The Sierra Grille

citrusjim

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -14.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

I love a place with good food and good beer so I had high hopes here. We were there on a Monday night and the restaurant was a bit dead. The bar was busier than expected. We sat in the restaurant. The beer selection is excellent. Many drafts and bottles. I had a couple of Orvals (love to see them on the menu) and my girlfriend had a Fullers. The food was ok. I was expecting better. I think it is a little gimmicky to offer meats and sauces for you to pair up. I want the chef to do this for me. I had tuna which was not incredible. My girlfriend had steak which was cooked perfectly. We had a smoked salmon app which was ok too. The service was ok, but maybe a bit rushed. I would go back here for the bar and few apps, but would probably eat somewhere else.

07-24-2009 13:00:05 | More by citrusjim

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -13.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Open at 5 instead of 3, this was a nice looking place in a nice town. Not unfriendly, it was not as gregarious as many other smaller town or smaller city pubs. people had their cliques. Good selection of beer, if not on the cutting edge. Nice decor, but also not standout of the several decent pubs in the area. The area is college-town friendly and safe, and I imagine I would spend some time if I was here for a year. We did not eat, and I would think the food is a plus. Lots of room and set up for groups of 4 to be comfortable.

07-12-2007 02:12:29 | More by northyorksammy

far333

Connecticut

3.94/5  rDev -12.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped in on a Monday afternoon, so not too crowded. Sat in the smallish bar, which you have to walk through to get to the larger restaurant. Bright and airy, pretty comfortable, just a little too antiseptic for my tastes, but that's just me. Varied and eclectic selection on draft and in bottles. Twenty taps, all good stuff like ST Jahva, DFH 90 minute, Lagunitas, Stone, BBC, Young's double chocolate, O'Hara's celtic stout, Allagash, Chimay, Green Flash DIPA and more. Great service from knowledgeable staff. A must see/do if you're in the area.

10-23-2009 04:36:56 | More by far333

FLAbeergutinMASS

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

There are so many superlatives to describe this place. First off, the way the food is presented (option-wise) is like no other restaurant I've been too. There are several entries, meat, fish, and chicken that you can have prepared in a number of different styles and accompaniments. Large range of appetizers and starters to boot.

Beer selection is second in town, behind The Dirty Truth, but prices are second to none. The most expensive beer offered is priced no high than $6.00. Generally an Imperial pint will run you $4.50, couple this with the reasonable cost of the food and you've got a winner. Out of the five or so times I visited, the draft rotation has never been the same.

Great front bar section, in back is a nicely decorated wood finished dining area. Place is very kid friendly as well.

02-20-2007 15:58:17 | More by FLAbeergutinMASS

slander

New York

4.06/5  rDev -9.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Strong armed to second interview for a job I really didn't want and didn't up end getting anyway, I only had to drive to Chicopee, Massachusetts to have my time wasted. Mid afternoon and the interview done, a smart man would start heading south to try and get through Springfield and Hartford, and maybe even New Haven before traffic gets rush hour shitty. I'm just not that smart a man. Thinking I'll just start heading north and see what happens...

Made too good time (can you really, really?) getting up to Northampton, truthfully way too early. But using a lifeline, I was given direction around the corner and up the block to put up for a while. Sierra Grille is housed on the first floor of a big brick building across from the train station. A "Z" shaped wood bar runs the whole corner of the room and seats just more than a dozen. A large wooden framed barback holds 2 walls with mounted lamps on tiled paneled pieces, and recessed shelves over mirrors, some displaying 12 & 22 ounce beers, others showing random glassware. Tiered wine on the counters back and in racks below and stacked glassware elsewhere and around. Beige walls, wood slat floors, drop old hairdryer shaped glass lamps above the bar, and an old victrola next to the door. Seating for 4 at the bar counter in the center of the room and 4 raised bar tables up front below the large rounded arch windows, their tops crescent stained glassness with white strung Xmas lighting, and their sills lined with potted plants of all types, sizes and shapes. The larger center window bordered on both sides with bookshelf and wine rack pieces, very nicely done. The back room is split in half, with 5 booths on each side, the end booths rounded, and a dozen plus tables in the middle and throughout. Yellow walls with framed foreign beer prints.

20 taps spread across the bar. 12 in a row on a copper tower, a pair of Lindemans handles, and 6 more on a round copper tower piece. Half of them micros regional (Wachusett Octoberfest, Allagash White, BBC Steel Rail Ale, DogFishHead Johnny Rawton Pils, Victory Hop Devil, Southern Tier Pumking), and beyond (Bear Republic Racer 5, Sierra Nevada Best Bitter, North Coast Old Rasputin & Brother Thelonious Brown), the rest imports, some better than others (Urthel Hop-It, Chimay Tripel, St. B 12, Ayinger Octoberfest, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, Old Speckled Hen, O'Hara's Celtic Stout, Lindemans Peche & Framboise) and when you come to realize that the Lindemans don't cut it, they've got a black raspberry mead from Redstone Meadery (nice). I had an Urthel Hop-It and sat with the waitstaff amusing ourselves trying to figure out what made the Southern Tier Pumking so god awful. I said it tasted like circus peanut (you know, them orange marshmallowy...), but someone else hit it on the nose with "Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies", and everyone agreed "It's totally got that iced oatmeal thing!!!"

Did I mention they've got a dozen plus bottles? Orval, Tripel Karmeliet, Duvel, Rochefort 6, 8 & 10, Achel Blonde, De Ranke Guldenberg & XX Bitter, a pair from Chimay, and Eisenbahn Vigorosa & Lust Prestige. Strange, that collection of Belgians and a random pair of beers from Brazil, nevertheless...

A nice pleasant, upscale place. Beer was fresh, and they've got a great food menu, lots of very inexpensive $2 and $3 small bites (spiced olives, hummus, tapenade, empanadillas, vegetable crisps), good apps, salads, panini, some solid entrees and a variety of sauces to match, and sides. Would've like to have done a meal here but I just lunched over the second interview drama and there's a pizza in my New Haven future on the back down.

02-26-2008 03:38:38 | More by slander

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I usually hit up the Dirty Truth while in Northampton, but on this most recent visit I decided to try something new, at least for one night. Sierra Grille is right down the street, and the Dirty Truth ran out of Cantillon bottles, so here I am. Still without Cantillon bottles (dammit), but at least trying a different menu.

Plenty of seating, with a large dining area (seating for 85+) and a smaller bar area (seating for maybe 25+). The decor is comfortable, lots of woodwork and nice quality window trim, Belgian beer signs everywhere, my kind of place.

Good draft list, maybe 20 or more selections, with many of the beers available in 9oz, 16oz, or 20oz pours. Some pseudo-rarities mixed in with classics and regional specialties. Short bottle list that is heavy on rarity (Founders Nemesis 2010, all of the Lees Vintage Ale treatments, etc). No bottled lambics (dammit again), only a couple of Lindemans on tap (meh).

Excellent food, most entrees are $16-22, everything I had was well prepared and tasty. Friendly and attentive servers too.

This is a very solid stop in Northampton, better than the Dirty Truth in terms of dinners and atmosphere, not quite their equal in terms of beer (but no slouch). Definitely 1 of 2 spots to hit up for beer while in town!

10-12-2011 23:51:00 | More by TurdFurgison

Billolick

New York

4.22/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Enjoyed a great meal with the family here, very warm, inviting and pleasant spot. High quality drafts (gotta love Double Bastard on tap), also about 20 other BA quality brews. The food also was interesting and high quality. You pick what you want grilled, you pick the sauce you want it with and you pick your sides, nice. Salmon with an Asian sauce was real good. Service also friendly, laid back and efficient. All in all a very worthy and BA satisfying spot. Go and enjoy fine beer, food and atmosphere. Located 3 minutes walk from The Dirty Truth in downtown Northampton. Well worth a visit if in the Amherst area.

12-27-2006 01:48:03 | More by Billolick

mltobin

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

The list of beers from 18 taps include Arrogant Bastard, Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale, Ephemere Apple, DeRanke XX, Dogfish 60 and 90, Gritty's Black Fly Stout, Young's Oatmeal Stout, Boone's Amber Ale, Allagash White, Tripple, and Spezial Rauchbier.

When I was there, I sat at the bar and tried the mussels and fries with a glass of DeRanke. I met the owner who is originally from Bar Harbor. He is very interested in presenting good beer with a good meal. What I also like about this place is that the are willing to serve half pints of beer. Unfortuately this is not available at the Bitter Truth. Definitely have to come back with my wife for dinner and great beer. If the meals are as good as the mussels and fries I will definitely make this a regular place to go
for dinner.

03-23-2008 04:38:19 | More by mltobin

fitzy84

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Located right off Route 9 in Northampton, the Sierra Grille was an excellent dining and drinking experience. On the first floor of a triple decker building, you enter to a small bar area with probably only 3-4 tables. However, the bar itself is almost shaped like a Z against the wall, allowing over a dozen people to be sitting at the bar. The dining area is a bit small too, but this leads to a cozy atmosphere overall. I guess the restaurant is also a music venue but you might have to see that after hours. The locale was mostly college students, young professionals, academics perhaps and even families. A wide variety was good in keeping up a great heterogeneity and welcomeness.

I was incredibly impressed with the service. Not only did my waiter know a lot about the food, he had boat loads of info about the beers there. He even gave me a sample of a drink similar to the one I ordered. The drinks were impressive; no "random" selections, they were intelligent and well thought of draught and bottle selections. That evening I had the Sixpoint Bengali Tiger and had the awesome Old Chub Scottish Ale from Oskar Blues. Definitely want to return there to just sit and drink at the bar. The food too is unique too: you pick your entree with whatever sauce you want and whatever sides you want. The duck there was good and their veggies are out of this world.

Pricing is what is attractive. Beers come in various sizes, so an 8 ounce one would be 3 bucks. Desserts are small and filling at 3 bucks. Many bite size appetizers are also 3 bucks while others range from 4 to 7 bucks. Entrees ate up the chunk of the meal, but with whatever sides and sauce you want leads it to be a 15-22 dollar creation of your own.

I think the Pioneer Valley has some of the best restaurants in New England, but I must say, Sierra Grille is perhaps Northampton's, or better yet, Hampshire County's best restaurant and beer respecting dining establishment I have yet eaten in. Highly recommend.

02-18-2008 04:05:53 | More by fitzy84

deanhead

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

This was my second time dining at the Sierra Grille. I must say my spouse and I were delighted with the exquisite experience. This place came recommended by a close friend of mine who is French, and a food snob, who also enjoys fine beer.
We enjoyed the Rogue Beer Dinner that was hosted in April 2007.

Our host Obrian did a great job pairing the food with the beer selections. The first course was a BBQ chicken thigh paired with the Kells Lager. The chicken was sumptuously tender, and went very well with the Crisp, clean lager beer. It reminded me of hot summer day cookouts.

The 2nd course was the Mussel Stew with Boudin Sausage and Red Ale. There was no shortage of mussels in this stew. It was perfectly balanced with just the right amount of zip. I typically add hot sauce to my stews and soups but, this required no additional seasoning. The spiciness came forward from the back of my mouth as I enjoyed each bite. The Rogue Dry hopped red ale was a great accompaniment. It was the first time I can recall drinking a beer dry hopped with Amarillo hops, and needless to say, I'm very excite about experimenting with this hop on my basement brewery. My wife Isabel was very found of this beer, and is also looking forward to me brewing a beer with this great hop. I digress.

Course Three was over the top as far as flavor goes. We enjoyed the Old Crusty Barleywine paired with New England cheese, a rich duck liver pate, crostini and a decadent honeycomb. Oh yes, and don't forget those mini pickles that go so well with organ meats! This was by far the richest course of the evening.

The main event for me was a Hops-smoked boneless salmon steak fire-grilled and finished with a Special Bitter rhubarb fresh dill sauce, asparagus with fennel and three cheese augratin potatoes. This was paired with Rogues tasty Younger's Special Bitter. Meredith told us the fish was farm raised. I would have preferred wild salmon instead. My wife enjoyed the Hops-smoked and roasted half chicken.

Dessert was a Molten Chocolate Cake with Stout Syrup, Frangelico Whipped Cream, and Madagascar
Vanilla Gelatto paired with Rogue Chocolate Stout. This was a decadent dessert so rich that I had to leave a bite on my plate.

It was a great re-introduction to beer dinners for me. I highly recommend the Sierra Grille for dinner and beer. Obrian is highly knowledgeable when it comes to libation, food and entertaining guests. The eternally rotating taps ensure super fresh beer and something exciting with each visit.

04-02-2007 15:30:07 | More by deanhead