British Beer Company

FoodiePilgrim

Massachusetts

4.86/5  rDev +21.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | $$

The BBC Plymouth, aka the Snug, is two different places depending on the season, and it's literally two different places between the bar and the upstairs area.

I always go upstairs, where there are big chairs and a fireplace and dartboards - I like the clubby atmosphere. It's a great place to relax and have real conversation and even negotiations.

In the winter, they very often have a cask-conditioned ale for the weekend. It's always expertly poured and it's always something interesting, usually pretty local.

There are several fine beer taverns in Plymouth, but I always come back to the BBC.

03-08-2013 18:25:05 | More by FoodiePilgrim

arktos

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +25%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

The original BBC. Yeah, it's wicked small... so what, don't care. Yeah they don't serve food... so what, doesn't matter. Gets crowded but have never had a problem getting served. Staff is always friendly, knowledgeable and easy to strike up conversation with. They've got a wide range of selections from local and beyond - always top quality and thoughtfully chosen. The best hangout in the area, tried and true and never disappointing. A comfortable cozy hole in the wall, great place to park yourself and warm up with a few pints... make sure to save me a spot.

02-25-2012 17:44:01 | More by arktos

Gushue3

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

I stopped by here Saturday night with some friends and had a great time. Was really packed when we came in but after grabbing our drinks we headed upstairs where it was alot more comfortable with lots of big chairs and tables. 2 dartboards were open so we started playing.

They had 2 casks going and 10+ drafts. Some of the more memorable brews they had were Bruery 4 Calling Birds, 3 or 4 mayflower beers (one of which was a cask) and Troegs Java Head on cask. Nothing mind blowing but definitely a solid lineup.

The chill upstairs with couches and darts made it a successful night. If we were downstairs it would have been a short outing with how crowded it was down there.

11-28-2011 18:48:48 | More by Gushue3

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.4/5  rDev +10%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$$

The wife and I were on our way to Provincetown from York Beach, Maine, through Newburyport, Mass., and the Parker River Refuge. I looked at a map and saw Plymouth. Wait! I wanna go… the Founding Fathers! The Rock! And the Mayflower too…

And some beer! What’s with this British Beer Company? We looked around Plymouth and stopped at BBC. This is a tiny pub, just a hole in the wall. Same inside… a small bar packed with locals watching football, plus an upstairs “lounge” with some sofas. The whole thing reminded me of the pirate taverns of Fells Point in Baltimore. You could hear the roar from the dead-silent street…

The upstairs lounge was the real thing for us, empty and cozy, with an old grandfather’s clock and portraits of Churchill and Thomas More by Hans Holbein. Service was real nice at the downstairs bar, with a preppy college dude ready to pour beer. No food at this location (the other 9 locations do have a full menu), and somewhat high prices: $6 for a Mayflower IPA, $7 for a snifter of Moylan’s Hopsickle. Beer menu is updated online, which is always helpful.

The taps: Avery Kaiser, Dogfish Punkin, Dogfish 60, Coney Island, Anderson Valley, Kentucky Bourbon, Moylan's Hopsickle, Mayflower IPA, Southern Tier Pumpkin… plus Guinness, Bass and some Euros for the crowd.

If I lived around Plymouth, I'd be here every other day. As a visitor, I will make a point of coming here next time I'm around Cape Cod. Worth a visit, and then some.

11-10-2011 21:31:01 | More by DoubleSimcoe

KBrennan1000

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

There have been several occasions where my girlfriend and I have traveled to Plymouth specifically to hang out at this BBC. We have one in Hyannis which is solid but Plymouth tends to have more of the hard to find beers that we enjoy. It is quite small and can be a bit overwhelming if it gets a little busy. I haven't checked out the upstairs yet but I plan to. The bartenders seem to know their stuff and are pretty friendly and engaging. This is definitely a good place to grab a drink, even if you're 45 minutes away.

01-22-2011 17:35:38 | More by KBrennan1000

Chincino

Massachusetts

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

I've been to a few of the British Beer Company locations in the area and I've been to the one in Plymouth on numerous occasions.
I think this is definitely a place to check out if you're in the plymouth area. They usually don't have a very large selection of beers on-tap, but the ones they do have are usually decent.

One of the drawbacks to this location is that it is a lot smaller than the others so it can be crowded and when it is crowded it can be difficult to get a beer in a timely manner.

One big plus to this location is the area they have on the second floor where you can sit and relax on one of the couches and have a brew and play one of the games they have to choose from including chess, checkers, and connect 4. You can also play darts at one of the two dart boards they have on the wall on the second floor. If you have a group of friends just hanging out the second floor is the place to go at this establishment.

Overall this place is decent and worth checking out if you're in Plymouth, but it is not my favorite of the BBC's.

12-05-2010 14:58:19 | More by Chincino

masshlx

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +25%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I was here, with family, just after opening this past Friday. I live a few towns away, have been to other BBC locations, but never this one. I obviously have been missing out on a treat. It's kinda a hole in the wall, off Main Street, in the center of town. The bar itself is real small, but has a touch of old pub feel to it. A spiral staircase leads up to what could be called a library, with big chairs, tables, dart boards and a tv. Bobby , who was manning the house while we were there, was friendly, knowledgeable and attentive (granted, we were the only ones there at this early time, but he could have just as easily done busy work, but instead chatted us up). One member of the party was a wine drinker, he knew just the right selection for her.
I tried Mayflower IPA and DFH 90 (a treat from the tap), both in excellent shape. There were at least a dozen other brews on tap, plenty of good selections for everybody.

Heads up, Mayflower Summer Rye was being delivered while we were there, told it would be tapped within a few days.

If your'e looking for someplace different, than the ordinary, this is the place. I'm hoping to get back here real soon.

05-16-2010 12:03:12 | More by masshlx

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$

As a beer geek born and raised on the south shore this is arguably my favorite bar (the other being Union Brewhouse). It has more charm and is ultimately unique to the BBC chain.

If you've been to the other BBC locations this one is smaller, cozier, but doesn't have as much beer and no food. The downstairs is a typical cramped bar but upstairs has leather seats, darts, and a fireplace that is usually on in the winter. It looks just like an archetypal English pub. It's homey.Taps are traditional UK pub ales i.e. Speckled Hen, Belhaven, Boddington's, etc. with the local fav Mayflower IPA. Every once and awhile they have special events like a Dogfish Head 75 minute maple IPA cask or Mayflower promotions.

Some BBC Plymouth stories from some one who has spent a lot of time there:

During the 2007 World Series, there was hardly anyone in the bar and the bartender came up, "hey I ordered pizza for you guys, come and get it when you're ready." Sweet!

When I first discovered wits I drank so much Hoegaarden I had acid reflux for 2 days.

Don't stand under the spiral staircase or you will get beer down your back.

If you're looking for quiet, low-key pub night this is your bar.

02-03-2010 15:36:44 | More by donkeyrunner

CavePainter

Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -15.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3 | $$

Of all the BBCs I've visited, this one is my favorite.

Small and quirky - the staff is friendly and the atmosphere quaint. This is the perfect place to stop over for a pint on a rainy Monday. There are always a few older gentleman nursing beers in here during the day.

There is live music played upstairs. A cool spiral staircase gets you up there.

Prices are reasonable and the beer selection is about as you are going to get on the Plymouth Waterfront. While there isn't a tremendous variety here, what they have is quality.

So if you find yourself stranded and parched near Plymouth Rock, you can always stop here for a brew.

06-18-2009 18:13:43 | More by CavePainter

SMADMS

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -10.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$$

Frequent flyer at the British Beer Co locations however I had never been to this one before, strange as I live about a mile down the road and walk past it every weekend...This location does not have the expansive bar that the Walpole Ma location has but it has charm. This place is a hallway with 2 tables against the wall and seats for around a dozen at the bar. There is a lounge upstairs however I did not climb the circular staircase. 17 taps offer something for everyone, Belhaven, Guiness, Dogfish and an Avery Belgian Strong Ale which I recommend to name a few (Cask Condition Old Thumper coming Friday 7/11) The bartender was very attentive (little busy 12-15 people over 1hr that I was there) The prices are high but where else can you go and get a selection like this. The walls are covered in old English style advertisements and little saying written on the walls. No food at this location. Overall this location is for the drinker and that's it. The British Beer Co has always been a great spot for the beer drinker and this location is no exception

07-09-2008 11:21:33 | More by SMADMS