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Gardner Ale House
Rating Details »
Categories: Pubs, American (Traditional)
74 Parker StGardner, MA 01440
(978) 669-0122
Happy Hour
Sunday through Thursday, 3 -6 PM and all Red Sox games…
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- Hours:
Mon-Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Thu, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
10 reviews for Gardner Ale House
This is probably the nicest bar around for miles.
Nice dark wood inside - it's a relatively new place so it's still got that new-clean thing going.
I cannot speak for the food, as I only ever come here to drink, and I like it.
The charm and energy at the ale house is undeniable. They are without a doubt the front runners in a downtown that you can see is just a few years away from turning a really positive corner.
The food is good, the beer is great and the staff is phenomenal (If you come during a special event you may even see some of them in German beer maid outfits.) You can tell that the folks that run the ale house really care about the town they're in and for that Gardner should be thankful.
If you find yourself in central mass drop a few shekels at the ale house and enjoy an evening at a great small town establishment.
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When on a jaunt out to the 'burbs, stopped into this place. Atmosphere was that of a typical suburban brewpub (which isn't a bad thing). Overall, the food was pretty tasty but to me the beers had that "generic brewpub flavor" going on. Service was friendly, if a bit slow.
I didn't notice until on my way out that they had some awards posted on the wall for some of their brews. I thought it was somewhat amusing that all of the awards were for lagers, yet this was an "ale house". Perhaps they should be the Gardner Lager House?
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A solid place to stop for a meal. I mostly came here because I love brewpubs, and I love ale...and was disappointed to find they only had two of their own brews available. However, they had a decent selection of outside beers, including magner's irish cider which is not commonly found in small US towns. I tried one of their ale's but didn't love it, so I stuck with cider. Food was decent--I had the tortillini which was tasty and had many complex flavors--veggie, white wine, cream, caramelized onions and mushrooms. Pretty crowded for a Wed. night, which speaks well for the place.
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My mom is always trying to get me to come here when I visit her in Hubbardston, she loves this place.
The one time I did go we got the buffalo wings and I got the chicken club. We also got some pumpkin dessert that was amazing. My mom raves about the desserts, so save room!
Overall, the food was pretty good, but I'm not a bar person, so the very busy and loud atmosphere wasn't my style.
Lets face it, when eating in Gardener you have to lower your standards, but not at the The Gardener Ale House, thats part of what makes eating there so refreshing and delightful.
The food is high quality and served in fairly generous portions. Every time I've eaten here we have been seated quickly and treated well.
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This place is awesome and much needed for the area!
I grew up between Fitchburg & Gardner. North Central Mass has always been a hub of food mediocrity. Hard to get much besides soggy pizza, soggy grinders, soggy Chinese Food (exception of Gardner's own Yen Yen, which is awesome!), donut shops, and pubs built on menus of prime rib/potatoes/Anheuser-Busch products.
Gardner Ale House comes along and builds
A) a fine beer establishment. Even bigger cities Worcester and Fitch/Leominster don't have brewpubs for some reason. Hey brewers - come to these places and fill the market gap!!
B) takes the simple but rare-round-those-parts step of using fresh, non-canned ingredients. Puts these into a hearty pub plus steaks & pizza menu that still manages to be vegetarian-friendly.
D) Keeps the prices reasonable! Mostly $10-20 entrees, under $10 for sandwiches. Filet mignon is the only thing over $20 here.
D) A non-dive space for local bands to play in.
Way to take a big step toward pulling G-Vegas and the general North Central area out of its culinary voidness.
Gardner Ale House is proof that good beer and a true quality semi-upscale restaurant can succeed even in the land of half-dead Central Mass mill towns.
Favorites on recent visit in early February were Dave's Double (strong ale 8.5%!), FaceLift IPA, and guest beer BBC Holidale on draft. Sweet potato fries and a damn good Smokehouse pizza (BBQ sauce, bacon, smoked gouda cheese, ham, caramelized onions).
A great place to go after a hike up Mt. Monadnock, this little brewery in the middle of nowhere serves up delicious pub fare and beer made on the premises! What a find!
Happy hour specials like 25 cent wings and half price nachos don't disappoint- for $4 we got a huge plate of nachos that 6 people couldn't finish.
The food was all excellent, burgers actually cooked the way requested, veggie burgers not dry, awesome fries.
But it's really about the beer. These guys know what they are doing! Especially of note was the Facelift IPA. Simply delicious and just what a group of thirsty hikers needed!
Service was great- we even came in right during a shift change and were totally taken care of.
They seem to have a lot of theme nights and live music too.
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Before finally making it to the Gardner Ale House this Friday, I had been checking in on their website periodically, mainly because I was impressed with their philosophy of creating a community meeting place to share ideas, music and art. Their calendar is well maintained and updated, and they even have a newsletter! Located in the quaint downtown area of Gardner, the Gardner Ale House brings a much-needed vitality to the area. On top of all that- they brew their own beer! I tried a sample of their Summer's End beer, which had been infused with strawberries as the weekly experiment. The restaurant area filled up quickly, as did the bar where we sat. Luckily we snagged two seats. I ordered the blackened mahi mahi sandwich with red pepper remoulade from the pub menu- it was quite tasty, as were the seasoned fries that accompanied it. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the menu is reasonably priced. Unfortunately we left before the entertainment, but it appears to be quite a draw. Looking forward to going back soon!
This is an amazing brewhouse! We've been going for 2 years now and they just keep getting better. The building is gorgeous inside and the staff is fun and welcoming. The owner, Rick, is often seen chatting with customers and trying to find new ways to improve the place. The Brewmaster, Dave is also very accessible and loves to talk about beer how they brew it. He gives great tours of the brewery too! They use local products as much as possible and work hard to elevate not just the pub but the community as a whole. They host artwork from local artists, throw fundraisers etc. The beer and food are fantastic and they have lots of great music too (thurs thru sat nights). We especially love the Sat. night Blues music. Hoping to make it to one of their seasonal Beer Dinners, where they pair their beers with goumet food. They even have a Mug Club. You pay a yearly fee and get your own numbered mug (24 oz) hanging over the bar. You get a pint and a half for the price of a pint, monthly specials, tshirt and an annual party just for members.
