Barrington Brewery and Restaurant-- a below average bar with bad food

[stuartlafonda]

After a day of skiing at Jiminy Peak and on the way back to the Torrington area we had dinner at this dump. We had a reservation for 12 that they promptly honored but from there it was all down hill. From the wrong number of chairs to a missing waitress it was all bad. When the waitress arrived with the food and used the "auction method" to serve it she actuall y threathened to return a dish to the kithcen because nobody was claiming it. We of course were busing trying to get the plates she had brought to the right people and we were not doing so quick enough for her. As for the food, terrible. Wings that were all fat and not a drop of heat dripping oil, nachos with barely anything on the stale chips. My burger was advertised as grass fed hormone and antibiotic free, it may have been but it looked and tasted like a hockey puck. Needless to say it was, like every meat dish ordered , cooked to well done, despite requests to the contrary. Everyone thought the food was poor. Beer? Not very good for a brew pub. Berkshire Blond was not that different then Bud and the Pale Ale had a fruity taste that didn't seem right to me although I'm no expert in Pale Ale. The meal was so bad we skipped dessert.
Stay away, stay very far away.

[LorenV]

Their house yeast is English so expect more fruity flavors in the Ales than normal. I've never had a bad meal here although I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend the place. It does seem to do well with the locals as it's always mobbed.

BTW, head north to Pittsfield Brew Works next time. KILLER beers and much better food and atmosphere as well.

Cheers!

[Lenox637]

It's not the yeast.

[LorenV]

So what is it then? I've never had an "off" beer there in my visits. Boring? Sure. But there's a big difference between vapid beer and beer with off flavors.

[Lenox637]

Sure their beer is better than Bud, but come on. It is flavorless and has no real body IMHO. The food is better at Friendly's and so is the service. If I want a good beer and some decent bar food I go to Moe's Tavern in Lee or The Olde Forge in Lanesboro. It's just my opinion.

[LorenV]

Fair enough. Flavorless still does not equate to "off" though, which is what I was gauging from all the negatives here.

Cheers!

[gb25]

I've eaten there a couple of times. Nothing has been terrible food-wise, but it has been very mediocre. And the service (including the manager or owner, who seated us once and was generally curt and rude) was not good. I agree no reason to go to this place.

[catnip]

Fortunately,for me,the first time and last time(last summer) that I was in the BB having a beer the couple next to me was eating,and complaining bitterly ,about the quaility of the food.
I finished my beer and left and I've never gone back.
There are too many good bars,serving really good bar food in the area to waste a meal at this place.
Like mjoyous said next time thorugh ask some of the locals in the area who post here for advice;they've never steered me wrong yet.

[mjoyous]

Give us locals a shout out next time you're up this way; we'll get you to some good to great food. I don't know anyone who eats at BB--the word of mouth has always been that it sucks.

[stuartlafonda]

Sadly I had nothing to do with the choice and the people who made the reservations are not Chowhounds. Saturday night 12 people can be a challenge, but I know you guys would have come through. TIA

[Lenox637]

I couldn't agree with you more. I am truly amazed that it has stayed open for so long. The food shouldn't be fed to any living creature and the beer...... they'd do better to just stop making it themselves and buy beer from a distributor. Avoid this place like The Plague!