Grumpy Troll Restaurant and Brewery

September 3, 2008
Visited the Grumpy Troll on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Not a big brewpub but very nice. Selection of beers (via the Sampler) was very good and food was good. Service this day was below par with having to wait for the Sampler and food for an extreme amount of time resulting in a lower overall score. The quality of the beers dispelled the service deficiencies

August 25, 2008
The food was good and the samples was big enough for sampeling the beer but small enought so you didnt get tipsy. The room is quit cosy with both booths and free standing tables.

August 11, 2008
The beer is certainly better than the food, which is just average bar food. Several nice beers on tap and 22oz bottles were for sale there. Close to the Mustard museum.

August 3, 2008
Nice ambiance. Clean, cosy, corner pub feel. Had higher expectations for the beer. 3 selections were out and this was on a Thursday afternoon. Bartender was not that knowledgeable, but friendly. Will return again.

July 22, 2008
This was #1 on my list of Brew Pubs I was looking forward to this vacation. 8 beers on tap (a Barrel Aged one to boot). Waitress said they just ran out of a couple other ones due to an Arts Fest over the prior weekend. Above average beer and this visit did not dissapoint. Well worth the ~2hr drive from Milwaukee.

June 22, 2008
Nestled into downtown Mt Horeb, the troll capital of the world. Perhaps they could go for the roundabout capital of the world too, since I’ve never seen so many roundabouts on one area before. Went on a Friday night – noisy atmosphere with lots of families and screaming kids to go with me in the corner examining and drinking my beer. Bought a nine sampler for $9 and a tenth beer on the side. Decent beer, though it still leaves me hunting to find my Wisconsin destination brewpub that calls me back for more. Food was good and the staff was friendly. Bombers are available of some of their beers and they have plenty of shirts and hats to buy with that grumpy ass troll on it.

May 31, 2008
This old creamery with it’s brick walls and hardwood floors gives it a nice retro feel. You and also sit outdoors in the ally in the summer. THE BEER IS AWSOME! As is the food but it would be nice to see at least one spicy dinner on the menu. Service can be spotty on the weekends but still worth the trip!

May 18, 2008
A typical brewpub atmosphere. A good selection of above-average beer and some good pub food (deep-fried green bean pods......MMMMmmm). The service was pretty good and employees were nice, although they were a bit busy there when we got there and their hostess table is set up in the back of the bar, oddly enough.

May 18, 2008
This is a nice little brewpub in a sleepy little town. The service wasn’t anything mind-blowing, but it was good nonetheless. The Ratebeer brewpub certificate was nice to see hanging from the wall. The beers were well done and there was some pretty good variety there. The food was your basic pub grub, but again, very good. It’s definitely worth stopping at if you’re in the area.

May 4, 2008
The Grumpy Troll is, by far, my favorite brewpub in the state, and perhaps my favorite brewpub anywhere. Every time I’m within 20 miles of Madison, the Grumpy Troll draws me toward it like a magnet. The atmosphere, food, and service is typical of a small-town bar/restaurant, but the beers are entirely atypical. There are about 10 beers on tap but the list feels more expansive because there’s a beer for everyone, each is of exceptional quality, and they rotate frequently. In addition, the past few times I’ve been there they’ve had a different barrel-aged specialty brew each time (this time brandy-barrel Spetnaz). As I mentioned before, the food and atmosphere are very good, but nothing outstanding. The real star here though is the beer, and boy is it good.