Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant
428 Main St, Bennington, VT, 05201
Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Bennington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Bennington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Bennington for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
428 Main St
Bennington, VT, 05201 - Phone (802) 442-7397
- Website https://www.madisonbrewingco.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Coat Check : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Nancy K.
Been back a few times now that we're living here in town again and against all odds: I have been converted. Who woulda thunk it? Not I, said the fly! Burgers. I just want to eat the burgers. Like every day. I haven't. But not a day goes by when I don't think, "I should walk down to Madison's for lunch and get a beer," or "I should see if Kris wants to meet for a burger and a beer when he pulls into town." Staff is hit or meh. All of the service is good, but some staff is friendlier than others. Some seem to be slightly unhappy all of the time. While I get that we all have feelings, there is no way your life is THAT BAD. ALL OF THE TIME. Change your iPod to a less emo playlist and slap on a smile. Been working my way through the beers and am seriously enjoying them. I think I only had ONE that had that chlorine-like, phenolic taste. And I wonder if it's just me. To be fair, I am pretty sure I'm a super faster so I am probably in a small minority of folks who notice this. In addition to burgers I have tried a few entrees and all were great. One suggestion: trivia? Maybe?
(4)Martina C.
Great beer selection, delicious comfort food, quick and nice service. We bumped in on July 3rd, and there was a two musician live country music concert. We enjoyed very much food and atmosphere. I had a tasty burger with blue cheese, and hand cut french fries. My partner a delicious Wiener schnitzel with veggies and mashed potatoes. Highly suggested if you are in town and would like a nice dinner. No pretentious. 4 beers and two meals for $46.
(4)Lenny S.
Nice beer selection. Nice menu selection. Excellent chowder.. One of the best in recent trips. Lots of clams and potatoes. Good steak sandwich. A bit casual on the decor.. But worth a second visit to sample the beers. Excellent service too. Fun place. We were going to try the flight of beers and really test the selection, but we were driving and the weather was iffy...So we split one of the Old 76 Ales. Excellent choice for the steak...
(4)Don P.
What a nice find when you are out tooling about on a Labor Day weekend and want a craft beer and some good pub grub. Arrived shortly after 12 pm, the restaurant was not that busy and there were only two people at the bar but boy did that change quickly, within a matter of 30 minutes the dining room and the bar were full and the line was almost out the door. These folks new what I was about to learn, the beer/ales are well above average with a kitchen to match. Starter: How many of you have been disappointed when ordering a Caesar Salad, wrap that disappointment in a happy dance as Madison Brewing Co. makes a very good Caesar Salad. Lunch: I ordered the $9.99 Rachel: New York Plate Pastrami, House made-slaw, Gruyere cheese, Thousand Island dressing on grilled marble rye with crispy fries. Gosh dang walla walla bing bang, first bite told me why the place was full and the line nearly to the sidewalk. Great taste well prepared, nicely presented, cooked to order Pub Grub with an 8 glass flight for only $9. Holy bat guano Robin a beer & grub bat-cave, the kind that dreams are made of. So, get your sorry tired a.. over here people, so you can do the do that so many do when they are doing the do without you!
(4)Tim C.
Great ambiance, open later. Went on a Wednesday and took advantage of their all-you-can-eat fish & chips. It's cod, not haddock - yay!! Great beer selection. Waitstaff was great. Would definitely eat here again.
(4)Katie G.
Madison's is the best restaurant in Bennington, hands down. Yes, you may have to wait for a table, but it's worth it. Things you must try: - French Onion Soup. Ask for sourdough bread instead of pumpernickel. - Irish Red (beer). - Wings with the original sauce. - Their maple vinaigrette dressing. - Meatloaf Really, you can't go wrong with anything here, but you can go very right with their darker beers and any of their specials. And yes, sometimes the waitstaff gets slammed with tables, but this is a place that is meant to be enjoyed with a pint of patience.
(5)Nana H.
Food was great, and they were even very good with our 2 year old. We don't drink but the food will probably make it so we come back.
(5)Paula D.
The food and beverages were excellent! The waitstaff took care of our party of 8 quickly and efficiently! Good sense of humor as well.
(5)Andrea D.
Good food, great variety, decent prices and friendly waitstaff. I had the pesto Alfredo special with penne pasta - the pasta was incredibly overcooked but the sauce was good. Burgers and drinks were good. Desserts were HUGE. Seems a like a hot spot for locals.
(4)Mark S.
Stopped here on a whim. Fun place, good ambiance. Calamari: yummy, lots. Eggplant provencal: yummy Blackened chicken salad: yummy
(4)Gina F.
Great local brews. Can't attest to the food but how can you beat 4 beer samples for 4.50, 9.00 for 8. All tasty! Casual and pleasant atmosphere. Everyone looks like a Brooklyn hipster except these folks are dressed like this for a reason.... It's friggin freezing. Made it back for food!! The wings are a must have. Huge, and delicious. The fries and burgers looked good but that's not my thing.
(4)Antonio D.
Great "brewery" atmosphere. Stopped for lunch on a motorcycle ride from central Connecticut. Calamari appetizer was crispy, tasty and fresh. I had a Buffalo Chicken wrap which was also delicious. Next time I hope to try the beers. Server was friendly and attentive. The restaurant filled just before we got there but we were still taken care of timely. Would definitely go again.
(4)Jean S.
Get a beer flight! I didn't think I'd like the pumpkin beer, loved it. Growlers too. Really good food, gets crowded so go early.
(5)Kim K.
Had a terrific experience here on our last night in Vermont. Alex took great care of us in the cocktail area while deftly managing a full bar of 12 thirsty guests and several other cocktail tables. It is a popular place, so squeeze in where you can to enjoy some great food, local beer, and quality service.
(5)Grahame G.
Stopped off here for lunch as we were passing through Bennington. It's a spacious and airy bar with huge on-street windows, and at the back there's a copper brewery tun with a huge steaming wooden vat beside it. They didn't seem to be brewing anything on our visit, but I imagine it's pretty impressive when things are happening. There is a small upstairs balcony too for when the place gets busy, and I also notices a piano on a raised bit in the rear bar area. All of which gives the impression that this would be a pretty rocking party place of a Friday or Saturday evening. However, it was Wednesday lunchtime and apart from a squad of builders at the bar and some ladies at a window table it was empty. I ordered the veggie burger, and was very pleasantly surprised to find a decent sized burger, topped with hummus and tabbouleh with some alfalfa sprouts for garnish, and a side of salad on the plate. Just delicious, but then this is Vermont, where they've just passed a 'no-GMO' legislation, so they do know about good healthy food. We didn't stay long, but for a random choice of lunch venue in a town that we were just passing through, it worked out pretty well.
(4)Rich Y.
Meal was great. The Open faced Turkey was delicious! My whole family loves the experience. Didn't try the beer, I was driving.
(4)Nancy S.
The menu was very diversified and the food was great. Wonderful atmosphere and the beer was good to!! Would drive the 2 plus hours to come again!!! A+
(4)Lisa B.
For the beer!! The food is not my favorite thing about this place. Have been there three times now and have not gotten anything I felt was truly wonderful except for the beer. Five stars for the beer. For the food, I would go two stars and for the desserts, one. Did I mention the beer?
(5)Lola B.
We've been here a few times and have always liked it, but we won't stop again. On our last visit, the food was fine, but service was terrible. Completely impossible to get our server's attention, or anyone's attention for that matter. Made eye contact with person after person after person, but they were all too busy standing around talking to each other. Our server even looked right at me as I stared at her helplessly, then leaned against a counter and continued her conversation. By the time she came over, my food was cold, so I no longer needed anything. And big surprise, it took forever to get the check. Downstairs there were 6 occupied tables. It seemed like there were 3 servers, a host, a bartender, and another person just wandering around and chatting with the staff. Maybe instead of responding to Yelp reviews, these guys should just walk their dining room and look for people desperate for service. I can forgive a lot, but this was pure inexcusable laziness.
(2)Kelly D.
The beer was ok, not great. The burger was juicy and large enough to share and the homemade chips were good. The service was lacking. Would we stop there again? Probably, but I'll be researching a new spot.
(3)Cristopher T.
You bad review givers are stupid!!! This place was awesome! Great food and service. Not all the beer was to my taste, but I loved most of them. Good atmosphere too. Highly recommend it.
(4)Ryan F.
Alright conscientious consumers band with me here and boycott this place. I was just very explicitly and unapologetically told by the manager that my girlfriend and I should be thankful to wait an hour unattended at my table for 2 entrees to arrive. He made it very clear that I was at fault for expecting a reasonable wait time and assumed no responsibility for losing our ticket (guests who were sat after us were served before us) and also refused to acknowledge that the restaurant was understaffed during dinner hours. Both my girlfriend and I have worked in the service industry, and we understand you've got to cut the staff some slack, but seriously guy? You're going to shift the blame back onto your patrons? This was undoubtedly the worst interaction I've had with anyone in the service industry. I would never go back after receiving that sort of treatment from the management. I'd urge you to do the same.
(1)Samantha S.
Good meal at the bar. Dining room was 1/2 empty but had a 15 minute wait so opted for the bar. Had mike's red ale, calamari and cottage pie. All very good. Bartender was very attentive and pleasant. Overall, nice experience at the bar but not sure why there was a wait for the dining room.
(4)Christine S.
Awful awful awful. Their beer is a joke. My boyfriend and I ordered a flight. I watch the bartender pour two of the same beers and add razzmatazz raspberry liquor to one of them. She claimed it was a raspberry wheat! Two of the beers were garnished, one with a lime and one with a lemon. They must have to garnish their beers because they are so awful they need to cover up the taste with fruit. Worst beers I have ever had.. Other than the beer, everything else was decent. The bartender was friendly enough, but never asked by we didn't even finish half of the flight. If traveling through Vermont, keep moving, there is way better beer to be had!
(1)Andy C.
Great place to have a bite to eat and drink some good beers. The service was great and the food very tasty. I had the meatloaf. Salads looked good as well.
(4)Dee H.
We hadn't planned on stopping in Bennington, however the call of a craft brewery was too strong! This was a nice little respite on our drive to the coast. The bartender was pleasant and knowledgeable. Because we were driving we really appreciated the relatively low ABV beers on the availability of a 12oz pour; sometimes we just don't want (need) a pint:)
(4)Jared N.
One of the best restaurants in Bennington and a solid brewery. The buffalo chicken salad is fantastic and one of my go-to dishes. Steak sandwiches, burgers, and specials are always good too. Their beer is improving with the recent additions of the Hopback IPA and the hemp brown ale. Service can sometimes be slow on busy weekends, but overall an excellent restaurant and anchor of downtown Benn.
(4)Chad D.
My wife and I recently stopped here as part of the Vermont Brewery Challenge Passport Program. It was our 10th stop and thus far our least favorite. We had the unfortunate timing to get there during shift change (4:15 on a Friday). I've been to bars and restaurants during shift change in the past and found that they are either really good at handling them or really bad. Unfortunately, Madison Brewery was the latter on this day. We sat down at the end of the bar and didn't notice that it was by the server station (our bad, and nowhere else to move to at the bar). The bartender who was just starting her shift just didn't seem prepared. Perhaps the bar wasn't properly prepped for her by the previous shift, but she was very preoccupied with prep duties and slacked on attending to the patrons. After serving us our beers and taking our food order, I asked for a couple of waters as well. 10 minutes later I had to ask again. Filling drinks - even water - is bartending 101. We had a view of the kitchen from our seats at the bar. We saw our food ready and the chef ring the bell several times before someone picked it up to bring it out. At this time of day, it wasn't particularly busy yet. There were several empty tables and at least 4 servers. It was also a bit irritating when the bartender and servers were talking over our heads. Finally, it's a bit tacky when a server or bartender openly complains to a customer (who seemed like a 'regular') about how their bar-back for the night is basically useless and how it's going to be so busy on that night. No kidding it's going to be busy, it's Friday. As for the beer, I had the Hopback IPA, which was mediocre at best. IPAs are generally my favorite type of beer and this one was very forgettable. It lacked any real taste to make it stand out. My wife had the Irish Red, which I tried. This was just simply not good. It was flat and basically tasted like caramelized water. The food was okay - what one would expect from a brew pub. I had the Bog salad, which was a pretty nice taste combination with walnuts, cranberries, chunks of cheese and a very good maple vinaigrette. My wife had the veggie burger, which sounded so good on the menu, but ended up being rather bland. Maybe they were just having an off night, but it wasn't a great experience for us on this night when after a few hours of driving we just wanted to relax with a good beer and some decent grub.
(2)Jess L.
Good for a lunch if you're in the area...there's not much else to choose from except for the British fish fry. The pulled pork was tasty, and the fries hit the spot. The beers are just so-so in my opinion... Service was friendly.
(4)Donna M.
Madison's is the only game in town. Too bad they haven't figured out that the hostess isn't. Get someone who focuses on Customers. We were fine with the wait, (20 minutes on a week night) gave our name and were instructed to "tell me if you are gonna leave" We are not we said, we are going over to the bar. Time passed and more time, had a beer or two, still no call. It was way beyond the 20 minutes, maybe 40 or so, and we learned we could eat where we were, went to inform the hostess that we would be dining there. Her response.... I called you a long time ago. I think not. We didn't move from our location ONCE, we watched you come and collect other guests who were ahead of us. Regardless your tone, your attitude, not a great reflection on this establishment
(2)Salvatore G.
Had a pint of bourbon maple porter. Delicious I must say. son had a pint of whitte. Also delicious. Would recommend. Great service. Sraff friendly and helpful. Did not try the cuisine. Next time i will
(4)David K.
I really wanted to like this brewery, but as many other reviewers have stated, the beer was mediocre, the food was uninspired, and the service was slooooow. I stopped in here with two other people around 1:00pm and the place appeared to be half full. Even so, it took five minutes to get onto the waiting list and another 15 minutes to get a table. After a short time, a server came by and took our drink orders - 2 beer samplers and a pint. Twenty minutes later, our drinks finally arrived, and our order was taken for lunch. Of the seven standard beers in the sampler, only four were available, so they subbed in other beers they had. All tasted pretty generic, except for the raspberry beer, which tasted like they just dumped some sweet raspberry liquor into a wheat beer (yuck). After another half hour, during which we had finished almost all of our beer, our food arrived - a couple burgers and a hot sandwich. There was very little seasoning in the burgers or fries. My suspicion is that their menu is designed not to offend anyone, so they go for bland instead. All told, our lunch stop took over an hour and a half during which we ate some food and had some beer. Not much else to say.
(2)Douglas L.
Went for lunch and it was good. Had the "boneless" wings which turned out to be chicken breasts but the sauce was good. Sampled the beer and enjoyed some of them. Staff was friendly.
(3)Maggie M.
Great beer selection. I loved I could buy 4 ounce glasses of different beers for a $1.25 each. A nice find in this little town. Service was friendly but a bit attentive . If the service matched the beer this would've been a four star review.
(3)Timothy C.
Quoted us a 15 min wait because we had our infant with us. Another 2 top was sat immediately. Happy to miss this dump.
(1)Elizabeth P.
Food has gone way down hill. Beers are good, but I remember the food being much better.
(3)Kristen H.
Beer was pretty good. Food was very good. Lots of options. Will definitely be coming back.
(4)Daniel C.
Stopped for lunch with the wife while in Bennington. Had the beer sampler, the turkey cranberry mealt and a French dip sandwhich. All of the food was good and the beer sampler gave a wide variety of their beers. A very enjoyable experience.
(4)Kristin U.
Flight of 8 house-brewed beers only $9. Try to come when there is live music! There are not a ton of places in Bennington open "late," so we chose Madison Brewery because we wanted to also try their beers. I have to say, most breweries do NOT impress me with their food. It's like they can be good at the brews OR the food, but not both. Or they feel like they've got you in their anyway, and you are drinking, so you'll buy whatever they cook up in order to avoid a hangover. In any event, Madison actually has good food. The bf had the pot roast, and he just kept raving about how flavorful and tender it was. I had the Vermont chicken, and it was just so much better than I expected ("old" American menus scare me sometimes, in that I think the food will just be really boring or not made with love, because it's usually so standard). We both felt like we enjoyed regional dishes that WERE made with care, and we enjoyed the beers, too. They weren't like the best beers ever, but a far cry better than "heh heh, we got you into our brewery and we'll give you whatever we have even if it's not great because you are a captive." Overall, better than expected food, solid beers, friendly service, clean bathrooms, and bonus live music.
(4)Dean H.
The place was a dump from the outside and not too much better inside. Very solid food and beer. Generous portions and friendly waitstaff. I'd come back.
(3)Jennifer H.
I want to like Madison Brewery more, but I have to be honest and say that it is a-ok. Like everyone else, it seems, I stopped in on my way through Bennington for a good beer and some food. Tucked right in the center of downtown, walking into this small brewery felt like Vermont. The space is bright and comfortable. Service is really Madison's downfall. The entry was crowded with confused patrons unsure of the check-in process. There wasn't a dedicated hostess stationed at the front to greet, and it took a good 10 minutes for someone to come over and take names. We were told the wait would be 15 minutes, but after peeking around the corner, we saw several empty tables that would have cleared the traffic jam of people milling around. After five minutes or so, two seats opened at the bar that I was able to snag. Now it was time to get the bartender's attention. It took a while for her to greet us and take our drink orders, but once she got organized and was joined by a second tender, service was much better. I was disappointed that they were out of their stout, so I tried the Irish red, which was outstanding. I find my experience with reds to be hit or miss, and this was a hit out of the park. So balanced, a little spicy, the perfect depth and tone of color; I wish I took a growler home. Besides their eight or so self-brewed beers, they feature a rotation of two guest brews -- this time it was a Magic Hat and Wolaver's Pumpkin. I wimped out of trying the pancetta-wrapped bison burger and got the regular Tavern Burger with Cabot cheddar instead... and sweet potato fries, don't forget them. The burger was huge, but flavorless and slightly overcooked for my order. So, it was your average pub burger -- not bad, but certainly not anything great. Load it up with flavorful toppings, and I'm sure it will be just fine. The sweet potato fries were delicious though. Would I go back? Yeah, if I was in the area, I would definitely go back for that beer and to maybe try something else on the menu. The veggie sandwiches all looked good.
(3)Scott M.
On my way through Vermont we stopped here for a welcomed reprieve of an air condition-less van. There was a bit of skepticism, but the brewery had what we needed to sate our collective palettes. The menu was complete with more than four different vegetarian options, exotic burgers that included bison and venison, and a nice selection of craft beers. The veggie options were nice because we hadn't seen more than one or two since finding our way into New England five days prior. I tried the Venison burger. It was large filling, and tasted like burger meat. I could not distinguish a particularly "venison" taste to it. That's not to say it wasn't good. I ate the entire thing, and it's a fairly large burger. Came with sweet potato fries, always a welcomed option. Definitely a bar atmosphere here. We watched the annual Nathan's Fourth of July hot dog eating competition while visiting (which was actually quite disgusting). Nice to have this option on a holiday where they may have been closed.
(4)Carrie M.
We kind of wanted to do 3.5, but swayed to 4. We were passing through Bennington, and looking for lunch. Parking was a little hairy, but we found a public lot around the corner. The desired half star less was for two reasons, the long wait for a greeting by the hostess (when the restaurant was empty), and the Average brews. We walked in--with our very hungry 4 year old. What probably felt like a short wait for the greeting by the hostess was an eternity to us. Almost five minutes to even be recognized as new patrons. Eeeek. Sat, surveyed the menu, and this is where they won me over. The menu is fantastic. Enough for all. All options for everyone. We shared the veggie club while our son had the to dog. The oh so very nice waitress offered him another dog for a buck (noticing he was anti bun), all was happy. The brews were critiqued by my husband as average. We enjoyed the afternoon ambiance, and other than the hostess speed bump, our waitress was a gem. Would be happy to visit again. :)
(4)Alanna P.
Good food, but really heavy. Stopped here on our way to Keene, New Hampshire and seated us right away. Cool atmosphere and good service.
(5)Tami C.
Looking for a cozy little spot, rainy day needing cocktails and creative lunch and we walked in. Nice atmosphere, friendly service and our food was good. Stop in and try some brews and enjoy
(4)Debrin S.
Well, the beer & food is still good. Service was ok. But..... The restrooms were disgusting (husband said men's too). Has the floor been mopped, scrubbed, disinfected at all recently? It smelled. No toilet paper in 1 stall & the toilet paper dispenser in the other was just laying on the floor. Garbage was over flowing onto the floor. Grubby! Everything's just looking a bit shabby & the place needs a real scrubbing & some fresh paint- looks run down.
(3)Joe P.
Took one last ride on the motorcycle before putting it to bed for the winter. I have passed by Madison Brewery on a few other trips, and never got the chance to stop until today. I started with an imperial porter, which had a nice head to it, and was tasty. It was very a very enjoyable beer. I also ordered the Brewmasters Steak Sandwich was on a crunchy toasted sandwich with tender steak with a very smoky flavor, shallots, mushrooms, and cheddar cheese with a side of fries and a pickle. The sandwich was good, the steak had a liquid smoke flavor to it, and was very tender. Good portions, and excellent beer. I wish I had stuck around to taste a few more but didn't want to push my luck on a motorcycle. Overall it was a decent lunch stop, and will give anywhere a try that makes their own brews. The porter was excellent, and I will make a return trip in the warmer weather to try their IPA's. Service was fairly quick, and friendly during an off hour (about 3pm).
(4)Susan M.
I cannot recall a time when I sent food back but when my husband and I came here for lunch, I had to send my salad back. I ordered soup and salad and the veggies were rotten. I sent the entire plate back. The service was awful (never refilled our empty water glasses, even as we ate!). Will not be back.
(1)Chuck N.
Large portions of well done food and good beer (brewed them selfs ) what more can I say.
(4)Jeremiah G.
Decent food. Poor service, long waits and have yet to try a beer that I'd want to pay money for again. Any other town in Vermont it wouldn't see much business. But as the only brewpub and only decent pub food in the area, it gets traffic. If you're driving through keep driving. Unless you don't mind waiting 45 minutes for a green salad.
(2)Tricia C.
It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food is really delicious and priced reasonably for what you get. There's plenty of traditional bar food, but some surprises as well, like the venison burger I enjoyed. Good, friendly service too.
(4)Ken G.
Stopped here while on vacation in Bennington. Food = about what you would expect. Good enough. Beer = Very good. I opted for the Milk Stoudt and the Red Ale. 4 stars. What else do you need to know?
(4)Tash K.
They have good vegetarian options, I left full and satisfied! I split the California club and veggie burger with a friend. The club and burger came with a side salad, which was very fresh. I highly recommend the house Gorgonzola dressing. We came on a Thursday afternoon for lunch and service was quick; the place had a constant stream of patrons.
(4)Sarah D.
Good wings, great fresh salads and refreshing brews on a hot July afternoon! (2011) "You Had Me At Brie" is half green salad, half layered brie and roasted eggplant, and all delicious. The house "VT Maple Vinaigrette" is quite tasty but very sweet and ultimately overpowered my husband's salad. We both enjoyed seasonal beers: Spiced Rum Porter and Strawberry Hefeweizen had good flavor, body, and finish.
(4)Lynne L.
Had a couple beers while waiting for a table (on a full foliage Saturday in October). My glass was dirty. Alas I did not notice until I got to the bottom. The service was so slow... There was a line and several empty tables. The host was not in view from the door. Several parties arrived, waited a few minutes, and left without ever being greeted. When my husband asked why we weren't being seated when there were several empty tables, he was told they were not seating because the kitchen was overwhelmed. We were underwhelmed and left. We ended up someplace amazing over the border in Hoosick Falls, NY, so we most likely won't come back to Bennington for lunch on our next drive to the mountains.
(1)Andrew M.
I was very impressed with the food and the beer. The HopBack IPA was was excellent and the pork schnitzel and amazing cheddar mash really hit the spot.
(5)Carlos D.
Glad these guys are back in action after the flood. Just moved here, so we're especially grateful to have a place to go when we don't want to cook. Mel, one of the owners is a nice guy. Food and beer are both fresh and delicious. Every town needs a brewery like this.
(5)George G.
Stopped by here for dinner with a group late in the night. Ordered a Old 76 Strong Ale in a 25oz glass! It was only 6$ and probably the same amount you pay in NYC for a 'pint' of beer which comes in a 16oz glass with massive amounts of head. Nope, this was a real English beer. Reading the menu, I was not really impressed due to the lack of any pulled pork or ribs. However, I found Venison on the menu! Ordered the North Country Venison Burger. Apparently they source the Venison from an Elk Farm in Maine, awesome! The sweet potato fries served were perfectly salted and didnt need any hot sauce or anything. The waitress was really nice and accommodating. Think we were the last ones to have ordered food / eaten at the brewpub. Thusly, the patience was appreciated.
(4)Jeremy S.
Pretty alright selection of beers. Lots of locals. Poor service and food though.
(2)Patti C.
Exceptional beer and very good lunch. You expect great beer at a brewpub but often the food disappoints. The fresh local greens in the side salad, and the generous portion of the side was indicative of the something-extra you get at Madison. Also, the kids menu is a level above kids menus elsewhere. Very warm friendly helpful waitress, fast service. Very clean bathroom. After turning around and leaving a couple of sandwich places in town which seemed slow and meh, Madison was a welcome.
(5)Doug K.
I had a lunch here with a sizable group, and was impressed by the service. I ordered a Sucker Pond Ale for my beer, which I found to be typical for microbrew quality beer. Only had time for one beer though, otherwise I would have sampled some of the other beers in Madison Brewery's arsenal. I also found that they have a decent pub menu. I decided to order the Triple Treat, which is a sausage platter, and I found this to be tasty. Prices were a bit on the high side, but not bad considering the quality of the food and beverage. Certainly will consider coming back here during a future venture into Bennington.
(4)Amanda M.
Great food! We just arrived from the area from out of town and it was one of the few places that were open on a Monday. We all got starters, entrees, and beverages. I got their special Southwest Turkey Chowder and it was yummy with a hint of heat. I also had a few bites of my husband's Cheese Fries which came with 2 dipping sauces. I got their Shepard's Pie that had layers of ground beef, corn, and cheddar mashed potatoes. It arrived piping hot, but it did not burn my tongue. I found this comfort food to be divine. My husband got their Mac and Cheese, which he devoured and enjoyed. They make their own beer and offer other varieties. My husband and friends got their micro-brews. My friends got refills, so they must have enjoyed their choice. My husband got the Red Ale, which he enjoyed. If I'm in the area again, we would love to go back!
(4)Jeffrey L.
We were seated upstairs, where the lighting is unacceptable. The main lights are simply bare light bulbs, and provides a cheap cafeteria feel. The downstairs lighting and atmosphere is acceptable. Most of the food was ok (simply ok), but suffered from being served at room temperature or colder. The burger, which had been requested as medium-well, arrived medium-rare and cold. The french fries were also cold. When I returned it for some more cooking, they did actually refresh the fries. Despite being far from crowded, the service was not ideal. We waited a very long time to find a server whenever we needed service. They were out of the pale ale, which will occasionally happen. But the combination of the mediocre, cold food, along with the poor service and cafeteria atmosphere added up to 2 stars - and that is generous.
(2)Bob B.
Nice plate of food,yummy
(4)Scott P.
Stopped for a late lunch on a Tuesday. Place was almost empty. Ordered tabuli salad which I was told was freshly made (it was not). Server never asked how I liked it (I did not). Terrible waste of a beautiful restaurant.
(1)Steph G.
Came here because of the Bermont Brwery Challenge. There was a strange crowd at the bar (looked like regulars) that were a little intimidating at first - wasnt sure what kind of place it was....but once seated it seemed like a normal crowd. Beer tasting was generous and very reasonably priced. Food was akin to a pub chain - just okay. One of those very large menus where you think they cant possibly make all of them very good. Waiter was extremely friendly and attentive.
(3)Greg M.
There's no such thing as a bad brew pub, some are just better than others, right? If we agree on that, I think you'll enjoy Madison's, as I did. Great beer sampler on the upper deck patio, good food, cool ambiance & excellent service. Cheers!
(4)Summit M.
There was live music and great service. The salad, nachos, and hummus were very good. Their t-shirts are also beer themed.
(5)John S.
Sunday afternoon lunch and entry to food was over 1 hour. To start our experience someone in our party landed a quarter on the entryway novelty/charity game which was subsequently bumped of by vibration from the front door 5 mins later. We were told it had to be witnessed to get the free glass prize. Whatever - no biggie. Beer was tasty (I had a stout). Food was ok once we received it after 2 tables who had seated after us. My Buffalo Chicken burger contained gristle. Our toddler son was antsy so we asked for the check early which apparently forfeited the remainder of his included kids meal dessert. Poor service, mediocre food, good beer.
(2)Gedeon M.
Very good dinner. Ordered the bangers and mash and it made me very happy. My server was attentive & thoughtful, although the hostess was MIA for about 5 min when I first arrived. I would eat there again, their homemade deserts were awesome too.
(4)Michelle L.
We had a very nice dinner there! Their menu had lots of different options from sandwiches to fancier pasta dishes. My husband had a steak, which he loved. I had a seafood ravioli special for that evening, and it was also amazing! My husband loved the beers there, and did a sampling/taster. He ended up getting a growler so that he could bring his favorite back home with us!
(5)Molly C.
The ambience of this establishment is quite delightful, a bit corny but it works well with the desired mood. Friendly waitresses sat us right off the bat. However, a dirty knife awaited us at our table. There were more people here for an early sunday lunch than I would have imagined but I wanted to have a good time. And so did they. Dress code was very relaxed. we ordered a caprese salad to start out followed by fish and chips. The caprese was exactly what we wanted. Perfect for splitting. It met all of my expectations and then took me to a brand new level. A little bit slow on getting our food, but worth the wait. The fish and chips arrived and the waitress was brilliant, top of her class, we didnt even have to ask her to split our check. She just knew. An afternoon well spent.
(4)Ken C.
Excellent place to grab some local beers and a burger before the Solid Sound Festival (if you happen to be driving in from Bennington)
(4)Mickey M.
Stopped in the Madison Brewpub at the end of a VT Brewery Tour. It was a glorious decision. The sampler is a great way to test out their various beers, and the $12 Growler is a fine price for bringing that goodness home. Their buffalo wings are delicious as well. The place itself seems like a solid dinner option with fantastic beer choices. The people of Vermont are spoiled rotten with all of their beer options.
(4)Jim D.
They have a bison burger that I love, and I find their craft beers enjoyable. It's a regular stop when I pass through Bennington. A great, dependable spot right on the main drag downtown.
(4)Taryn M.
I was excited to visit Madison because I'm very attracted to local breweries, but I was fairly unimpressed with this place. We arrived, and while there were plenty of available tables, we had to wait 10 or 15 minutes to sit down. Maybe they were understaffed or something? If they were, I certainly couldn't tell, as waitstaff and food runners were bustling all about. I enjoyed a Honey Wheat beer, which I liked quite a lot. My boyfriend tried a Sucker Pond Blonde (I just love that name!) which he downed - and he's a pretty picky beer drinker. So, the beers are good. The food - ehhh. I got a salad (okay, granted, my fault) - the You Had Me at Brie. It was only okay. My boyfriend got a sausage platter which came with a side of beer dredged sauerkraut, and holy mackerel! Now that was good. Had I gotten something along those same lines (a little more pub-like), I'm sure I would have enjoyed it a little more.
(3)Andy P.
I've gone to Madison Brewery ("Madison's," as most people refer to it) quite a few times. Whenever my family visits Bennington, it's the go-to location for food and drink. The brews are very nice, Old 76 Strong Ale being one of my favorites. Reasonably priced as well. The food is good, although not up to the high standard of the beer. Portions are fair as well.
(3)Beau C.
Ok brew pub. Some of the dishes were just ok, but some were pretty good. It's just a bit uneven and they seemed to have a hard time during the crowded lunch time while we were there. Pretty decent beer.
(3)Liz D.
Cool brew pub. Beer is the highlight - a few seasonal offerings, but the majority of their beer seem to be staples and available year round. The pale ale is what's up, my boyfriend and I both really loved the Scottish Ale - got a growler to go, yeah, that's another highlight. Growlers. Good looks, they are pretty sweet, nice little novelty item..and not expensive at all. Like many establishments in VT, they focus heavily on local ingredients and food items. Me likey - although some items seem a little iffy, such as the calamari or the caprese.. meh, no thanks, for some reason most bars in Vermont have a tendency to really f**k up these two things. Whatever, the burgers are spectacular, and most of the sandwiches are pretty damn good too... French Dip = muy delicioso. The Irish fries are tasty tasty little bits of heaven. Service is mehhh, to say the least. Bartenders are decent enough, can shoot the shit with you regarding their beers, but in general, both bar staff and servers are not the friendliest bunch. They seem to be in slow motion, or understaffed and running around like maniacs. Stop in if you are in town, but I don't think it's worth a detour over to Bennington.
(3)Russell R.
Haven't been here in years but recently visited with family and really enjoyed it. The beer is great and the food is just fine for a brew pub. I had the Irish fries, the seasonal Stout, and a ruben. Others had a special Bree and Turkey sandwich and everyone was very happy with the food. Nice atmosphere and definetly a place we'd come back to.
(4)Fiona L.
I stopped at Bennington before heading to Mount Snow for the weekend. Was suggested by Yelp to try this brewery. We sat at the bar, and I really enjoyed the ambiance. It's 'okay' - their beers in my opinion tasted a version of most of the generic beers (Blue Moon for example). Nonetheless, getting beer here is a lot cheaper than in New York! If you want something delicious - I would recommend trying the porter. I didn't try it but my friends who are beer fanatics really enjoyed it and was one of a kind. Now the food... since we sat at the bar, we expected the food to be out a lot quicker, or at least the same amount of time as any other customer. I waited for my food for over 35 minutes, which set me in a bad mood at the end of my night. Sadface.
(3)Andrea C.
What a hidden gem! We stopped here for dinner while on a fall trip through New England and loved this place. We ordered the baked mac & cheese for an appetizer DELICIOUS and split a venison burger for an entree, also very good.. But, the best part... the BEER. I ordered the Wassick's White Ale and my boyfriend ordered a belgium. We also shared the brew flight, very tasty and one of the more "hip" things to do in a small, quaint town like Bennington.
(4)Milena M.
This place is pretty cool. I had some awesome eggs benedict for breakfast. We also shared the nachoes which were amazing. I got a huge steaming cup of hot chocolate. My friend got a yummy monte cristo with maple syrup. My other friend got the bird and brat and he had a heavenly look on his face throughout the meal. The waitress was super nice and very helpful to out-of-towners. (By the way, she said stay away from the local Wal-Mart.)
(4)Sarah Y.
Pretty good spot. California club is good, hasn't always been consistent with taste unfortunately. I still get it though each time I go for lunch. Mac and cheese is good but very heavy. It's worth a shot!
(4)Amber Z.
I love this place! Every time I'm in Bennington I go here! It has really good, fresh make-your-own sandwiches, the beer battered fries are so so good, and the beers are awesome!
(5)Kate H.
Grace under pressure are the words I come up with the staff at Madison today. The height of the leaf peeping season with tourist aplenty and we walked in the door to find out that they'd run out of propane for their stoves and fryers and were only serving soup, salad and deli sandwiches. Sarah, our bartender was awesome, handling the crisis without any drama. We had some really good beer, two great deli sandwiches and a gratis bowl of their amazing homemade chips.
(4)Lea T.
Loved the beer sampler. And my bison burder was cooked perfectly. Liked our waitress as well. Kids liked their meals (not the pizza). Hostess was a bit snippy. We ran late for our reservation, being from out of town and not familar with the area, and we were scolded.
(4)Chris C.
What an amazing place. Great beers brewed on site with great food in a very nice space. Stopped in here for dinner and some beers. I had the Chicken Vermont for my dinner and it was impressive. The chicken was very juicy and the apple shallot sauce was amazing. I also liked that it was not completely drenched in so much cheese you couldn't taste the rest of the dish. The vegetables were steamed and tasted very fresh. The only disappointment were the potatoes. They tasted very fake and I couldn't shake the feeling they were instant ones. The beers were all very good. The Wassick's White Ale was a nice Belgian wheat with slight orange & coriander flavors. The Blonde was a basic offering although it had a slight wheat taste to it, but was overall pretty boring. The Honey Wheat had a nice subtle honey flavor that did not overpower the wheat ale. I didn't like the Strawberry Heffe, but I tend to not like fruit beers and would say it was good for its style even though I don't appreciate it. The Old 76 ale was a very dark brown ale with a good malty flavor. The last 2 selections were my favorites by far. The Scottish Ale started out tasting like a typical ale, but finished with a strong chocolate flavor that I would usually associate with a stout. The last one was the Spiced Rum Porter which had a nice smokey flavor with a smooth finish.
(4)Jonathan R.
I have been here many times trying every time to forget the previous bad experience. This was the last time though. 1:30 on a Tuesday and staff running in all directions. No hostess at front for 4-5 minutes, but bartender clearly seeing the problem and mouthing to herself "where is she?" Once seated server was nice enough but it took 25 minutes to get food! Service is this places downfall every time. It's a little too loud for me but I would overlook that for good food and service. Staff need a lot more training in customer service and working as a team.
(1)Jamie G.
I really loved this place and I am so glad that it was on the Vermont Brewer's Passport, or else I probably would have never stopped by here! We had the beer sampler to try all their beers. In order from best to not the best (ALL of the beers were GREAT IMHO): 1. Strawberry Hefeweizen: hefe with subtle sweet strwbry aftertaste after swallowing- delicious!! 2. Honey Wheat: not too sweet, wheaty, subtle honey 3. Wassick's White Ale: Belgian, wheat, not filtered, coriander, orange peel, not too banana, very good 4. Blonde: tiny wheat aftertaste, very good 5. Spiced Rum Porter: dark burnt flavor, roasted coffee 6. Scottish Ale: chocolate stout aftertaste, but enters as light brown ale 7. Old 76 Ale: dark amber, darker than scottish, still good and drinkable I had the Dublin Grill for dinner: steak with carmelized onions, mushrooms, shallots, in an Irish Whiskey sauce. It was very good. The mashed potatoes tasted like they were from a box- not impressed. Service was good, prices were decent, the place was really cute inside. I would definitely stop by here again if and when I'm ever back in the neighborhood!
(4)Julie K.
Came here to grab dinner on a business trip. Set for 15 mins and no one approached me to offer me food or drink. Moved tables and eventually a waitress approached me. Ordered fish and chips and an IPA. Chips were pretty greasy. Fish was alright. Coleslaw was average. Beer was very good. Good beer, average food, poor service.
(2)PJ L.
Great find in Bennington! I tried the Crowtown Pale Ale, nice and smooth and should appeal to those who don't like hoppy micro brews. The seasonal IPA was a bit hoppier with a good snap...nicely done! I tried several items from the menu over the course of a three day weekend. Burgers and dinner specials were all good. The roasted red pepper pesto soup was OUTSTANDING, don't toucha nothing on that recipe. My compliments to the cook.
(4)Jim J.
I was hesitant to try this place after reading a couple of other yelp reviews, but my wife didn't want to do Tex-Mex so we ate here. I'm sure the Tex Mex place would have rocked, but so did Madison. I tried three of their beers: Whiskey Porter (which was an unlisted special brew), Scottish Ale and a Pale Ale (I forget the clever names). Both the porter and the scotch were excellent. The Pale Ale was very good though it didn't measure up to the previous two. Our server didn't seem too enthused about life or work at first but she definitely warmed up as the evening went on. I'm not sure what kind of happy pills she found, but I'm glad she did. The food was, in a word, awesome. Our appetizer was something they call Crostada and it consisted of clams, cheese, lots of pesto and garlic bread. For dinner I had steak medallions with mushrooms and steamed veggies. The veggies were perfect, not wilty, and the rest of the meal was equally good. I forget what my wife had but she was very happy with it. My wife and I shared a dessert called... oh, I'm going to forget... apple crunch pie, I think. Whatever it was, it rocked. Our overall experience in Bennington was kind of 'meh' but I'm tempted to go back just to eat at the Madison Brewing Company. Good job, folks!
(4)Serh B.
I have eaten lunch here 4 times in the last 2 months. Great every time. The last time was a very busy Saturday lunch. Every table was filled. We had no issue with service like other reviews have mentioned and no wait time for the hostess to recognize us. The beers are great and the food is above average for pub fare. The only negative I would say is stay away from the fish and chips. Not that great. But the burgers are good, the bangers and mash is good and the Rachel is good. The steak sandwich is above average. Thinly sliced steak instead of a big hunk of chewy fatty steak like you get on a normal steak sandwich. On our most recent visit we ordered wings as an app. 15 minutes after ordering our waitress stopped by and explained that our wings might be a little late because she forgot to place the order. She went on to tell us that they would be comped because of it. I was very impressed. She made a mistake, owned up to it, and gave them to us free because of it. As it was we got our wings about 5 minutes after she informed us of the issue. And this was a very busy Saturday afternoon. I have no complaints. Did I say the beers are great? I am an IPA fan and they have a special called Hopback and another named Mosaic. Both excellent. And a refill growler only costs $9.
(4)Rob C.
My wife and I went again tonight, this time sharing a couple of dishes. The Chicken Vermont was a chicken breast topped with cheddar and a "shallot and apple maple demi", with a side of garlic mashed and some grilled zucchini & carrots. It was tasty, but a bit on the bland side for our taste. The cheese could have been sharper, the sauce could have been more flavorful, something to give it a bit of a kick... Fortunately, the Bison Burger we split was wonderful! It came with the standard lettuce, tomato & onions, and we added some blue cheese. The burger was perfectly done as we'd asked (a nice, pink "medium"), and the flavor was very nice. Our only regret was that we hadn't ordered TWO of them! Next time... :-)
(4)zoe p.
First let me say, I never order fruit beer. When I came here - I ordered the Strawberry Hefeweizen. It was hot, it sounded good, my husband thought I was a little delirious. In the end it all worked out okay because the beer was fabulous! The strawberry flavor was very faint but refreshing all the same. I'd actually order it again. And after a long day of travel with the kids, that and my husband's Spiced Rum Brown Ale went down so easily. Had lunch here with the family. The kids shared the quiche of the day (spinach & tomato), a cup of tomato basil soup, and the kids' pizza. Quiche was fine - nothing impressive, but completely edible. The soup was pretty akin to tomato sauce, but my son liked it enough to eat half of it, so no complaints there. The kids' pizza was half a bagel with sauce (perhaps more of the soup of the day?) and some pre-shredded mozz from a bag. Not my thing, but hey, it is a kids' menu item, right? My husband had the Yakitori Chicken Wrap which he said was good but invoked his frequent question "why doesn't any one brine their chicken??" I had the seared tuna salad special for the day which was surprisingly perfectly seared, very fresh tasting - and with the sesame dressing on the side a perfect light meal on a hot day. As a whole, this place was just great for lunch and we'd return.
(3)Fast F.
Beer was good but they turned the lights out on us! We came in late staying over in town so we could hit Stratton in the AM. The four of us had bunch of 25 oz beers that we enjoyed as well as dinner. People emptied out over time and then the waiters started putting chairs on tables never asking us to leave or anything. All of a sudden the lights went out! And they still didn't say anything to us. We just got up and left. Bill was already paid but it would have been nice for someone to tell us they were closing before closing time. It was the craziest thing I have ever experienced at a restaurant.
(2)Jack M.
Buddy of mine and myself eat here when we're in town. We "eat like kings" when we are here. Never had a bad meal, never very crowded, lots of solid brew to choose from. My favorite thing there was this mushroom ravioli. Wicked good. It's a neat place - 2 floors for seating, cute waitresses (yay!), and surprisingly excellent food. We always love it there.
(5)amber n.
Best place we ate during our whole weekend in Bennington. This place was really busy at lunch time when we arrived but the hostess was sweet and welcoming and helped us get seats at the bar to eat. The bartender was also welcoming and pleasant as were the bar patrons. We had a great seasonal ale and good bar food, no complaints. After experiencing a few different eateries in Bennington after this one, we wished we had just gone to this brewery for all our meals and drinks, definitely skip Carmody's across the street, Madison's has it all.
(4)Amber E.
Chicken Yaka tori wrap is a little slice of heaven! Great atmosphere, we sat at the bar-the bartender was attentive and very pleasant. The food was amazing and great portions. If we are ever in the area again, we will definitely stop by again!
(5)Steve H.
Very nice place, great sandwiches, tasty beer, good prices. Very pleased, will be back~
(4)Tarah T.
I've been here a lot over the years but I definitely look for other options before stopping in anymore. In the beginning I was absolutely in love with their tuna and avocado salad, and then learned they will not serve it for dinner, just lunch. I was not very happy about that. Then they started this gluten free menu, which was fantastic since I know a few people who have celiac... except they didn't actually add anything to the menu that is gluten free, they merely began pointing out that their existing salads and bread-free items are gluten free... well duh. Also, a few items that are marked gluten free are indeed not, since they include beer, and I didn't see any gluten free beer on their menu. This miss step has made me loose my interest in this establishment, since they could be causing those who have celiac great harm with their false advertisement. Will I be back? No.
(2)Charles T.
Whenever I am in Bennington, VT, I stop here at least once for a meal. Food is good and beer (brewed on site) is fresh and tasty.
(4)Ryan S.
Great place! A local gem.
(5)Angela W.
Our first stop in Bennington and I loved it. My dad and I got the beer sampler, which had a good variety of beers. My favourite was the pale ale they serve and the honey wheat. The specialty pumpkin ale was also delicious. Although, being the beer lush that I am, it does,t take much to satisfy my beer needs. The tomato basil soup was fantastic and I also got the special apple salmon sandwich, which was interesting. Overall good atmosphere, staff, and brews. Who could ask for more?
(4)Daniel E.
We arrived here in search of a brewery near our hotel we were staying at. It ended up that we arrived during their big Fire Dept. Parade. We started here with a sampler of beer. They had a list of 7 beers on the list, but they said they only had 5 of them currently. They adjusted the prices on the item. The beers were good, with the exception of one that was pretty standard. After sitting there for an hour watching the parade, we decided to eat there too. THe buffalo chicken salad was very good! It had some avacado, cucumbers, pico, cherry tomatoes, and a delicious ranch dressing. My girlfriend got an ahi tuna salad. It was loaded with some peppered ahi tuna, carrots, and spring salad. When I say loaded with tuna, It was LOADED. The price, $14.99 was beyond fair for the quantity of food. I think our bill was $35 for the 5 beer sampler, and the two salads. Not too bad. I'd come back here, for sure, and I'd hope that they would have the two other beers next time!
(4)Joel G.
I was here a year ago and had great service and food, I came back and it just wasn't the same place. The food was mediocre and the service was not good. I wanted to give them 2 stars but there was a big event in town so I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were busier than they were staffed for, but they certainly made no excuses for the poor service.
(3)Karen D.
Delicious ! I had the turkey cranberry melt and my husband had the bangers and mashed. Service was good. We will eat there again when in the area
(4)Leandra P.
When arriving the hostess wasn't friendly, didn't even greet us at the door, just asked "how many." In the other hand our server was very friendly and was knowledgeable with the menu. All of our food was delicious and nice presentation. We ordered the beer sample and all the beers were very favorable, even the ones that were not my style of beer. My favorite beer was the stout for sure. We're we're seated at the top deck and it was very nice and separated, more of a calmer atmosphere. If I go back to Bennington this place is a must.
(4)Jonathan G.
Old 76 Strong Ale is my favorite beer of all time in the world! Do yourself a favor and give it a try. It's the perfect beer for my palate. We frequently will just get some appetizers for a meal. Their mussels in a white cream sauce are always excellent as well as the pesto chicken tenders. It's a great little spot! Parking on the street is fen difficult but there is ample parking behind he building.
(4)Nick K.
It's ok. Really cozy inside, but the beer and the food are just not that good. My beer was kinda flat and it always bothers me when breweries of all places don't adjust their CO2 pressure right. Isn't beer supposed to be your area of expertise? I tried most of the lineup and was not that impressed with any of them.
(3)Timothy H.
Great place for beer and pub fare in Bennington. They make their own root beer too which is awesome, but no free refils on it...
(4)Douglas D.
Stopped in Bennington upon returning from Stratton Mountain. We wanted to grab a bite before we got on the NY Thruway. The lunch crowd was in but they had a table for us. Since I had a long drive ahead of me I opted for the home made root beer. The menu selection was good. I noticed someone eating a French Dip sandwich which looked appealing so I ordered that. My wife opted for the Chicken wrap. We were both really pleased with our meals. The house potato chips were especially good! The service was great as well with multiple servers waiting on us. Despite the crowd we did not feel rushed at all. Their seemed to be a good crowd at the bar where they were showing some sort of ski film on the TV. If I lived in the area I'm sure that I would find myself on many Friday and Saturday evenings sharing a few with my friends.
(4)Skip D.
I always hit this brew - pub on my my through vt back to the motherland of NY and from time to time the 'rents will meet me and the wife for a lunch since it is halfway between. That's exactly what we did today and it was fantastic. The wassick's whitewall ale is my favorite beer - picked up a growler in addition to having a tall glass with lunch, its like a superior Belgian ale (blue moon, etc). For lunch I had the Buffalo chicken salad - I've also enjoyed the fish n chips, blackened slattery special and the Reuben. However the salad was spectacular, crisp greens, an avocado-ranch dressing and some of the freshest tasting buffalo chicken I've ever eaten. Anyone passing through Bennington, VT for any reason - or even near there - should stop by the Madison Brewing company for great pub food and even better beer.
(4)Ssixty F.
Good bangers, good beer..liked the Asian chicken wings...service was good, I been 3 times and each time I had no complaints, so go get you some.
(3)Tom M.
While the food was superb (I had the western bbq burger with spicy fries), the door service needs work. We were told a wait of about 10 minuted and it was closer to 30. When we finally got to go, there were more than a dozen tables open. The wait was annoying, but the food and beer were worth it.
(3)Eric S.
Delicious food and plentiful beer!
(4)Bob C.
Decent crafted beers, nice ambience downstairs. Bar food was meh. Calamari was poor (Funky breading, overly done).
(3)Ralf T.
Stopped there after a ski trip to Mt Snow... food was good (we had the meatloaf, steak sandwich and shared an order of the traditional buffalo wings ). service was good, and fast. Beer was excellent ( Maple Porter and IPA ) $ 5.50 for a pint is a bit steep bit I guess good beer has his price these days.
(4)Michelle P.
Worst place ever. Burnt food white tomatoes and bread with a dish they advertise as wheat free. We even told them about my gluten allergy and asked for no bun and they messed up every time. and the waitress never seemed to care that I was upset no apologies or anything. She just said "can't you eat it anyway?"
(1)Matt B.
Enjoyed our meal at Madison Brewery. We ate on a early Friday night. The wait was average and service prompt and helpful. We had some dietary considerations (gluten free for a few of our group) and the managed it all well. We recommend the fish and chips, steak sandwich bison burgers and local brew.
(4)Jack N.
Poor service, inconsistent food I'm in Mount Snow this weekend. On the way up, we went to this place. My friends went here several times and thought this place is pretty good, but we all agree from this most recent experience that this place is pretty bad. The restaurant itself is quite roomy, but the decor is odd. It tries to look like a brewing factory with the fake ventilation vents, but at the same time, it looks like too new. Then add to this, we sat at the bar and they had a Mexican theme going on. Definitely not what you expect of bar in Vermont. Upon sitting down at the bar, we try to flag down the ultra busy bartender. Apparently, he was the only guy that was working the bar, doing drinks for both ppl at the bar and ppl in the restaurant. After 10 minutes, we finally were able to get the menu. After another 10 minutes, we were finally able to get him to take our drink order. Then my friend notice the arcade machine in the corner. They had 9 old games (Ms. Pacman, Space Invader, Frogger, etc.) so we decided to get change from the bartender. Bad idea. Guess how long it took? If you guess 10, try 2x that. It just so happen a party of 12+ ppl walked in and he had to set up 3 beer sampler (a sampler has 6 four oz beers) and 2 or 3 mix drinks. Then he had to run around and continue to serve other customers. That is just ridiculous. Why would you have 1 guy trying to handle both jobs? That's ridiculous, especially during dinner time (we got there around 6:30 PM). To give the bartender some credit, when he realized it took him that long, he gave up 4 more quarters on the house for the games. So after he took our order, we waited a good 1/2 hour for the food. That's long time for 3 hungry ppl. We snacked on some really stale chips while we waited for dinner. So our dinner finally came. I ordered the Shepard's pie, and my friends ordered a mushroom ravioli and a Turkey dinner. Shepard's pie - Eck, corn? Who fills Shepard's pie w/ so much corn? I regret ordering this (unless you like canned corn). Mushroom ravioli w/ alfredo sauce - My friend orders this order the time, but this time, it has a really strong garlic taste. The garlic taste overwhelmed the alfredo sauce Turkey dinner - the best of all 3, it actually reminded of Thanksgiving, even though that was less than a month ago. I don't think I will be going back here anytime soon. P.S. I somehow forgot to mention the drinks in a bar. They're okay. I'm not a beerologist so I can't describe them in any other detail than light, dark, bitter, smooth, and filling. They did run out of the "blonde" (its in reference to the color or type of beer, not a women), which didn't help its rating.
(2)Ping P.
We landed here after a long day driving and had no idea where to eat. We parked across the street and just looked around to see what we could see in the way of "eatery and beer". Our eyes landed here and we decided why not? We were seated promptly at a table near the windows. Service was friendly although sketchy. What I mean is... slow and inaccurate. We ordered our drinks and food at the same time. It seemed like it took forever for our drinks to arrive. It wasn't that busy. On the plus side - the food was great! for pub food. We had a good time and the price was right. All in all a solid place for dinner when you have no other idea of where to go! Or you just want decent food in a casual atmosphere.
(3)Ilene B.
Our group of 6 stopped here on our way home from Manchester to NY. It was around 3pm on Sunday and we were practically the only people left eating lunch so late. The sandwiches were really good (better than anything near my house) and inventive. There were a lot of good, hearty, vegetarian and/or veggie-filled options. They have a great selection of local beers on tap. The homemade Root Beer was also a hit. Our server was very friendly and spot on with our orders. Everyone in our group was pleased and fueled up for the drive home.
(4)Kevin G.
Probably one of the best places to eat and grab a pint of beer in this area. Madison Brewing Co. has it's own microbrewery and it's beers are excellent and very reasonably priced. The food is excellent too. Lots of good tasting and decently priced options on the menu. The decor of the restaurant is very nice, the establishment is kept very neat, and the staff are very personable. Will definitely be stopping here again the next time I pass though Southern Vermont.
(4)Jason W.
A great brew pub! Justin the bartender took excellent care of us. Great beer and food no doubt! Reasonably priced and good tunes too!
(5)Kasey B.
Awesomeness. Awesome staff, awesome ambiance (typical bar scene) and awesome food. I had a monte cristo and it was delicious. One of my co-diners had a delectable cup of hot chocolate and I would also recommend the nachos as appetizer (thanks to the other yelpers for that tip)
(5)Semira M.
Amazing! I love samplers and Madison's has a unique amount of variety and quality within every one of their home-brewed beers. Fantastic.
(5)d j.
Love Madison!!! Fantastic mussels (I know, I know, it's inland VT, but trust me) and the chocolate cake is amazing (very light frosting- to die for). Everything has a homemade feel (the turkey dinner is huge and delicious). It can get very busy on a Saturday night, so I try to get there during the week when the staff has more time and aren't quite as rushed, and you don't have to wait for a table. If you're in the area, definitely stop in.
(5)K B.
Haven't been here for a while, but it deffinetly made a good impression. When I used to vacation in VT on weekends I ate here almost every night. The FRIES are magnificent, with Vermont cheddar, scallions, bacon and BBQ sauce. The veggie burger is also very good, it's served with humus and sprouts.
(5)Danielle M.
I loved the Honey Wheat beer! I also love it mixed with the raspberry stuff to make something I think was called a razz matazz. I had the buffalo chicken salad which was good also. Definitely come and check out their beer selection!
(4)Patrick J.
In the midst of a 6 hour car trip, dinner became necessary and we stopped in downtown Bennington for a bite. The exterior of Madison Brewing Company was inviting and drew us into its embrace. The interior was quite roomy and nicely laid out. Lots of old wood in the place, which is always nice. All sorts of folks were there. Families. Locals at the bar. Old folks. Young folks. Seems like its a popular place to go in town. I tried their special "Umpa Lumpa Ale" - which was pretty good. My wife tried the Honey Wheat Ale, which she described as "like candy" (aka "she really likes it"). It has a good number of brews. Were there not 100miles left on my roadtrip, I would have liked to indulge myself in a few more pints. As for food.... My wild mushroom ravioli was very tasty - and quite possibly made from scratch (unconfirmed). My wife got the open face turkey melt and enjoyed it. The waitress was pretty good, but it took us a while to get our drinks (not sure why). Overall, this is a worthy stop on any roadtrip that takes you through Bennington.
(3)John O.
I think my server was formerly a guard at Dachau. I was afraid to ask her for anything beyond my order, even for a refill on that beer...which wasn't too bad. As another review put it...Good beer, average food, poor service.
(2)E F.
I was driving through town on the way to VT for the weekend. Starving, we decided to stop at Madison Brewery. We were greeted by a cozy atmosphere but waited a long time to be seated, so we just ended up sitting at the bar. We were greeted by an incredibly funny and personable bar tender and ordered 2 of their delicious home brewed beers. The menu has a large selection and there is a good list of specials. The food was tasty and the cheese fries were incredible. Overall the beer, cheese fries and bar tender made this place a great time and I would go back if I pass through town again.
(4)Stacy M.
Surprisingly creative brewery fare. Delicious!
(5)Amber A.
Food was really good, but service was terrible. We went at about 2:30 on a Saturday and had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The menu is typical pub food, but was reasonably priced for the portions. The specials for the day were printed on white copy paper and handwritten (and misspelled.) Beer was good, but be warned they do charge for refills on iced tea and soft drinks. Service was not very attentive. Drinks and water glasses remained empty, and I had to ask twice for a refill even after the waitress acknowledged the empty glasses. Servers were busy bussing tables instead of serving. Blackened chicken salad was very good, and I had a yummy fried chicken special with 4 pieces of chicken and fries ($10.99) with some forgettable cole slaw.
(3)Proteus D.
We ate here on a day trip to Bennington and were very pleased. We had seen it a few weeks back while passing through and thought it looked like a nice spot. It wasn't too busy which suited us. I tried the Shamoose brown ale which was very tasty. I had a Tavern burger and fries to eat which was well....a burger. But it was a good one and the fries were kinda nice. My wife is a vege and so she went for the portabella mushroom burger and sweet potato fries. She said it was excellent. My mother had the bass special which looked just great. Very fresh with lots of nice veggies and salad. My son...well he just watched us eat and have a good time. Would come back for sure.
(4)Frank R.
Have stopped here a couple of times over the years on our way two and from skiing. Good home brew, good food, good atmosphere and good service.
(4)Marin C.
I thought the food here was great, as did the people I was with for the experience. We also had french onion soup. The pumpkin soup was good also, but be forewarned it is almost like a dessert but I love pumpkin so it was tasty. The service was decent. Plus, I felt like having a dinner for three people sans drinks be under 50$ is a bargain, or at least a good deal. The desserts were amazing, particularly the apple pie with the carmel and crispy topping and the carrot cake. *The desserts were large so sharing them is a good plan.
(4)Christopher L.
what i liked about madison's besides the great food, was their prices. i ordered a calamari and bison burger for lunch, and they were both under $10 each. the calamari appetizer also was a huge dish, not the usual small platter you find at most other places. my girlfriend also each had one their own home brewed beers which was also very good.
(4)Gerard S.
On my way through Vermont on a weekend stay, stopped into the Madison Brewing Company for lunch and a beer. The food was damn good, surprisingly so. The beer was pretty good too, although with the breweries in Vermont you do have better options. Not sure if I'll be through Bennington again anytime soon, but if I am I will pay another visit.
(4)emen d.
The food and drink, especially the root beer, can be really tasty here, and I like the ambiance but here's my experience: Went there with a church group for a party in anticipation of the wedding of 2 members, really a lovely group. Just to start, the waitress refused to provide separate checks, then the food was so-so. When the complicated bill came, most paid cash. The waitress looked at the bill, counted the cash and said that was right. She took away the money but about 20 minutes later returned and accused us of short-changing by a hundred dollars! She was pretty ugly about it. After the initial shock I recalled her earlier assurance that our settlement was correct and another member seconded that. She stormed off, saying she was going to get the manager. You can imagine what a damper this was on the group's mood. After another pause, perhaps 15 minutes, the sullen waitress returned to apologize, claiming there had been a mix-up. My instant thought was that her little ruse had failed to cough up more money from the group and she thought better of pursuing it. I am a local resident and subsequently have heard that Madison Brew Pub cannot keep staff -someone was explaining to me that the waitress was unlikely to still be there. However I have knowledge that some good and some hostile staff have been there for some time. But none of this group of 25 people will ever spend money there again. Also, the experience I related is not the only negative one I've had with staff at Madison's. Update, more than a year later: Subsequent experiences have been the same - I've been there (only because there was no choice - that's where the group was going) with groups of nice people who have good manners, and the staff, always different individuals, has repeatedly proved surly and hostile, once downright insulting (a porky woman who claimed to be a manager). I realize that some of the staff is fine but don't understand why management does not stress the importance of customer service over petty and belligerent attitudes.
(2)Chris K.
Good brewpub and a fairly open and comfortable dining environment. Because Bennington doesn't have a lot of great restaurant choices, this place is automatically a contender.
(3)