On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Loading...
Great beers, yummy steak frites (when it's not overcooked!), good nachos, but I wouldn't go with some of the other food items, this is one of those places where you kinda have to know what to order.
The service used to suck here, but they've really turned things around. The bartenders and wait staff are friendly and competent. Awesome patio. Very loud inside. Fun on bball game nights, but get there EARLY!
Sometimes can get overrun with students, but who am I to talk...
This place is really cool.
A few advantages:
1. $1.50 PBRs on Thursday nights.
2. High quality local beers of the month.
3. A generally large bar area and outdoor area that is good for eating or hanging out.
4. Good appetizers, including a spinach/artichoke dip with bread dippers.
5. Oh, and did I happen to mention the incredibly awesome list of beers they have available, particularly a bunch of belgian beers and other options, listed for your convenience on the blackboard?
Milltown is very cool. It's convenient to Franklin St., has a great selection of beers, and based on what you get, is relatively cost-effective. Overall, a very nice place.
Also, in the men's room, the stall has a weird compartment button that's actually the flushing mechanism. An interesting touch to be sure.
I love this place, but every time I go I realize it's only for a few things they do well.
Their menu is nothing awe-inspiring, and honestly it's somewhat limited in range and scope. The burger is relatively lifeless and uninspired, as is much of the other food.
The fish tacos, though not up to Cali standards, are outstanding for the area.
The curry fries are amazing, and for the life of me I cannot understand why they won't give me an EXTRA side of the curry sauce for my fries, even though I said I'm willing to pay extra. They absolutely say they can't/won't do it, which is why they don't get 5 stars, and I almost wanted to take them to 3.
They're firmly 4 stars for me because of the Belgian beer selection. The fact that I can get Delirium Tremens on tap pretty much ensures it's a great experience for me every time.
Beers are great. Prices are completely reasonable.
The food that I've sampled is great. (Fries are delicious, moules aren't as good as I've had at other Belgian-style places - Monks and Eulogy in Philadelphia, for example - but servings are huge and come with tons of bread, good ballast for all those beers you're enjoying.) Prices are completely reasonable.
Service is hit-or-miss, but I really could care less when I'm enjoying a huge selection of delicious beer and yummy comforting food where the prices ARE COMPLETELY REASONABLE. The only cheaper option for what they offer is to grab a six-pack from the beer store and cook at home. Complaining about food, service, etc. is completely reasonable within the context of a review if you've had issues in those areas. Complaining about the prices here is absurd.
Sadly, the "happy hour" concept is an illegal one in NC, which is too bad. With its relaxed vibe, I think Milltown would be the ideal happy hour spot, especially as the prices are a little higher than average for Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
Eat the fries if you enjoy garlic and delicious taste. The mussels and burgers were also excellent. Daily bruschettas can be hit/miss, but they're made from fresh local food, so if they sound appetizing, they probably are.
Ask the bartenders for beer recommendations if you don't recognize many of the draughts, and if you're beer-haughty (like most of my friends), go to be impressed by the bottle list.
The service isn't great, so try to order from the bar, and don't go here for a business meeting or a first date.
That said, I love going to Milltown. I'm pretty loyal to a few other dives a little further east, but I find myself at Milltown more and more when I come to town. It just feels good in there.
SAM Seeking Milltown-esque Bar in DC Area
Me:
-Likes belgian ales
-Likes food
-Likes belgian food
-Doesn't like paying $20 for dinner and 1 beer
You:
-Has a novella-length leather-bound menu featuring descriptions of all your beers (which are mostly belgian style)
-LOVES to cook moules, steak frites, pear salads, and fish tacos
-Easily seduced by men with their brother's baby in company
-Doesn't overcharge on anything except Chimay
-Must be willing to relocate to DC or NOVA; specifically Falls Church/Arlington/Alexandria.
Your pic gets my pic. ^_~
--
Seriously though, after the Cup'n'cone race I was hungry/thirsty/excited/exhausted. I'd been here before and had the beer sampler, but I subsequently forgot all details of that evening. This recent visit I can recall vividly. I ordered spanish style Moules (mussels and chorizo etc.) for $12 /lb. and had a La Fin du Monde ($5.50), perfect for a cool summer afternoon. I remember being jealous of my nephew getting to eat directly off the table. I remember the portions being plentiful. My sister-in-law and I realizing we were being presumptuous thinking we could split a pear salad and have room for entrees. I remember the fries, though not what I would consider belgian frites, being well-seasoned and somewhat crunchy. My pot of mussels remained warm throughout the dinner service and were that much more enjoyable for it. The stew was plentiful with flavor devices- slices of sausage, tomatoes, and herbs. The mussel's shells making for whimsical spoons as their tender bodies were devoured by yours truly. These events, I remember.
The Carrboro/Chapel Hill counterpart of Durham's Federal, Milltown is better in almost every way.
Frites with mayo: yes. Amazing beer selection: yes. Great atmosphere: yes. Steep prices: yes.
It's got the same kind of gritty feel that Open Eye has, but with a certain polish that makes it feel just little bit elegant.
Definitely a great place to hang out and drink good beer.
It didn't take Milltown long to become pretty much the whole world's favorite Carrboro bar. A weekend at Milltown will be pretty crowded, but generally worth it if you like a wide beer selection, a big patio, and a nice & easy atmosphere.
Food-wise, they're pretty good. Maybe not as good as the menu prices say, but still pretty good. Most regulars will steer you towards the frites and mayo. Not at all good for you, but very tasty (it's special mayo, not just Miracle Whip or something...this is actually really tasty no matter how bad an idea it sounds like right now). Don't be afraid to ask for the mayo to come on the side, though. Otherwise, don't blame me when they empty the contents of a large jar of it into a giant tin and stick a few fries in there.
The beer selection is easily the best in Carrboro and Chapel Hill, with a huge menu of high end (meaning high-priced and, in some cases, high gravity) beers. If you like Belgian-styled beers, you'll need to block off a month of hanging out at Milltown just to get through everything and determine a favorite.
I'm part of everybody, so of course this is my favorite Carrboro drinking spot.
I love me some beer. With that said, I consider this place ridiculously overpriced. Particularly if you order the marginal food.
I treated myself and two other people to a couple rounds of beers and dinner, and walked out with just over $100 tab. I felt ripped off and haven't been back since.
Milltown is a comfy, happy place and the ambiance is much better since they added the booths in the front (it used to be the dead zone). The food is solid and, in my experience, well prepared...or maybe I just like it because i now live in Raleigh and miss good bread.
I particularly love the place for the Saturday brunch and bluegrass. Delicious brunch, chill music, and a cool patio!
The best thing about Milltown is the huge patio area. And maybe the really nice bartender's rat-tail/mullet? They have a great selection of cheap and pricey beers..but the selection runs a bit more high-end.
I've had the food a couple of times..the veggie burger was good, but the frites with mayo are out of this world tasty.
The crowd is a mix of hip kids/college folk/cats cradle showgoers/ and regular joes & janes..but the weird thing about it is that the crowd size varies incredibly. Some nights it will be so packed there's nowhere to sit and other nights it will be absolutely deserted. What's the deal with that?
Pretty good selection of beers. While the majority of their selection is offered only via bottles, they do have rotating releases, and you're almost guaranteed to find a value beer from the tap selection (i.e. Great Divide Hercules IPA for $4.5? excellent buy). These guys are bold enough to carry some Belgian rarities on tap as well; kudos for that.
Food is decent. I like their schnitzel platter (pretzel bread yum). Not a fan of their fries nor their mussels, though. Quite overpriced on that end as well.
Definitely more of a lunch venue for food, and a good place to have a pint outside on a nice day. Don't sit inside when it's crowded. No, really. You can't hear a damn thing you're saying.
Milltown is located across the street from the cat's cradle making it an ideal stop before going to a show there. Their beer list is so long it comes in it's own book, and they have a whole lot of beer available here that you won't find at most other bars.
While I can recommend drinking here for the selection, I can NOT recommend eating here. Both times I've done so it has been a disaster. My last trip was about a month ago, a friend of mine and I ordered veggie burgers. The bar wasn't that busy....an hour passes. We ask our waitress when we can expect our dinner. She comes back a few minutes later and tells us "They had to make a new batch of veggie burger" Right. And they couldn't do that an hour ago when we ordered?
Another twenty minutes or so passes, and we get our food. The veggie burger was not a burger as much as it was a paste. You couldn't bit into it without burger oozing out the sides and onto your shirt, the plate, etc. It was as if in their haste to make our forgotten dinners they also forgot to cook them. Grossest thing I've ever been served at a restaurant.
We would have sent them back, but after being there over 2 hours to eat we wanted to leave.
Hey, a good pedestrian bar in Carrboro! Who knew?
I was very pleasantly surprised by this place. I honestly hadn't expected to find such a chill, down-to-earth bar in Carrboro. The atmosphere is really friendly and earthy, and the patio environment borders on straight-up partying during the summer.
I feel like I'm kind of cheating myself but never getting any of their food, which I understand is fantastic, but I'm thrilled enough by the beers. They have some wonders on tap, including a few that I've never seen anywhere else. The bartenders are more than willing to help you choose one that you'll like, too... They love and support the adventurous customers who are trying to branch out.
Milltown is one of my favorite restaurant-pubs and bars in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. The food and beer selection are fantastic. Don't miss the delicious garlic fries with aioli or my personal favorite, the grilled cheese (focaccia with cheese, avocado, tomatoes, red onion! amazingness!).
It's a European pub-style restaurant, and has one of the biggest beer selections in the area (not on draught, but in bottles). Some of the beers can be very pricey ($30 per bottle) for the more exotic stuff, but they have lots of less expensive stuff. They have a nice outdoor patio, good for groups because of the picnic tables, and sometimes have music on weekend.
Others have said it's expensive, but for the quality, I have to disagree. While more expensive food than a typical bar, it's WAY better. And it's not extremely expensive - most of the sandwiches are $8 - $11 and I'd rather spend an extra $1 or $2 for a fantastic meal than a mediocre one any day of the week.
Here are the main problems: Service is really hit and miss. Most of the time for me it's been fine, but if you go there on a really busy night, you can wait a long time and in general, it's not top notch. Second, there aren't a ton of parking options -- you can usually find something beside Surplus Sid's or on the street behind, but be careful because a lot of the parking (such as the large lot across the street for the Cat's Cradle and VisArt) nearby is reserved and you'll get towed if you park there. Finally, if this bothers you, on the more crowded nights, it usually gets very loud inside the restaurant itself.
Still, I recommend this place to almost everyone - beer lovers, people in their 20's and 30's looking for a fun place to hang out (since it's in Carrboro and a little away from campus, the crowd is a little older than some of the bars on Franklin), anyone looking for place to relax with a delicious meal with some good beer. The positives far outweigh any negatives, in my opinion.
While seated outdoors, I enjoy imagining elaborate, action-movie-style escapes using the decor--sliding along the rope lights zip-line style or doing insane wall kicks up onto the neighboring roof. Also, they have a high metal gate looking out at the sidewalk so if you leave ahead of the rest of your party, you can look in and point and laugh and pretend that they are in a zoo as you walk away. Yes, the mind does wander at Milltown.
They also have one sandwich I like.
If you love craft beer this is one of the places to be in Carrboro. I've had several limited releases that were available only at Milltown, like "Paul's Day Off" and Ommegang's "Rouge". Plenty of rare Belgian offerings as well. The beer prices are great; some of the regular craft beers are barely more than a Budweiser from any other bar. Finally, the staff are very knowledgeable about beer and eager to give good recommendations. The only decent rival is Tyler's in Durham.
Oh the beer list, that gorgeous beer list. How else would I know of Ommegang Witte? Go for the beer. And the appetizers. Maybe not the entrees.
I recommend the sausage platter in particular as an excellent accompaniment to some Belgian beer (most of the beer is Belgian). The fries are decent too, and come with a variety of interesting toppings. Sadly, the food does not live up to that of The Federal in Durham. The one highlight so far are the Mussels (again, that Belgian thing).
Milltown is a superb addition to Carrboro's downtown, and I think it's safe to say that it has the largest, most eclectic beer selection in all of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Their draughts could satisfy a wide range of tastes and include high quality local favorites (i.e. Duck Rabbit) alongside fancy Belgian pours (Chimay, St. Bernardus).
A huge list of bottled beer is categorized and alphabetized (a bar after my own heart...) on a chalkboard on the back wall, and I don't envy the person whose responsibility it is to make updates to it while maintaining its stellar organization. The board boasts slightly fewer varieties than the legendary Publick House in Brookline, Mass., an impressive showing for the new kid on Carrboro's single downtown block.
Milltown isn't a cheap place to go drinking, so if you're aiming to be frugal, grab a table by the huge front windows and settle down to bask for awhile in the non-smoking atmosphere of your front row seat to Carrboro's nightlife.
I'm apparently in the minority, but I actually enjoy the food at Milltown. Specifically, I love the pretzels with garlic aioli, and I the last time I was there I had a delicious grilled cheese with avocado and tomatoes. I also love the beer, especially the Delirium Tremens and Nocturnum (Tremens for the summer, Nocturnum for the winter). The fruity taste (sort of like a Stella, except better) belies the 9% alcohol content, so tread lightly. The atmosphere at Milltown is upbeat and fun, and the patio is the place to be when it's nice out. I usually think the bar service is pretty decent, but the waitstaff can be a little inattentive at times.
3 stars for awesome beer selection and great patio for warm summer nights.
However, cuisine is mediocre at best. Have given it three tries, and it has finally struck out in the food department.
The Milltown is a nice change of pace for the Carrboro hood. Is it a bar, cafe or restaurant? Hard to say, it fits into all of the above and does everything pretty well but nothing great. The main room has a long bar with stools on the right, small four-tops on the left. It's pretty dark inside except for the front room which faces the street and gets a lot of sun. Head out to the patio where there's plenty of space to stretch out and enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.
While there are plenty of beers to choose from, the food menu is a bit limited. We're talking sandwiches, small plates and fries. I've had the sausage plate with pretzel bread, mussels, belgium fries and the prime rib sandwich. Highlights are the sausage and prime rib, the other items were just average. I think they've also serve a brunch which I have yet to try out. And parking can be a bit tricky, there's nothing right on the street, you can use the Carrboro municipal lot (2 blocks down) or the lot by the military surplus store.
In the end, I still like Milltown a lot. It's casual, a bit funky, open late and the food is ok. I think it's a great spot to grab lunch or a drink and appetizers. Don't expect killer food or exceptional ambiance, it's just a nice neighborhood spot to waste some time while in downtown Carrboro. Let's hope the owners take Milltown up a notch with the food!
Every time I went to Milltown, I wanted to love it; alas, it was not to be. Examples below:
I went to Milltown for the first time during opening week of business. I was encouraged by the giant chalkboard of bottled beers, but saddened by the much smaller selection of draught beers. The menu was promising, but the mussels we got weren't that good (on the rubbery, flavorless side), and the service was abyssmal.
The pulled pork sandwich comes with no sauce. None of any kind. This is inexcusable in NC.
The cinderblock construction is not conducive to conversation when more than 10 people are inside. When possible, eat outside on the side patio, where there are fans for the summer and heaters for the winter.
I tasted the grossest chili ever here once. Seriously.
Milltown has some good frite options (I like the Quebec poutine). Stick to the frites. And the DeKonick Ale (it even comes in its own fancy goblet).
I'm giving Milltown 3 stars b/c of the location, ample outdoor seating, late-night menu, and quality of frites. It has so much promise.
The best burger in town, although still no Blueberry Hill (St. Louis, MO) burger. Still comes close enough for me.
The mussels are fabulous, the roasted vegetable plate (seasonal) that I had last year made me re-fall in love with Brussels sprouts.
This is one of the few places in town that I would eat at again and again...and I'm picky.
Plus, they serve Ephemere. I love that beer. Go in the summertime; sit under the twinkle lights, and get a beer and burger. Both the fries and the salad (they have a really good beer-based salad dressing) are fabulous. Or, if you're lucky, they'll have that roasted veggie special. Man, that was good.
And again, I'm picky.
It's not a cheap place, but considering the other really over-priced restaurants in town, it's a good bet.
Great customer service. It feels like a happy place, and I appreciate that.
This place gets 3 stars for the awesome patio and beer selection. The food is lame though. Except the french fries. But who wants french fries for dinner?
Ok, I guess we all do. But seriously, go here with a group of friends for some beers, not for dinner.
Also, one of the few places in the area that serves poutine: an artery clogging french fry dish that involves gravy and cheese curds.
I'm a big fan of the place. Non-smoking (on the inside) and the patio rocks most of the year. Milltown used to have board games (could they or should they return?). I don't drink beer so the crazy selection is only AWESOME from what I've heard. The spinach and artichoke dip kicks ass, and when they have the black bean bruschetta I'm guaranteed to enjoy the meal. During the summer they had this cold melon soup which was the most refreshing thing I've ever had in a bowl... Weird?
Oh, Milltown. You had me at hello. A favorite of my Carrboronian friends, Milltown is the place to go for great beer selection and food served into the late-night hours. A good amount of space, so you can grab a table and talk (or shout, since it gets pretty loud as the evening wears on). The beers switch out, so there's usually something enticing and out of the ordinary. I find the bar food pretty good too -- maybe a little more on the greasy side than some of the nearby late-night offerings -- but great standbys and nice helpings without any fast-food feeling. The cheddar fries are ridiculous; order them! I've enjoyed some burgers too.
Great Bistro food, great beer selection, and a really nice deck for warm summer evenings. Probably my favorite place in the area (been here 1 year).
The food is tasty and rich; a good value too. The beer selection is one of the best around especially if you're into Belgians but hop heads will get their share too.
The deck has lights strung across it and is ideal on a warm night.
All around good energy and a good scene especially if your not in the mood for grotty undergrad Franklin joints.
Oh yeah and they have poutine! A bit of a fancified version but still nice to see.
I've been to the Carrboro/CH area many times over the past 10 years as a touring musician and was so happy to find this place directly across the street from the Cat's Cradle. Super yummy snacks and food (deep fried pickle spears on the specials menu!) And what an assortment of beers! I've never seen Chimay on tap before and it was delicious. It's also owned and operated by super cool music business friends and you should support them!
An outstanding beer range and a nice venue - totally ruined by the uppity bar staff who fail to understand the concept of service. If you work in the service industry get used to serving customers. Not only the table servers, but the bar staff thought they were great. The staff provided no useful information, ignored several requests for menus and were more interested in talking to friends and tending to the double rat tail hair do than even acknowledging customers. One drink and gone...This is not Southern hospitality
Milltown is a great restaurant offerings a huge selection of beers from all around the world. The inside can get quite noisy, so I recommend the outdoor patio when the weather permits. The food here is what you would expect at a typical bar known for its beers, but with small changes to all of the menu items. For instance, the pretzels appetizer seems rather ordinary, but the dipping sauces, spicy mustard and garlic aioli, make the dish great. The black bean burger is a great choice for vegetarians, and was surprisingly good, coming from someone who loves a good burger. The service here is not the best, which is the main reason I can't give them 5 starts. Still, Milltown is a nice change of pace from the average restaurant and I highly recommend it.
This place is fun for groups, with an outdoor beer garden with both picnic and small tables. The beer selection is great, the food is ok and the service is about as basic as service can get. From what I can tell, most of the bartenders and wait staff seem less than enthused to be there. Tip: If you go, don't sit inside; the indoor area is smoke free and conversation often gets drowned out. Maybe a good place to take a date or meet up with friends before or after a show at the Cradle. Give it a shot, but don't expect to be blown away.
This definitely fills a void in the Chapel Hill area. A great bar with a huge beer selection and tasty food. It is owned by the same people who own the Federal in Durham (another favorite bar). I would recommend the nachos -- the perfect treat with a few pints. When I was there the waitresses weren't that familiar with the beer menu (mine actually acknowledged that she didn't drink beer - a problem when the bar focuses on a beer selection). But I suspect that in time, the bar is relatively new, that problems of staff will correct themselves. And honestly, I didn't do too bad fending for myself when selecting my beer.
Maybe it was just the absurdly nice day, but Milltown was really good. Just went out for lunch and was very surprised at how good it was. Sat on the nice and large outdoor patio, food came out really quickly. My huevos rancheros were very unique (egg over black bean cakes and rice) but delicious. The biscuits on the side also rocked. It was not too expensive and I will definitely go for lunch again!
I love the atmosphere, the servers, the beer selection and the patio. However, I do NOT love the food, which is average at best. The fries are okay, but anyone who's had real Belgian fries knows these are still a pale comparison. The sausage plate is enormous and pretty good. The entrees are... go for the beers and maybe an appetizer. Leave it at that.
I echo the other reviewers' comments. The bar area is generally nice, but food is not as good as other places around the triangle or their own sister venue (the federal).
So unimpressed. I went because I kept hearing about the GREAT beer selection. However, they really don't have that much on draft its mostly in bottles which are a bit expensive for this area. I don't understand why I would want go to a bar for their beer selection that was mostly bottles. I can get those myself for soo much cheaper. As for the food, we only had the curry fries which I found to be kinda gross.
I particularly enjoy the patio. Man, that patio is some sweetness. not many places where a big group of your nerdy friends can hang out without being too terribly smokey.
When I first walked into Milltown, I thought it was a little hole in the wall bar that was too cool for school, but I was wrong. I went there last week to watch the NCAA finals. Not only did they put the game on the big screen, and accommodate our party with good seats, but they also have a kick ass beer list. I had the best beer I have ever had in my life, unfortunately I don't remember what it was called...but it was delicious, very strong and rich flavor, seriously rich, with a high alcohol content that was completely mellowed out by the texture and flavor of the brew. Fantastic....I think it was called something "wood-nut", I remember that because it sounds a little funny..ya know. Well after that beer I was well on my way down the drunken highway, but I still managed to order a burger, which came with fries. The burger was good, your typical restaurant burger, thick, tasty with provolone cheese, and the fries were just how I like them, thin sliced and fried until crispy...think McDonald's Fries, but higher class ( You know you love McyD's fries). Then the Bar owner helped me choose another high alcohol beer...it was called Blonde...something and it was deliciously inebriating as well, I rounded off the night with a Pabst Blue Ribbon Bottle, as Kansas forced their way to a victory in overtime. Milltown you get my vote fo' sho! The next day i rode my bike by Milltown, and noticed they have a pretty big backyard area that looks a lot like the beer gardens in Italy and Germany...even cooler.
Food is awful and in short supply. Beer selection is outstanding. So long as you avoid the menu, it's a nice night out.
Carrboro, NC
Category: Vegetarian
Chapel Hill, NC
Category: Shopping Centers
Carrboro, NC
Category: Pool Halls
Carrboro, NC
Category: Southern
Carrboro, NC
Category: Dive Bars
I'm mostly on the Franklin strip here, as I don't…
Here are some suggestions when you're dying for…
I'm no connoisseur, but I love me some bbq. After…
