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

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

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Probably my favorite overall place to go for beer. Atmosphere is usually fine, this place is not usually overly packed or filled with people that make you want to leave (see: Dirty Truth), it has a nice layout with the bar and a good amount of tables, cool bottle collection behind the bar and a good location, live local music sometimes too. Quality is great, all the beer I have had here was fresh and full of flavor, no problems to report here. Lots of good glassware for the beer too and proper glasses for each style of beer they serve. Service is awesome, every time I have been here I have talked craft beer with the manager(?) who runs the bar area along with the bartender, he knows tons about craft beer and seems to have visited all the big breweries in the US/know many people in the craft beer world. He has also given my friends and I several free samples of new bottles he has. The only thing that can get iffy here is having only 2-3 people running the bar area during a busy night can mean a long time between visits from the server/bartender, but you can easily just go up to the bar and flag him down and be fine. Food can take a long time to get too. Selection is great, had Kentucky Breakfast Stout bottles for $5 less than The Dirty Truth when it was around, seems like beer here is usually $1-3 less than at TDT. Can find stuff here like Avery, DFH, Founders, Stone, Weihenstephan, JW Lees, La Trappe, Duvel, Westmalle and so on. They dont have the most taps or the biggest bottle list but I have been satisfied every time I have visited and it seems like the draft lists changes fairly often, bottle list is kind of stagnant though. Food is great, late at night there is an appetizer list and I have had a few things off it and they were all creative and delicious, the entrees are good too and the prices are not bad for the quality of the food. Good beer prices and decent food prices for value here.

09-02-2009 19:12:53 | More by cbutova

sraimondi

Connecticut

4.74/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$

UPDATE: June 12, 2007

Stopped here last week, while in the area on some business. I was only able to stay for a couple and some roasted wings, which were outstanding as usual

Drafts on during my visit were:

De Rankee XX
DFH Indian Brown
Arrogant Bastard
Hooker Oak Aged Liberator
Old Speckled Hen
Racer 5
Erdinger Hefe Weissen
Rogue Chipotle
Stone Russian Imperial Stout
O'Hara's Irish Stout
Fuller's London Porter
BBC Steel Rail Pale Ale
Brooklyn Pilsner
Great Divide Wild Raspberry
La Chouffe Houblan IPA
Framboise Lambic
Framboise Peche
Allagash White
Chimay Blue
Brother Theolonius Brown

I had time to have a Fuller's LP and a DFH Indian Brown. Yummy.

Keep up the good work Obrian.

Cheers, Steve


I ended a mini crawl in Northampton recently at The Sierra Grill--my first visit to this beer mecca. Am I glad that I stopped here before heading back to CT!

20 Draught lines, 19 in service during my visit:

BBC Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale, Raspberry Wheat & Maibock
Dogfish Head 60 & 90 Minute and Hopricot
Stone Arrogant Bastard
Boont Amber Ale
Rogue XS--Old Crustacean
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Fuller's London Porter
Old Speckled Hen
O'Hara's Irish Stout
Lindeman's Framboise Lambic & Peche Lambic
Meredsous 10
Delerium Tremens
Allagash White
St. Bernadous 12 ABT

I must say that this selection is one of the best I have ever seen in a "small" venue, especially being in the Northeast. As you would hope, the two beers I had (Fuller's (the quintessential Porter) & Peche Lambic) were served in the proper glassware & at the right temperature. I didn't have time to eat, but the food selection looked yummy too. I will be sure to try the food next time I am there.

I also had the good fortune to meet the proprietor, Obrian. He was very approachable & nice, and clearly is a beer advocate, himself. The bar tender, Susanne, also knew her beer stuff and was very pleasant.

All in all, a great experience. This is a real beer destination. If you are near Northampton, you MUST stop in. If you are not in the Northampton area, get there anyway. This place is a beer oasis; one of the best beer venues of its size I have ever been to. No kidding!!

Steve

05-13-2007 23:49:13 | More by sraimondi

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Very cozy bar atmosphere here. Dimly lit, wood everywhere. What really makes it is all the nostalgic beer and wine decor. Gives it a slight classic, old-timey feel. The crowd is always low-key and amiable. I struck up some nice beer conversation with the bartender. He was very pleasant and enthusiastic. Waitresses were very attentive as well. It's one of those places where they fill your water after every sip.

The beer is very well looked after, and the selection is great. There are about twenty carefully chosen taps and the occasional cask, and the bottles menu is small but impressive. Noteworthy beers on tap last time I was there: Avery Maharaja, Chimay White, Tripel Karmeliet, Allagash White, Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout, Oharas Celtic stout, Weihenstephan Hefeweizen, and a smattering of Kriek and lambic. The bottle menu had a few diamonds in the rough too: the whole Rochefort lineup, Founders Nemesis '10, BBC Gude Greg's Scotch ale, and others. Most beers are available in a variety of pour sizes, and pricing is extremely fair on the beer. Rochefort 10 was available for $8. That's only about $1 more than I can get it for at the liquor store.

The food was very good, and pretty fairly priced, considering the quality. The menu is set up so that one chooses an entree, then picks a sauce and two sides to go with it. I chose King Salmon with a Mediterranean sauce, roasted potatoes, and asparagus. This paired well enough with a Tripel Karmeliet. Dessert was a warm, chocolatey stout brownie with whipped cream, caramel, and vanilla gelato. It was excellent, and enhanced nicely by the Ohara's Celtic stout that I enjoyed alongside it.

This is, in my opinion, one of the very elite bar/restaurants in a city chock full of them. In terms of selection only the Dirty Truth can beat them, but to be frank, I'd much rather be here. They host excellent beer dinners in the fall too, so be on the lookout for those. They are to die for.

08-27-2011 16:41:52 | More by ryan1788a5

LeeMarvin

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

My friend brought me here during my last visit to Noho. The owner has worked for area craft brewers and has also worked at some of the best restaurants that the Happy Valley has to offer. He's taken the knowledge of these two fields and has created a restaurant the likes of which I haven't seen before. The beer selection is exceptional, featuring an ever changing lineup of craft brews spanning a variety of styles. While there I tried a Brother Thelonius, but settled into a Rasputin for my meal, which consisted of beautiful pork medallions cooked in a wine reduction sauce. This place has amazing food and gifted chefs. The atmosphere is classy but casual and the prices won't break the bank. Definitely the best balance of excellent beer, excellent food and excellent service I've found in a restaurant to date.

01-09-2007 00:20:13 | More by LeeMarvin

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.78/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Clean, comfortable, cool looking place inside. This is a beer nerd's wet dream. Proper glassware, not a single tap wasted. Around 15 taps with a decent botle list as well. Had a Duvel Green and a Double Bastard on tap while I was there. Offbeat selections that I haven't found anywhere else. If you are in Northampton this bar and the Dirty Truth are a must. I'v never been int he seating area so this is only a review of the bar area. The bartenders are all very nice, friendly, and knowledgable. Not the largest selection but solid off beat beers which are hard to find anywhere else. The food is very good and everything is priced reasonably. Habanero cheddar wings are awesome.

02-17-2010 16:21:17 | More by DNICE555

Chico1985

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

I've been here probably around 20 times now. And since I live a mere 5 miles away now, this has become a pretty regular stop (maybe twice a week.) Pretty fancy place. Beer selection is good, but the 15 or so taps don't seem to change very often. Pretty usual to find offerings from Stone, Dogfish Head, Southern Tier, Fullers, Port, Berkshire, Bear Republic, Lagunitas, etc. Bottle list is small but nice with all the Rocheforts, Duvel, FBS + KBS when they're in season, and more. Everything is always served in appropriate glassware. The prices for the beers are great, the bottles are usually barely more expensive than they are in the stores, and the tap list is also nicely priced with many beers giving you a choice of 8, 16, or 20 ounce servings usually in the 3-6 dollar price range. Great for just trying out a beer if you're curious or getting a big glass of one of your favorites. The food here is amazing, pricey but its hard to complain for the quality of what you're getting. If you're not in the mood for a $20+ meal they have plenty of small foods and desserts that are anywhere from 3-10 dollars, still excellent quality of course. Some of my favorites on the cheaper side of their menu are the duck confit panini and the creme brulee made with Allagash White.

06-27-2010 04:23:20 | More by Chico1985

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

GweedoeBRew

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

My wife and I just had dinner there tonight! GREAT!! A+

Not the best Beer Selection I have ever seen, but very good. A nice selection of Imports (Chemey, Fullers, etc...) and great selection of interesting American Craft Beers. I enjoyed 2 pints of the Mercury Brewing Co's Clown Shoes Black IPA that they had just put on tap today... and a pint of the Berkshire Brewing Company's Dry Hopped Barleywine.

The Food was great! I really thought the idea of building you own meal is awesome. You select a protein (meats), then a sauce and two sides for a very reasonable price. I had the Duck and it was great. My wife order the special Mashed Potatoes... they were Horseradish Mashed...and they were the best Mashed Potatoes I have ever had (if someone from Sierra Grille reads this please put it on the menu FULL TIME!! I would drive up from Boston just to have them again!!!).

I had the Allagash White Creme Brulee and it was very good and the $3 deserts were perfectly sized.... The Food is great here.

For those of you who have significant others who aren't beer drinkers... They have a full bar... and a great wine selection...

The Service was great too... We had Douglas and he seemed very knowledgeable of the beer selection and menu. As well he had an awesome personality!!! I would definitely recommend if you are going there on a weekend night to call and make a reservation. I am glad that we did... there were a lot of people waiting for seats when we got there... and we got right in!!

The Cost is Reasonable for what it is... some people might think that $60 - $90 is pricey for 2 people, but with 4 drinks total, an appetizer, meals, and deserts... I think it was a great value.

I would definitely recommend having dinner and beers here and hope to be back the next time I come to Northampton!

03-06-2010 02:15:50 | More by GweedoeBRew