Burlington Beer Company — Restaurant in Burlington

Yeah, the beer and food are comparable to at least two other breweries within a ten minute walk. But BBCO is unreliable.

For example, one Monday in September, let’s call it “today.” A local couple looking to go out checked the web. BBCO’s website say it is open until 9:00. It’s off-season, so they call at 6:28 p.m., on the telephone number provided on the website, to verify that BBCO is open. As usual, after navigating the “press 1 for,” it rings to voicemail which say they are upon the hours posted on the web. The couple decides to go out.

Upon arrival at 6:45, the couple approached the door at the same time as a group of cyclists. All saw a piece of copy paper taped to the door in scrawled magic marker, or crayon, or whatever, saying “Closing at 7:00.” The couple entered while the others went to another brewery. Half of the tables in the main dining room were occupied.

The couple sat at the bar and ordered immediately. The server was great, but the atmosphere felt rushed. The staff rushing to shut down early. How relaxing is it to have a meal when people are sweeping the floor around you?!?! The families at the tables wrapped up and cleared out quickly, or maybe hurried. And so many people walked up to the door and then went somewhere else.

Literally the night before, I was in a pub that got a flood of business from customers who said “BBCO closed early.”

Whoever is managing the staffing, and public-facing communication is dropping the ball, and it is resulting in poor...

I have suffered in silence the over-priced pretension of Burlington Beer Company's  for the sake of my friendships with those I often accompany to their taproom restaurant, but our visit on Wednesday 1/22/2025 pushed me over the line in terms of both the food, the service and the amenities. First of all, I simply cannot abide having my entree served two minutes after the appetizer has been delivered. One invariably gets cold unless I consume them virtually simultaneously and that's not the point of the menu hierarchy, is it? The pretzel bites I received that night were not  the delightfully chewy likes of past orders either. Instead the ones I received this were crispy to a fault, almost hard in fact (just like those delivered to another one of my party). I only consumed a couple for fear of breaking a tooth!?!? Adding salt to those wounds was the lack of running water in the restroom I visited (FYI management/operations, it was the last of the three main facilities heading in to that area). I will give credit where credit is due and say the cavernous warehouse of a room was comfortably warm on such a cold night, but I don't need to leave my home for THAT pleasure or, for that matter, the indignities I otherwise endured that night. I will be voting against BBCO as our get-together distinctions in the future (unless I can figure out a complementary...

The two stars are because the beer was fantastic, but the reception was abysmal.

This was my first visit on August 24th with my fiancé and our dog. We fully understand that non-service animals aren’t allowed inside restaurants, but there was no clearly visible outdoor area when we arrived. We stepped into the hostess area to inquire, saw a sign pointing to the beer garden “to the right,” and began walking down the hall to head outdoors.

Before we even made it halfway, the host ran after us, demanding to know if our dog was a service animal. I said no, and explained we were already on our way outside when he stopped us. Instead of letting us continue, he admonished us for not going “around the back” (which wasn’t visible from the entrance) and continued muttering at us as we walked away. It felt unnecessarily hostile, especially since we were clearly proceeding directly to the patio.

The outdoor setup itself was disappointing too. You couldn’t order a draft at the main bar if you were seated outside — you had to go to a separate bar, place your order, and wait for a number to be called. It felt needlessly complicated and unwelcoming.

The beer was excellent, but the experience left a bad taste. You’re better off going to...