Elm City Brewing Company — Restaurant in Keene

Have lived in the area for 14 years. Never been til last night and I'm not sure we will return.

Went last night with friends around 730. Waited 20 minutes to sit, which wasn't that bad as they were busy. But it was all down hill from here.

Saw our waitress twice our entire meal. Waited 40 minutes for the appetizer. Meals came out 40 minutes after the appetizer and everything was messed up.

Asked for extra bacon on a BLT. Sandwich came with two and a half pieces and was told upon receiving it that they were out of bacon and they "put a ton of bacon on it" (literally laughed out loud when I took the top piece off to find the 2.5 pieces). Friends stuffed shells was basically a soupy mess and she described the sausage in it as the ones you find in spagetti O's. Friend asked for medium on his burger and got well done. Our other friend ordered chicken parm and got a cremated mess of burnt cheese and chicken.

Couldn't track down waitress anywhere. Manager was busy literally comping other tables. The table adjacent to us ended up taking their food to go because of the wait and then the manager spent a good 5 minutes at their table apologizing. We ended up flagging another waitress so we could pay and left. Bill came to $79~ and 3 of us got soda, I had a water.

I get places have bad evenings, but when your entree prices compare to that of a upperscale restaurants in the realm of Capital Grille, Cheesecake Factory and P.F Changs, you expect the same quality. Don't mind paying if its going to be good, but there's nothing worse than expensive sadness. Yes, it's Keene, but you can't expect customers to come running back when the place is a chaotic mess (that's burning everything and is out of bacon; lol that really killed me).

I really, really wanted to like this place too. There's not a whole lot of food diversity in the area and we were all looking forward to it, as none of us had been. That and we enjoy supporting the local businesses. If it's the choice between a local and chain; we usually pick the local.

For now we will continue to patron our other...

Elm City Brewing Company Brewpub in Keene, NH for a few pours & a badass burger. The third stop in this Keene trip (another coming sooner than later to finish off the area) & the perfect place to put some food in our holes after two previous breweries before. The last time I was here was in late 2022 & I remember having a flight+ & some excellent chili so I was excited to order my usual burger to try at any spot I hit. The place was packed & our party of three were told it would be a 20min wait, but we got sat in only a few minutes so I got to the beer immediately. 🍻🍺🔥🤷‍♂️

I started off with a pint of the CITRUS LAGER American Lager that was just on the average side, but still good. The second pint I got was the 222 WEST American Pale Ale that again was good, but nothing super special. The third pour was the winner in the SHAKE THE FROST Belgian Dubbel 🏆 that was excellent & layered with some great f**king flavor. 🍻☘✌♥️🍺

All the seating options here with bar, hightops, tables & rail including a decently large patio area outside. The service was excellent regardless of how busy it was & that Blues Burger I got medium rare was excellent. It was especially good with more blue cheese on top of those carmelized onions & sweet potato fries since I was feeling extraordinary gluttonous having the beer day I did. They do crowlers & growlers to go if you want anything for a tasting with friends or at home for yourself. Great spot to stop for food in Keene if you're doing a brewery tour of the area for sure! 🍻🍺💪☘🔥✌♥️🍺

BEERGASM RATING - 69/101 🍻🍻🍻💦💦💦☘🔥✌♥️🍺🍺

BURGERGASM RATING - 69/97 PERFECTLY COOKED AND ESPECIALLY GOOD WITH ALL THAT EXTRA CHEESE! 🍻🍻🍻🍆🍔🍔🍔💦💦💦🔥✌♥️🍺

#craftbeer #supportlocal #beerstagram #BeerGoals #untappd #NewHampshire #newengland #newhampshireeats #beer #brewery #brewerylife #bartender #nhbrewed #nhbrewery #food #foodporn #beergasm #foodgasm #drinklocal...

Keene, New Hampshire. A town known for rowdy college blowouts and an obsession with pumpkins that borders on cult-like. It’s not the place you’d expect to find a brewery serving margarita flights that make you question your passport status — but here we are.

Elm Brewery is a refuge. A brick-and-wood sanctuary where good beer flows and the lighting makes everyone look 15% more interesting. The ale? It's the kind of stuff that makes you want to storm into a boardroom and shout, “Bottle this now, you cowards.” It's damn good — smooth, flavorful, like it was brewed with actual pride and a touch of rebellion.

The food is comfort with a capital “C.” I ordered the beef stroganoff — and yes, it came with meatballs. Not traditional, but I’m not mad about it. Creamy, rich, a little indulgent — like something your Eastern European grandma would make if she smoked weed and listened to Metallica.

My brother made the tactical error of ordering the cheesesteak, which he didn’t love. (You go to a brewery in New Hampshire and expect Philly-level cheesesteak? Rookie move.) But the fried mushrooms and spinach artichoke dip? Beautiful. Golden-fried perfection and gooey, cheesy goodness. The kind of bar snacks that keep you from ever leaving.

And then there were the margarita flights. Four mini glasses of pure tropical escapism. Lime, spice, maybe even some fruit you can't pronounce — it was like a Cancun beach party in a snow globe. Weirdly magical.

The staff? On point. Friendly without being fake. The kind of people who look you in the eye, know their menu, and don’t mind a weird question or two.

Elm Brewery isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s not chasing hashtags or TikTok fame. It’s just doing its thing — and doing it well. If you're in Keene and need a break from pumpkin mobs or college-town chaos, this is your place. Grab a seat, order a beer, and...