The Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont is famous for its brews, but I really like their menu…read more Simply put, it is comfort food and it is good. Most of the menu items here are not like a gourmet Vermont experience. Instead, they are simply, darn flippin' good! Menu items here are simple and breezy.
Get the baked potato with pulled pork, cheddar, bacon, chives and sour cream. If I made the same dish, as easy as it seems, it would definitely not turn out as delicious. With this glorious baked potato, there was a white, shredded cheese. I am not used to this at all because usually you usually get orange cheddar cheese on a potato, but this is Vermont. People new to the region - like me - notice simple touches like white cheddar cheese and it's little things like that that really make a difference in having an authentic New England experience. And now onto the Hebrew National Franks: they are on New England rolls. I didn't know what those were until I ordered them, but this makes a total difference. They are soft and heated and have a shiny, buttery finish. On their winter menu, I have also tried the Space Cake beer fried chicken sandwich. I thought it might be a sweet, fried, hot honey kind of chicken sammie, but I don't think that option is on their menu yet. The fried chicken coating was good. This Space Cake sandwich came with sweet potato waffle fries. Oh my goodness! Definitely get these. Get them as an appetizer. Take them home with you. Whatever. You need them. They're delicious. This was all on their winter menu.
On their summer menu, I enjoyed the pulled pork sandwich with steakhouse fries. Thoroughly fabulous. We also enjoyed the butternut squash salad with fresh cranberries from their summer menu. The lettuce was so darn fresh. It really makes a difference in the flavors and the whole experience here.
Now onto the beers: there are so many draughts to choose from! Aside from a suite of brewed-on-site Harpoon beers, you can also get at least 3 UFO hefeweizen brews and 3 Clown Shoes beers. The UFO wheat beers are a favorite here: I had White (orange and coriander), Maine Blueberry and Strawberry Lemonade Shandy The Clown Shoes beers seem popular here, but were too intense for me. The Vodka Whips - inspired by the beloved Maryland Orange Crush drinks - are good. I thought was ordering a Cardi B Whip Shot, so when I got it, I realized these two drinks are not the same. Vodka Whips vs. Whip Shots: who knew. Camp Wannamango by Harpoon is a not-to-miss. I also liked the Maple Bourbon Barrel-aged Mountain Ale. Not a fan of any of the IPA's anywhere, including here, unless they are doubles. The Harpoon Cider is tasty. The Dunkin' beers are fabulous branding and interesting. Some I like ... while others are - again - just not watered-down enough for me. I hope someone is laughing at what a lightweight I am when it comes to sturdy beers.
For the videos in this review, you can search Season 4 episode 6 of Local Taste by Jenny.