Mc Neill's Brewery's — Restaurant in Brattleboro

I'm a craft beer and brewpub lover. This place used to be a classic brewpub warm beer on cask and all. Loved the authenticity.

It was redone to be "tourist friendly" I guess. They now serve food and the beer is not on cask if that's your main thing - not mine but I can enjoy them too. Mostly drink "cold" beer.

Went in last Friday because I was in the area and had a OK time. The beer wasn't as good as I remembered but it was OK. Stopped back on Sunday on my trip back home. New bartender on duty there that day. Told him I was here on Friday and enjoyed the place and the beer. Asked for a taste of the Oatmeal Stout. The bartender wouldn't give me a taste. Said OK, give me a Maibock. I had had it on Friday and enjoyed it. Then, I saw that there was a food item on a chalkboard I wanted and ordered it. When the food came I said I want a taste of the Oatmeal Stout after the bartender asked me if I wanted another beer. He said no. I said I was in here Friday and was given several tastes of beers. I didn't want buy a 4oz sample. I just wanted a taste to see if I like the beer to order it. The guy actually said he can't give the beer away for free - to a paying customer.

Bottom line, the place is nowhere as good as it used to be back when it was a traditional English Style brew pub. The place has no problem hiring bartenders and not training them on how to serve and interact with their customers. I'd been going to this spot for several years when in the area -...

I used to go here all the time....UNTIL I had 3 bad experiences - different occasions - with the Bartender Brian, or BK as he likes to be called. First time he was drunk off his butt, couldn't remember our order and spilled our beers everywhere. The second time, he played his own music off his laptop so loud that it drove us- and most of the rest of the bar- to get up and leave. The 3rd time, he was very rude, and charged us for a 1/2 full beer that had 'kicked the keg'. I most certanly wont be returning back here until Brian - or BK- is no longer working here. To be honest, the beers are TOP Notch and most of the servers are top notch as well. But the drunk bartender Brain needs to be canned...for real! Take note owners, I - a loyal customer- won't be back until brian is let go. Please head...

Went there on a Saturday evening and the experience was fun, but definitely interesting! The bar was absolutely empty at 6pm which I felt was a little unusual for a saturday, but hey you never know. The place smelled pretty bad (like garbage) and seemed to be haphazardly arranged; for example, there were a bunch of bags of grains all stacked in one corner taking up a lot of space. That said, the beer was fantastic and decently cheap and it's tough to find bars that have Casks these days. I wasn't adventurous enough to order food so I can't comment on that aspect of it.

Overall it's a very divey bar but the beer and price makes it all well worth it. I'd go there again next...