February 20, 2009
NO LONGER AFFILIATED WITH CENTRAL WATERS. In the divorce process, the brewpub (now known as Blue Heron) got to keep the recipes developed exclusively for the brewpub while Central Waters keeps those developed primarily for bottle distribution -- which means no more tasty CW BB Stout on tap at this place. Still, the brewpub-only offerings weren’t that bad, the food is really good, the atmosphere is very tastefully done, and overall this place is a raging bargain. Even if it may not be worth driving to the middle of Bumblesnot WI just to visit this place, it’s still worth a side trip if you happen to be going anywhere near Marshfield on other business/pleasure. Wisconsin could always use charming little places like this so let’s help keep this one in business.

January 3, 2008
I was surprised at this place no so much by the beer but by the overall ambiance and food they had. First and foremost I am a fan of Central Waters so I was looking forward to trying some of the beer that might be harder to find or maybe even some not sold in stores. The beer selection was exactly what I could find in the stores which bummed me out. All their more hard to come by beers weren’t on tap and thus, not available. So overall I wasn’t impressed with the beer. The food on the otherhand was awesome. My only gripe is that they don’t have a very large selection. I would recommend the place more because of the atmosphere and dining than because of the beer. If you haven’t had many Central Waters brews this would be a good place to investigate. Otherwise I would just go for the food.

August 5, 2007
It’s great to have an oasis like this in out-of-the-way central Wisconsin (and I did go out of my way on a Milwaukee-Minneapolis drive just to visit). It has a great atmosphere in a well-done job of updating an old building while preserving the history at the same time -- without seeming hokey. I’ve had some of their bottles, which are among my favorites, and on this trip I had the barrel-aged Scotch ale, which was very good (and which I’ll review elsewhere). The server knew about their beers, not necessarily beer in general. I had the Cubano, which was tasty, but fortunately “true to style” isn’t nearly as important to me in a sandwich as it is in a beer, because in a Cuban the meat and cheese are supposed to be pressed in layers, and the “toasted Cuban flatbread” was more like a toasted bratwurst bun. I was probably insane to drive an extra couple hours for this, but still, if I lived in the area I’d be there weekly.

February 22, 2007
I was impressed with this place. Lots of great beers on draught and the food (I got their reuben sandwich) was really great.

February 18, 2007
Impressive. A refurbished dairy, etc. building that holds a large bar and decent-sized eating area. Most of the beers were solid and enjoyable (esp. the Tiger’s Eye), and the service was quick, helpful, and pleasant. The fish sandwich was deceptively small, though.

November 28, 2006
Surprising that mine is only the 2nd review of this place -- and I live 1000 miles away! Or maybe not so, as Marshfield is not exactly tourism central or close to anything else interesting, beerwise, in the state. I visited in early October around 3 pm and was for a while the only patron at the long curved bar. Typical converted-warehouse-industrial look is nicely done here and service was very friendly. The beer alas was another matter; I’ve had some good stuff bottled from these guys before so I certainly can recommend some of those beers that were on the menu, but 3 of the 4 pints/half pints that I tried were less than spectacular with the hugely infected Scotch Ale particularly sad. Very cheap, and lots of taps, so it wasn’t a total loss but barring terrific food (I didn’t try anything) I’m not sure I’d make the effort again.

November 28, 2005 [ Updated May 27, 2006 ]
5/27/06: They had the BB Stout today on tap and in bottles ($16/6). 11/28/05: Appropriately located at the corner of S. Central Ave. (Rte. 13) and W. 9th St., a few blocks south of the most concentrated section of shops in downtown Marshfield. The brewpub is on street level and "West 14th" restaurant is located upstairs. Both serve a full complement of Central Waters’ beers. There are only 6 rotating beers on tap at any given time, despite upwards of a dozen different tap handles and as many offerings described on their menu. Although I had heard through the Ratebeer forum earlier in the week that the Brewers Reserve BB Stout was to be released last week, it was out and I was told also not available at nearby grocery and liquor stores. I confirmed this with a post-lunch visit to Pick-n-Save, which did have 5 CW brews available in 6-packs. Attractive industrial interior decor with a brick wall on the northeastern side. Brewing equipment visible through window behind bar. CW still also brews at their original Junction City brewery, which, if you’ve seen it from the outside, you are pleasantly surprised at how nice the brewpub is. Three TVs for those wanting to catch a sporting event while drinking some quality brew. The Satin Solstice was the best brew of the 6 brews available the day I went. Recommended.