Beech Tree Grill

Bar, Eatery

1 Collegeview Ave
Poughkeepsie, New York, 12603-2485
United States

(845) 471-7279 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.08
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
17
pDev:
10.54%
View: Place Reviews
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Rated: 3.94 by Chipotle from New York

Nov 03, 2017
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Rated by Brave-hardt from New York

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 5
Fullers ESB and some of the best food ever with daily food menu changes
Mar 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by mmmbeerNY from New York

Jun 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Paul68 from New Jersey

Oct 12, 2013
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Reviewed by aerozeppl from New York

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Went here after we found out the March Hare is closed Glad we did. We went on Labor Day for lunch. They were serving brunch and nothing sounded good so they said they would open up the regular menu to us. They won me over with that alone. The beer list was nice Prima Pils, Spaten Lager, 60 Min, Blue Point toasted lager,and the best was Oak Aged Imperial IPA from Otter Creek. Not bad 8 taps total and one cask. The bottle list was decent and well priced. The draft beer was very reasonable. We got an order of calamari and some bruschetta. Both were really good. The bill was around $35 for 4 beers and two appetizers. They had a nice outside area as well with some nice views of Vasser. It is in an old brick building with exposed wood beams with some old timey stuff on the wall. Excellent service all around. All in all this is a great place to grab a beer in Po Town.
Sep 07, 2009
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Reviewed by mtullius from Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -24%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
In the area for a wedding. Read about this place and saw it referred to as the best place for craft beer in the area. I was hopeful. I was excited when I noticed that they had Troeg Hopback Amber on cask. But alas, the list hadn't been updated and the cask was dead (erg). Now I had to look at the rest of the list. It really did not impress me-- maybe my standards are too high, living in the Twin Cities, where super beer bars are easy to come by. But c'mon-- I know enough about New York beer to know that there are some excellent craft beers coming out of the Empire State. Ommegang, Southern Tier, not to mention Brooklyn... and probably several more I'm not familiar with. Do you know how many New York beers were on tap at the Beach Tree? NONE. Not one. The only "regional" beer they had was the Troeg's, which they didn't actually have... After that, I suppose if you want to call DFH "regional," they had 1 of those.

I understand that people enjoy their imports, but they also had a bunch of craft beer from other farther-flung US breweries. Why not some local or regional stuff?

I ordered an Oskar Blues-- described on the menu as a double IPA (Gordon, I believe). Now, Gordon is not actually a double IPA, and what I was served was definitely not a double IPA. I'm not sure it was even Gordon, since the brewery's description of it mentions it having tons of hops. The beer I got (mind you, it was overly cold) had almost no hop aroma, flavor, or bitterness. It was quite toasty and caramelly.

I was given a 20-oz beer (as was my wife) without it being mentioned that they served beer in 12 or 20 oz. sizes. 20 oz was a bit much for both of us, since neither of us were that thrilled with our beer.

The food was good. Service was fine, though our server clearly didn't know anything about beer. Nice atmosphere. Maybe their selection is usually better than it was when we were there.... And like I said, maybe my standards are too high. But I'm used to finding local or at least regional beer available at a good beer bar/restaurant.
Aug 03, 2009
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Reviewed by Naugled from New York

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
THE best beer bar in the mid Hudson Valley.

I go to them all, but this I've been returning to over and over for the last 15 years or so. They consistently have an excellent and hard to find selection of beers on tap. And they take care of their beer. It's not allowed to go bad, and when it does, they remove it, they don't try to pass it off to the customers like I've experienced in some places. One thing that helps is they have a bar tender and cliental who knows beer and what it should taste like.

Great atmosphere, it's not a snooty place. All feel welcome, whether you have a tux on or a tee shirt and jeans.

The food is perfect. They know how to grill meat to your taste. If you like rare burgers this is the place for you.
Mar 10, 2009
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Reviewed by galttfwo from New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +15.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
I used to live in Poughkeepsie and pretty much every time I end up going back to visit family I go here.

For craft beer on tap in Poughkeepsie you have pretty slim pickings in general. The Beech is one of the very few exceptions (now that CREW is closed). Has about 8 taps as I can best remember, all pretty unique stuff. I have seen St Bernadus 12 on tap, usually a DHF, some west coast stuff, Fort Collins has made appearances. Once in a while they will have a night with a cask, which is always amazing and goes very fast.

Three choices for beer sizes too: three 3 oz tasting flight, 12 oz glass, or 20 oz Imperial Pint (for real) and the 20 oz are usually only $5! (There are some smaller 1-offs, I think some of the high % rarer belgians are in snifters.)

The food is really as good as the beer too. Great chef. I recommend the pulled pork to go with any of the darker beer. The calamari is amazing too, just make sure you have enough people to share, the plate is huge. Never had a bad meal here. The menu does not change that often, but everything on it is pretty damn tasty, so I will not complain.

- One last thing. The people who work there are completely the best. I took my mother here once when I was visiting, and was completely absentminded when I was leaving, and instead of leaving a $10 bill, I mistakenly left a $100 (not used to having them in my wallet to say the least) , the waitress ran out of the restaurant in the rain to find me on my way to my car to give it back. I was so impressed.
Jan 16, 2009
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Reviewed by cdog3 from New York

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
If you are in Poughkeepsie New York and want craft brewed beer you have very few choices. Of all of those choices this one is the best. Right across the street from Vassar College, it is a small place with excellent food and 10 taps that always pour pretty decent beer. No macro American Lagers on these taps. They also have a very nice bottle selection and an occasional cask ale. The staff is generally pretty good with two bartenders that stand out. If you are in town it is definitely worth the stop.
Jun 21, 2008
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Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Located right next to Vassar, in the otherwise shitty area that is Poughkeepsie. Actually, the place is in the middle of a strip of hipster type shops and restaurants. I think gentrification is at work here.

The interior was small and cozy, with high wood beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, brick interior walls and Americana type decor. About a dozen tables.

The bar was of medium size with ample seating. The draft list included 10 taps and one cask. The selections included Winterhook, Sprechter Black Bavarian, ST Chokolate, DFH 90 Minute, Dinkel Acker, Guinness, Fuller's ESB, Hooker Irish Red and a Blue Point cask.

The lunch menu was diverse - I had the burger - which was delicious.
Mar 12, 2008
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Reviewed by madmanjf from New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
One of my two favorite places in the area to spend time at, the Beechtree is an awesome place with great food, good prices, and of course ... Great Beer.

With 10 Taps, rotated regularly, and an elegant selection of bottles, you won't be disappointed if you came for brews. Pints, Imperial 20oz btw, will only cost $4.50. This is an amazing deal.

Addition to the taps changing, the menu changes daily. You'll never know what will be available. Approximately 5 appetizer specials and 5 dinner special every night with suggested beer/wine pairings.

Although not bragged about, it's not uncommon to see celebraties here due to the close proximity to Vassar College. Parents of students, or participants in the summer Powerhouse Theater, has brought in some surprising faces. So pay attention ... but most importantly, be respectful and keep your distance.

UPDATE: Casks offered many Tuesday evenings. Keep up to date via BeerAdvocate Beer Calendar.

UPDATE #2: Beer Engine has been installed. The only real beer engine in Dutchess County. (9/2008)
May 20, 2007
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Reviewed by belhav0322 from New York

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
In an area devoid of many bars with good beer selections, this place seems to be an overlooked gem. On average, one can count on about 12 taps and 40 bottles, with all selections rotating fairly regularly. Quality, freshness, and proper glassware have never been a problem. Typlical draft selections from the past few months included offerings from DFH, Ithaca, Fullers, Brooklyn (including the always pleasing Brewmasters Reserve), Rogue, North Coast, Harpoon, Southampton, Blue Point, Harpoon, Smuttynose, Magic Hat, Fullers, and Stoudts among others. By the bottle one can find a nice selection of Belgians, including Nostradamus, Chimay, Delerium Tremens. There is also a good selection of domestic and international micros. No, it is not a knockout selection in terms of quantity, but the quality and variety are indeed there. Staff are not particularly knowlegable about the selections, but they will happily offer samples of what's on draft and try to a good job of helping customers who have questions. All drafts are $4.50 for a 20 oz. serving, which tends to be a really good value most of the time.

As for the food, this is one of the best bar menus you will ever find. Creative daily specials complement a great regular menu for a good mix of some typical pub food and sandwiches accompanied by a nice variety of creative and well done entrees. All specials offer a beer or wine pairing suggestion, which may make up for the lack of overall staff knowledge.

Service has always been great, especially while sitting at the bar.

The atmosphere is the definition of cozy, though things can get cramped when the place gets busy. Though it is right near Vassar, the clientele seems to be an older crowd for the most part, and is definately an eclectic mix on most nights.

This is by far one of the best (if not one of the only few) options in the Poughkeepsie area when you are looking for some good beer to go with a nice meal. Highly recommended.
Apr 19, 2007
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Reviewed by Loki from North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Nearly on the Vasser Campus.

Atmosphere: Nearly equal parts beer bar, neighborohood bar, small restaurant, and local haunt. Friendly feel. Small and quaint. The kind of place you feel instantly at home and comfortable at.

Quality: They beer list is equal parts great beer and equal parts average beer. The great beer makes you forget about the average stuff.

Service: Great.

Selection: 10 drafts and about 10 bottles. Again about half great and half average, but a good variety of styles.

Food: The food was very good and very fresh. Also very fast as you can not only see the kitch, but you could probably tour it, if they could get more than one person in that tiny space.

Value: Another great return on price.
Nov 18, 2005
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Reviewed by slander from New York

4.06/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
A visit to the Beech Tree Grill and then Half Time on the way out of town will forevermore be known as "The old Poughkeepsie one-two". When you pass over the Mid-Hudson Bridge, just keep going 'til you see the signs for Vassar College, and Beech Tree is located on it's Northern edge...
It's a one room establishment, with a 12 seat "L" shaped marble bar, a dozen tables lying adjacent and to the front of the room, and a semi open kitchen to the rear with a large wine rack above it. Brick walls and a red ceiling with wood beams, and giant storefront windows with large stainglassed uppers. An enormous wood framed mirror over the bar with bottled beer selections on a shelf overhead, plants here and there, beer neon signs and other brewerania, and large framed mirrors on the walls. Low lighting with colored glass lampshades and glass "star" light fixtures. Dark, yet cozy. Oh, and a great Bob Dylan Eurpoean Tour '89 poster in the corner near the entrance.
10 taps, an interesting collection. Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, Hacker Pschorr Octo, Landmark IPA, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog, Fullers ESB & London Porter, Otter Creek Organic IPA (listed as such, presumingly Wolavers), Flying Dog Old Scratch Lager, and the Southampton Scecret Ale. Guess what I had? Yeah. And about 2 and a half dozen bottles, some decent imports (Erdinger Dunkel Weisse, Celebrator Dopple Bock, Ayinger Ur Weisse, Paulaner Hefe, Maudite, La Fin Du Monde, Trois Pistoles, Delirium, Chimay, Nostradamus, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout & Organic Lager) and a handful of domestics including Anchor Liberty, Pranqster and Druid Fluid.
Didn't get to eat here but I'm told that the food is top notch and I'll be back. The dessert listing was most impressive and they have a good selection of single malt scotches, small batch bourbons and ports. Yeah, I'll be back.
Sep 11, 2004
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Reviewed by longpondbeerman from Maine

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Unfortunately, I was in the throes of a pretty severe cold when I went to the Beech Tree, and to top it off, it was a very cold night in Poughkeepsie so there was a noticeable draft in this intimate place every time the door opened, despite the heavy velvet curtain that served as a makeshift airlock.

That said, I enjoyed this place substantially. The ambience is inviting: cozy, dark, with a small open-brick kitchen towards the rear at the end of a four or five person bar. No televisions, which for me is a real plus, but I know might matter to those heading out on the night of the Stanley Cup finals or something.

The selection was quite servicable--probably ten balanced taps and some 40 or 50 bottles of domestic and imported micros. The waitstaff was polite, cheerful, and efficient; they were extremely attentive (and the place was full) but not inclined to talk beer. Clearly, The Beech Tree is a restaurant first and a pub second, and to that end, the food was excellent.

It looked like an older crowd, patrons mostly for dinner, and this having been early on a Friday evening I might expect the clientele to shift over to the Vassar College set as the night progressed since the Beech Tree is on the border of the campus.

There are not a whole lot of good places in this town, and I too am glad to have found The Beech Tree. I'll be sure to return when it's warmer. Thanks to Lenin for pointing this place out.
Feb 09, 2004
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Reviewed by GreatPondBrewer from California

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
My new favorite place to go when home from college. Its quite a find, right near the Vassar campus. Its a small place, only one room, protected from the bitter cold of the winter by a heavy red velvet curtain. The room was dimly lit with tons of wood paneling and breweriana adorning the walls. On the right is situated a wonderful bar with the tap tower at the back. The rest of the floor is taken up with tables, none of which seated more than four people. Behind the bar on the back wall was the brick covered kitchen which was partially exposed. The bathrooms were in the back and were clean and even had some good Far Side cartoons.

The beer is what I came here for and that is what I got. The tap selection was very small, but very well thought out. I think there were 10 taps consisting of the two usual European suspects Guinness and Urquell and then HopDevil, Brooklyn Brown, Otter Creek Copper, Fullers London and ESB, Old Thumper and Middle Ages Winter Wizard and special guest of Brooklyn Monster. Obviously not the massive selection of some places, but this was off-set by the 55 or so bottles they had. All the beer was poured perfectly and there were no off-tastes to be found. You can either get 12 oz. or Imperial pints. They also had probably 50 wines and a good deal of top-shelf liquor.

The food was just as excellent. I had a spinach and goat cheese salad with apples and a lamb raguot, which were both prepared very well. They obviously care deeply about the food and there were even recomendations on the menu of what beer went well with the dinner. The dinner menu changes constantly at the direction of the chef.

The service was also quite good. The wait staff as well as the manager were by constantly to make sure that everything was taken care of.

This was an excellent place to get a beer and some food. The atmosphere was very subdued and pleasing full of more sophisticated college students and an older set that probably frequent the place on a regular basis. Great place and worth seeking out when in the area.
Jan 31, 2004
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Reviewed by lenin from New York

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
The Beech Tree is one of Poughkeepsie's most popular restaurants and has been since day one. A string of restaurants tried the location and closed quickly; the Beech Tree was jammed from the start. Great food, atmosphere, and a large beer list make it a worthwhile beer (and food) side trip from Half Time or any other Hudson Valley attraction.

Foodies will love Beech Tree. Poughkeepsie's proximity to the Culinary Institute of America gives the area tremendous dining options and good food is required to get local attention. The Beech Tree accomplishes this through a mix of upscale entrees and specials (beef, fish, pasta) and great burgers and sandwiches if you're on a budget; you can spend $10 or $20 and still eat well.

BAs will be happiest with a well thought out mix of international brews on bottle and draft. Good micros (PranQster, Unibroue, Druid Fluid among others), Belgians (Delirium Tremens, Chimay, Konings Hoeven), British (Sam Smith) and Germans (Paulener, Erdinger, Celebtrator Dopplebock) are all available. Celebrator was even recently on tap as a guest draught. Wine is available for those who prefer it.

Word of caution: not all of the Beech Tree waitstaff is beer enlightened so getting a proper glass sometimes requires patience. But the festive atmosphere should have you in a good enough mood to let it slide.
Jan 10, 2004
Beech Tree Grill in Poughkeepsie, NY
Place rating: 4.08 out of 5 with 17 ratings