The place in town where strangers become friends and the good times roll
Stephen Zweig
Visited this past Saturday and had a wonderful time. This pub is a fabulous but yet relatively unknown addition to the Great Barrington area. Its owner and chef is delightful and the dishes on the menu are excellent, especially the fish and chips. The 16 (or more) beers on tap are well chosen and superb. I would like to keep this pub a secret so it doesn't get too crowed this summer but it is too good not to share with everyone that can appreciate a real English pub.
Hess Snow
My original review of this fabulous favorite spot is gone , but I could write 500 words about this comfortable, friendly, well staffed spot. Do yourself a favor and do not miss the food, which I believe is the star of the show.
On my first visit, excitement & imagination around what my life would be like with such an accessible oasis, I wandered the empty back room, pint of chav favorite carlsberg in hand, took in the pool table, Smith College throw, and the quaint window into the kitchen & tucked next to it trophies photos and memories from a previous lifes dream, that of a soccer player. It adds a layer of Ted Lasso charm to the already soccer obsessed spot.
Inside, Conifer green walls and double green tartan curtains set the stage for a waspy comfortability. Remnants and homages of iterations past remain throughout - the focal wall mural of kids playing in the in the river, a Macano Inn sign also advertising Knickerbocker beer that was no dobut hand painted, and I imagine they refurbed around it, ensconced as it is like a priceless work at the Clark. The wood-inlay of the watertower from it’s brickhouse days at the bar pass also remains. It’s steeped in the kind of generational, institutional history that new bars pay very credentialed people fortunes to try to cultivate.
Keeping the full wrap bar and chalkboards is so choice, it conures images of my first warm lager & a Sheffield United game in a tiny pub in Dore in 2002. I get that same feeling nestling into one of COG’s ample church pews & nest. The TVs are placed well, unobtrusive, and only audible during games. I will say every time I have been in, the playlist has been a pitch perfect- even & unoffensive, nothing thats going to inspire sudden singalongs or fisticuffs but also not the usual sleepy jazz or soft sad indie that makes me want finish the bottle, go home and put on Tom Waits. During the edition session of ths review it was loud, constant phish but fortuately I carry my nosie cancelling headphones everywhere now and wear them as needed with autistic pride.
My one gripe about the furniture, which is often the sacrifice of many a rapidly ballooning opening budget, that if your are sturdy of frame or carrying a few extra lbs, the black high top stools at the tables are a precarious proposition but not unmanageable.
The staff is well cast. The regular bartenders are experienced, calm in the face of high volume or aggravation, and full disclosure, while I do know them both personally for some time in the way the industry folks do, I wouldnt be afraid to say otherwise. Lets ensure all of the staff is well tipped to fend off the sure to arrive poaching offers. I need my Shelly Longs.
Common or Garden is the kind of place that feels steeped in the hyper-localized culture of soccer, and for all the better.
Katharine Meehan
Came in early on a Saturday evening and found it to be a welcoming place for a family with a younger child. Cozy atmosphere, clean, good service and friendly staff. Everything we ordered from the menu was outstanding. Respectable beer list and great cocktails, too! Overall, great addition to the local dining scene!
jonathan hill
Wow this place is great for local eats and viewing of sports events. I’ll come back every time I visit.
Sadie Mc
Bomb food great beer list & pool!
T Duchesne
We tried this place on a whim this past weekend and were pleasantly surprised. Owner is from the region, bartender is friendly and they have a wonderful selection of European beers on tap, including a proper German Pilsner. Overall nice vibe with good music...will return for Premier League mornings as they have several TVs in the back room along with pool tables. A proper pub in the Berkshires...finally!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
jess C
Service was a little slow. Not enough staff for a busy night
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 3
Matt Jones
My wife and I made our first trip here today and we absolutely loved it. Being able to get British beers on tap, and to get traditional British pub faire is amazing. Make sure to get the Chips, Curry and Cheese. One of the best smashburgers I've ever had too. Can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ari Herzog
Staying in Housatonic for the weekend, I asked a local couple for a casual dinner restaurant, and they recommended this...
The food menu is spartan (and appears to rotate), but the shepherds pie called to my stomach -- and I finished the entire entree. Yum!
With a full bar in the restaurant, I drank a pint of cider (Kingston Dry from Champlain Orchards in Vermont) and it smoothly complemented the mashed potatoes, ground beef, peas, carrots, and onions.
I then felt like dessert, to counter the cider's alcohol, and saw they had an ice cream sundae on the menu. I asked for two scoops of vanilla (without the sundae), and that was easy to accommodate.
FINALLY there’s a good spot in south county to watch sports. Genuine local vibes with good hearted ownership. Great beer and eats. Smash burger is all time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jamie Moore
I really wanted to love it. Food was mediocre at best. We had a vodka with club soda and cranberry. Was broken out on bill as $2 club soda and $2 cranberry total of $13. I have never seen a breakdown like that. I do not think this will be condusive to keeping locals coming back...but I hope I am wrong for their sake.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Richard Tovell
The BEST thing to happen in Housatonic forever!! Thank you Krissy and your wonderful gang for having such a friendly, welcoming bar with great food and one of the best draft beer lineups around. I might come back tomorrow... and the next day! x
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smash Burger, Fish&Chips
Brett Wellman
Great food, and looking forward to checking out their events. So glad to have a pub like this back in the area! Woman owned and operated - check it out!
Richard Tovell
The BEST thing to happen in Housatonic forever!! Thank you Krissy and your wonderful gang for having such a friendly, welcoming bar with great food and one of the best draft beer lineups around. I might come back tomorrow... and the next day!
The place in town where strangers become friends and the good times roll
Visited this past Saturday and had a wonderful time. This pub is a fabulous but yet relatively unknown addition to the Great Barrington area. Its owner and chef is delightful and the dishes on the menu are excellent, especially the fish and chips. The 16 (or more) beers on tap are well chosen and superb. I would like to keep this pub a secret so it doesn't get too crowed this summer but it is too good not to share with everyone that can appreciate a real English pub.
My original review of this fabulous favorite spot is gone , but I could write 500 words about this comfortable, friendly, well staffed spot. Do yourself a favor and do not miss the food, which I believe is the star of the show.
On my first visit, excitement & imagination around what my life would be like with such an accessible oasis, I wandered the empty back room, pint of chav favorite carlsberg in hand, took in the pool table, Smith College throw, and the quaint window into the kitchen & tucked next to it trophies photos and memories from a previous lifes dream, that of a soccer player. It adds a layer of Ted Lasso charm to the already soccer obsessed spot.
Inside, Conifer green walls and double green tartan curtains set the stage for a waspy comfortability. Remnants and homages of iterations past remain throughout - the focal wall mural of kids playing in the in the river, a Macano Inn sign also advertising Knickerbocker beer that was no dobut hand painted, and I imagine they refurbed around it, ensconced as it is like a priceless work at the Clark. The wood-inlay of the watertower from it’s brickhouse days at the bar pass also remains. It’s steeped in the kind of generational, institutional history that new bars pay very credentialed people fortunes to try to cultivate.
Keeping the full wrap bar and chalkboards is so choice, it conures images of my first warm lager & a Sheffield United game in a tiny pub in Dore in 2002. I get that same feeling nestling into one of COG’s ample church pews & nest. The TVs are placed well, unobtrusive, and only audible during games. I will say every time I have been in, the playlist has been a pitch perfect- even & unoffensive, nothing thats going to inspire sudden singalongs or fisticuffs but also not the usual sleepy jazz or soft sad indie that makes me want finish the bottle, go home and put on Tom Waits. During the edition session of ths review it was loud, constant phish but fortuately I carry my nosie cancelling headphones everywhere now and wear them as needed with autistic pride.
My one gripe about the furniture, which is often the sacrifice of many a rapidly ballooning opening budget, that if your are sturdy of frame or carrying a few extra lbs, the black high top stools at the tables are a precarious proposition but not unmanageable.
The staff is well cast. The regular bartenders are experienced, calm in the face of high volume or aggravation, and full disclosure, while I do know them both personally for some time in the way the industry folks do, I wouldnt be afraid to say otherwise. Lets ensure all of the staff is well tipped to fend off the sure to arrive poaching offers. I need my Shelly Longs.
Common or Garden is the kind of place that feels steeped in the hyper-localized culture of soccer, and for all the better.
Came in early on a Saturday evening and found it to be a welcoming place for a family with a younger child. Cozy atmosphere, clean, good service and friendly staff. Everything we ordered from the menu was outstanding. Respectable beer list and great cocktails, too! Overall, great addition to the local dining scene!
Wow this place is great for local eats and viewing of sports events. I’ll come back every time I visit.
Bomb food great beer list & pool!
We tried this place on a whim this past weekend and were pleasantly surprised. Owner is from the region, bartender is friendly and they have a wonderful selection of European beers on tap, including a proper German Pilsner. Overall nice vibe with good music...will return for Premier League mornings as they have several TVs in the back room along with pool tables. A proper pub in the Berkshires...finally!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Service was a little slow. Not enough staff for a busy night
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 3
My wife and I made our first trip here today and we absolutely loved it. Being able to get British beers on tap, and to get traditional British pub faire is amazing. Make sure to get the Chips, Curry and Cheese. One of the best smashburgers I've ever had too. Can't wait to go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Staying in Housatonic for the weekend, I asked a local couple for a casual dinner restaurant, and they recommended this...
The food menu is spartan (and appears to rotate), but the shepherds pie called to my stomach -- and I finished the entire entree. Yum!
With a full bar in the restaurant, I drank a pint of cider (Kingston Dry from Champlain Orchards in Vermont) and it smoothly complemented the mashed potatoes, ground beef, peas, carrots, and onions.
I then felt like dessert, to counter the cider's alcohol, and saw they had an ice cream sundae on the menu. I asked for two scoops of vanilla (without the sundae), and that was easy to accommodate.
Great service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
FINALLY there’s a good spot in south county to watch sports.
Genuine local vibes with good hearted ownership. Great beer and eats. Smash burger is all time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I really wanted to love it. Food was mediocre at best. We had a vodka with club soda and cranberry. Was broken out on bill as $2 club soda and $2 cranberry total of $13. I have never seen a breakdown like that. I do not think this will be condusive to keeping locals coming back...but I hope I am wrong for their sake.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
The BEST thing to happen in Housatonic forever!! Thank you Krissy and your wonderful gang for having such a friendly, welcoming bar with great food and one of the best draft beer lineups around. I might come back tomorrow... and the next day! x
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smash Burger, Fish&Chips
Great food, and looking forward to checking out their events. So glad to have a pub like this back in the area! Woman owned and operated - check it out!
The BEST thing to happen in Housatonic forever!! Thank you Krissy and your wonderful gang for having such a friendly, welcoming bar with great food and one of the best draft beer lineups around. I might come back tomorrow... and the next day!
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