Clemson Bros. Brewery — Restaurant in City of Middletown

What a disappointing Memorial Day experience at Clemson Brothers. I was debating whether to leave this review, but just given how we were treated it feels like people should know.

So, I’m empathetic to folks in food service. I know it can be hard to always be on your ‘A’ game. But today’s experience with Sarah was an absolute ‘F’.

I’ll set the stage (can’t wait till they try to respond to this review and attempt to tell me that I’m anything but 100% factual). I’ll let others decide.

We came in, the place was pretty average in terms of business. Nobody in the outdoor area. 5 tables seated. Sarah was there solo. She came to the host table and led off with “I’m going to be honest with you and let you know that it’ll be a 40 min wait. I’m here by myself and a few tables just got seated.”

Ok, we said that’d be ok if we waited. But can we at least wait outside because we’ve got 2 kids with us. She seemed irritated by that and at first wanted us to stand at the door, but then said yeah that’s fine. At this point I’m getting the sense that she was hoping we’d leave rather than stick around, but what can I do? I’ve got kids with me, they’re hungry, and a lot of places aren’t open for lunch. So we waited, patiently.

After 40 minutes I went back to the front, and waited at the host stand. She looked at me but ignored me. 5 min. 10 min. At this point another husband and wife come, and she immediately comes to them to let them know that they’ll have to wait 30 min. They left. Ok, so at this point 50 min have passed, and there’s only 2 tables left. Everyone else has paid and left.

So I go over to the bar and politely told Sarah that it’s been 40 min already. She tells me, honestly it’s probably going to be another 20 min? So at this point, really? Why? Tells me the same thing, she’s there solo and she’s sick. Fine, but why another 20 min? Everyone’s gone. Surely 2 tables isn’t overwhelming, is it??

Let’s talk about her “I’m sick” comment for a second. She was visibly very sick. Not great, especially with the recent Little Italy incident. But either way, I just feel like after having waited so long, and given that the place has completely cleared out, I was really surprised and confused on why she’d want us to stand and wait for another 20 min. No offer to even sit us (tons of seats). You try having a 6 and 4 year old who’s already been waiting 50 min, to stand for another 20…

Here’s the fun part. When my wife came in to ask the status, I told her “hey, I’m not sure what’s going on. The place is pretty empty but she still doesn’t want to seat us.” At this point Sarah interrupts and tell us that “we need to leave”. And that she feels “threatened”. Just unbelievable. Apparently asking questions (calmly mind you) and then having a private conversation is threatening. Obviously she wasn’t. She was just stressed and allowed that to spill all over her interactions that day.

Anyway, we left. Such a shame though. I get your stressed Sarah. I get your sick. But the sheer disdain for your customers.. I can’t get on board with that. If you genuinely didn’t want to serve anyone, you should have just closed. I’ve never had a bad experience at Clemson, and I’ve always gotten along really well with the staff. Amazing how ones persons bad day can become your bad day....

**editing my original review. The owner has made things right and has refunded our overpayment as well as let us use part of the gift card that was originally offered. Again, this wasn’t an issue with wait staff. Other than this one occurrence (which has been fixed) my experiences have always been positive.

In the past I have had amazing experiences at Clemson Bros. Staff is always friendly, my wedding was here and they were so on top of everything and accomodating and made the process easy which prompted us to have another event here as well as refer many people. Fast forward to February 2024, we had my daughters baptism reception and it was not a good experience. The food itself tasted great but they did not have our charcuterie board we had ordered and they had the pulled pork labeled as gluten free and the potatoes listed as vegan and gluten free. Then they charged us more than I was quoted even though they “comped” our charcuterie board. I worked with Sean leading up to the day and he did great to make sure we had enough food and that we stayed within our set budget. So it was very frustrating the day of when they’re telling me the quote I have (which showed tax and gratuity) was not including tax and gratuity. So I was charged $280 more than I was quoted and dealt with the frustration of things being wrong. Their “fix” was sending me a $200 gift card. While I appreciate the gesture what really would have worked is a refund of my overpayment as well as a $50-100 gift card saying sorry we f-ed up, here’s dinner on us. This poor handling of this situation has me not wanting to come back and I will be telling others the same unless you want to make things right by giving us...

A Review of Clemson Bros Brewery Wedding Venue

I recently had the pleasure of coordinating my brother's wedding at Clemson Bros Brewery, and I can't speak highly enough of the experience. From start to finish, the communication with the venue staff was exceptional. They were attentive, responsive, and accommodating, making the planning process smooth and stress-free.

On the big day, the service was impeccable. Despite our erratic requests and last-minute changes, the staff remained composed and ensured everything ran seamlessly. Special commendation goes to the owner, Kenan, whose professionalism and attentiveness were truly remarkable. His dedication to ensuring every detail was perfect contributed immensely to the success of the event.

The venue itself is stunning, with a beautiful bridal suite that provided the perfect backdrop for pre-wedding preparations. And let's talk about the food – it was absolutely phenomenal. The culinary team exceeded our expectations, serving up a delicious feast that had guests raving long after the last dance.

Speaking of guests, the majority of them expressed how much they loved the venue and the overall ambiance of the wedding. From the picturesque setting to the impeccable service, Clemson Bros Brewery left a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.

I wholeheartedly recommend Clemson Bros Brewery as a wedding venue. Their combination of elegance, top-notch service, and delicious cuisine make them a standout choice for any couple looking to tie the knot in style.

Once we get photos back from the photographer I’ll edit review to...