Gristmill Brewery — Restaurant in Town of Massena

The atmosphere of this place is great. There's nothing else like it in the North Country. The layout, aesthetic, and ambiance is all very well done, and gives off the vibe of a brewery that you'd find in a more populated/wealthy area, without coming across as pretentious. The location on the river is also very nice.

We went in around 4:30, and there was a party that was coming to an end in the rentable space below the main dining/bar area. The service was somewhat slow because the party had gone on longer than it was supposed to, and the staff were trying to get it cleaned up. That obviously wasn't the fault of our waitress and once they had the situation downstairs straightened out, she was attentive for the rest of our stay.

I'm going to get right to the reason for the 2 star review... the food. I ordered French Onion soup and my wife ordered the brie bread bowl. Both were fantastic. The French Onion soup was loaded with onions and bread crumbs, had a ton of flavor, and the cheese was melted on on top properly. I didn't try my wife's bread bowl, but she said that it was excellent.

We both ordered burgers. My wife got the Gristmill Burger and I got the Maple Bacon Burger. They were shocking. Twice in my nearly 40 years of existence, have I sent food back while out to eat. Last night at the Gristmill was one of those two times.

We both got our burgers medium. My wife's burger was burned on the outside and the inside was bloody pink. My burger wasn't as burned, but without even cutting into it, I could feel that it was way underdone. Now, I like steaks rare to medium-rare, but a burger, especially one that you don't know the origin of, shouldn't be undercooked to the point that the interior is cold, as my wife's was.

My guess is that they are using Sysco patties (see picture), and are throwing them on the grill at high heat while they're still frozen. This would explain why the food came out as fast as it did, in the condition that it did.

As to where our appetizers seemed to be well prepared, the burgers, buns, and the toppings, all screamed "the chef had to suddenly leave and now we've got the dishwasher cooking". My wife's burger came with 3 tiny Sysco onion pedals on it. The cheddar cheese was just thrown on her burnt patty and wasn't even semi-melted. Her burger was also supposed to come with a horseradish cream sauce on the side. They gave her ketchup.

My burger came with a single little piece of bacon laid across the middle of it. Underneath the patty, was a tiny grey gob of what I'm assuming was supposed to be the caramelized onions. Under that was a small white smear of what I think was the aioli. There was so little of it, I couldn't really tell. Both burgers came with a random piece of iceberg lettuce, which was was bizarre given the type of burgers they were (or supposed to be).

The fries that came with the burgers were fine. They were the generic frozen massed produced ones that get crispy on the outside and stay soft in the middle. Not bad, not good.

Now the part that had us very confused, was the price. 17 dollars for undercooked (yet burned) frozen burger patties on generic brioche buns with toppings that were sparse and unappetizing. No way was I going to spend nearly 20 dollars on those atrocities.

When our waitress came to check on the table, I let her know that we were going to be sending the burgers back. She was apologetic and offered to re-fire them, but we just wanted to get out of there and go someplace else to get food. She comped the burgers and we left.

What's weird, is that friends who have been there before, had said the food was either good or excellent. Pictures of the food on Google and Yelp look good. The reviews are good. Maybe we went on a bad night?

Also of note is the beer. It is delicious. We tried 6 of them, and everyone of them was very good. The alcoholic Ginger Beer and Weitbeir were standouts. A 40 minute drive there isn't worth it just for...

This review is going to be a bit long but bare with me. I'm from this area but moved about 400 miles away a few years ago, and come up to visit family and friends a couple times a year. So when I saw there was a new place to eat and it looked like it had good reviews, I took it at face value and invited a couple friends to join me for dinner with my husband. To start, apparently you should make reservations for a Saturday evening if you plan to get in, but apparently not since I was told a half hour, the hostess took my name and number to call me when a table was available. Spoiler: She never called and I walked back inside after 25 minutes, to find that the empty table just inside the door that was empty when I first walked in was still empty and now available for us to sit. After a couple minutes, a waitress comes up to the table and informs us that they are currently out of menus and would need to wait for some to be available. About 5 minutes pass of us browsing our phones to try to find a menu online and some menus arrive at the hostess station behind us. The 3 waitstaff stand there chatting with each other for a couple minutes before I get their attention to ask for the menus since we haven't had them yet. This is when the band on the far side of the restaurant begins making noises...more on them later. About 5 more minutes go by and none of us are overly impressed by the options for meals or are overly interested in the beer selection for the prices they are(way too much for craft beer made in house). We end up getting 2 sodas and a water. The waitress gives us a few more minutes to make decisions about food and takes our order. The wait begins...Back to the band! When I tell you that after leaving the restaurant with us seated nearly as far from the band as possible left all of us with our ears ringing and throats hurting from yelling, I'm not exaggerating. A full hour+ of us trying to have a conversation with each other while a band played far to loud for the size of this place and the high ceilings not helping with it carrying far and wide throughout. Needless to say conversations of any kind were nearly impossible unless you could yell into the persons ear beside you. Finally after wondering if it would be faster to order from China doll, walk to get it and come back and eat, our food finally arrives, no less than a solid HOUR later. The complicated food that took a long time to come out? 3 burgers, 3 sides of fries and a salad. Oh and don't expect any other condiments besides ketchup and a poor excuse for horseradish sauce. No salt and pepper on the table either. Pretty sure both the fries and burger patties come to the restaurant frozen. The buns were okay but were so slathered in butter? oil? that it nearly slips out your fingers you find yourself constantly trying to keep your fingers cleanish. Any refills we had to pointedly ask for and I never did get my sprite refill either. All the while I'm assuming maybe the owner or manager or whoever was checking on random customers here and there with a drink in his hand, classy. Overall bill was $39 for 2 burgers, a sprite and a water. If you want an okayish burger that is nothing special and frozen fries you could make at home for $20 each then this is the place for you. Plan to spend at least 2 hours here, with most of that being waiting for food or drinks or staff, or in our case apparently not enough menus for the maybe 50 seats in this place. Oh and don't plan to chat with your dinner date either, just text one another and bring ear muffs. Oh and plan to park on...

Absolutely wonderful restaurant. The atmosphere cannot be beat for the entire local area! A completely refurbished historical flour or "gristmill" structure on the edge of the Grasse River, the historical integrity of the original brick construction is not only preserved but highlighted throughout. Black wrought iron fixtures, antique equipment and gears, with Edison bulb lighting in the dining room create an atmosphere that echoes the past while providing modern convenience. The giant horseshoe bar has ample and comfortable seating, with every angle offering a charming and interesting view. The on-site brewing tanks are an arm's length away, and the seasonal offerings from brewmaster Kyle are always exciting and delicious (coming from someone who typically does not drink beer!). The menu is so thoughtfully crafted, there is something that will please every person in a group. Though not extensive in the offerings, the options have truly been perfected in their execution by Chef Russ and his staff. Seasonal rotations and weekly specials keep regular patrons like me always able to try something new and exciting. Holiday meal specials and the new schedule of live music and special events means this place will only grow better over time. The staff are always friendly and inviting, with prompt service and always accommodating for families; make sure you ask about the kids menu options! The landscaping is unrivaled in the area, with a spacious and inviting lawn; with spaces for entertainment, seating and games- not to mention the largest riverside patio I've seen in the north country. Every angle of this property is Intagrammable, the management has paid incredible attention to detail in every aspect; and they can be seen regularly checking in on guests with big smiles for everyone. As a side note, there is a spacious event space on the lower level, that walks out to a private view of the river, with an inlaid brick path connecting to the lawn. I will never have enough good things to say about the Gristmill Brewery; just go for...