Woodbury Brewing Company is a craft brewpub that opened in Woodbury, Connecticut in December 2017…read more It was founded by friends and business partners Allan Cetrone, Tim Budrewicz, T.J. D'Alexander and Ken Mair. After he found his previous employer's ethical standards unconscionable, Cetrone decided to quit and find a new line of work. He and his friends frequently got together at a backyard barn man-cave which was complete with a fridge and kegerator. Cetrone had also been experimenting with his own homebrewed beers. Once their man cave became a popular spot for family gatherings, the four friends decided to open their own brewery. The taproom has a rustic saloon aesthetic (a nod to the friends' backyard barn man-cave) complete with a stage for live musical acts to perform. In addition to the housemade beer, WBC also serves wine, cider, craft cocktails, and a large menu of delicious food from their in-house kitchen. I recently visited Woodbury Brewing Company for the first time. I had heard that they host a lot of live music acts and I purchased a ticket to see Hudson Valley-based Rush tribute band "Limelight". I'm a HUGE Rush fan, so I was really excited to see the group perform. I arrived over an hour before the show started. I had a reserved table right by the stage. There was a modest crowd when I first arrived, but the whole taproom was packed by the time the show started. After looking over the menu, I decided to order the "Nashville Hot GIANT Chicken Sandwich" (hot honey, cajun spice, pickles, mayo) with "Sweet Potato Fries" as well as an order of "Cheese Curds" (served w/ house-made marinara). I was totally shocked when the food finally came to the table. When they say "giant chicken sandwiches", they mean GIANT! I could barely fit the sandwich into my mouth, but it was so delicious! The sweet potato fries were equally big and delicious, and the cheese curds were really good too! Throughout my visit, I enjoyed pours of "Yummy Beers" (Double New England IPA), "Collusion" (New England IPA), and "Barrel-Aged Don't Go Romanov" (Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout). They were all surprisingly good! Limelight also gave an excellent performance to the very energetic crowd. Overall, I had quite an enjoyable evening and I'll definitely be back! I already have a ticket to another show!

We have tried the majority of brewery in CT! At Woodbury brews the beers weren't in my top 10 but…read moretheir food and atmosphere made up for it. The bathroom was very clean. We have gone twice and both times have had a live band so the place was packed. Would recommend to offer more sour beers. **stoper in for the fourth of July and the dring special was amazing!

WHOA! Feels like you're watching a show in Levon Helm's living room - because essentially you are!…read moreThe acoustics of this venue are incredible. If you are in Woodstock, you MUST stop here and see a show. It may possibly change your life. It's a little tricky to navigate here in the dark - you feel like you're in the Blair Witch Project, then you will see a beacon of light marking the entrance to the Levon Helms Studio. Follow the light and it will show you the way!

I grew up listening to the music of The Band. The Last Waltz is something I've watched many times…read more But for some reason, I didn't know anything about Levon Helm Studios or the Midnight Ramble until I arrived recently for a friend's birthday. Well, the Ramble and I made that birthday great. It's an amazing show in an amazing venue. They call it The Barn for a reason. All wood everywhere, it's an intimate show with seats all around, above and behind the stage. Apparently Levon designed and acoustically engineered the space himself, and it shows; the sound quality is phenomenal in here. I think any act would sound good in here, but the Ramble blew my mind. The musicianship is incredible. You'll watch people swap guitars for keyboards for drums and show startling prowess on all of them. They brought in all sorts of friends including Graham Lesh and Twisted Pine (the excellent opening act), and literally everyone could play, and sing, and just rock. With some of Levon's family in the band, you'll hear them play his music with real feeling and emotion, and watch them have a great time doing it. I can't recommend this show enough, and I would certainly come back to the venue as well. Be aware that they don't sell drinks and food, which isn't the worst thing in the world because you could pour half a bottle of vodka into into a water bottle with some powdered grape kool-aid because that's all you had on hand, and have a great time. In theory, I mean.

Ah, Toad's! I haven't been to this venue is ages…read more I caught the SiR show and it was great. I love the acoustics and intimacy of the venue. As someone who's 6'3, general admission never bothers me. In Toad's I can see the stage from anywhere I'm standing. Parking is always a nightmare so it's definitely worth taking the CT Rail down and bar hopping around New Haven before the show.

Went to Bingo Loco. The event wasn't worth the money but Toads provided great drinks. They were…read morepricey but good. Parking is terrible but it's New Haven.

I've been the "The O Bar" countless times and this visit was enjoying their Friday happy hour…read more They do put out free wings and usually pizza Stromboli slices, but neither are much better than edible, so we don't bother (Request: PLEASE cook the wings more - they are terribly soggy, & even maybe boiled?). Anyway, we enjoy the lively atmosphere and the simple yet appreciated beer/drink specials. We typically order food off the expansive George's food menu - this time a chicken parm sub. From my experiences, ervice from the wait staff is always excellent.

Met up with some girlfriends before I head back home... and we arrived just after Happy Hour…read more.. Admittedly, we tortured our waitress with special order espresso martinis and our food order but she took it in stride and was great! Totally enjoyed my Chicken francaise over angel hair pasta... I love that they offered a soup or salad... and that they included the French Onion... for a small upcharge... which I was happy to pay! It was awesome! Might meet my sister there later. Yum.

A Community Venue Changed…read more The Egremont Barn, now operating as Buttonball Barn, was once a cornerstone of local music and community gathering. Because of our long-standing connection to the space, my husband and I chose it for our wedding celebration, placing our deposit with the previous owners, who were professional and supportive throughout the process. After the property changed ownership, we still proceeded with our event in October. This celebration held particular significance, as my father was seriously ill at the time, and we were grateful he was able to attend. Unfortunately, our experience with the new ownership raised serious concerns about professionalism, transparency, and respect for both clients and staff. On the day of the event, the owner attempted to impose additional charges not outlined in our contract. This included a demand for a $500 fee for using a room to get ready--a space she had explicitly told me I could use earlier in the day, noting it was acceptable despite the building being under construction. While I was getting ready, she entered the room while my mother and a family friend were assisting me and removed a rug from beneath them, stating that I "wasn't supposed to use the room all day." I chose not to address this at the time in order to preserve the tone of the day. Throughout the event, the owner was also openly drinking at the open bar, which had been paid for by my father. As the night concluded, she insisted that I personally break down the entire venue either immediately or first thing the following morning--despite knowing I had family visiting--or I would be charged for a cleaning crew. This expectation had not been communicated beforehand and was not included in the contract. When I suggested discussing it the next day, she continued to press the issue and confronted my husband, who attempted to redirect the conversation. To avoid further escalation, my friends and I cleaned the venue that night--while I was still in my wedding dress. She later stated that she would retain space heaters I had purchased in exchange for waiving the disputed room fee. When I noted that none of these charges or arrangements were contractually agreed upon, she responded, "I'm expensive, and I'm not in the contract either, honey," in reference to her being casted on The Real Housewives of New York City. Additionally, her conduct toward long-standing staff members--many of whom had supported the venue for years--was concerning and contributed to an atmosphere that felt transactional rather than community-centered. Some of those staff members have since left the venue. What was most troubling was the timing and context. The attempts to extract additional money occurred at the end of a wedding celebration involving a seriously ill parent, placing unnecessary stress on a family during an already significant moment. The Egremont Barn once represented collaboration, music, and mutual respect. Under its current ownership, that spirit appears to have shifted toward aesthetics and revenue at the expense of community and care. I encourage readers to proceed with caution, ask detailed questions, and ensure all expectations are clearly documented in writing before booking events there.

Unique, fun, friendly staff great music and great drinks - what else could you want…read moreWill join the Griswold in Essex, CT as a favorite Inn and tavern

I can't review the food, only the venue, staff and drinks and I thought they were all excellent…read more Went to see the amazing Club d'Elf show recently. It was a Thursday so maybe things weren't as busy as normal but we showed up a little early and the back biergarten was open so we got some drinks as it was a nice spring afternoon. The bartender was very friendly and when we attempted to bring our drinks around front she let us know that we had to finish them first. The Venue itself reminded me a bit of the nearby Levon Helm studios in that it's an open space with a balcony overlooking everything and seating and standing room on the base floor. One thing I loved about this show is the sound was great. We sat stage left but the PA was subtly piping the DJ and guitar parts from stage right. It wasn't a huge crowd but people were having a good time with some standing room in front of the bar dancing etc. The bartenders were super attentive and responsive during the performance. I have been to Bearsville, Levon Helm and now Colony and I really feel lucky to have such intimate performance spaces somewhat locally. All of the staff were super friendly. Will be back for sure!

We went for valentines Cupid night and had a great time. The venue itself is very atmospheric and…read moreladies of the night made it even more memorable. Bar was overflowed and took a long time to save everyone, I think no one expected the crowd of that size. Kitchen worked smoothly and food was bar quality but decent. We had a lot of fun and definitely will be back. I took away one star because of the luck of seating. Not enough tables or bar space or any kind of seating for everyone. Only about 50 people who got there at the opening had a chance to get a seat. Others like us lucked out and had to figure out how to eat without a table .

Two things you expect after paying $65 each for tickets to a theater-bathrooms and working a/c both…read moreof which they struggle to provide. Great concert but I had to leave for a few in middle to get a fan because I thought l was going to pass out. Bathroom design from the 80s I guess, huge bathroom with many stalls for men and 1 man in there and women's bathroom smaller only a few stalls and a line of 30 women like why can't they redesign this? One small heat pump a/c hanging on the wall in back of the theater with hundreds of people crammed in soaking wet with sweat. It's great beyond that but it's like they're practicing to be a theater. Ate at the Mexican restaurant there beforehand which food was okay average not bad, very convenient and they had a/c but theater was a mess it was hot before concert even started.

Came here for a show on a Saturday night and wasn't pleasantly surprised by the compound-like feel…read moreof the venue. There's a Mexican restaurant and Tavern right next door, which are nice amenities. There was also plenty of parking and the outside was well lit. The Theater itself felt brand new. It was super modern and clean. There was a small bar with various drinks. As far as food, I only saw candy and chips listed. Water was also $4 and came in an environmentally friendly bottle. Bathrooms were downstairs, which wasn't an issue for me but could be for someone with limited mobility. If you have limited mobility and plan on visiting, I would call to ensure the restrooms can be accessed. The room where the musicians perform is large and there is a small seating area upstairs, which is a different, more expensive ticket. I did see about 5 or 6 stools downstairs for those who need to sit. Unfortunately, the main act was unable to perform but the theater did send out an email several hours before the show started to let guests know their options so that was appreciated. Overall, it's a really nice venue for a show!