Blue Mountain Brewery

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I knew this place was only about 20 miles from the Stoney Creek Golf Course at the Wintergreen Resort, so we made sure we set aside some time to visit the place after our round of golf. The structure was a bit small but had high ceilings to make it look a bit bigger. The bar is small and there were a bunch of tables for diners. There were plenty of tables on the outside deck overlooking the mountains. The brewery also grows it own hops on the property, which looked like they were recently harvested.

There were 6 beers on draft the day we visited. DIPA, Full Nelson Pale Ale, Blue Mountain lager, UberPils, Rockfish Wheat, and Blido du Blanche. The beers ranged from very good to decent. There were also an additional style or two in bottles to go.

Food wise the menu is very limited, but the food we had was OK. The pizzas looked good but we didn't try them. Service was hurried due to the crowd. By the time we left people were waiting for tables.

We had a nice time here and is definitely worthy of a stop if driving around the area.

08-16-2010 15:22:14 | More by Gavage

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

En route to Asheville. First stop: Brew Ridge Trail's Blue Mountain.

Atmosphere: A stunning facility - absolutely beautiful. An outside patio overlooks the Blue Ridge, at least 20 tables at a rough count. Hop trellises run along the patio, separating the brewery from a nearby home (maybe the owners?). Inside, rich wood adorns the bar and multiple seating areas. We (ksak and I) sat outside and took in the views.

Quality: An emphasis on local and sustainable pervades the beer and the menu. Staff is friendly and the views are to die for.

Service: Friendly and generally attentive. The hostess inside and the waitress outside were both above par.

Selection: 8 beers on tap. The regular line-up was serviceable - no frills. One specialty, however, caught my eye - Isabel, a bourbon barrel aged porter with cocoa nibs and orange zest. That one was excellent, plenty of bourbon and cocoa (not so much orange though until later in the glass). They also has bottles (and cans of Full Nelson) to go. I took out a six pack of Full Nelson cans and a bottle of Dark Hollow.

Food: Sustainable. Our nachos featured local salsa that was quite good (even the pickled jalapenos worked). That's all we had but there was a full menu.

The best views of the BRT, hands down. I can't wait to return for a pint on that porch.

05-29-2012 00:07:23 | More by akorsak

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$$

This was our first stop on our way to the Sexual Chocolate release. What a great discovery!

From the road, this reminded us of a Napa/Sonoma winery. An unassuming building with a small sign on a lightly populated country road. Inside we were greeted by more of the same. A nice 12 stool bar, a bunch of high top tables, a fire in the hearth. Very warm and welcoming.

BMB has a nice lineup of well made beers. My favorite was the Full Nelson pale. Vickie loved the Chocolate Pumpkin Porter. The rest of the lineup was solid.

We had a great meat and cheese plate, all fresh and local and tasty. The rest of the menu looked very nice, though I was a bit put off by the fact that all pizzas were $20.

Service was pleasant. I look forward to stopping in again. Great place!

HV

02-12-2010 17:20:02 | More by sholland119

blackie

Virginia

4/5  rDev -2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

just about a 20 minute drive from Charlottesville, Blue Mountain is relatively easy to find, looks a bit like a house from the road, the dining hall/barroom are combined into one square spacey room with a small nook offering a couple couches, modern decor and a feel that the place hasn't quite been broken in, there's a bit of the echo chamber effect in here but I'm comfortable enough, feels at times like a living room that has been converted into a restaurant, pretty sunny with windows spread around - but not large enough to take advantage of the mountain view, outside on the porch is the place to be - great vista of a big east coast mountain across the two-lane highway, but even there though I don't find anything unique in the atmosphere to really set the place apart

on tap at the time of my visit were 6 house beers and a couple specialties available in bottle, no issues with quality to speak of, pricing was very fair with nothing breaching the $5 price placed on large serving sizes

service was good but certainly not great, the basics were provided for without really ever reaching above

the cheese plate on my first visit was healthily portioned if a bit on the tame size as far as the cheeses were concerned, regardless it was a hearty snack for two with three cheeses, three meats, bread, and a couple fruits; on a later visit I had the daily special - curried chicken wrap with potato salad, it was pretty delicious and very filling

I haven't been, but fyi, Devil's Backbone - another brewpub - is just 30 minutes past Blue Mountain.

08-02-2009 14:13:04 | More by blackie

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I have visited this establishment twice since it's opening, once in February '08 and once in September '08.

Just a few miles from Rockfish Gap entrance to Skyline Drive, we found Blue Mountain Brewery and Hops Farm - a brewery and pub with a real farm look to it! 200 hop vines adorn the font of the property.

The building is anchored on one end with a large barn-like area for the brewing, and long extension with a welcoming large front porch. It was dark when we arrived, and the warm glow of interior lighting streamed from the multiple windows and doors.

Inside there was an angled bar with seating for 8, and 8-10 tables of varying sizes with bench seating. Comfortable couches and chairs provided seating adjacent to the fireplace, and we noticed a little sitting nook in the back (next to the kitchen) that looked like it just jumped out of an episode of Trading Spaces. Beer literature and brewing books were placed on coffee tables and shelves. The yellow walls and warm lighting made the place feel very welcoming, and the high ceilings gave an illusion that the place is bigger than it really is.

Blue Mountain Brewery was packed when we arrived, but we did locate two seats at the wood-topped bar, which isn't too high, and doesn't have a lip, so eating at it is easy.

Pints on a Wednesday night are $3.

All of the beers I have had here have been good or better. I enjoyed the Harvest edition of Full Nelson and the Summer Weizenbock very much.

Our service was not so great the first time, tender was a bit inattentive but the second time it was wonderful. So an overall good rating is fair.

We have been generally impressed by the food menu. For instance, we started with the Puree of Parsnip Soup. It was AMAZING! With little flakes of dried sage and drops of truffle oil, this was a perfect starter on a cold night. It is one of the best soups I've had in awhile. There were plenty of interesting things on the menu - the fruit and cheese board looked tasty and generous, and highlighted local cheeses. There was a roasted veggie pizza that I wanted to photograph! The crust was so very thin that it looked like a sand tart cookie. Every inch of the pizza was covered in goodness - a cilantro pesto, roasted yellow squash and zucchini, onions, mushrooms, mozerella and tomatoes - and the whole thing was littered with dollops of goat cheese and sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Sandwiches on ciabatta bread like the sandwich made with Kite's Virginia Ham or the vege sandwich of avocado, sprouts, tomato, hummus and cucumber.

A nice place with good food, good beer, nice atmosphere and a bucolic country setting. I look forward to my next BMB visit very much.

12-08-2008 14:34:41 | More by Deuane

Seanibus

California

4.2/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I love this place. It's cute, warm, and welcoming, with a great porch where you can relax and watch the lovely Blue Ridge Mountains. The owners are friendly and the staff is informal but enthusiastic. The food is simple, really just high end bar snacks in most cases, but it is well executed and the owners are committed to using local and regional ingredients where possible. And the beer is just luscious - the Full Nelson pale Ale is one of my favorite pale ales anywhere and the rest are nearly as good. The only downside is that the owners were too modest in their expectations for the business and grossly underestimated how busy they would be. That means that it is often quite crowded and parking can be a hassle, even with the expanded parking lot they were eventually forced to build. But it is crowded for a good reason - this is an excellent brew pub and well worth a diversion out of your way if you're in the Charlottesville or Staunton area. I make it a point to stop in every time I am in the area visiting my family.

12-18-2008 21:12:18 | More by Seanibus

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Another drive for me, but still worth it. A nice smallish place nestled in a mountain valley surrounded by wineries and nature. At the bar, where I am usually situated, the always friendly and attentive staff serves up the goodness in its proper glassware. The 'tenders are also very knowledgable about the beers. I love that. Not only do you have the option of the six taps (one's usually a nitro), but they've got a cooler storing their sixers, bottles, and cans, some for take-out, others for on-site consumption. A few programs, like "Steal the Glass" and the Mug Club serve to cement them in the community, building a nice local following. Definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in the greater Shenandoah area.

07-12-2010 01:32:25 | More by TMoney2591

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

We sidetracked here for some dinner on a recent trip down I-81. I must say that this is quite the picturesque location, nestled amidst the wine country at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. When you first drive up, the place looks like someone's house attached to the brewery, with plenty of outdoor seating. Walking inside though, I immediately like the atmosphere. Very spacious feeling, with high ceilings and a ton of tables, benches, and comfy chairs and couches to relax on. Earthy colors and local art on the walls, gives things a classy yet very relaxed feel. The presentation of the beer itself was nicely done as well. A nice looking good sized bar sits at the front, with the brew house visible through the glass behind it, and the stocked 2-Go cooler accessible to the left.

The draft beer selection consisted of their four primary bottled offerings plus two Stouts that I tried a 10 oz pour of each, the Dark Russian RIS, and it's barrel-aged version, the Dark Hollow. I enjoyed both big Stouts but they were served on nitro, something I'm not a big fan of. I was hoping for maybe more than two brewery only releases on tap but I was more than happy with the ones that were on. Food here was good as well. They offer a more limited standard menu of appetizers, sandwiches, and pizza but also have some daily specials as well. We opted for their flat bread pizza of the day, which contained pepperoni, mushrooms, and freshly chopped jalapeno peppers. Tasty but hot! Service here was great. Our guy was the only one waiting on the inside and outside seating but did a great job of hustling and we never had to wait long for his attention. Super friendly too! It's always nice when you leave and not only does the staff say goodbye to you but also the locals sitting at the bar as well!

This was a really nice stop and one that we were glad that we made. Good beer and food with a super relaxed atmosphere and friendly vibe. That's all that we ever ask out of a beer stop. We'll be back.

04-22-2009 14:36:42 | More by Kegatron

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.63/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | $$

Traveled here with capra12, mday, and Azurelimits on our way to a beer release.

This place is right down the mountain from Devil's Backbone, another brewpub tucked away in the Shanendoah valley area. Blue Mountain brewery, from the moment you pull into the lot, just seems like an incredible place to sit, relax, have a beer, and take in the amazing view all around you. There's an inside brewpub/restaurant and a large outside seating area. The place is quite big but it somehow gives off a sense of homeliness.

The beer is very solid but nothing relaly to write home about. The Mandolin that I had was pretty tasty along with a Belgian Wit and a Wheat beer that were both solid. However, at the same time, nothing was eye-opening or particularly outstanding.

Service was good. We were seated quickly and orders were taken and drinks were delivered in a very timely manner. Nothing to complain about. And given the size of the crowd on the particular Saturday afternoon, the brewpub was very well staffed.

The selection is standard for a brewpub. 6 of their own offerings with no guest tap. Nothing much else to say here.

Although I didn't actually order any food, I did get a chance to check out what others around me were eating. The cheese plate along with the hummus... aka. the beer pairing foods looked particularly appetizing and were expertly presented.

Prices were reasonable. $5 for a sample flight and around $4 or $5 for a pint.

The Shanendoah valley area and all of its brewpubs/restaurants are well worth visiting, if not just for the naturally beauty of the mountain and rolling hills sprawled out in front of you. The brewpubs in this context are just a really nice bonus. The Blue Mountain brewery is one of the nicer places here though.

07-18-2011 02:05:41 | More by SpeedwayJim

IBUnit63

Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

If you're in the Charlottesville area, I recommend a stop in here to sample fresh Blue Mountain wares. It's a 20-minute drive from C-Ville out in the country in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains. Lots of farms, even some wineries out here. The converted farmhouse has the brewery on the left side and the tasting room on the right. Very new-looking with nice polished light wooden furniture and fixtures (including the bar).

Service yesterday wasn't bad, but it looked like the place was a little jammed for a Friday afternoon with a big 10 or 12-top so the bartender had the run of the entire place and she was really hustling. Hey, I can wait an extra couple of minutes for another pint so ain't no thang. Everyone was very friendly and courteous.

I had the Dark Russian, the Kolsch and the Dark Hollow. Both RIS were on nitro. They were all quite enjoyable. Other taps included the Evil 8, Full Nelson and the Lager...I think that was it.

After a few pints I thought a snack may help, so I ordered a cup of chili. Not too bad.

Prices are reasonable at $4 a pint for regular offerings and $5 for the RIS examples. 6-packs are $7.50-$8.50, which is a couple bucks cheaper than in local stores. Good tunes...I thought I hear some Dead in there, and a very relaxing and congenial atmosphere. A very enjoyable side trip, with great beer. What's wrong with that?

04-04-2009 20:18:22 | More by IBUnit63