Moat Mountain Smoke House & Brewing Co.

far333

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -13.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Stopped in on a Friday night on the way to a NH ski weekend. Big roomy place in an old converted house. Service mishaps began with a crowded waiting area and no hostess in sight for over 15 minutes. We were able to get two seats in the bar and got a few beers quickly.

Tried quite a few styles, good selection available - brown ale, pale ale, porter, stout, red, export lager - but I must say that none of the beers were anything special. None had much aroma or body, and flavors were muted. The pale ale was billed as hoppy by the server but it was nearly an extra pale. The red was billed as robust and aggressive, but it was timid at best. I couldn't tell if the stout was dry or imperial. The porter was tasty but could have used more roasty flavor. A request for a taster glass was met with a confused look and a finger point to the 8-glass sampler plank hanging on the wall. A taste of the export lager indicated that it might be a tasty selection, so we ordered it, but the server brought the red instead. We chose to drink it and remain silent about the mistake rather than waste a fresh beer.

The saving grace was the food, which was very good. The chili nachos were huge and loaded with chunks of delicious smoked pork. The meatloaf dinner was better than homemade, and the steak frites arrived perfectly cooked and dressed.

Had to wait a while to pay and leave since the server disappeared for ten minutes and then had to be signalled with a flare gun to come back to our area. Consider it a good place to stop for a tasty bite with some fresh local beer as an accompaniment, but not a beer destination.

03-14-2010 17:07:20 | More by far333

paulie

Connecticut

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

We pass by the Moat on the way to and from the White Mountains area and have taken to stopping in to have growlers filled each time. The overall beer selection is solid, although a bit small and tilted toward local brews. (Whether this is good or bad depends on your taste; we are not big fans of the standard New England / Pugsley style.) There is always something worthwhile on the beer menu.

They keep 5 or 6 taps running with their own brews. Mostly standard styles and mostly a good, solid "B" for quality. That is, I don't think I'd drive too far out of my way to get it, but it is awfully nice to have it available near my favorite vacation spot. The brown ale is malty and flavorful. The pale has enough hops to merit the name. Etc. Definitely worth a stop or a growler refill if you are driving by.

(One note of caution: The daytime bartender can be funny about growlers. They have strict rules: they won't fill other breweries' growlers, they won't rinse growlers, etc. Transgress a rule and he gets testy. He also holds very strong opinions about how growlers need to be handled after filling and is NOT open to discussion about them. Just go with the flow here. Bring in clean Moat growlers and don't argue and he'll fill you right up with good, tasty beer.)

We finally stopped in for lunch on Sunday. Above-average pub food and some unusual menu items. My pork-n-kraut was very nice. My son's pulled pork sliders were outstanding. My wife's hamburger a bit overcooked but still good. Prices reasonable. Service attentive if a little busy. Atmosphere is rustic, but the mountain view is good and the ambience is a bit more "real" than that of the faux-rustic tourist joints all around it. You can tell that the locals eat here as well.

Overall, a solid "B". Not a romantic destination or a beer-geek mecca, but nice place for a meal or a beer after a day in the mountains.

02-24-2010 12:29:53 | More by paulie

JimmyK77

Delaware

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

I went here after hiking up to Tuckerman's Ravine. Since it is a smoke house, the wood smoke smell greets when you as soon as you step out of your car. The location, a 150 year old building with views of Mt Washington, adds warmth and character to the establishment. The interior is bright from large windows facing the White Mountains, but also from the white painted walls. I would have picked a more rustic color since white seemed to clash with the age of the building.

They had a good selection of beer, including seasonals and a cask pump. Some standard and slightly unusual beer creations to suit different tastes, but nothing really crazy. I sat at the bar and the bartender was attentive. It was not crowded when I was there. I had a wood-grilled pizza that was very tasty. Both the food and beer were wonderful after a day hiking.

This place also has five guest rooms if your interested in staying there.

10-15-2009 16:43:30 | More by JimmyK77

Kinsman

New Hampshire

4.3/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

For the past few years I have always enjoyed going to the Moat, even before I was 21. I find the food to be some of the best pub fare in the Mt. Washington Valley, and the beer just makes it that much better. Always a great selection of food and beer to be found, and a great wait staff make it overall a great experience.

While the beer menu varies quite a lot, local favorites like the Iron Mike Pale Ale and Hoffman Weiss can almost always be found.

The place can get very busy during the main tourist seasons (summer, fall foliage, and ski season) but hit it at the right time and you'll be glad you did.

09-21-2009 00:37:44 | More by Kinsman

FrankLloydMike

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +21.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $

How I have gone so long without reviewing this place is shameful. I first experienced Moat Mountain beers at the Blue Mermaid in Portsmouth, and finding them delicious and their taps attractive, I looked them up. Upon finding that they had a small inn above the brewpub and restaurant, my girlfriend and I quickly planned a trip in the summer of 2007. We've been back every summer since, and avoided the two mistakes made on our first trip: (1) staying only one night, and (2) not having dinner there.

The Moat is great for a number of reasons, but the first is the beer. This is some phenomenal stuff, and I get choked up just thinking about the crisp, fresh brew hitting the back of my throat after a long drive up. The Iron Mike Pale Ale is a great version of my standby style, but all the beers are excellent and well-made examples of their respective styles. Get the sampler, and pick your favorites. None will disappoint.

There is a selection of bottles and guest taps, but aside from the local Tuckerman Pale Ale, none are worth trying. Stick to the Moat beers, which are all extremely cheap, and they alone make the selection here a 5.

The Moat is also great because of the food. The menu is an eclectic mix of mostly smoky variations on typical dishes, but my favorite by far is the mango salsa-topped smoked salmon. This is like no other salmon I've had, and is served over rice and beans. Again, all the food is good. The chips and salsa are an especially nice appetizer/snack.

The restaurant is a collection of older rooms, some with folksy painting on the walls, and an enclosed wrap-around porch. It's airy, but cozy. The bar is in the back, and the bar itself is noteworthy: it is a sculptural, smooth poured concrete top with a base made of old doors. The room, itself, has a low-ceiling with mugs hanging over the bar, and a nice view of the vats in the basement. Unfortunately, there are a few TVs, which spoil the vibe a bit for me. Still, the good far outweighs the bad.

The service here is friendly and attentive. The servers are not overbearing, but helpful and quick. You should make a point of spending at least one night here. Like the beer, it's underpriced and worth much more. There are just a handful of rooms above the restaurant, and nothing beats having dinner on the porch, moving to the bar for a night of delicious beer, and climbing the creaky old stairs to retire for the night.

Having just returned from my annual pilgrimage, I am already longing for next year. I miss the Moat, but I resolve until I next return to its restorative elixir to Fear No Beer.

08-14-2009 19:38:45 | More by FrankLloydMike

slander

New York

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

Bar.
Buh.
Cue.
Something, 15, I think.

Started behind schedule and slipped further in with each stop along the way. In all fairness, I did come in from the coast way up and around the bend, and I did a pretty good job at not lunching hard at that last place, just a bowl of the strangest soup I've ever had and a sampler and out. Maine's only like 5 inches across east to west on the map, so I didn't think it was going to take this kind of time to get out to New Hampshire, and I'm just dropping in over the line. And it being Friday and 5 and all...

Big old Victorian house on a poorly numbered stretch of an outlet town beneath white capped mountains, made easily identifiable by the ski lift out front ala The Diamond. Restaurant up front and bar area to the rear, approached just as the work day's done, the barkers arriving, their colored balloons. Strangely configged, it's a double sided, laminated concrete topped bar with a base of old doors, seating nearly a dozen on my side and 8 across the way, but you have to go all the way around the all the way around to get to the other side.

Rows of undoubtably personally decorated ceramic mug club mugs hooked on cables in rows over the bar, done up with paint pens, markers, stickers, anything and everything to ID yours. Colored rim martini and margarita glasses line the perimeter and tiered booze on the end. Track disc spots strung above the bar seating and on the far wall, and flat screens here and there. Panel wood wall, beige painted with white trim and plank wood floors. Behind me, a sunken glass front brew room with bar counter seating for a dozen running an "L" along it; a single glass top raised table in the far corner, and 4 notched rounded hightops on the far wall around the other side.

Wandered through to see what I can see up front. Think of an old house with a center staircase and rooms running a ring all around it, and that's this. First the mural room, 10 tables on a bend wrapping around, wrapping around, a fireplace, lantern lit, bright, colorful. Forward from there is the fish room up front, much smaller, a handful of tables here, with fish pieces on the walls and in the windows, continue on around the front across the other side to the purple room, 10 tables running back to the fireplace/wood stove, potted plants, nice décor, and behind that, what they call the garage, vintage placards of all sorts and a ½ dozen tables. And then a dozen tables in a side room running pretty much the length of the place. Nicely done up all in all, I'm just wondering about the beer and a bite, so back to the bar for me.

Towers of 6 on both ends and a handpump on my side, was a Lager but it's kicked now. 6 full time beers that are the sampler (Hoffman Weiss, nice bananaee flavor & good cloviness, a solid Hefe; Iron Mike Pale Ale, some good hoppiness, but bitter, too, seems more IPAlike; Wheat Bock, fruity, deep & sweet, a good Weizenbock; Bear Peak Brown, chocolatey pleasant brownness; Rauchbier, not really rauchy, nope, no smoke nothin'; Square Tail Stout, lactic notniceness, sweet, sickly Satan), and 2 seasonals not on the sampler dealt supplemental (Imperial Stout, tasty, not inky, not licoricey, not alcohollly, a solid brew; Belgian Triple, saw it's murkiness and was scared for the gout toe. I'm talking murky like a stirred yeasty mess. It tastes like a sugar daddy, in a sickly sweet not good way, I'll try it again, maybe it's, no, it was just like I said). The Hoffman Weiss, Wheat Bock, Bear Peak Brown & Imperial Stout were the best of the lot. Also, Allagash White, Guinness & Coors Light on tap, and a dozen + bottles (Smutty Old Brown Dog, Tuckermans Pale Ale, macros, maltos, an N/A and a cider).

Really wanted the salmon, but I saw "BBQ" and lost my mind. Went with the combo (the beer sampler of BBQ); a ½ rack of ribs (fall off the bone, very good), ¼ chicken (gummy, making me think I'm soooo glad I didn't also opt for wings as an app), and a mountain of pulled pork (tasty, real tasty, clumps & chunks and a whole lot of it, mostly coming home with me). Food was good for the most part, but everything was swimming in BBQ sauce (what are you trying to hide?), should have done the sauce on the side and giving me the mustard option would have been nice too. The accompanying slaw was well vinegary, had celery and green & red pepper strips, and was that which we call "great damn slaw". Also, some flat iron pepper cornbread I kept trying not to 'et, but was good, so I did.

Bar patrons of the not a bother earlier on morphing into less cool as I departed, but still not a bad scene. Service was pleasant and attentive enough, and didn't break my shoes about samples of the non-sampler varieties. And the beer and food were mostly good, but what wasn't, wasn't; isn't that how it goes. Well, I got my 'cue on anyway, wasn't that the point. And now back from wherest I came, Maine, is there something yet to see?

06-10-2009 02:40:19 | More by slander

MaineBirdMan

Maine

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

I always stop in at this place after a hike. The owner is a pretty cool guy and knows his beer. The Brown Ale is great. The growlers are the most economical. The food is very smoky (it is a smoke house) but not overwhelming. The service is fine. Some of the bartenders aren't as attentive as they could be. Clean place. Not a friendly place to take a yankee fan(my wife).
Good place to take people who aren't from the area.
The pizzas are awesome.
The bar area is a little small but there is a good view of the beer vats.

02-15-2009 13:48:35 | More by MaineBirdMan

bilyboy65

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

This place is very cozy inside. Sit on the porch for a warm fire atmosphere, in the bar to watch the game and socialize or in the dining area for a home cooked meal feel. Like the idea of the beer mug club.

The beers were fresh and the glassware was clean. The place itself seems old, but i think that adds to the character.

The bartender was pretty bad. Was more interested in talking to his friends then serving. Would have probably had more beers and left a bigger tip if he didn't take 40 min to take our order.

This is a brew pub and they have a broad selection of self brewed beers of various styles always on tap. They also carry some standard selections for those that don't feel adventurous.

Food was really good. Had a burger. Was cooked to perfection and was very thick piece of meat.

02-09-2009 04:39:27 | More by bilyboy65

BelgianDip

Connecticut

3.7/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

My wife had found this place from other members reviews, so I was not only excited to try Moat Mountain, but also that my wife is using BA!

We walked in at around 3pm and sat right at the bar. It was a cold weekend and you could feel it in the bar. We chose to keep our coats on.

There was a descent selection of their own brews, eight in total with one on the cask and 4 guest beers. I didn't hesitate to ask what was featured on the cask. The reply I received was "I have no clue." What a bartender, I knew we would be making our own choices from then on. I started with the porter which was good, a bit of smokiness and rather smooth. My wife got the sampler (as usual), which featured their entire lineup.

- Hoffman Weiss
- Czech Pilsener
- Apfel Bier
- Blueberry Ale
- Iron Mike Pale Ale
- Bear Peak Brown
- Smoke House Porter
- Square Tail Stout

My wife enjoyed the Hoffman Weiss very much and we ended up leaving with a growler of it.

We ordered fried mac-n-cheese and a meatball pizza. The mac was excellent. Not greasy in the least and great flavor. The pizza on the other hand fell far short. The meatballs seemed to be Swedish style with gravy and did not work with the sauce at all. The pizza was a poor choice on our part as Moat Mountain is a smoke house. Some type of pork would have been more appropriate.

Overall I would recommend Moat Mountain, with a few tips. Disregard the service if it is poor, and order some pork. For the area Moat Mountain is the best you are going to find, don't hesitate to try them.

12-19-2008 15:14:29 | More by BelgianDip

scottg

Vermont

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

I've been trying these beers at various beer festivals for years, so I was very happy to finally visit the brewpub. Located right on route 16, this place is very easy to find. The bar area is very large with a horseshoe bar with about 16 seats at it and a number of high top tables. There is also a dining room area. There are large glass windows with views of the beautiful white mountains, a great backdrop while enjoying a beer. The brewing equipment can be seen from the bar area as well.
There are 7 house beers on tap with one on cask and 4 visiting taps, currently Smutty, Alagash, Guiness, and Labatts. 16oz for $3.75 and 20oz for $4.50 or you can opt to get a souvenier pint glass and a 16oz beer for $7.00. The bottle list was typical macro brews with the exception of the local Tuckermans Pale Ale. There is a full bar and wine list.
I had the sampler flight of 7 beers for $7.00: Hoffman Weiss, Czech Pilsner, Iron Mike Pale Ale, Opas Octoberfest, Bear Peak Brown, Smoke House Porter & Square Tail Stout. All of them were very good, I especially liked the Czech Pilsner, not usually one of my favorite styles. I ordered the Porter with my meal because it was on cask, it was great.
As good as the beers were, the food was better. The chili is made with brisket and andouille sausage, just the right amount of spice. The house salad was served with a molasse-black peppcorn dressing that was very tasty. For an entree, my wife and I split the sampler meal that comes with St. Louis ribs, 1/4 chicken, brisket, corn bread and slaw for $19.99. We both ate until we were stuffed and still had a full meal of leftovers. The brisket was exceptional, so tender I cut it with my fork; the ribs had a lot of meat on them and the sauce was great; the cornbread was spicy and the slaw was vinegary and refreshing.
The place was packed and the bartender was extremely busy so we didn't get a chance to talk about any of the beers, yet we didn't have to wait long to order and when are glasses were empty he was there.
If your in the North Conway area, this place is a must stop, I'll definitely be back.

11-10-2008 19:57:45 | More by scottg