Danbury Ct

DeCiccio's in Brewster is a great bottle shop. Excellent selection, growlers and crowlers too.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24327/?view=ratings

Also Fairgrounds W&S at Exit 3.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6316/

My recent local fave for a bar is the Meeting House Pub on the Bethel Danbury line, between exits 8 and 9. 40 draft lines, always changing with great turn over. The acoustics are tough, it is always loud. Food has been great the half dozen times I've been there.
http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/meeting-house-pub-bethel-ct.362154/

 

While I really want to LOVE Meeting House, me and most of my local beer friends just don't.

While they do have a nice selection with some rare beers on occasionally, the tap lines usually taste/feel like they're slightly dirty, like the beers taste 80% of what they should taste like. This very well could also be because they have 40 draught lines and the turnover even on rarer beers is lousy. I had a Hawaiian Speedway that had been on for 2+ weeks that tasted slightly flat and dirty. Still charged $10 for it though. They say they clean their lines every week or two, and maybe they do and the problem is the beers sitting too long, but this is a problem I've had with every beer I've had there except one.

In terms of food, it is usually pretty good, but they either need to lower their prices or increase their portions. Literally every person I've talked to that has eaten there has said that. Also, the waitstaff is pretty terrible if it's even close to busy.

I really want this place to turn it around and make it, but it may be an uphill battle.

At least they update their beermenus daily now...

 

I do agree on the wait staff, they are very easily flustered. I haven't had an issue with the beer or food though.

 

I've had issues with the beer quality (on their end) and the food (portion/price) literally every single time I have been. It's been a handful of times since July.

 

I only started going in December. Five times since, the only difference between the first time and the others is that with that visit the staff was working like a team helping service each other's customers on their way by. All the other visits seemed to be every man for themself, which ultimately hurt the service a bit. Clearly a struggle with the volume of patrons, there are cars parking on Rt 6 and in a mud field adjacent to the parking lot. Has to be the busiest place in Bethel.

 

Head down Rt. 7 to Little Pub in Ridgefield. Always have Maine Beer Co. on tap plus a rotating selection of others. Plus the food is good. Gets crowded though - its kind of small (hence the name).

 

Widow Browns in Danbury usually has a good tap list. I feel the same as most about Meeting House, I would skip it unless they have something good on tap.

 

deciccos. widows. stanziatos. go over to oec and black hog on saturday. not too far of a drive. little pub is awesome too. their food specials are killer. pm if you want a few other things. cheers.

 

Huge +1 on Stanziato's. Fantastic pizza and well curated 10 draft lines (always at least 5-7 different styles ... i.e. not all IPA's and stouts)

 

Hey OP, the typical thing to do once you start a thread is maybe check in from time to time to thank the people who have taken time to answer your request. Just sayin. Enjoy your karma.

 

On the NY side if you're still returning to the area and have the time, check out: Dutchess Hops (pm me if you're heading over) to tour an active Hop Farm; The Hop-Beacon thehopbeacon.com (across the river from Newburgh on the way back to Danbury); and of course, Newburgh Brewing Co. newburghbrewing.com