Blackback Pub

Blackback is my favorite of the bars in the Waterbury area. It's more intimate with usually, the best taplist. Reservoir might have a more extensive list, but Blackback has the best. The food is pretty good too. It's the homeliest of the three legacy bars.

Disappointed to have missed out on this highly recommended pub last year, I was super excited to be fortunate enough to return this fall. Not only did Blackback live up to my expectations, but it exceeded them while supplanting Three Penny as my favorite Vermont pub.

And is pub the perfect word for it or what?! It's a very intimate, nearly claustrophobic wooden bar--particularly due to its low wooden ceiling--with tight spacing around a completely wraparound counter accompanied by minimal table seating at both ends of the bar. There are a few patio seats outside as well, but those are at a premium when its nice outside, while also missing the point of Blackback entirely.

From service, food, and most especially the taplist, every aspect of our visit met the high bar set by the positive experience we had at Three Penny last year (and unfortunately, trounced our experience there this year, as Three Penny has gone quite a ways downhill since). The beer on hand at Blackback was not only more various, but undoubtedly the best I've seen on draft anywhere in the world outside of brewery taprooms. The two side pull options were just icing on the cake.

Our wedge salad and BLT were nothing fancy, but they arrived promptly and were fillingly well-made.

Great selection of beers. Nice bar for serious drinking of fine beers. Had some decent nachos. Other food looked good too.

Visited yesterday during a trip to the Stowe, Vermont area. Best draft list outside of Monk's that I have ever seen. Excellent service, & great food. A bit cramped, small outdoor seating area.

 

Sunday 7/28/19. Met my older brother who lives in Waterbury while on an extensive beer your through VT. He mentioned having to try the Ahi Tuna plate and a certain New England style IPA he had a few days previous from Quebec called Borealis! Both were exceptional!
My brother is a regular there, so obviously the service was top notch. Samples and selection ideas kept flowing. The patrons and staff made for a rather excellent time. Big number of high high quality taps and just as many cans available. I will return!!

 

 

 

 

Stopped in after a brutal, 9-hour, rain-lashed drive from southern PA. Blackback is a fairly small tavern with a central bar that seats maybe 20 people, plus a mix of a dozen or so regular and high-top tables. So it's not a big place. There were quite a few open tables when we arrived, but the place filled in quickly after 7 pm. Our server said the clientele is probably 60% locals during the busy season; higher in the off-season (which I took as a pretty meaningful endorsement by the locals).
Food is not fancy nut definitely a cut above pub fare; service is excellent. Beer selection is phenomenal - probably 30 or so high-quality offerings in a variety of styles and potencies.
Definitely a must-visit if you're in the area.

Seemed to be a fun place, busy and noisy. Relatively small space for dining with a larger bar. Exposed beams and brick. Service was very good. Large menu of local craft beers. Food was very good pub food-the Heady Dipper Pot Roast Sandwich was excellent.

Killer tap list, food, & service!

 

It was super busy when we were there but they handled it with ease. Didn’t have to wait long. Staff made us feel welcome and at home. The food was spectacular and most importantly the beer was stellar with a great tap list. Absolute must. Worth the travel

 

One of the best beer and food experiences in a public place. Reminded me of an old English pub with the greatness of food and Vermont beers to go with it.

 

 

To my bar/restaurant with a bar that has two separate rooms with a common bar. Waitress was friendly and had suggestions on what you might like. Beer selection was unparalleled in its diversity of breweries that usually do not distribute to the area although the menu was IPA heavy. I was blind with hunger, but had dinner reservations, yet I still had a cup of Tuscon bean soup that I thought was damn good. The vibe of the place is traditional pub/rustic a very nice place.

 

 

 

Great smooth steady vibe - not too loud, not too soft. Friendly bartenders. Really good amount of VT beers and other top end New England craft beers such as Foundation (ME), Schilling (NH), Jack's Abby (MA), Foolproof (RI) and Two Roads (CT) as breweries that send their beers here every so often. My bacon and sweet corn macaroni was absolutely stellar. I would literally live at this pub every day it was open if I lived in Waterbury, it's that damn good!

 

Alas, this was our final dining stop during our (the wife and I) recent visit to the Waterbury/Stowe area. This, along with the Reservoir, were our too favorite spots. The one thing that surprised me a bit, was how small this place seemed to be. We sat in the fairly sizeable bar area to the right as you come in, but otherwise, the place seemed a bit cramped and small. The place has a very comfortable informal vibe other wise, and the bartender was quite nice and friendly. So this was yet another excellent place to hang out with a beer or three. The taplist seemed to number around 25 or 30 selections, with a decent can and bottle selection to boot. As this was to be our last stop before heading out of town, I figured I'd order a can of Heady Topper (very fresh and delicious), along with a couple tap items. As with pretty much every place in the area, the focus was largely on local and regional beers (the usual nice selection of stuff from HF, Lawson's, etc.). Service was good. There wasn't a huge crowd at the bar, and so service was quick. The bartender was quite friendly and engaging, making for an enjoyable stay in the bar area. Food was also quite good. I got the Caesar salad and the garden pasta, while my wife got the curry butternut squash. Everything was prepared well and was quite tasty

We would come back here in a heartbeat. This place is terrific.

 

 

 

 

Their food is farm to table fare, and seemed to be on the steep side, so I avoided it. But it's a must stop in this legendary beer town, the selection is sick, and true to form that what the warren store is for Lawson's, this Bar is certainly the same for Hill Farmstead. Very small, but not crowded at lumchish.

Comfortable beer bar in the heart of Waterbury. Great draft selection and a very helpful bartender. I would make this my first stop for beers next time in Waterbury. A much more easy-going spot than some of the others on the same street.

Great beer list and amazing food.

 

Well located property with a old world feel in downtown Waterbury. The taplist was impressive and diverse from difficult to find Vermont beers to Rodenbach Alexander on draft. The staff was very personable and knowledgeable. Relatively busy bar but conversation was available without screaming. Vibe was heavy with craft beer drinkers and tourists during June. Locals added to the vibe with warm conversation. Definitely a must stop.

 

Excellent place in every way. A must stop if your in VT for a Beercation. Superb beer list. Friendly staff. Tasty food. I go on one or two beer runs to VT a year and this ( along with the Pro Pig ) are must stop.