Bald Top Brewing Co.

Found this place by accident. Nice brewery with good beers. Neat atmosphere and a nice outdoor area for relaxing with a tasty brew. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. Repeat visits are a must.

Pizza and beers were delicious! The autumn harvest pizza and pumpkin ale were our favorites.

Lots of really great brews; I don't think there was one I tried I didn't enjoy. The pizza was delicious and came out way quicker than we expected. Beautiful views and vibes!

First visit with solid results. Beer list had a good variety for all types of interests. The Oktoberfest was my favorite. My wife liked the pumpkin ale. Plenty of all types of seating: indoor, outdoor, pavilion, picnic tables, patio with chairs. I didn't have the pizza but others said it was very good. Also plenty of parking. It appears to be a Madison favorite, not many folks from the 29 corridor.

Gorgeous views, good beer, delicious pizza. Definitely put this place on your list when visiting near Madison.

I respect a business’s right to enforce its policies. However, the manner in which we were treated was unacceptable. We were not involved in bringing outside alcohol but were asked to leave anyway, followed into the parking lot, and counted down as if we were children. Returning the next day, we were treated with visible attitude and rudeness from staff. Respect and professionalism go a long way, and unfortunately neither was shown here.

Used to come here a couple times years ago with my former professor. Love the beer. But I have to be honest. I wouldn’t have felt safe going there alone as a Black man. The looks and side eyes alone confirmed that. But other than that, a very chill place with a food truck that had awesome cheesesteaks.

Great beer and pizza! The Sour is a personal favorite and is honestly the best sour beer I’ve ever had. Love the atmosphere and mountain scenery, staff are friendly, and the place is clean. Oh, and the best part is they have VEGAN cheese! So all the lactose intolerant and veg heads can indulge too :)

Views. Beers. Pizza. Ambience. Great varied choices to please any palate. Sangria. Imports. Excellent crafts. Subtle flavored beers and tasty za. Beautiful fall day. Great find just 1 mile from Madison on way to / from UVA.

Delicious pizza, friendly service, awesome views, and great beers! What more could you ask for? There is tons of outdoor seating and seats inside as well. We enjoyed a fall afternoon outside basking in the sunshine and devouring the Henry's choice pizza. The honey habanero really made this pizza outstanding. The pumpkin ale was good, but the cider was even better. Would return again!

Got a late dinner here (be forewarned, last call for food might be earlier than you're used to) - we got a couple of pizzas and some beers. The beer was awesome, IPA guy here and certainly enjoyed what they had on top. Pizzas were also good, personal-sized so be prepared to come back for more if you don't get your fill on the first order. And everything you're consuming is enhanced with the absolutely stunning backdrop of the area. The fact that it's dog friendly was also fantastic (for us at least). Really enjoyed it and will come back next time we're in town.

I visited Bald Top while staying with my mom and 12 yo son for a long weekend in Brightwood, Virginia. It was a great atmosphere and real highlight of the trip! The grounds are beautiful and you get nice farmland views. I lived the rooftop deck, the fire pits, and the ample indoor and outdoor seating. My son liked the cornhole area and we all enjoyed the food and drinks. Very relaxing, family friendly, and a great way to experience the area!

Great service, great beer, and yummy pizza! It's beautiful to sit outside but a little buggy. With all the farm land that's expected so no biggie. Would definitely come back!

A bit of a drive from Charlottesville, but well worth it. We brought our pup for a drive through the National Park and then swung that way for a beer. They have ciders too, which works well for my husband who prefers that or wine. The view of the farm and the ability to sit outside is lovely. They have expansive seating, and a lot of fire pits. We will be back!

We love this place! The beer and pizza is outstanding! They have an actual pizza oven here! You can see the flames going strong! The pizza is very good! We loved it and will come again!

This is the second time I've visited this establishment. This being an even batter experience than the first despite the relatively crummy weather. The location is remote located right before you enter the town of Madison on, what appears to be an old farm. But the views are great and the brewery feels welcoming. They have a small stage set for local singers to perform with ample seating all around. The brews here were much much better than the last time I came. Each and everyone stood out on its own and the diversity of options is sufficient. The one that caught my eye and is in the running for one of the best craft beers I've ever had is the bomb sour. That beer alone is worth the visit in my opinion.

Good food. Good beer. Great views. Kid friendly, very laid back and comfortable location. The pulled pork was great. Good pizzas too. Nice view of rolling hills and a friendly atmosphere. I'm adding to my list next time I'm in the area.

Great stop on our road trip home from a camping trip! The pizza was fantastic, service was wonderful, and the atmosphere welcoming. Loved that it was dog-friendly both inside and outside. The beer selection was superb--definitely a place worth returning to!

An absolute must visit if you are in the area! We had the queen bee pizza, and it was exceptional. Perfect amount of spice along with the pepperoni. The beer menu is very interesting and fun. I had a blueberry beer that did not taste like blueberry, but had a beautiful aroma. Very nice people at the counter and gorgeous outdoor seating overlooking the hills and fields. Great music playing everywhere as well.

Wife came here for the beer, but I'll end up going back just for the pizza. Great food, really nice workers behind the bar, the salad that my wife got was so refreshing, and the ambiance was great, albeit a little quiet when we were there.

The place has dropped off since last year. I was hopeful about this year. However, it seems to me the entire ambience I once loved, has now changed. Nothing in the kitchen is from farm to table. I've heard the owners lie to their customers faces, bolstering how (all the ingredients are fresh). However lying to thousands of people to create a false image is not ok. Not to mention the place will get back up 2 almost 3 hours for a single pizza or chicken tenders. The owners and upper management need to be honest

Great selection of beer! They also have pizza and other bar type foods. I love the setting, and all the options for seating, both inside and out. They also have music on certain days. Everyone is very friendly!

Fun place any time of day. Outside areas are perfect for families. Firepits and games make it fun for everyone. Inside is great. Live music and trivia are some of the fun attractions. I'm told the beer is great. I appreciate that they have wine for GF people like me. Their food is great too. Excellent management.

Beautiful scenery! Laid back atmosphere. Lots of fun! They also have wine available if you are not feeling beer.

The food was similar to highschool cafeteria food. I would come back for the beer, the fire pits, and open pastures.

This brewery/winery is right off of 29 in Madison county. Great little location. Their beers are awesome. Did not try the wine. We did however split a pizza which was excellent. Service was good and it was nice that the bartender allowed us to try a few before we picked. Most importantly, it felt good to get back out into life. :) We will visit this place again on our way down to Charlottesville. Keep up the good work folks!

Very unprofessional people behind the bar a childish and unprofessional acting like high school drama especially on valentines day being negative on a day of love

Pizza fantastic. Get double meat. Beer and wine choices great! Big selection. Good setting. Bathrooms being built. Music too loud way too loud. We are at a brewery not a concert. Screaming guitar and singer is too much.

We made a quick pit stop at Bald Top Brewery! And we are happy we did! Daniel was awesome and didn't rush us although we got there pretty close to closing. Both my boyfriend and I got a flight, I tried 4 different ciders and he opt to try 8 different beers LOL... talk about fight to the finish ! So I enjoy a nice light beer. I don't get into anything too heavy so when I go to breweries I usually will opt for a cider or a light beer or flavored beer! I really enjoyed the cider at Bald Top. My favorite was the Coyote Hole Sangria Cider... OMG delicious (light and crisp)! I also had Giusberry Blonde, Pomegranate Sour ARV, and I ordered the tropical stout by accident... My boyfriend finished it for me though! He likes craft beer and is a beer drinker! He got the Dueling Diplomats Imperial IPA, Lazy Daze Tropical, White Oak Stout, New Zealand IPA, Shine On Saison, Belgian Blonde, Hazy Hills NEIPA, and the Juicy IPA! He enjoyed it... I'll ask him what his favorite one was and do an update on my blog. The mild boneless wings were also really good to nibble on while we sipped drinks and enjoyed the beautiful scenery! Check out more on my blog: doseofdev.com !

Came in on a Sunday with a group of friends on our way out of town after a girl's weekend. They had just opened and were kind to let our dog wander around the tap room. It was a gloomy day so we couldn't sit outside, but it looks like they have a lot of great seating for pleasant weather days! The bartenders were super friendly and incredibly patient with us as we made our orders. My only disappointment was that they didn't have a lot of stock for cans to bring home. They only can once a week and by the time you get to Sunday afternoon there's not a lot of choices left. I guess that means the beer is pretty good! We ordered food which came pretty fast from the kitchen window at the other side of the tap room. We enjoyed tater tots and pulled pork sandwiches and cheese pizzas and a salad. Interestingly enough, there's a free Keurig machine in the corner of the tap room which was honestly a godsend because a lot of us are hung over from yesterday.

First time visiting Bald Top. It was a beautiful day although a bit breezy. This will not be our last visit. This is a great place to bring the whole family. Plenty of open spaces for the kids to explore while still in sight of adults. The staff was very helpful and friendly.The food-we had the pizza- was great. The beer -Rusty's ale- was very good. The restrooms, which are in a building by themselves was extremely clean. Plenty of seating inside as well as outside. We will definitely be back even though it is a bit of a drive for us but the scenery is beautiful.

Stopped here for some beers and pizza. Nice peaceful setting!! Gorgeous rolling hills! My Nectar was refreshing, crisp and delicious!! Got the 'Rita and Henry's choice pizzas!! Both are tasty with crispy crusts! Henry's has sausage, pinapple, habenero, ricotta - sweet, tangy, spicy combo!! Yummy !!

Totally awesome place. Not only is the view killer, so is the beer... and the people! We were traveling from out of town and happened to stumble upon this place during trivia night and had the best time ever! Bartenders are nice and super attentive, food trucks on site are delicious as well! Reasonably priced pints $6-$7.50 Check for events, they had outdoor yoga the night we stopped in as well! (Thursday) PS dogs allowed inside and out! Plenty of seating

The setting is great! The view is nice and there was an awesome band playing. They also hosted a food truck. There was plenty of space for social distancing (picnic tables, etc.). The brewery folks require masks by staff and patrons inside their building and that was appreciated. Everyone loved their brews. But, since I'm allergic to gluten and they don't offer anything for people like me, I can't weigh in. It would be great if they would offer something gluten-free in the future. If they make a gluten-free beer, I'd love to try it! The food truck did offer some items that I could eat. Unfortunately, the food truck staff didn't wear masks (I didn't see any gloves either). Even without a pandemic, I suggest that the brewery owners may want to insist on these basic COVID/health precautions, since I assume that they invite the food truck to their property.

The ambience was spectacular! Food delicious! The only kind of downside is that food doesn't get delivered to your sweet mountainside seat/firepit...and the buzzers don't work, unless ur seated closer to the building. I'd recommend they start delivering food to people's tables/firepits instead :) Also can't wait for the new bathrooms to be opened!

Good beer, friendly staff, dog friendly, and great COVID precautions. My friends and I decided to stop by this brewery to grab some beer with the dog on a slightly cold and rainy fall day. There were many options to sit and socially distance from other customers, yet have a great view of the mountains and cows. We decided to sit in the tent which had heaters to keep us all warm. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone traveling out to the Shenandoah area.

Great beer, food trucks, and live music. What could be bad? In this case, nothing. I only tried one of their beers, the Munich Lager... several times. It was unfiltered, crisp, and refreshing. On the two evenings we spent enjoying their hilltop space we also enjoyed some good tex-mex food and perhaps the best burger I've ever had, from a couple of the food trucks. If I'm ever in the area and especially if the Burger truck is working there I will make a point of stopping back.

We found this spot by chance and so glad we did! Absolutely delicious pizza!! Large selection of cold beer. The tropical IPA was fantastic. Friendly staff, pet/kid friendly. Highly recommend!!

This is a must experience spot about 40 minutes north of Charlottesville! The atmosphere is unbeatable with outdoor picnic tables, multiple fire pits, live music and line dancing when we were there, and plenty of cornhole boards. My family sampled a bunch of the pizzas and all of them were really good and the team was incredibly friendly!

When I visited Bald Top had been open a year, and it looked like it had quite the following. Built on an open expanse of farmland, it's something of a destination brewery but what a destination! On a warm weather day you can sit outside and enjoy the peaceful view. I avoided the crowds by going inside, which afforded me the chance to chat up the barkeeps. Their usually large assortment of beers was a little tapped out due to a large event the previous day, but still pretty impressive. They were heavy on IPAs, which isn't my thing but I still sampled a few. What I tried: Dubbel: Little sweet, some banana notes Cascadian Dark (Dark IPA): I'm not a fan of dark IPAs but this wasn't bad. Manor House (Golden Honey): Again, not bad. Mexican Stout: This one was spicy! Not hot like jalapeno hot, but like cooking spices flavored in it. White Oak (Stout): Light for a stout, but liked it.

We stopped in here for a visit on Memorial Day 2017 - a Monday. While the brewery has a Madison, VA address, it is located out in the country. It was a rather warm day out when we visited - about 82 outside. The place was packed. All the available seating outside was taken - so we had to go inside - which was very uncomfortable. It was so hot inside that I almost turned around and left. The place currently has no AC. We sat at the bar and ordered two tasting flights: Shine-On Saison (6.0% ABV) Rusty's Amber Ale (5.3% ABV) Dueling Diplomats DIPA (8.6% ABV) Fields of Gold Wheat Ale (5.0% ABV) Manor House Ale (5.5% ABV) Lazy Daze IPA (7.0% ABV) White Oak Stout (6.0 % ABV) Barnstormer Kolsch Style (5.2% ABV) Overall, I enjoyed most of their beers. I was not a fan of the Fields of Gold Wheat Ale - but might need to try it again when it's not so darn hot in the place. The temperature of our tasting flights was not ideal - the beer warmed up quickly due to the temperature inside the building. I like my beers to be cold, and I was attempting to drink them faster than normal due to the temps causing them to warm up. I especially liked the Lazy Daze IPA. Neat little craft brewery. I think they said they've been open since January 2017. All the staff was very nice. One of the owners/managers came by to talk to us to see how our experience was going. We told her we enjoyed the beers, but the ambiance was greatly marred by the temperature (it had to be at least 90 degrees inside the building). They had several large fans in there, but all it was doing was blowing hot air from point A to point B. I asked what they were going to do when the temps got into the 90's outside. The lady we chatted with stated that they are planning on installing AC soon. Bald Top refers to the name of a mountain or peak to the west of the brewery. Apparently a house on the property is on a "Historic Registry." I will return at some point, but it will either be: (A) After the AC is installed and running; or (B) in the Autumn or later when it's nice and cool out. #BaldTopBrewingCompany

Stayed at an AirBnB in Madison for a weekend trip and was recommended to stop here by the owner. They are very dog friendly which was great for us! It was a rainy Friday night and they let us sit inside with our pup and enjoy some live music, beer, and food. Beer was delicious as was the pizza - highly recommend the "Henry's Choice" pizza, the pineapple habanero sauce made it! Took a cannoli with me to go for later on that night and it was well worth it! Would definitely return, especially when it's nice out so we can enjoy the outside area.

Nice brewery out in the country with good beer. Sit inside or outside and enjoy nature. Good people and nice time to be had. Also dog and family friendly.

We were in town for an annual girls retreat and had some little kids and 2 babies this year. We are so glad we chose to try Bald Top! Everything was delicious from the flights to the pizzas and cannoli. It was a God-send being able to sit at the outdoor tables on a Friday night and let the littles be entertained by the cows/atmosphere and live music. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. You have to try the Henry pizza! We ended up ordering two more to share after everyone tried mine. I will definitely be back if ever near this area again!!

I came here for a date on Friday. This farm brewery thing is new to me. Just moved from cali and we don't have this but WE SHOULD! anyways had a few beers pretty good, the pizzas were bomb.com I'm still thinking bout it. If only y'all delivered. Loved the live music outside. The vibe and atmosphere were amazing. Very pet friendly! Highly recommend it's gonna be a go to when friends come to visit! Views are BEAUTIFUL!

Great place for a few beers and yummy personal pizzas. Staff was lovely, food came out fast, and the live music was an unexpected plus!

A visit to Bald Top Brewery entails first passing through the cute, quiet little town of Madison and then a turn onto a rural road where after a few hundred yards past humble little homes the space between foothills opens to reveal adjacent pasture land and the red barn/ brew-house at the end of a gravel drive. This is my second trip here and it's a bright sunny afternoon where we are meeting family for pizza and beer. We've brought our smallest dog and there are plenty of others here with their pets as well. There's plenty of space for games of fetch and there's someone here today who is clearly working on a little light training with his Shepard mix. The facility is modest. The interior space of the tap-house/barn is sparse with concrete floors, high tables and the pizza oven off to one side that services both indoor and outdoor patrons. It's outside that's the draw here as there's plenty of room to spread out. There's a covered area directly attached to the barn, there's tables out in the field. There's a narrow deck where the food is delivered and on the opposite side more seating and a type of band-stand for live music (and incidentally there's a good outdoor restroom on this side as well). I'm glad to see so many positive reviews here because that allows for contrast that others may find useful. I will almost certainly return although not by my own choice and it's in that context where I hope this sober review will be productive. I'm a fan of I.P.A.s. It's the style of beer I drink most because of its robust flavors and aromas. A good I.P.A. is flavorful and the first drink of a new variety to the consumer should grab one's attention and make you think about its nuances and composition. Bald Top offers the "Dueling Diplomats" I.P.A. which is a somewhat murky-looking honey ale. In the brewery's description of Dueling Diplomats I.P.A. "This imperial IPA is brewed with 6 different hop varieties and has a strong flavor reminiscent of the dueling diplomats". I'm uncertain what a dueling diplomat from the 1850s should in fact taste like. I'd imagine something akin to wool and sweat which would be at least a discernible flavor note here where in reality the beer comes across tasting and looking like something a salamander has disturbed from the bottom of a nearby creek bed. I also had a wheat ale which is currently not represented on their website (they offer a lot of varieties). I had low expectations as I'm not really a fan of lighter ales and at least this did not disappoint here as it too was pretty flavorless and thankfully had a lower A.P.V. Today's visit included a meal for our companions, pizza which I'm guessing is hand-tossed and oven fired although again this is omitted from their marketing. Looked good although we were hesitant to purchase some for ourselves as on our last visit the pizza had so much minced garlic that A.) we failed to eat it all and B.) what we did consume haunted us for a couple of days. By now you've gathered I'm not a fan and that's true. It's convenient as it's a place with a marginally pretty backdrop that is near relatives where we can all conviene. I could continue to pick the place apart (Exit doors with twist handles for patrons carrying overflowing drinks? Two big chalk-board drink menus that have everything available except oh wait, look at this little bitty sign back here behind the bar with the ciders!). Bald Tops' most egregious failing is its staff. Unfriendly and utterly condescendingly surly. I asked for water and was directed towards "the Culligan is over there" with not so much as an indication where over there was. I'll be back because I have to but you don't get away with nearly $30 bucks and a 20% tip for a less than mediocre product accompanied by a poor attitude & service towards your patrons without a little criticism.

So, the food was good but, I ordered a pizza and it took 42 minutes to come! I was also on a road trip and starving! Also, the bathroom smelled atrocious! Worst smell in my entire life! They were giving other people pizza in at least 20 minutes but I had to wait for 42! It was very annoying! First time coming and I didn't really like it! I would not recommend to come, you can but I wouldn't recommend to. I don't even know what they have going on in the kitchen but whatever it is, it's ridiculous! Once I went to a play and got pizza in like, 7 minutes but like 42?! Just ridiculous! They have poor customer service in my opinion. I'm probably never EVER going here again! If your ever on a road trip I would NOT go here if I were you! Just a warning.

Made a last minute decision to stop at here the night before climbing Old Rag nearby on 4th of July. The beers, food, and music were fantastic. I've visited a fair number of breweries in Virginia and along the Atlantic coast and this was one I'll be sure to recommend to friends. Hope to visit again soon!

Bald Top Brewery surprised me with their delicious tastings. I got to sample an array of ambers, pilsners, wheats... and I even learned that I can actually like sours, too! We were lucky to have met the brewer and owner at the Brewery. It's fun when you're visiting out of town and learning how friendly and nice everyone is. I'm thoroughly impressed by the brewer and I hope that his beer takes off in the DC/NOVA area. His microbrews were easy and delicious to drink- and there's no doubt in my mind he will start winning awards soon. As for the owner, he makes you feel so welcomed and that you're having a blast. He invited us to play trivia (Thursday night)- and we learned how terrible we were. Nevertheless something fun to do after a day of hiking in Shenandoah. Last Key takeaways: + Great place to go after hiking in Shenandoah Mts + Great alternative to drinking wine since most vineyards close at 5pm + Porta Potties are the most luxurious and clean ones I've ever seen! + No food at the brewery, but look at their website for food truck listing + No brewery at site but it could be in the same area? + Definitely do the tasting so you can try a bunch of things. + Buy beer before you leave. You may never find something as delicious as this.

Stumbled on Bald Top Brewing on the way back from Charlottesville. What a pretty site. So fun! Glad we found it. We'll be back!

Was spending a couple weeks in the area for a little R&R and decided to check out this brewery. What a find!!! Located on the top of a hill, Bald Top provides amazing views any time of the day. The beers, which they had many, were all delicious. I especially loved the White Oak Stout and the Magically Delicious sour!! There is a food truck to compliment your beers, as well as live music. I returned 5 times in the weeks I was in the area.

Absolutely gorgeous location with lots of picnic tables and places to spread a blanket. Huge beer tasting flight for only $20. Free, fresh popcorn and usually a food truck parked outside for those wanting a meal with their beer. Will definitely be back!

Awesome spot. Great selection of beers with wine and cider for the non beer drinkers. Friendly staff. Overlooking acres of farmland. Unique stone corn-hole set up.

We stopped here to have a brew before heading up to SNP for camping. I had a great sour ale, and we enjoyed sitting at a picnic table looking out over the fields. Our son ordered food from the truck - Bavarian Chef, I believe, which made him happy. I would have loved to sample other brews but we had to hit the road. My understanding is it's only open Friday - Sunday so make sure you check. I'd stop there again for sure.

Bald Top definitely has the best beer in the surrounding area. Many to try from and the quality is unmatched.

The good: Nice atmosphere, staff and facility that includes clean bathrooms. Beer is pretty tasty overall. Dog (maybe a negative) and kid friendly. The bad: Long lines to get beer both times I have been there. Beer is overpriced. I have been to many breweries across the country and never seen prices this high. Over 30 dollars for a pitcher! Also, watch your step! Maybe a pooper scooper should be added to the staff.