Mad River Barn

There was no doubt that we would stop at Blackback Pub for lunch when passing through Waterbury. We…read morewere fortunate enough to snag two seats at the bar on a very busy Memorial Day afternoon. Since it was a national holiday, the Waterbury Patriot Burger called out to me. Great choice- nicely spiced, cooked perfectly on a fresh brioche bun. The accompanying kettle chips were yummy. I chose to have a mug of Hill Farmstead Symposia-a delicious Rauchbier poured from a LUKR tap (side-pull). What a treat. Jane chose sliders that quickly disappeared. Her beer choice was Common People from Bluejacket-a micro brewery in Washington, DC. You can always count on the best beer selection anywhere at Blackback Pub. I only wish we were staying in town longer so we could enjoy more of their deliciousness. The bartender was very friendly and attentive despite being slammed. Looking forward to stopping by again when in the area.

Charming, welcoming pup experience with really creative dishes like delicious Japanese potato salad…read moreand date Brussels sprouts. Appetizers are better than entrees, which are burger-heavy and a little charred, but a rustic spot that's a great hang, especially if you're a beer drinker. So many great beers.

Bar goes through to the next room

Meatloaf Sandwich

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Taco Salad

Lawson’s Finest Liquids

4.4(113 reviews)

2.8 mi

Lawsons do have some fine liquids!…read more Attended a wedding welcome party at Lawsons, in their main dining area. The venue itself was very nice, open and airy, the food was great and from what I can tell standard menu items, set up to be catered. The beer, cold and delicious and staff friendly. One cool thing that I learned is their gratuity system is set up to help local non profits and charities, with a new charity receiving all (possibly a portion) of the tips. A very thoughtful way to help the local communities!

my wife and I drove out to lawsons when we in Vermont a while back. The brewery is beautiful, and…read morethere is a lot of seating indoors. The bartenders were friendly, and the beers were great, obviously. It will definitely be in my rotation when we go back to Vermont.

Inside the taproom

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"Double Sunshine" (Double IPA) and "Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy" (Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale)

The Reks

4.1(21 reviews)

3.9 mi

Fun local dive bar, a great place to talk skiing with friendly folks at the bar, right in the heart…read moreof the village. Very unusual movie choices. Good beers on tap and in cans. Decor wise, not much, and only 2 tables to sit at. It was chilly inside and we kept our jackets on Food - the good- the sandwiches are large and inexpensive. The bad- they were verging on inedible. The chicken was hot and the bread was ice cold, like the meat was microwaved.

Great local establishment. Dino and his family have it going on! Their NY style sandwiches are…read morenamed after family members. Huge subs!

Owner Dino in the back doing work.

Bar owner Dino

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Owner Dino in the back doing work.

The Reservoir

4.0(367 reviews)

Went for early dinner and had a great meal Greated nicely,…read morejust had to wait for table turnover Our server Dave D was very personalable and attentive to our table of 4. He checked on us regularly. Kitchen missed one item on plate and he was so apologetic and quickly got it corrected. Definitely will return when we return ro area end of June. Place was packed for a weeknight so a bit noisy. Otherwise every thing was awesome

Dave D was the server of the night! Friendly, attentive and willing to ask the kitchen questions…read moreto help us to make informed decisions. The food was plentiful and delicious. I ordered the grilled chicken with a side salad instead of fries. It comes dressed with a light vinaigrette. Perfect! Others in our party had crab cakes and pulled pork. All satisfying. The Brussels sprouts appetizer was fried with pork belly. The only item to ding was the corn chowder. It had more potatoes than corn. Still tasty. We ate everything. That says it all.

Interior

Vegetable Curry with Chicken

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Focal Banger

McGillicuddy's Irish Pub

3.1(68 reviews)

Ordered some takeout here while staying in Waterbury and had a great experience! From the moment…read morethey answered the phone to the second I picked it up was smooth and pleasant. They even give you a thermal lined take away bag which is reusable...bonus!! I'd be lying if I said it was the best burger I've ever had, but it was serviceable and cooked right. The pretzel sticks were a hit with my kids and the fries (although salty) were pretty decent, especially for take away. The chicken sandwich was also cooked correctly and tasted just fine. It seems that many of the critical reviews center around slow service so I think that doing take away helped remove that aspect as we only picked it up 45 mins after ordering. I'm sure that when compared to all the cute foodie spots in Waterbury McGs isn't quite on the same level, but overall it was exactly what I needed and they did a great job! I'd order again without hesitation.

we ate at this place and were very disappointed in the food. my hamburger was burnt and the meat…read morewas horrible. My husband has wings and they sent him chicken chicken drumsticks, only three wing flats. BYW the chicken was tough! Not happy with the food. Service was slow They took off my hamburger from bill but left all the drumsticks The beer was Great!

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The Mad Taco

3.9(330 reviews)

2.9 mi

We went here with some friends and kids and enjoyed a nice meal inside. The outdoor seating area is…read morealso cool and we enjoyed our food here. It also came pretty quickly. Food wise I like that they have a few choices for kids, although it's too bad they don't have a non-spicy ground beef option for kids. We split a special and the Ahi Tuna Tostada, which was tasty, although I wish the tuna portion was less meager. Smoked wings were decent and were spiced differently than others that I've had. Portion size was fair. Overall pretty positive experience and I'd come back to this location and/or explore the others.

BLUF: the food is good but not great. A bit pricey for what you get. Friendly service…read more Two of us went here for lunch on a sunday. We ate at the bar, and the service was very friendly. Got the carne asada and al pastor taco dishes. The carne asada was tasty but quite chewy, definitely overcooked. The al pastor was very tasty and if I went back that's what I would get again. I do think the price is a bit steep. The tacos are pretty small given the price you pay for them, and for just a basic lunch for two of us with tacos and a drink came out to $50 with the tip. The service was friendly, and the view is very nice although frankly in this part of Vermont is hard to find a place where it isn't nice.

Chicken Fajitas

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Déco Restaurant and Bar

4.4(9 reviews)

4.8 mi

Visiting VT for the long weekend- this place made our trip! Definitely a hidden gem. Lemon drop &…read morespicy marg were both excellent. Chicken sandwhich was great. The highlight was the crunch-wrap WOW. Probably the best crunch-wrap i've ever had it blew us away how good it was! Inside was very rustic and comfortable and service was amazing! Will definitely be back!

My husband had the "Maple Mischief" burger special (burger, bacon, cheddar, Peanut Butter, green…read moreapple slices and maple syrup.) They were out of gluten free buns, so he just ate it open-faced. It was delicious! Highly recommend stopping by on your next stop to SugarBush Ski Resort or just visiting the area.

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Lobby

The Pub

4.3(6 reviews)

18.1 mi

We were staying in town for a snowboarding trip and wanted to grab some dinner NYE. We went to the…read morepub and did not regret it. Pam, the owner was awesome and so friendly. She stayed open later just for us. The food was great and ambiance was cool. I highly recommend!!

Great service, food and COLD beer! Very reasonable prices on the extensive menu. The staff is very…read morefriendly and attentive.

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Pledge allegiance

Prohibition Pig

4.1(1.3k reviews)

Good and service were great. Wait list via Yelp worked great too. Well curated spirit menu…read morecomplimented food nicely.

This place has well over 1000 reviews and most of them are positive for a reason! Pro Pig checks…read moreso many boxes and is a must try for anyone in the area. It gets busy and they don't take reservations. They do have an online waitlist but we went around 4:30 and didn't have to utilize it. Our party of 6 climbed camel's hump earlier in the day and showed up famished. We knew this was the right pig out spot for us to refuel from the moment we walked in, smelled the food and saw the amazing ceiling-high bar. The smoked meats were outstanding. High quality cuts smoked to perfection. We had an order of every meat they offer and they were all just as good. That being said, I could go back just for the cornbread w maple butter. My word, it was like eating cake for dinner. The Mac & cheese was ooey and gooey with a nice crispy top. And the cookie skillet was like a party in your mouth. We didn't think we'd be able to finish everything but there wasn't a crumb to be found when we were done. As far as service goes, it was as good as I've ever had at a place like this. Our server was laid back yet always on top of things. We never waited for anything and her timing was perfect. There's outdoor seating if that's your jam. We sat in the large table by the window and got to look out on main st. It couldn't have been more perfect.

Brisket sandwich.

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Special of the day: cassoulet with smoked pork sausage and duck in a white bean stew

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Breana C.

12 years ago

I cannot say enough great things about the MRB! Andrew and Heather have done an amazing job of restoring this property and are amazing hosts. Whether you are looking for a fabulous dinner in a casual ski setting are a great place to stay, you must consider the MRB. I have frequented the MRB for dinner, however my biggest testament to the quality of this business is from when my husband and I rented the entire property to host our 20something guests for our wedding! For three nights the MRB did everything they could to make our weekend wonderful including a lot of assistance to our guests in booking rooms, working with us on planning our weekend timeline, preparing amazing breakfasts, keeping the bar open late, hosting our after party and graciously dealing with our shenanigans. Our wedding guests are still talking about how great it was to stay at the MRB and the unique environment it provided. read more

Mary Ann Z.

6 years ago

Our son and daughter-in-law recently held their wedding at this venue. Andrew, Adrienne and the entire staff were very accommodating. The rehearsal dinner, the "bag" breakfasts, the outdoor ceremony location, the reception and the grounds/flowers were exceptional. During this pandemic, there have been so many uncertainties and stressful times. However, our stay at MRB and all the wedding festivities there were such a blessing and definitely a time to celebrate! read more

Debbie K.

10 years ago

Dined at mad river barn for an 80th birthday party. 19 of us! Food was excellent, service was superb and we all had a great time. Thank you for your patience with our party and for accommodating all of our requests! The evening was a great success!! read more

Kathleen A.

10 years ago

Stayed here for 2 nights with my family, and we absolutely loved it! The staff were so friendly and accommodating and the rooms were beautiful. The food in the pub was very good too. I will definitely be staying here next time I'm in the area. read more

Brian K.

8 years ago

First time in VT and this place did not disappoint. Great spot upstairs for the kids, amazing deck with views, good food and drinks! Highly recommend read more

George H.

11 years ago

Food is decent. Service good. Beer selection good. Be prepared for lots of kids as the game room gives them a lot to do.

NurSena T.

12 years ago

That is a fantastic place I have ever stayed. Rooms are well-decorated and foods are delicious in this place.

Mad River Barn - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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We, party of 5, really enjoyed our meal and experience at the tillerman. The service was terrific,…read morea nice variety of wine selection, food very good, and the deserts were amazing! The Caesar salad was a large serving that we shared, was creatively made, and delish. We ordered 3 pizzas, wonderful crust and toppings. The "Sausage" was very interesting, serviced with flavorful lentils, and recommended as it was also good. The chocolate gelato was quality rich, as the other choc desert, and also very delicious. We had a very good Spanish Albariño, which is not common to find at all. Nice inside the restaurant too.

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Great local establishment. Dino and his family have it going on! Their NY style sandwiches are…read morenamed after family members. Huge subs!

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This might be the best restaurant we have ever been to in Vermont. The service was exceptional -…read moreMyra has the nicest way about her...attentive and calm. I can't think of one thing she did wrong even after she got a little busy towards the end or our meal. The food was outstanding. My wife enjoyed the halibut special and I had the scallops which were both exceptional. Tuna sashimi was perfect and the Caesar salad was the first Ive had in Vermont that was not over dressed - light yet flavorful. But our favorite thing was the duck fat French fries. They were hands down the best French fries we have ever had. Crispy and hot - the insides were like butter. I can't even imagine them as a poutine base! Thank You to all for an exceptional meal. We can't wait to come back! -T

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Stark's Pub

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Food was pretty good. My son had the fish fry and it looked great! I had the grilled chicken…read moresandwich and it was tasty. My only real knock on this place is the service. They seem a little scattered. We waited a solid 15 minutes for anyone to even come to our table.

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