate cashier for wine. Lawsons sold at two four packs per person.“ |
| 68 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “Making my way down to the Warren Store, stopped in to check it out. Yes, a grocery store, and not exactly very clean. But there’s Heady, S.O.S. and Super Session. Other normal Vermont offerings with a decent selection of other beers from the East Coast along with Stone, Lagunitas and other bigger almost not micro breweries. Value seemed reasonable for the area. Still, go down to the Warren Store if you’re looking for Lawson’s bottles.“ |
| 70 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Visited 3 times, but I can’t remember exact dates except 7-15 so I’m using that. It’s located in a plaza complex so plenty of parking. Bit confusing of a set-up, or maybe I’m just dumb. You can order from a side window or the bar. There’s seating inside and outside, but no signs saying that no one takes orders and you’re on your own. We finally figured it out and stood and read the signs to decide on food. Service was ok, kind of made you feel stupid for asking questions. The annoying drunk guy at the bar yapping and being obnoxious about people being dumb and not figuring things out really annoyed me. To the point I told him to shut up and I didn’t need to hear him any longer. Anyway, beer selection was great. Focal and Heady cans, plus good Vermont locals on tap including Lawsons and HF. I thought the food was really good. Got a pork burrito one time and then the fish tacos twice. I love spicy stuff so their inhouse sauces were a huge plus. I think each time we went they had between 5 and 7 homemade sauces with a heat scale chart so you knew what to expect. I will say the drunk guy chimed in again when I was reading the sign, names, and heat level. At this point I almost punched him off the stool. I said I’ve never been here and am reading the signs and if you talk to me again we will have a problem. He shut up and left shortly after. He seemed like a local, so hopefully no one else has this issue. Value was good, maybe a bit high, but nothing to scoff at. Overall really good food and beer to enjoy with it. I obviously like it going 3 times in a week and we were in Waterbury so it was a little drive there.“ |
| 76 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “A nice little saving-grace spot in this ski-resort town. The mini-mall location and completely undeveloped interior are inarguably ugly. Counter service; certain stereotypes apply. Good selection of VT beers on tap and in can, including HF, Lawson’s, and Alchemist, to enjoy with a satisfying plate of Mexicanish food. The sidewalk patio offers a pleasant escape from the claustrophobic interior, but beers are only allowed outside until 8 pm.“ |
| 78 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “First of all, I’ve only been on normal days when it wasn’t crazy. The food here is good. their most mild hot sauce was still crazy hot. Not a bad Taqueria experience but not traditional mexican in any way. Good draft list, I’d go back. The tacos are a bit expensive for what you get.“ |
| 68 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Visited on a saturday afternoon before our session at Lawson’s Farmer Market. Weird located in a small mall. Probably the ugliest location for a Vermont pub.
Ambiance: There was a bunch of people, but it wasn’t at full capacity. Music inside was extremely loud, I guess they wanted people to go outside to have a beautiful view on the parking lot, Service: Super slow (everybody looked either drunk or stoned) but also rather friendly... and since it was Lawson’s Anniversary I guess they had quite a day already. Selection: Really nice selection with a lot of Lawson’s on tap. The menu seems to be nice as well when there’s no Lawson’s party. Food: Didn’t tried the food, but it looked really tasty. Next time I will make sure to order something. Value: Beer prices are quite good. Overall: Not exactly the atmosphere I’m looking for, but a place I would visit again for the nice beer selection and the food that looked good if I’m back in the area. “ |
| 54 /100 Waitsfield Wine Shoppe (Beer Store) 4330 MAIN ST “Visited on a Saturday afternoon just before the 4 p.m. session of Lawson’s Farmer Market.
Ambiance: Small shop with a small beer section. Service: We didn’t buy anything because of the limited selection so it’s hard to tell about service. Selection: Poor selection. Lot of old stuff, even in the fridge. Food: n/a Value: A bit high for the area. Overall: Worth a quick stop when in the area but be careful with freshness. “ |
| 50 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “Visited on a Saturday afternoon before the 4 pm session of Lawson’s Farmers Market. Location in the same mall as Mad Taco.
Ambiance: It’s a small town supermarket. Service: n/a Selection: They get Heady Topper deliveries. Other than that, there’s a few interesting things but it’s not worth a detour. Food: n/a. Value: Prices were ok for the area. I don’t know how they charge for Heady Topper as it wasn’t available when we visited. Overall: Worth to check if they have Heady Topper when you are visiting Mad Taco. “ |
| 66 /100 Waitsfield Wine Shoppe (Beer Store) 4330 MAIN ST “Visited on a day of a Lawson’s release that was happening 100 yards away so probably not fair to rate their selection - it had probably been raided. Small wine store in the village of Waitsfield with a beer corner and a couple fridges. They have some standard N-E US brews and they do get some Lawson’s in that they sell in limited quantities. Prices seemed average-high. Would stop to see what they have available again.“ |
| 48 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “Supermarket in the same mini-mall as Mad Taco. Liquor store is in the far deep corner. They have a pretty standard beer selection, nothing really noteworthy except they do get Heady delivieries. Probably the only thing I’d truly want to buy here.“ |
| 66 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Stopped by on the day of Lawson’s Finest anniversary bottle release. Accessibility: It’s in a mini mall, so lots of parking is easily available. Don’t think buses drive by very often. There were quite a few people there but not overcrowded. It was hard to stay in the bar because the music was so loud, gotta get used to this party atmosphere. Anyway, they had a lots of Lawson’s on tap which was nice, pint prices were reasonable. Didn’t eat here but the food looked really tasty, probably the best part of this place because the vibe and decor really didn’t do it for me. Service was stoner-slow.“ |
| 78 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Stopped by very early in the morning for Lawson’s tickets. They were offering free breakfast and a new Lawson’s release. Draft menu is solid, chill bros working, but not the best atmosphere.“ |
| 84 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Great place to grab some cheap eats and great selection of craft brews. On my first visit had a couple of HF What is Enlightenment, and instantly fell in love.“ |
| 70 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “Could it be the less charming place on ratebeer? Most beer places in Vermont are charming, everything is charming in Vermont. Not this Mad Taco. Awkwardly located on the ground floor of some kind of commercial & apartment building. View on the parking. A terrace in front looking at the parking but you cannot bring your beer outside!!!?!!! Ugly place to say the least. However the tap-list is well selected. They are physically close to Lawsons seem to be friends with mr Lawson so you are pretty much guaranteed to have one or two Lawsons on tap. For a special limited Lawsons release this place is one of your best bet. I went there because I knew they had Collaboration Time I on tap while it was gone from everywhere in VT. You are also pretty much guaranteed one or two Hill Farmstead and a few other quality beers. Focus on Vermont beer. Food is excellent, I love Mad Taco, I would make a detour for this Mad Taco but they now have a concession at Backblack in Waterbury so I can get my Mad Taco fix without getting out of my way. Service is typical small VT place, ultra-friendly stoner dudes with the mandatory grunge look, this is VT how I like it. I love everything about this place except the physical place itself.“ |
| 60 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “A supermarket with a decent beer range, a range that is made great when Heady Topper is in stock (which isn’t always). Not an outstanding range of beers, just a smattering of VT/ NH/ MA stuff. Other than that, it’s a pretty standard supermarket. Worth checking out if you’re in the area and/ or you’re hitting up The Mad Taco next door.“ |
| 86 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “An awesome little place. I came here at 9:30am and had the huevos rancheros with an HF Abner; it’s nice to know there is a place where I can go to drink HF beer with my breakfast. (I gather you could even get beer right when the place opens at 8am.) The eggs were great, very well made and tasty. The prices here are decent - but you do get great food and world-class beer. The staff are friendly and enhance this place’s laid-back vibe. If you like Mexican food and/or beer, this is a must-visit. (Also, there is a supermarket that carries good beer right next door - Mehuron’s.)“ |
| 82 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “The best tacos in Vermont period. They always have Heady Topper, some Lawson’s DIPA and something tasty from Hill Farmstead. I a small strip mall right in the middleof downtown Waitsfield. Thier homemade smoker for the meat is right out front. This ain’t no fine dining establishment, Just great comfort food.“ |
| 82 /100 The Mad Taco (Restaurant) 2 VILLAGE SQUARE “This was a wonderful find. Happened on this place based on a stray comment someone made about Hill Farmstead and where they like to stop on the way up. So I did the same and stopped on the way to the saison fest at Hill. Ended up getting a burrito that was enough food for two meals, and since I knew I’d be stopping again for more food (and I actually saved half of it and had a second meal out of it). The food was excellent (have had stuff from them again as they catered the VIP event for another Hill event), and the big selection of house made hot sauces is not to be trifled with. The beer list is great too. Nice selection on tap featuring a couple of beers from Hill Farmstead, and a few from Lawsons, and I think Heady Topper was on tap as well.“ |
| 54 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “beer all the way in the back very hit or miss, I’m local, shelves are sometimes full of interesting selections from all over sometimes it looks like someone forgot to order the beer you never know what you may find it could be a gem or dust“ |
| 52 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “Small selection of craft beers along with the locals and megabrews. They did have some unusual beers in their selection, so look through it carefully. A bit expensive...“ |
| 52 /100 Mehuron’s Market (Grocery Store) 5121 MAIN ST “This isn’t anything spectacular. Just the local Waitsfield, VT grocery. You really have to search through the store before you stumble across the liquor store. They do have a great selection of local and regional beers including Long Trail, Magic Hat, Smuttynose, Rock Art, Orlio Organic, Saranac, and Otter Creek, as well as others. The real highlight here though, is the dusty collection of classic old beer bottles from around the world. Sitting on a few rows of shelves just before you reach the beer section is the most amazing collection of old Belgian, German, Japanese and American beer bottles I have ever seen, all from about the 1970’s and earlier. Pretty Rad.“ |
