The Dirty Truth

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev -13.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

The atmosphere of this place is not the best, loud music all the time, usually extremely packed at any primetime hours, the kind of place that you walk into and you feel like you are being stared down by "hip"/trendy crowds of people (including some of the employees), the layout is nice though for the size of the building and the location is in the center of Northampton. I have never had a problem with quality here, nothing to complain of, beers taste fresh and are poured well. Service is decent, beers are served quickly and poured well but some of the servers/employees are not that great here (almost everyone I know agrees on this). My friends and I have been treated like we know nothing about beer (order a KBS and the guy double checks to see if we actually want that beer, "you know thats a BARLEYWINE, right?!"), seen people denied for out of state licenses even though there several other states within an hour of here (other bars check the license and know the out of state ones). Maybe its part of the vibe of the place but it seems like the employees (not all of them) can be a bit cocky and it just doesn't work for me. Selection is probably the best in W. Mass of any place I have been to, lots of drafts, lots of breweries to choose from, only thing is the bottle selection is a bit small and stagnant. Price here is a bit much, $14 KBS bottles, $13 Peche Mortel, $70 Saint Lamvinus, I have seen those in other bars for $9, $8 and $50 respectively. All in all, if I go to TDT I will order one beer and maybe two if they have anything World Class, the prices, service and atmosphere are a turn off and I would rather just go across the street to The Sierra Grille or down the road to The Moan and Dove.

09-02-2009 19:29:31 | More by cbutova

StonyB

New Jersey

4.88/5  rDev +9.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Thanks to the advice of several BA's, I finally made the drive out to western Massachusetts. I had to check out the Moan and Dove naturally, and The Dirty Truth, just 10 minutes away, was a logical next stop...

If you're not paying attention, you'll pass right by the building, since the name isn't on it. Look for a white building with a large window...it's right across the street from "Taipei Tokyo"...

Once you step inside the Dirty Truth, the space is very long and rectangular, but not too narrow. The bar on the left seats about 24, and roughly 8 tables on the right supply another 50-60 seats. The environment is very modern-looking, clean, slightly avant-garde. The lone TV, in the far right corner, is practically an afterthought. Of course, when you look at the selections on the blackboard, you remember why you came here in the first place...

40 taps. Not a wasted space among them. DeRanke, Duchess, Saison Voisan, Unibroue, Ridgeway IPA (cask)...etc, etc. I ordered a Rogue Dead Guy, followed by Stone Ruination, but I had the opportunity to try several other beers as well, thanks to the outstanding service...

I had the good fortune to visit the bar while the 2 owners, Daniel and Jerry, were on the premises. Daniel was in fact tending the bar, and when I explained I had made the trip from New Jersey, he seemed genuinely pleased. We had a chance to talk for a few minutes before he had other customers to attend to, and he offered several nice-sized samples for me to try...unexpected and appreciated.

If you want a good bottled beer, there are only 20 available, but it's a high-quality selection. There's also various types of food if you're hungry, though I didn't have any on this visit...

Another nice element is the irreverent humor. One example...a small blackboard in the back advises "You should drink cask ale, it's the shit." For real...

Based on the quality, selection and service, I expect The Dirty Truth will quickly climb the charts on Beer Advocate...highly recommended.

**Stony's Biscuit** - Since The Dirty Truth is only a short drive away from its sister bar, The Moan and Dove, its natural to visit both places on the same trip. But if you're only going to one bar, you may want to stick with The Dirty Truth if: you're with a group, you want a better draft selection, you want some food with your beer, and/or you want to be in an area where you can walk around and do some window shopping...

08-13-2006 04:53:08 | More by StonyB

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.44/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

A - visited on a Friday night, so a bit of crowd was expected, an there was, lucked into a couple of bar seats, place is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, beers available were well presented, tap handles werent so far back you couldnt tell what they were, music was a bit loud, but not so loud it drowned out our conversation. there appears to be a downstairs, didnt venture down there

Q - clean glasses, clean everything, was of the highest quality

Ser - we were served quickly and each drink was replaced quickly. they took my out of state license, just needed a second credit card/ID to verify, server was friendly and accomadating

Sel - selection was magnificent, 20ish draughts, 30ish bottles, tap prices were reasonable, bottle prices seem exorbitant, $7 for glass of 10 Commandments, $13 for a bottle of Rochefort

did not try the food

overall, we very much enjoyed the Dirty Truth and will visit here many more times, despite the 30 minute commute, would like to try the food

09-19-2009 03:46:55 | More by sinstaineddemon

Damian

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

Located in hip downtown Northampton, The Dirty Truth is a funky, artsy, low key bar that caters to those who care about good food and great beer.

Like its sister pub The Moan and Dove, The Dirty Truth is swathed in blood red walls, which are adorned by modern looking oil paintings. An ornate, mahogany bar takes up the entire left wall and the rest of the room is filled with smaller sized tables that jet out from the walls. During my visit, indie rock music played in the background and patrons (mostly couples) talked in hushed tones. (I visited the bar on a Sunday night and can assume that weekend nights are probably more lively.)

As for the beer, I have never seen a better tap lineup. Over the past few years, I have visited a number of the best beer bars in the country and can say that The Dirty Truth's tap selections were second to none. Of the approximately thirty beers being poured, many were rare finds. Some examples include Stone 12th Anniversary Stout, Ruination and Russian Imperial Stout, St. Bernardus Abt 12, Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout and Titan IPA, Monk's Café Flemish Sour Red Ale, Ommegang Ommegeddon and Stout (a limited run, Irish stout) and Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, just to name a few. The bottle list, with approximately 150 offerings, was also quite thorough. As with any great beer bar, all beers were served in the proper glassware.

The food options at The Dirty Truth were, for the most part, inventive and unique. My girlfriend and I split the mussels and fries and the sausage plate. The mussels were not as fresh or flavorful as I have had elsewhere, bust tasted decent nevertheless. The sausages were quite good however. We got a brat and a piece of kielbasa, which were accompanied by a homemade Arrogant Bastard mustard. Both were tasty, with the kielbasa being the better of the two.

As for the service, our waitress was not incredibly friendly, but neither was she rude. She did her job and was attentive to our needs.

If for nothing more than the unparalleled tap selections, I definitely plan to revisit The Dirty Truth very soon and would highly recommend it to others.

08-23-2008 01:31:41 | More by Damian

edchicma

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Visited the Dirty Truth on a Sunday afternoon as it was opening. Bartender was very friendly and helpful, witha good sense of humor. The long bar and high table were very inviting as were the decorative paintings on the walls. The quality of the selection of brews was outstanding, with 40 brews of every type on tap. I started with a Samichlaus that was fantastic on tap...a great brew that was served in a tulip glass. I also tried a Beer of the Gods by High and Might Brewing. Well, only 38 more to go!

Service was good. Initially the bartender helped us with our order, as the chef and waitstaff were just arriving. The waitress that took over was friendly and helpful, with a good table manner.

The food was mainly sandwiches and small pizzas that were good, but not great. But, then again the food wasn't the main attraction, it was the beer!

An additional feature that was great was the windows in front that opened to the street. We sat in this area and it was a great place for people watching. Another feature that captures the mood is the "sign" for the restaurant. It appears to be a beer coaster with "the Dirty Truth" on it. Interesting Touch!

A high recommendation.

06-26-2006 16:35:33 | More by edchicma

mikeys01

Colorado

4.95/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Visited the Dirty Truth with my wife Lisa this past Sunday afternoon. Fantastic location in downtown Northampton on Main St. We nearly walked by the place, which although very nicely fronted with a gigantic open air window and well stated polished metal trim, still somehow manages to lurk just under the nose of the unsuspecting passerby. As we were peering in the window, we quite quickly realized that this is Where It’s At from the huge line of taps we could see as well as the good natured jeers to us from fellow beer drinkers and Daniel inside telling us there was a great place with crappy beer just around the corner. Unabashed, we wandered in and plunked ourselves down on a couple of the plethora of bar stools lining the impressively long beautiful dark wooden bar. Although we had no problem finding a seat this day, I have no doubt there will be many a night when patrons are waiting hours to grab one of these many seats.

Inside the Dirty Truth the place is clean and brand spanking new, dark red paint on the walls, with interesting artwork adorning them a la Moan style, very cool. Good and different music playing as well, something else you can always count on Daniel and staff for. The uberlong bar runs most of the length of the room, flanked by tables along side. New diverse and proper glassware is evident and all beers are served accordingly and appropriately. Excellent attention to detail on everything here, it just feels right and you know right away you won’t be disappointed. Service is prompt and extremely knowledgeable, but how could it be otherwise here?

Beer selection is jawdropping, both on tap and in bottles. I thought it was tough deciding what to order at the Moan sometimes; well, the Dirty Truth is another order of magnitude beyond that. This is a place where you could comfortably sit for a LONG time enjoying the world’s best beer, good conversation, and just a great environment. Food menu appears to have just enough of exactly what you’d want to go with great beer, and all of it extremely well done and put together. We sampled the mussels and sausages from the plates of goodbyeohio and thebestever who were visiting with us, and nearly had to order some for ourselves, despite the fact that we’d already eaten.

All in all a great place and a new treasure to certainly rank among the best places to enjoy some of the best beer to be had. We really enjoyed our visit, from the amazing beer, to the comfy seats at the bar, to the great service provided by an obviously happy and well satisfied proprietor, Daniel Lanigan. You MUST visit, nuff’ said.

06-14-2006 01:19:23 | More by mikeys01

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

The atmosphere here is a bit sub-par, which is a shame because there is a lot of potential. The bar itself is very clean and nice, the front picture windows can be opened on nice days for that open-air feel. Decorations are cool, and they show old or independent films on certain nights. It can be nice and cozy if you hit it at the right times. However, on weekend nights, the place is bustling and tends to attract a lot of hippies, hipsters, and snobs.

I have had mixed experiences with the service. Some of the bartenders are great, and I have had awesome beer conversations with them, even resulting in a free round at times if they feel especially generous. Other times, I have been treated like dirt, mostly by a select few bartenders. Some of the staff are hippies/hipsters themselves, and I feel that they judge me based on the fact that I am not. I walked in with a group of friends (all of whom were not educated in the ways of beer) and felt that the staff was immediately trying to push us out the door. The bouncer told us there wasn't much space available even though we could plainly see from the door that there were multiple tables and seats at the bar. The bartender was extremely condescending and even shut us off after having only one round of 6 oz. servings of a high abv beer (Dogfish 120). This is ridiculous. I feel that the hipster bartenders are extremely judgmental and try to create a hipster-only atmosphere in the bar when they are working. I find that if you come in here with hipster friends or a group of BAs, you will be treated nicely. If you come in looking like a group of working class, blue-blooded Americans, they will be snobs to you unless you can prove yourself worthy with beer knowledge.

The selection is excellent. 40 rotating taps (sometimes even two cask taps) and a good bottles list, both featuring great craft and imported beers, including a decent amount of rarities. The staff is fairly knowledgeable (some know more than others), and the beer is well looked after. Prices are pretty steep, but then again, everything in Northampton is expensive. The food here is phenomenal, and really on a gourmet level. Despite being treated poorly at times, I come here often. The selection is too good to ignore.

09-20-2010 20:01:39 | More by ryan1788a5

LeeMarvin

Massachusetts

3.76/5  rDev -15.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

After years of hanging out in Noho, I finally went to go see what all the hype was about. My g/f and I hit it on a Friday afternoon just before the place began to fill up.

The room is very visually appealing, and as another reviewer pointed out, they've got the New England hipster thing down. Which is maybe why I didn't feel comfortable here. Most of the other customers were on computers or hand held devices.

Or maybe it was the bartender who immediately assumed that I didn't know anything about craft beer and failed to engage her customers or engender a feeling of hospitality.

The whole effect was that of a trendy bar that's so popular that they don't have to try as hard anymore. There's no denying they've got one of the best tap lists around, and granted I may have hit them at the wrong time on the wrong day, but when a place gets hyped like this place has, a beer geek has every right to carry a set of expectations into the experience.

02-16-2009 18:51:56 | More by LeeMarvin

bigone4

Rhode Island

4.08/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Long and slender bar. Forty taps with lots of different style beers. 20 different bottles and two beer engines. Huge chalk board listing brews and ABV and price per pint. Some really special brews and hard to find beers. I had the Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic Brewing Co. There were a bunch of beers, lots of Dogfish head offerings and many more. I also had a great Milk Stout but I forgot the brewer. It was an unseasonably warm January night and they actually had the huge glass window in the front of the building open like the summer time. It was pretty busy in there but no problem getting served. The food looked and smelled really good but we were just having a few brews. Clean bathroom located down stairs. Huge painting from local artists adorned the walls. I guess they rotate the artists and all the stuff is for sale. It is a pretty nice bar with ample seating. Prices were a tad steep for some brews but not to outrageous. Some of the special beers were priced rather high for a pint or a glass. They had lots of glass wear for different beer style servings. Overall a good place with a good atmosphere and a very large selection of brews. I certainly had a great time and enjoyed the wacky weather.

01-07-2007 19:09:16 | More by bigone4

akahn

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

The Dirty Truth is my go-to place for a nice beer in Northampton. Classy, well-designed interior with room to sit down except at its busiest moments. I like it when its less busy so that I can converse with my company. A large number of taps of only really good beer, and very varied. My one dig would be that they favor stronger beers. I appreciate these beers and I like a lot of stronger styles (I'm a sucker for an imperial stout), I like more session style beers when I'm out. They do have a (excellent) cask or two on frequently, though, so that helps. Service is quality (I especially like the big guy with tattoos), they know their shit and are professional. The waiters are very attentive with the food and drinks, you never have to wait very long when you're sitting at a table. From what I've had, the food is good, and reasonably priced. Sadly, they had none of their chocolate cake on hand when I was seeking it out last time I was there. Also sad is that they don't open early enough in the day for my drinking habits. In all, I like their sister establishment, the Moan and Dove, better, it's more low-key, more my kind of place, but TDT is an excellent bar nonetheless, and there isn't much need to go anywhere else in Northampton for a beer unless I want cheap swill. Someday I will go to Northampton Brewery or that other one, but they haven't lured me away yet.

07-20-2007 01:10:27 | More by akahn