The Cambridge House Brewpub

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$

this brewpub is located it what appears to have once been a home. the eatery/pub is on the midlevel, with an nice outdoor deck that makes me wish the warm weather would get here sooner. as with the previous reviewer, they were out of Picozzi's Fat Ass ale, named after out local Rock Radio personality. However their Old Mill Pond ESB is very good, as is their Copper Hill Kolsch.

As for food, i partook in a plate of wings (as usual) and a Havershire Burger (bacon, english cheddar, and a slice of Havershire Ham) VERY good.

service was decent for a busy night, and the open mic entertainment was very good.

i will definitely return here to try the rest of their brews, i know youre all on the edge of youre seats waiting for the reviews, arent you.

Revisit 5/18/06: for American Craft Beer Week, had the Holcomb Hefe, a masterpiece. everytime i go, i like CBH more and more. What I like about CBH, and the only advantage over John Harvard's is they have their own brews plus some other great craft beer, like this night i had Hooker's Liberator. i can't say enough so i'll stop, ...for now...

Revisit 1/14/07: ooh they added a few plasmas on the wall, makes it a little more entertaining. great brews, finally got the Picozzi's Fat Ass Ale, bout time, was damn good. and got my usual, the wings and a havershire burger, so freaking good. if you are within an hour i suggest making the trip it is VERY worth it

03-14-2006 16:31:32 | More by sinstaineddemon

TheMan

1.25/5  rDev -68.5%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 2 | selection: 1 | food: 1 | $$

I used t go there and have lunch, almost every day, it was OK , nothing special.
But then after the owner told me they have gluten free pasta and bread, I decided to go there for dinner with my son, who can not have Dairy or wheat.
We asked if he could have gluten free pasta and grilled shrimp with olive oil and garlic. ( How easy is that to make).
After waiting a half an hour, here comes his gluten free pasta with non gluten free breaded shrimp. How dumb is that?
So, we send it back. I get him a salad until they remake his meal.
In the mean time I get my meal and have to wait another 45 minutes for his meal.
Long story made short.
He finally gets his meal and says it taste like butter is on the shrimp (NO DAIRY I SAID)
So now he is afraid to eat it.
Then they charged me for the whole meal. I called the owner over and finally he deducts my sons meal.
Tells us to come bake another time and he will make sure it does not happen again.
The next day we go back and order a really easy thing to make.
A hamburger on a gluten free bun. He says sorry no gluten free buns, after he told me the day before they had them. OK a hamburger NO BUN, a vegetable with NO BUTTER, an onion slice and lettuce, and french fries.
He gets a hamburger on a wheat bun, no lettuce no onion, no french fries.

They charge me for everything with all of there mistakes.
My son eats the hamburger with out the bun, but still has a allergic reaction because
some of the bun was probably still stuck to the hamburger. I should sue them.

This place is good for nothing. I would give it zero stars if I could.
They should just serve beer to the locals and nothing else.
Don't go there unless you want to be dissatisfied.

03-29-2012 14:01:08 | More by TheMan

inanity

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -18.1%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 1 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Food was great, beer was fantastic. Atmosphere was nothing special, though not unappealing. Service was among the worst I've ever had. Nobody at the entrance to greet us, so after a short wander we were told to find our own table. Our server was unfriendly, unpleasant, and either unwilling or unable to answer any of our questions. Maybe if you're a regular, it gets better. But based on this visit, I cannot imagine WANTING to be a regular

Overall, I would recommended stopping in here to sit at the bar and try the beer. The food, while excellent, is not worth dealing with such bad service.

Note: an email to the Brewer was sent, and we were given an apology and were told the server in question would be spoken to. While the initial experience was still unpleasant, this goes a long way. The fact that he responded personally, and quickly, really means a lot! Thanks, Scott

01-08-2012 04:53:53 | More by inanity

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.88/5  rDev -27.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $

I came here while visiting the parents for Christmas. My mother and I went for an appetizer and a couple of beers on a Thursday afternoon around 5:00. We walked into a large room with a 4 sided bar in the center and tables surrounding it. There is also a dining area on one side of the bar. The atmosphere is very much nice rural pub.

I had the IPA and Pink Peppercorn Saison. Both were served in pint glasses. The Saison had little to no head and an off flavor to it. The IPA was quite nice. We had a pizza which was quite good. The server knew very little about the beers, but I've seen worse at brewpubs. I was hoping to try their RIS, but it was not on tap.

12-28-2011 03:20:17 | More by coreyfmcdonald

spydo99

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -23.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 2 | $$

LOUD!!! They have done some "sound proofing" to dampen the volume - only partially successful. I used to enjoy this spot more when it first opened. (Except for the noise level)

The beers (or the important part) are average to slightly above average. One thing I will say, is that WHEN they have the PORTER or STOUT it is worth the trip. I try to go at least twice per year just to keep giving them a shot.

OK Bugers, OK wings. Live entertainment can be a plus.

Best time to go - after a good days fishing. Sit outside in Rural Granby, have one or two and then head out.

Cheers!

04-11-2011 23:09:49 | More by spydo99

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Bright, clean atmosphere with a variety of rooms and porch, etc. Although I was there on a night that was not very busy, it was a bit loud. I can imagine it gets quite loud at times - a lot of polished hardwood surfaces make for very bright accoustics.

Only three of their own beers were available when I was in - the IPA was quite tasty - a nice example of more of the English style. It is well worth checking out and I brought a growler home for $13. About 10 guest taps were available - ranging broadly from PBR to Oscar Blues Gordon.

The food selection and quality is outstanding. The wait staff, at both the bar and table were unusually friendly, knowledgeable and efficient - among the best I have experienced in a long time. Definitely worth a stop for lunch or dinner. With great beer to boot, I will be sure to stop by again when in the area.

01-07-2011 14:27:36 | More by CliffBrake

circlenine

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I went here for the first time last week. There were approximately 10 beers on tap, half of which were Cambridge House beers and the other half were guest beers (Allagash, Brooklyn Double Chocolate, a BBC nitro, and others I can't recall. Their CH selection consisted of Smokey the Beer, Old Mill Pond, Copper Hill Kolsh, an IPA, a red, and (although out) the Pumpkin...

I enjoyed multiple Smokey the Beer, and the Old Mill Pond and a red. Very good. Also came home with a growler of Smokey the Beer for $16. No complaints!!!

Food: Ordered nachos which were awesome, piled high and well worth the value.

12-22-2010 22:33:01 | More by circlenine

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.64/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

A little out of the way if you do not live out here. I took a scenic route to Hartford to visit, and during the day. A nice place,patio focussed, minimal bar in siz, it is a nice ash wood. Lucky to get a seat post-lunch. Loud regulars haveing a beer. Beers are average, product line is conventional. Worth a stop if in the area. Decent drinkability of the beers, this is a restaurant more than a brewpub. Was not excited at the guest stuff, the regular lineup is worthwhile to try. Noteable use of hops.

08-20-2010 19:12:47 | More by northyorksammy

janbrown56

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

CBH has been a wonderful addition to Granby. When they first opened it was difficult to dine and talk in the bar area because of the noise. They've made improvements of adding acoustic tiles on the ceiling, which has helped. They also have seating outside on the deck for nice weather, a room with dartboards off the side of the bar and an area upstairs for a bit more formal atmosphere
The beer is always high quality and tasty. Their tap selection has improved since new ownership and changes frequently. They also offer quite a few guest brews although we rarely take advantage of those.
The staff are very attentive and friendly.
Thursday night is open mike night and draws a good crowd as well as some very talented musicians. There is live music on Friday and Saturdays as well.
The menu is a good variety of pub favorites as well a dinner entrees, salads, sandwiches, apps. They've been offering specials that have been tasty. Tuesday is wing night. Big wings with a choice of flavors and only 50 cents apiece! Plus you get a dollar off CBH beers. Thursday is prime rib special, a favorite of my husband's.
The place has greatly improved in many ways since it was taken over by Scott. We find that we are visiting much more frequently and are happily finally members of their Mug Club.
If you're in the area it's definitely a place to go to!

07-12-2010 11:28:46 | More by janbrown56

GranbyBrewer

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I'm pretty lucky since there are actually 2 good places within 5 minutes of my house here in Granby. The Cambridge House has a slight advantage because the brew their own beers and they do a pretty darn good job of it.

Their Kolsch is an award winner and for good reason... Its just a darn pleasant beer. Easy for the "bud lite" crowd to adjust to. I usually lean to their brews with a little higher octane... They haven't disappointed me there yet. And if that isn't enough they have a nice selection of "guest brews" on tap. Did I mention a full bar? The bartenders are EXCELLENT...they know the beers and they also know how to put together some good mixed drinks.

The food is pretty good and has improved over the years since they first opened. Tuesday is Wings night (CBH pints are just a buck) and Thurday is Prime Rib. Fresh beer and fresh beef... I'm good! I guess my biggest food criticism would be that the menu doesn't change much. There are TONS of wait staff around. If you can't see yours you can easily flag down somebody.

My biggest complaint about CBH is the noise level... Sometimes its hard to carry on a conversation. They've made some effort to put some sound dampening on the walls and ceiling but there is still a LOT of surface area to echo off of. The live music they book is outstanding for such a small place. All in all if yer gonna be stuck in central Connecticut and don't know what to do with yerself... CBH ain't a bad place to sit and meet the locals.... We're pretty friendly.

06-08-2010 23:05:05 | More by GranbyBrewer