Buckwater Brew Works and Whiskey House — Restaurant in Carbondale

I try to be very fair about any review I leave, as there are numerous factors to eating out. So here goes.

We are a family of six, and had heard about Buckwater and decided to try it on a Saturday night. We had never been before, and that is in part why our time wasn't enjoyed. Simply put, various eateries and bars doing things differently Some places, the bar is where you order drinks. Or sit if you don't intend to eat Want a closer seat to the sports or trivia At Buckwater, the bar is where you order.

We walked in, and we were told "seat yourself anywhere" And we did. No one said, "seat yourself but don't expect anyone to come to your table, give a menu, offer you water or drinks or take your order" It being Saturday was fairly busy So we sat at the table for thirty minutes before finally catching the attention of someone. It was then they said "you go to the bar, order everything there including drinks"

Non alcoholic, they only had coke, diet coke, sprite. I ordered the drinks, to which I had to give them a credit card then. And juggle carrying the six drinks to theer table

I wrote down what the family wanted, returned to the bar and ordered a few appetizers, and the meals. Another thirty went by. All the food came up at once. I stated several things were appetizers. It says appetizer on the menu That word is associated with "pre" dinner typically. When I was disappointed that we waited thirty minutes and the appetizers were to intended to pass time, keep four children busy. The response from the gentleman was very harsh, and he basically tossed down the food. His manners were lacking as he roughly and rudely said all the food comes at once and walked away.

You can imagine a table of six, everyone drinks at different places Everytime someone finished a drink I had to carry the glass back to the bar, get a refill, carry it back. Over and over.

No one comes to your table. Offers water, refills, or even containers for the food. So it isn't exactly a typical dine out experience.

The food was fine. Nothing super amazing, very small menu with about twenty selections total. Of our table, a burger was tried It was alright. Chicken tenders, from two children. Both complained it was difficult to chew as it was over fried. I tried the fish, which was alright. And lastly one of us had a Philly sandwich that was not very good.

Sadly, the online menu was inaccurate They recently changed it and it's down to a one page menu with very slim options. And, as stated on menu " no changes to any food" so how they serve it is the only option. If you go with children and they don't want Swiss cheese on the Philly, oh well.

Part of the frustration is easily avoidable with a sign or form of communication From directions towards the customer of where you order, and that appetizers don't come out ahead. But the other frustration was being a customer, having to run and fetch refills. Which at times I had to wait while the bartenders tended to patrons And carrying them back in shifts was not only interrupting of the meal But not very enjoyable to try to sit, relax and enjoy.

So I'm rating this as a two given the food doesn't stand out and the way it's done, was not an enjoyable dining be experience.

I cannot rate the spirits or beer, but I did hear good things about them.

It was over 150$ for the experience. And I can't say the food or way things are done, would...

Subject: Disappointing Experience at Buckwater Brewery

Dear Buckwater Brewery Team,

I’m writing as a customer who visits your establishment nearly every time I’m in Carbondale usually twice a month and because I’ve always enjoyed the karaoke nights and the overall vibe of the space.

Unfortunately, during my most recent visit, I had a disappointing and frustrating experience that I feel compelled to bring to your attention.

My guest and I were seated at the bar and waited patiently for service while watching other guests being helped. Despite being in full view of two bartenders and someone cutting limes, we were not acknowledged or served. One bartender, a red-haired young man, appeared more focused on socializing with someone (possibly a friend), and the other bartender who identified herself as the manager later seemed preoccupied preparing drinks for someone she stated was the owner.

After a while, I became visibly frustrated due to the lack of service and recognition. At that point, instead of addressing the service issue professionally, the manager stepped in and accused me of cussing at the bartender which is something I absolutely did not do. She was not even present when I initially tried to get the bartender’s attention, so her accusation felt unjustified and escalated the situation unnecessarily. Rather than addressing the real issue — the poor service — I was made to feel like I was the problem and was ultimately asked to leave. And the manager’s only explanation was that the young man was new.

This entire situation could have been a moment for management to coach staff on awareness and customer service. Instead, I was made to feel unwelcome and disrespected — not something I ever expected at a place I support.

I’m sharing this not just to vent, but because I truly hope this feedback leads to improvement. Your karaoke nights are a big draw for me and my friend.

Thank you for your time and...

We had a bachelor and Bachelorette party come through today just after opening. We was denied a pitcher of water to take out to the patio or even to a table inside for those of us that were drinking and the DDs. We were told we could have an empty pitcher which idk why because what are we going to do with an empty pitcher? We had to continuesily order drinks inside at the bar which was another complete inconvenience so there was always 2 of us away from everyone else. For a Friday afternoon I would say you were under staffed. To wait 5 mins to order another round was a little ridiculous. But I will say the staff was absolutely great at what they do and very knowledgeable on the drinks. The last thing I will mention is the last time we was at the establishment there was a way better menu. The menu was pages long of all the different drinks, bourbons, beers, cocktails, etc. This time the menu only had beers and cocktails. We was told that we had to look at the wall of bottles to figure out what bourbon or whiskey we wanted. That again is absolutely ridiculous. Bring back your menu of all of your drinks or change your name. Fix your menu. We won't be back again until this is corrected nor will we promote this business like we did. Very disappointed after bragging about how great this place was last time...