Cambridge House Brew Pub — Restaurant in Granby

Solid 4.5! Saturday, 04/02/22 5:32pm

We were on the Connecticut Beer Trail up in Granby with 3 breweries on our minds. The CHB was our second stop planned on this trip because we had hoped to grab a quick/light dinner before hitting up an ice cream parlor. Steve gets the beer, I wait for the ice cream! (Why doesn't CT have an ice cream trail?).

BEER (...is reviewed by Steve)

"CBH Sunny Side IPA A super juicy, lighter version of a New England style IPA. 6.7% ABV, 26 IBU" Short $5.25 on tap.

Solid NEIPA...a very good example of this style. Not too juicy with a very nice lasting bitter finish. 7.5 Would drink it again.

"CBH Cream Ale A crisp, light pale ale with notes of maize. 4.9% ABV, 9.3 IBU" Pint $6 on tap.

Crisp and simple. Could drink this all day long on a hot summer day. Refreshing. Not every brewer makes a cream ale, so I was happy to find this. I always try the cream ales when I can find them. Solid 8. Would drink it again (and again).

FOOD We sat at the bar and were promptly greeted by the bartender, Vicky. We wanted to read the menu first before making the decision to stay...I am GF and had only a few options here. I had really only three choices: salads, burger/no bun...which they will happily prepare with lettuce, or chicken wings. The chicken wings were gluten free however they are cooked in the same oil as non GF items. (This information was supplied on the menu...always a good sign!) I did decide to go with the chicken wings with a lemon pepper rub. Steve ordered the buffalo wings. ($10 each for 6 wings, celery and blue cheese).

The wings were HOT, well cooked. The lemon pepper rubbed wings were evenly coated and crispy and very tasty. IMHO even better than the rubbed wings I have had many times at Hot Rods in New London. The celery was fresh and crisp and we both remarked that the blue cheese dip/sauce was perfect. No clumpy big bits of cheese...very well blended and worked to coat the wings without a sloppy slid-y mess. I also had an unsweetened iced tea ($2.50).

The Buffalo wings were mild with a 'Buffalo-like' sauce (says someone who grew up in the region) and very well cooked, covered and tasty. Steve remarked that the blue cheese LOOKED like ranch but he was happily surprised to find a really complimentary style of blue cheese dipping sauce.

We would recommend the wings all day long, but if you are Celiac, perhaps reconsider your choice. I am Celiac, but took the chance and had no issues. Next time, I will probably try a salad...after seeing one served (generous and fresh in appearance). The burgers also looked good.

SERVICE Excellent service at the bar. Observing staff smiling, and helping each other out was pleasant. Staff was aware of patrons entering and greeted them. Just as we were leaving, we talked a minute with Vicky who was our bartender. She is working her 16th year at CHB! They are lucky to have her. We talked about the CT Beer trail app vs the paper passports...we and Vicky thought they were much more fun when we had to get a physical stamp/sticker. Just a very pleasant conversation with a smart lady.

ATMOSPHERE Just to mention the seating: the bar is nice and wide, clean and uncluttered. We had plenty of room. They do have a larger dining area, as well. It was not super busy (around 5:32pm) and we had plenty of social distancing space. The bar chairs are wooden with backs, no cushions. Good lighting, music was not annoying and conversing was easy. Clean (non gender neutral) bathrooms.

All in all, a really super experience. We walked in with doubts (for food choices) and left telling each other we will be sure...

This review is a part of my quest of visiting all CT breweries. I frequently visited CBH pre-pandemic, but my mid-pandemic experience was not great. So I decided to give it another try now.

The place is pretty big. It has an outdoor patio and the indoors is separated into two rooms, making it possible to enjoy the food in a quieter atmosphere. We ordered a quesadilla with grilled chicken, fish and chips, and a burger. The food was a mixed bag - I enjoyed my fish and chips, but the quesadilla's meat was a bit bland and chewy. The burger was ok. My wife tried two of their coffee-based cocktails, and while they both smelled awesome, the taste lacked the sweetness of liquors (which might be fine depending on your taste).

My main goal in breweries is, of course, to try beers. CBH allows to order them in a flight of 5, so I've tried almost everything they had on tap. The beers are just ok, they are safe choices - most of them fit their respective style, but don't take any steps beyond that. I liked Rock Bock and Festbier, but some of the beers missed the mark (like South 189 Lager). The beers are rotated - there were about 5 core beers I tried long before and others were new.

If you're looking for a hangout spot with non mass market beer - CBH might be a good fit for you. If you're a craft beer enthusiast and want to try new takes on existing beer styles, then you might have better luck with a dedicated brewery instead.

UPD with the information requested by owner: check number is 0697,...

This is a community place where locals go to hang out and have a drink and have a bite to eat. Service is very attentive and helpful. Attending an event there, we had a nice time and ordered calamari, fish and chips and a suggested order of chicken parmesan.

Eating there years ago for the first time, we all ordered burgers then noticed everyone else was getting fish and chips that looked spectacular. I don't think this was the same recipe or fish, but still decent. The dinner item is served with house fried potato chips that are thick and very crunchy.

My partner said his chicken parmesan served on shells was good but the sauce was just tomato with no detectable seasoning. Calamari was fair, but again, for my readers, we eat a lot of this dish which gives us a vast landscape in terms of reviewing this appetizer.

Full bar in that they actually had Myers rum. Most CT restaurants and bars just have three rums to offer patrons: Bacardi, Malibu and Captain Morgan's spiced. I manage with the Bacardi, as having more than one Malibu is not possible as it's too sweet, and Captain Morgan's is my least favorite rum made. Good for young or unsophisticated palates. It's always tasted to me like the free pink gum that used to or still comes with baseball cards.

A large and airy space with a lot of seating, big bar and multiple television screens for viewing. Outdoor seating for...