Brattleboro Food Co-op

Brattleboro Food Co-opBrattleboro Food Co-op
Brattleboro Food Co-opBrattleboro Food Co-op
Store

2 Main St
Brattleboro, Vermont, 05301-3201
United States

(802) 257-0236 | map
brattleborofoodcoop.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.76
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
26
pDev:
10.37%
View: Place Reviews
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Ratings by mtbbaboon:
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Reviewed by mtbbaboon from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +6.4%
I was pleasantly surprised at the beer selection in this place. I was expecting a cheap food store, but there is a nice selection of beer. Most of the beer is refrigerated. Vermont beers are well represented here: Otter Creek, Magic Hat, Long Trail, Trout River. They have a bunch of 22oz and 750ml bottles as well, including most Berkshire Brewing Company beers and all of the year round Ommegangs. They also have most of the McNeill's Brewery beers available in 22oz bottles, which is why I went here in the first place. They do have offerings from non-Northeast breweries as well, including DFH, Stone and Sierra Nevada (12 packs of Celebration Ale). They do have a few imports (Chimay and Samuel Smith), but most of it is domestic, which is fine by me. They don't have the vast selection that a large beer store would have, but this is more of a grocery store than a beer store, so I can't hold that against them. What they did have though was top quality stuff. I had two very friendly store clerks ask if I needed help while I was deciding what to buy.
Jan 06, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
It's Brattleboro and well, the prices for beer are the same all throughout the entire town. Beer selection here is decent at best, nothing to go bonkers about. I'll give it to them that they do a good job of keeping the store clean and easy to take small kids in.
Jun 29, 2017
 
Rated: 4.3 by BubbleBobble from New York

Jul 19, 2016
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Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire

2.7/5  rDev -28.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5
What happened to the beer department? Scant crap selection of local offerings and IPA's four to six months and older - one of the freshest ales I saw was McNeill's Firehouse at 2-1/2 months old and McNeill's is literally, like, three blocks away. Won't be going back.
Feb 03, 2016
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Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

4/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75
Very help beer guru (although he might not call himself that) who worked with me getting a growler filled. Several choices to fill the growlers (at least 3, if my memory serves me), and they work hard to get Vermont Breweries. I will be back! No, they don't have Heady Topper - but, while good, much of it's desireability is from it's scarcity - try other Vermont beers!
May 11, 2015
Photo of huuvola
Reviewed by huuvola from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +13%
This is your best bet for beer selection in Brattleboro. You're in Southern Vermont, so don't plan on finding Heady Topper, but you'll still have access to beer from a number of Vermont brewers (Switchback, Long Trail, McNeill's, Rock Art, and Otter Creek are always here).

In addition to beer, the co-op also offers a great selection of Vermont cheeses that pair well with beer (or wine... or whatever you'd like). Do yourself a favor and pick up a few. My recommendations (any of these are great): Plymouth Artisan Cheese (Original Plymouth); Taylor Farm (Vermont Farmstead Gouda); West River Creamery (Farmhouse Jack); Crowley Cheese (garlic and chive); anything from Lazy Lady Farm; Cabot clothbound cheddar; any of the aged cheddars from Grafton Village.
Aug 19, 2014
Photo of Flashy
Reviewed by Flashy from Vermont

4/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
They built a new co-op and the old one is just a memory. The beer department has a pretty good beer selection. If passing thru, this is the only place in the area worth stopping at for beer to go- but not worth a visit just to go there.

Update (6/14): They keep improving the beer selection, a great place for fresh as heck Maine Beer Company at a reasonable price and always a few surprises in the cooler (like Lawsons once). They now have excellent choices for growlers fills at a good price (FBS, MBC Lunch).

Now with Flat Street, the legendary McNeills and the recent addition Whetstone nearby things are looking up in the area.
Jun 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by chippo33 from Vermont

May 15, 2014
Photo of Bierman9
Reviewed by Bierman9 from New Hampshire

3.97/5  rDev +5.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Swung by yesterday (10AUG13) with Artied2. Fairly modern, one-story building in the center of town. Entering off the parking lot, an overhead sign directed you to all your needs, with bier being straight ahead. Has extensive shelves of warm bier, plus a decent sized cooler as well. A solid selection of local VT brews, plus a solid New England array, and some stuff from afar I had never heard of... Attendants roaming the aisles were courteous and offered assistance readily. Prices seemed pretty fair, overall. Would stop by again if nearby... Prosit!

3.97/5  rDev +5.3%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $

256
Aug 11, 2013
Photo of TurdFurgison
Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
A nice place, sort of a rural version of Whole Foods, of course less corporate than that. Big selection of Vermont craft beer, Rock Art, McNeills, Long Trail, etc. Lots of more limited distribution stuff from Rock Art in particular. Prices were very low, and maybe lower if you're a shareholder (I think, at least I got that impression as I checked out.

Tons of food options here too, ranging from the selection of an organic grocery store through the prepared boxes, a deli, and more. I spent a good 10-15 minutes looking through the beer options and another 10th minutes on food. Happy I stopped here.
May 06, 2011
Photo of Nordicsk8er
Reviewed by Nordicsk8er from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +14.4%
The Brattleboro Food Co-op is well worth the detour off I-91 and set in downtown Brattleboro. The downtown itself is worth a look, with some fine shops and restaurants and pedestrian friendly streets. A little bit of "city" in this scenic spot on the Connecticut River. The Co-op has one of the better beer selections I've seen in southern VT. All beers are available as singles, and prices for singles and packs alike are clearly marked. The staff is generally helpful and friendly, especially over in the beer and wine section. Their prepared foods are also numerous and what I've tried is pretty good. There's also a good selection of organic and local products in the store. I come through this area often and plan to make this store a regular stop.
Dec 24, 2010
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Reviewed by mltobin from Connecticut

4/5  rDev +6.4%
The Food Co-Op is a natural foods grocery store with a good beer selection. If you are looking to snag some McNeil`s, they have plenty of it. They also carry Rock Art, Otter Creek, Trout River, Smutty and some other local/regional beers. Stone, Rogue, Stillwater, DFH are some of beers that they also carry. Service is friendly and helpful. Aside from the beer, they carry some local cheese, maple syrup, sausage and various other food products. I opted to pick up some local cheddar cheese and salsa. The Food Co-Op is a small detour for those traveling along I-91, but is very much worth checking out.
Dec 12, 2010
Photo of indiapaleale
Reviewed by indiapaleale from Maine

4/5  rDev +6.4%
We stopped in here while we were heading home to grab some things to grill and I am glad we did.

Walk in and beer is on the right. I caught that immediately upon entering to which my wife said "Don't take forever!".

They had a ton of good stuff for cheap (in my opinion). Lots of Vt stuff I don't see in MA all the time. They had lots of McNeill's for only $2.99 a bottle as well as a good deal of Rock Art for $3.99.

I grabbed a Smutty Baltic Porter, Otter Creek Imperial IPA, McNeill's Champ Ale and a Rock Art Belvedere IPA. All were VERY well priced. I also noticed they still had some bottles of Otter Creek RIS and a few bottles of Smutty's Quad.

Great place, the food selection is great. I got some great local produce and some fresh hamburger that was amazing on the grill.

This is THE place to stop for beer if you are in town.
Jul 13, 2009
Photo of jeed
Reviewed by jeed from New Hampshire

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
This well run, community driven food coop is located downtown. The only downfall to the entire store is the insane intersection getting in and out of the parking lot. That said....
The beer is on the right when you first walk in. Two large open faced coolers of quality beer. The usual New England Micros are well represented. Long Trail,Wolavers,Pennichuck,Magic Hat. A hefty selection of local beer great McNeills and Berkshire Brewing from down the road. Stone,Ommegang and numerous other assorted quality brews round out the mix.
I walked out with several McNeills ,North Coast Old Stock Ale, Stone Vertical 08 and a Lindemans Gueuze for under 45 bucks. Not to shabby. Be sure to grab something from the deli, the food is killer (I HIGHLY suggest the Sesame Noodles and the store made sausage is great)
Apr 05, 2009
Photo of Jwale73
Reviewed by Jwale73 from Rhode Island

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
I've been into the co-op quite a few times. My wife is from Brattleboro, so every time we come up, we poke in to grab something. Great organic food/homeopathics/cheeses/decent wineselection/baked goods/etc. Apparently I've had my blinders on when anywhere near the beer section, because I didn't notice the decent mix of beers on hand. The beer section is somewhat modest at three coolers and a rack for 22 oz.'s (predominantly McNeill's), but quite a decent selection, with brews from Magic Hat, Otter Creek, Trout Brook, Berkshire, Gritty's, Wolavers, Long Trail, Flying Dog, Dogfish head (incuding some seasonals), Anchor Steam, Sierra Nevada and even a couple Ommegang (the purpose of my stop). Also had a small selection of cider (mostly Woodchuck, but also a couple brands I didn't recognize) and a few imports like Chimay & Sam Smith. Very nice selection indeed, although I prefer to go straight to the brewery for my McNeill's. Definitely worth stopping in if you are in the area.
Oct 06, 2007
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4/5  rDev +6.4%
Just a couple of miles off of and easy to find from Highway 91, this place is a better then decent spot for beer and food in the crunchy little southern Vermont town of Brattleboro. Beer highlights were limited to the full line of Rockart extreme bombers and plenty of McNiels selections, also in bombers. So some things to pick up beer wise. The food selections were more interesting, with artisinal and local rich choices in the bread, cheese, condiments, fruits and veggies departments. Organic is the hot word in this place. Support this well stocked, earthy, friendly and beer geek friendly spot.
Sep 25, 2007
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
Missed the co-op last time we were through, as instincts were to hit McNeill's first and the beer store an afterthought, well closed by the time we got around to it. Supposedly the keeper of more McNeill's bombers than McNeill's has in their corner cooler, I guess I would need to see to know for sure. Caught a pint around the corner and now it's time to hit the co-op for bombers, before we head west across Vermont and out to Albany; Trouble's got a train to catch...

Big old food store on the bend. You don't have to get too far in, as the beer and wine are real easy to find on entry, just off to the right in coolers mostly. Nearly a dozen McNeill's bombers types, and a half dozen BBC bombers, too. Beyond that, a good selection of Vermont beers (Magic Hat, Orlio, Long Trail, Otter Creek, Wolavers, Trout Brook, Rock Art), a few regionals from New England (Gritty's, Peak, Stone Coast, Geary's, Smuttynose), and a little further out (Ommegang, DogFishHead), and then micros from elsewhere (Anchor, Sierra Nevada, Flying Dog). Also a few imports (Chimay, Sam Smith, Rodenbach, St Peters, DuPont). A place like this, you should in no way be surprised by the number of organic selections (Orlio, Wolavers, Peak, Sam Smith) sold here. Didn't find the bombers we were looking for (I shoulda had her get 'em when she saw 'em 2 days before), but this was our best bet in town.

Still, easy, one stop shopping in Brattleboro for all your beering needs.
Sep 08, 2007
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.2/5  rDev -14.9%
A small selection of beer, though all of the recent and basic 4 offerings of
McNeill(which you can get at the Burlington Co-Op) Be sure to buy additional choices at the pub itself (and take the car). Good selection of food accompaniments for beer. Almost everything in the cooler. Almost all, local selection. Below average for a Whole Foods these days. If you are in the area and need some beer, this is the place. Closed at 9 pm. Parking no problem. Nonexistent service as you wouldn't have expectations in a grocery or supermarket.
Jul 12, 2007
Photo of NEhophead
Reviewed by NEhophead from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
I stopped in at the co-op in late April while checking out Brattleboro on our way to up to Burlington. This natural foods, grocery store is easy to find as you make your way off the interstate and into Brattleboro. As you walk in, the brew and wine are located in coolers directly to your right. I was pleasantly surprised to find the full line up of McNeill's and BBC 22 oz bombers, in addition to other New England micros, including: Magic Hat, Trout River, Long Trail, Otter Creek/Wolavers, Hornpout, Harpoon, Sunday River, etc. In addition to these usual suspects were a few other, non-locals like DFH, and imports like Chimay. This is a grocery store, so the service was average as expected. The selection isn't huge, but enough of a variety for non-locals to leave happy, especially if you haven't sampled many of McNeill's or BBC's brews.
May 12, 2007
Photo of bjohnson
Reviewed by bjohnson from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
Ran in here quickly on the way back from a ski trip to Mt. Snow. I wanted to hit either McNeill's or Flat Street, but it was about two in the afternoon on a weekday and neither were open and I wasn't leaving without some brew from Brattleboro.

A nice and clean store with brew and wine right as you walk in. I like this as grocery stores seem to put beer and wine in the back like it's a bad thing. Anyways, on the beer. Mostly Vermont brews with some out croppers also. Otter Creek, Long Trail, Troutbrook, Magic Hat with others including Stone Coast, Gritty's, Peaks, Berkshire, DFH, Chimay, St. Peters, and the whole lineup of McNeill's. Not a bad little store to peruse if you can. About 4 coolers dedicated to craft brew.

No one helped me while I was checking out the coolers, but the checkout guy was nice and accommodating, letting me know where McNeill's was and their hours of operation (although I knew both of these).

A good place to stop if you're in the mood for the whole McNeill's lineup or another local selection.
Feb 06, 2007
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Reviewed by GratefulBeerGuy from New Hampshire

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
The Co-Op has become my home spot for good brews, only twenty minutes from Keene,NH This place has been amping up the beer selection as of late. They Feature: Dogfish Head Brews such as Chicory Stout, 60 min IPA and Raison D'etre and Indian Brown Ale.Sunday River's Black Bear Porter(YUM!) Stone Coast's 420 IPA, Most Berkshire Brewing co's brews, Gritty Mcduff's black Fly stout bombers, the Magic Hat line Many local Brews, most of the Vermont based brews and a hefty selection of Mcneill's, including the Imperial Stout and Old Ringworm (as of 1/20/07) The New addition's this time was the Dogfish Head Pangaea...1 Pt 9.4 liter Bottle for $8.99 and the Rock Art Extreme series ESB x 3. Good stuff! They also have Saison Dupont year-round and they encourage buying singles from the sixer. 6 packs of DFH 60 min IPA is $9.99 with a new Vermont 6% sales tax on beer. I would concider the selection excellent for around this area, but only sub-par overall.

This is also an organic health foood store with a great selection of the finest organic food goods.

The service is usually very nice, someone at the Co-Op loves their beer because almost every time I walk in there's something different.
Jan 20, 2007
Photo of ppoitras
Reviewed by ppoitras from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.4%
We are here for one reason, and one reason only. Easy access to McNeill's brews. Walk in with my cart, head right to the right, where there are coolers along the wall. Empty McNeill's 22ozer cases stacked alongside the coolers for ease of filling. Discount for cases, 12 ea 22ozers for $38.xx.

One downer this visit was that when my cashier checked on the discounted case price, she was told by her higher-up that all the McNeill's are the same price now, the previous problem situation had been taken care of. This apparently meant that the bigger ie more expensive beers weren't available. Hopefully this was just a temporary situation. Means I needed to go the brewpub to get those, but decided my ever-suffering wife had been good humored enough this visit, so the biguns will wait until next time. But I digress...

Also a reasonable cross-section of other local and micro brews, if that's what you want, but as noted before, that was not today's purpose. Parking was ample, even though there was some construction ongoing and many yellow tapes spread around.

Serves it's purpose as a good McNeill's source with aplomb. Check it out when passing through.

<edit> Revisited 4/30/06, all is more or less the same. Still no high octane McNeill's brews. Prices up quite a bit, forty-something for a mixed case of bombers now. Oh well, least you know they are fresh, since you can throw a rock and hit McNeill's. Worth noting that the earthy-crunchy staff didn't even question buying beer before noon on a Sunday. Not sure if VT has a law or not, but even if they did, I think this place wouldn't care.
May 01, 2006
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Reviewed by Hibernator from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
Located right down the street from McNeill’s and off of Main Street in downtown Brattleboro. This is your typical health food Co-op store. Great selection of fresh produce, herbs, health food supplies, teas, vitamins and organic offerings available. There is a focus on quality products with environmental preservation consciousnesses. This place supports the local farmer and in this case, the local brewer. I noticed couple of posters throughout the store showcasing Ray McNeill and his brewery, which I thought was cool.

Anyways, on to the main reason why any of us would directly come here …the beer selection. As other BA’s have noted, there is a really good representation of Vermont breweries such as Long Trail, Otter Creek, Magic Hat and Trout River. The McNeill’s selection is excellent. This is what they had on the shelves and coolers during my recent visit; Alle Tage Altbier, Champ Ale, Duck’s Breath Bitter, Tarton Export, Firehouse Ale, Old Ringworm, Ruby Ale, Pullman’s Porter, Imperial Stout and others. 22 oz brown bombers were $3.99 each.

If you find yourself in Brattleboro, you might as well stop here and stock up. If you have an appreciation for organic and health food stores, you’ll leave twice as happy.
Feb 19, 2006
Photo of Goldorak
Reviewed by Goldorak from Canada (QC)

3.35/5  rDev -10.9%
Quaint little hippie Coop in a quaint little hippie town. I’d love to have a grocery store like this in my neighborhood. Beer selection is basically an all-Vermont lineup, not too many of which are worth it or are widely available elsewhere, and the McNeill’s section was exactly the same as at the pub two blocks away. We did stop there for a quick lunch, though. We weren’t allowed to drink any Beer in the seating area but we did enjoy the food there. Who says Americans don’t eat well? I ate more organic food in one meal here than in the past month at home!!

If you’re going to make the detour to have a pint at McNeill’s, you might as well stop by here on the way in just to take a look. As mentioned below, parking seems to be scarce in this town, so watch out for meters or “customers only” signs.
Jul 19, 2005
Photo of francisweizen
Reviewed by francisweizen from Washington

4.15/5  rDev +10.4%
McNeils beers. They are here in abundance as well as many other VT micros just thrown in for good measure. The selection here is better than at the pub (even the tender at McNeils confirmed this fact) and on my last visit they had 14 different bombers on offer, all at the low low price of $3.39 a throw (maybe 3.89 for ringworm?). Service is good, clientele is varied, and selection for McNeils is the best you are gonna get anywhere! Worth a stop, to pick up some McNeils to go! I mean, sure you could weigh your cart down with some food, but why bother when you can just fill it up with biere!
Jun 10, 2005
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Reviewed by Longstaff from Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
Service? Selection? -who cares, they have McNiell's here. They had some other VT made beer and some other micros, but I didn't even bother seeing what they had because I was memerized by the cooler full of McNiell's 22 oz. bombers. All of the regulars that I see in the Boston area were in there like the Amber or ESB. But it was the rest that impressed me. Regulary brewed, Duck's Breath, Pullman's Porter, Champ Ale, Bignose Blonde, a Brown ale, the spot on Alltage Altbier, along with other regulars were available. And the Specials were wrapped in plain, photocopied lables. The specials that I remember were the Imperial Stout, Old Ringworm, and Slopbucket Brown. Prices were excellent - $3 for the regulars and $3.25 for the specials. They even gave you a discount for buying a case. Look for the empty case boxes stacked nearby for you to fill up. One word of advice, don't drink them cold, they are much better at cask temps.
Mar 31, 2003
Brattleboro Food Co-op in Brattleboro, VT
Place rating: 3.76 out of 5 with 26 ratings