Madison Brewing Company Pub & Restaurant — Restaurant in Bennington

Short summary first: great food, great beer, decent service, fun environment, slightly higher prices than what I'd expect.

This is the best food I've had in Bennington. It's not often you can go to a brewpub or tavern type restaurant and say that nearly every sandwich on their menu is unique. Mostly it's the same tired old fare - burgers, fish and chips, grilled cheese, rueben, etc. But not at Madison Brewery. On a recent visit to town we ate here twice, and had four very different but very delicious options. First was a sandwich called the "Waldorf Melt" which was a pressed sandwich on marbled rye that contained a deliciously light chicken salad (not too mayo-y), chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, local apples, and vermont white cheddar. It was fantastic! Next we tried the "Brewmaster's Steak Sandwich" containing sliced bistro steak, portabella mushrooms, shallots, smoked cheddar, and garlic mayo on herb chiabatta. Another winner! It also came with Madison's famous "ale fries" which were ale battered french fries - a strong potato taste but still crispy and delicious. The next day, back for more, we sampled some standbys - a crock of their fantastic chili and the new england clam chowder. Both got rave reviews. Other unique menu possibilities included a venison burger wrapped in pancetta, a black forest melt, Canadian bison meatloaf, and more. I've never been to a tavern or brewpub with such inventive food choices. Their beer was also fantastic. We sampled the seasonal Maple Bourbon Porter, the Semcoe Red, the Old 76 Strong Ale, and the Battlefield Stout - all very tasty brews. Both times we ate at the bar, and the bartenders were friendly and helpful even when in the weeds. I could do without so many TVs playing, but a pub is a pub. The decor was super fun, with one of the most extensive collections of retro beer cans I've ever seen. All in all, a great place. If you're ever up in Bennington, I highly...

We eat here 2-3 times a month, and it's split between take out and eat in. They have the best burgers in Bennington, hands down, and the kale Caesar is fan-freaking-tastic. I eat a lot of them.

Madison's offer casual, family friendly dining with an outdoor space and inside bar in addition to two large dining areas. There is seating at high tops in the bar, too, just order and pick up your food. Specials are offered daily and provided on a sheet separate from the menu.

The food is consistently good although the pasta is often too much (this is a trend in Bennington) and gets old fast.

The beer is okay. It's the only brew pub in town (plus!) but if you are a beer snob like we are it is solidly "okay". Every once in a while something comes out that stands out. Other than that, it's nothing to write home about.

My gripe with Madison's is flaky service. More than once I have had them forget something. Not a huge deal but an amateur mistake. I have a significant food allergy so it's best to check your order if you need something omitted. I once asked for no Caesar dressing (explaining that it was allergy related) and they put it on anyway. When it came back after being sent back they had put the dressing in a to go cup that had spilled onto the plate. I rarely ask for omissions/substitutions and when I do I specify that it's an allergy. I wish they'd be more careful.

Definitely a solid place with great food, good beer, friendly albeit flaky service and cool artwork...

Great food but terrible waitress. My sister and I had lunch there yesterday. She had been there once before recently and had a great meal and good waitress.

Our meal and beer were excellent and all meals being served near us looked wonderful. Our waitress was awful. She was so busy with a customer she seemed to know well that we were ignored. My sister asked for water with lemon...got water no lemon. When our meal arrived she reminded the waitress who proceeded to the bar and put several slices on a napkin (a small dish or plate should have been used) and handed them over the railing where we were seated on an elevated floor. She never came back to ask if our meals were okay or ask if we wanted another beer etc.

A long wait after finishing our meal for her to return and then she just approached the railing again asking us to hand her our plates over the railing and asking if we wanted dessert. She couldn't be bothered to come up the few steps to clear our table yet another waitress came up to our area a number of times to check on her tables.

I would definitely return as the meals and beer were so good. I will make sure next time to get a...