The Brick Tavern Inn — Restaurant in Milford

We recently hosted my parents’ 50th anniversary gathering at The Brick Tavern Inn. We chose this location because it’s central for many of our guests, my parents have always enjoyed dining here, and we’ve consistently had excellent meals during past celebrations. The food and wait staff absolutely lived up to our expectations. Unfortunately, the event management did not.

Planning & Communication: My first attempt at scheduling the event was by stopping by the restaurant in person. I was told the event manager, Joan, was unavailable but would call me if I left my information. After more than a week with no call back, I submitted an inquiry via the restaurant’s online form—again, no response. I called a second time and was reassured Joan would return my call, but she never did. Finally, my husband tried calling and received a response almost immediately. From that point forward, communication was inconsistent and frustrating. Emails took more than a week to be answered (if at all), and phone calls were rarely returned. Even when staff promised a callback within hours, it never happened. All communication was initiated by us; not once did Joan reach out on her own—not even as the event date drew near for a simple check-in. This lack of communication created unnecessary stress leading up to the event.

Day of the Event: The night before, we finally received confirmation of the table setup. On the very morning of the event, Joan verbally confirmed an updated arrangement with my husband due to a last-minute guest list change. Yet when we arrived, the tables were set incorrectly because the staff had never been informed. Thankfully, Sadie and the serving team stepped in immediately and worked quickly and professionally to reconfigure the space for us. While they handled it with grace, Joan arrived later, had a confused look on her face as to why the staff was moving tables, and seemed to have forgotten the conversation she had only hours earlier.

During the event, Joan never checked in on us. She only reappeared abruptly near the end, pulling open the privacy curtains and announcing that our time was up at 5:00 p.m. This was especially disappointing because just 30 minutes prior, the hostess had kindly told me 5:20 p.m. was acceptable. The timing was terrible—our guests had just been served coffee and tea with dessert, only to feel rushed out. It was embarrassing and unprofessional.

Service & Food: The saving grace of the evening was the kitchen and wait staff. The food was phenomenal—every dish was flavorful and beautifully prepared. Our servers were attentive, polite, and efficient. They went above and beyond: refilling drinks, answering questions, clearing tables seamlessly, storing and presenting our cake and other homemade desserts, and serving everything with genuine kindness. Their professionalism made our guests feel welcomed and appreciated, and their efforts truly salvaged the experience.

Final Thoughts: While the restaurant’s culinary team and servers exceeded expectations, the event management left much to be desired. Communication was poor throughout, the event manager was unprofessional, and her behavior cast a shadow over what should have been a seamless celebration. If you’re dining here for a regular meal, you’re in excellent hands. But if you are considering hosting a private event, be prepared for challenges.

I have reached out to the restaurant ownership to share this feedback and will update my review should I...

The Brick Tavern Inn: A Warm Refuge in the December Chill

The Brick Tavern Inn, nestled inside a 200-year-old building, feels like stepping into the pages of a well-worn storybook. We stumbled upon it after a late December morning braving what I can only describe as Arctic gales. The warmth of the crackling fireplace and the promise of good food and drink was like finding an oasis in a wintry desert.

From the start, the service set the tone—attentive, knowledgeable, and refreshingly cheerful. We began our meal with two holiday-themed cocktails: an Apple Maple Old Fashioned and a festive margarita. The Old Fashioned was nothing short of a warm apple pie in a glass, the kind of drink that makes you feel like you’re being wrapped in a plaid blanket by a kindly innkeeper. Paired with my bay shrimp cocktail, it set the bar high for what was to follow.

For the main course, I opted for the duck, served with a mushroom bisque, potatoes, asparagus, and a well-balanced sauce. The bisque was warm and light, an ideal prelude to the duck, which was executed flawlessly. The fat was perfectly rendered, leaving the meat tender enough to practically melt in my mouth—so delicate it made my knife feel unnecessary. Every element worked harmoniously, the kind of dish that reminds you why some classics never go out of style.

Now, let me address the one sour note in an otherwise symphonic experience: we were seated near a group of boisterous, middle-aged women who seemed to think the only way to converse was through a series of bobsled-inspired shouts. Perhaps they were still acclimating to being indoors after their own treks through the tundra. The cacophony felt like it was designed to test the structural integrity of my eardrums, but thankfully, they left after the first 20 minutes. My wife, always the prepared one, brought her trusty Loops earplugs—clearly a veteran of dining room skirmishes.

Despite this brief auditory assault, the meal and ambiance more than made up for it. After an afternoon spent trudging through the icy wilderness on a perilous quest for Sarah J. Maas books (my wife’s mission, not mine), this tavern provided exactly what I needed: warmth, comfort, and a satisfying meal.

The Brick Tavern Inn is more than just a warm eatery—it’s a haven for weary adventurers looking to thaw their bones and indulge in expertly crafted dishes. I’ll certainly be back, though I may pack earplugs...

My girlfriend and I came her for our 1 year anniversary on a Tuesday night with high hopes and left here very disappointed and overlooked.

I called early in the day and reserved a table for 2 for about 6:45pm (google maps say they close at 9pm). I figured 2.25 hours was enough to eat and leave comfortably. We arrived about 5 minutes late (6:50ish) and was seated at a 2 person table. This table was in the closest proximity to the hostess lobby and directly in the path of the restaurant's main exit's cold draft. They could have been full that night, which I can not blame them for, or they saw that we were younger (20s) and did not bother to sit us in a nicer area thinking we would not care, but I would have liked to have been more in the heart of the room. The initial service was fine, nothing exceptional, a little slow. We ordered two appetizers and a beer to start, which were served on time. The mussels and the portabello mushrooms were good!

After the appetizers the experience degraded quickly... The time intervals the the waitress visited us became longer and we were not served our food until the everyone in our vision (most of the main dining room) had cleared out. This was at around 9 pm; the diner's closing time. By the time our entrees and appetizers were served 1.5 hours had passed. I requested my strip steak be cooked medium. When the entrees arrived I cut into my steak to check. On the steak's edge, the middle was almost 100% rare. I tried to eat the steak because I was so hungry until the 2nd time the waitress came around. I then pointed out that by the middle of the steak about 80% of the entire steak was completely rare. That was unacceptable.

It was about 9:30pm at this point and I had seen many employees throw on their winter jackets and head out the door, no customers to be seen. Eventually, they refunded me and I did not have to pay for the steak.

I would advise if you're not an old couple with a yacht club jersey or have a hankering to talk loudly about how your son graduated from Harvard summa cum laude - don't go here. They won't think you'll make a fuss or care enough and care much at all. I've never written a full review of a restaurant before, but the level of disrespect that was presented rubbed me just enough...