Three Penny Taproom

One of the more solid dining options in town (but that’s not saying much). I’ve gone on a number of occasions. This review is a summation of three visits. They have an excellent tap list which leans heavily on offerings from Hill Farmstead Brewery. The beer prices tend to be on the high side. The food is ok. It’s basic pub fare, but again, it’s on the pricey side. I recently had a fried fish sandwich for $15 that only came with a limp dill pickle wedge (no fries). To me, this is kind of chintzy. The sandwich was good quality, however the fish coating had zero flavor. A little seasoning would have improved it. We also had the Crispy Local Mushrooms with pakora batter. Meh. Not worth the $15 bucks. Pile of flavorless nonsense. The only good thing on the plate was the pickled vegetables. The mushrooms were soggy and flavorless. This dish was a real disappointment. Orange Cake was nice. I think it’s made with cornmeal. It may have been a special. Not sure. Service at the bar and in the dining area has always been efficient and pleasant. There’s no place to hang coats. Why?

This was the second time we had lunch here and it exceeded my expectations again. The food was absolutely amazing! My mouth starts watering just thinking about that delicious sandwich I had. And the tater tots were the best ones I’ve ever had. I think it’s absolutely amazing what a wide variety of beers they have and also how they have different food specials. This time I had some sort of steak sandwich. Best sandwich ever! Last time I had the grilled tuna sandwich and that was also on point. I absolutely love this place!

I came in for what I was hoping would be a quick bite, but it took around an hour for my grilled cheese and soup to be brought out to me, which was kinda absurd. It wasn't even that good, the sandwich was rather small, the cheese wasnt very melted. The soup was decent enough. Granted, I did come in at a weird time (around 3pm) but still. The only nice part was that the server comped me a drink to make up for it, so they treat their patrons well. But it was a frustrating experience overall

We stopped in for a pint so my DH could do some work. We picked out two local beers, and sat outside on their “patio.” Beers were tasty and service was great. The location right downtown in Montpelier was great. Very walkable and beautiful.

Had a great experience at Three Penny. Medium-size spot with bar on one side and dining room on the other. Food was delicious, fresh ingredients and cooked exactly right. We had the Crispy Oyster Mushrooms (pickled veggies that came with this were incredible), Creamy Tomato & Garlic Soup (great for dipping mushrooms in), Farmer's Salad, and Nice Tuna Salad. Everything was perfect and would highly recommend. Also, tap list is very well done with lots of VT options. Had a Hill Farmstead stout that went with meal perfectly. Go here if in Montpelier!

Macey was sweet and friendly. She recommended the corn fritters and helped me decide between the sweet chili and BBQ wings (both pictured). I also got the crispy chickpeas (also pictured). All the food was great. They were the best wings I had while visiting Montpelier. I highly recommend this place.

GO HERE. Can’t understand the mixed feedback. Went two times today (7/10). Had the burrata with fried green tomatoes special and it was out of sight. The crunchy corn relish, cilantro crema, crispy tomatoes, and creamy burrata was simply divine. Kevin was an amazing bartender and very personable. Came back for dinner and tried the Shorty Burger. Went in for a double-stack with waffle fries. Friends, this was the best smash burger I’ve EVER tried. The tang of dill pickles and melted white cheddar on perfectly seasoned burgers could not have been better. The patties managed to have a great crusty sear while being juicy and tender. Incredible tap beer selection to boot. The staff can actually handle volume and does so with enthusiasm. We need more spots like this in Upstate NY. I repeat: GO HERE NOW!

Great GF Chicken nuggs and tomato soup for pesto and very fresh organic burger. Sat at the bar facing the window and ordered with the friendly bartender 🍽️🍽️🍽️

We are on our way to Montreal for the weekend and stopped for a quick dinner. Found this via yelp and was not disappointed! This offered great tap room food, wonderful service and a fantastic beer selection. The dry rub wings were top notch. The tomato soup left my son asking me to find their recipe. Being paired with a grilled cheese that was second to none. Burger and chicken sandwich left our crew full, happy, and knowing they just at some truly good food. I highly recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

A wonderful surprise. My family and I really enjoyed ourselves. You walk into a very casual environment. There were several draft beers to choose from their list ... which is always a positive. And the food was great! I went for the Fish and Chips ... and it was done right. The fish was quite tender. But I could have used a bit more as the portion sizes were less than expected. And although the wait staff was very nice, they could have been more attentive, especially since the restaurant was less than half full. Regardless, I would come again.

When visiting Montpelier last week, we ended up having lunch at 3 Penny Tap Room. We were lucky they had hot dogs as the special that day. It really got us in the 4th of July spirit. They were really good because they were grilled and on New England style buns. The waffle fries were really good. There also was a great beer selection. Unfortunately, my husband's experience wasn't as good. His burger and fries were cold and had obviously sat too long before being served.

3 penny is a excellent meal or place to grab a drink. Food is always good, menu seems to have something new to try. Mushroom toast was delicious and beer selection delivers

We came here at 7:30 on a Monday evening. This restaurant has two doors-one for the bar and one for the dining area. Our server was nice. She helped me pick from two different cocktails (red pollard) We ordered the fries and chicken nuggs with sweet chili sauce and a burger with tots. The burger was perfectly cooked medium and the tots were nicely seasoned and crisp. The nuggs were great and the sweet chili sauce was delicious. Fries were freshly cooked and crisp. Our server checked on us several times. We would definitely come here again when we are in the area.

So, I have to amend my review as apparently they either have a new owner or at least a new manager and the bartenders are all new. The current ones could not have been nicer. Super friendly, happy to answer questions, and actually seemed to enjoy their jobs and interacting with customers. Nice to see a place turn its service around.

Interesting and diverse menu. Incredibly slow service, but the food was pretty good and the tots/fries were excellent! Nice outdoor seating on the street.

Our last meal in Vermont. We came here for lunch to stop by the capital and exploring Vermont. They have a patio and it's nice sitting out there to enjoy the nice weather. We ordered some beers and cider. I got the ahi tacos, my husband got the cod cake burger, and my friend got the steak sandwich. The ahi tacos wasn't bad. The cook wasn't too bad and it could be more rare but the tacos had some good flavor and sauce. My friend didn't like her Thai steak salad. She said the steak was flavorless and the dressing wasn't strong or had good flavor. My husband loved his cod cake burger. I took several bites and it was delicious! The cod is so meaty, like a crab cake but you get more fish. It was good. That's what you should get.

Half grilled cheese & soup w/ shorty fries = A+ Cod Cake Sandwich = A+ The selection of beers is incredible, all local on tap. They tend to have a wait on Friday nights / weekends but didn't take too long to get a table. Would recommend when in Montpelier

Pre and post flood renovations look amazing! Same fantastic menu. The mushroom toast is still to die for.

There's a ton of beer options at this dark, cozy spot. Came here for lunch on a Monday around 1pm and were seated immediately. Note that the Yelp checkin for two stickers isn't valid. Indoor dine-in only (no outdoor options available). Credit cards are accepted. There one gender neutral restroom in the restaurant side, and another in the bar side. Family friendly and they do have high chairs. Food-wise, they have shareable plates and the ingredients are local. The mushroom carbonara was a bit disappointing as the sauce was really watery, but the pretzel rolls were to die for. The steak and cheese sandwich comes with a good amount of fries and is easily splittable between two people. Finally, the charred vegetables added some nice fiber to the meal, although there wasn't actually any goat cheese in our dish. The service was friendly. Overall, it's a relaxed spot to enjoy a drink and split some food.

Ate here last night and had an awesome experience! Everyone that helped us was so nice and welcoming. The food was delicious, the corn fritters were sooooo good but honestly everything we got was tasty and reasonably priced. Would definitely go back if in town again!

Wow what a fun place to drink, meeting new friends the menu is basic unless its Wednesday and sushi night. the beer section is huge the service is friendly so times lol they seem to respect there locals and blow off the rest

Great selection of top-tier beers from Vermont and New England. The food we had for lunch matched the quality of the beers. Very pleasant vibe, good people, if you're in the area this should be a "must stop".

Amazing beverage selections. The food is delicious and locally sourced. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable. #22 loves you.

Love this place... Best beer selection in town. And they have cribbage boards. Dani. Rybo. Katelyn. Joel. Kevin. The crew is amazing.

They had just remodeled and expanded before the floods in July. The food was tasty, fresh and made to order. Good selection of beer, full service bar and mocktails also available which gets my thumbs up!! They are open again!!

I'll be generous and go with three stars since the location is cute, on the main street, there's meter parking near by and they have an extensive beer selection. On the negative side, the food was just pretty bad. The only redeeming menu item were the chickpeas which they offer in place of bar nuts. These were nicely seasoned, crispy and quite tasty. My salad, which sounded amazing on the menu, was pretty basic with iceberg and a very flavorless cheese- just no. Bf ordered an onion soup that just tasted more like garlic. While they have a extensive beer selection, they had no pumpkin or Fall brews other than a very dark maple beer. Service was slow and inaccurate. I ordered a Diet Coke and got a Coke. Water vessel was dirty. The waitress took my card and then wandered around the patio with it. Why? Maybe I'd try this place again for a beer, but be warned about the food. Very unlikely to eat here again.

We visited Vermont with our toddler grandson. While here our family recommended The Three Penny. He did not steer us wrong! Holy wow! The chicken nuggs were REAL chicken and my grandson couldn't get enough I ordered fish and chips and it was scrumptious! The fish (although fried) was to die for! My cousin had the mushroom toast and she ate every bite! It's a good day when you bring South Carolina to a Vermont bar and they treat you like family! The summer Shanda was delicious and a little taste of home, the staff were super friendly and the locals were shared the bar with we're almost friendly enough to be southern lol

Always a great selection of mostly local beers. Tried the corn fritters and they were excellent too. A must stop for us when visiting the area

I've been there 2 times in 2023 and the burger was horrible. Cold fries and just over all a 1 star. I put two stars in hope something will change but everyone I talk to says, you went cheap and down hill. Such a shame. I've been going here for over a decade and I've always told people you made amazing burgers and other food. Unfortunately not the case any longer.. another restaurant destroyed by Vermont's "It'll do" mentality or may be the governments war on businesses. Makes VT a hard place to do business.

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Three Penny Taproom. We were in Montpelier for the day and decided on this place based on location and menu and it did not disappoint. The steak tacos on special were flavorful. The tomato garlic soup had a great garlic bite. The pulled pork sandwich was a nice mix of elements and a bit different from what you might see elsewhere. We had very courteous and attentive service and loved the casual vibe. The place sure filled up while we were there so we were glad to have arrived a bit before noon on a Friday.

I live in the area so come here frequently. (Like weekly). True it is a trendy hip joint that attracts a lot of tourists. That usually is a turn off for me. But this place is pretty authentic and the folks are genuine. The menu has winners and losers - for example I'm not a fan of the dough covering the chicken nuggs. But I love the shorty burger and the tots and their white gazpacho this summer was really good. Service is friendly but can be indifferent especially on Monday's when they are jammed, as so many places are closed. You may have to be super assertive to get the bartender's attention. I try to come around 2 pm to circumvent this, but not always successful. Oh btw I don't like beer so the main attraction of this place is lost on me. They keep a decent choice of wine though. The latest is the Gruner below. Really nice. After the holidays they may start up the cribbage tourneys again. It will continue being a go-to place for me, although I think the food at the pub around the corner is better and more creative.

Not sure if I was just starving or what but this soup was so bomb! It was a three onion soup topped with Vermont cheddar cheese, the flavor just exploded in my mouth! We also got some wings that were very good! The bartenders were two rad dudes that bounced off each other and were super entertaining. Very busy but definitely recommend folks to try this place out.

Authentic pub ambience! Great for the whole crew or a more intimate gathering. They have an unmatched selection of unique craft brews on tap and in bottles & cans. Last I knew they were available for take-out. Their bartenders are great with all exotic drinks. Put them to the challenge! Or have the most AMAZING root beer that is made in some interdimensional lab and only available in like two blessed places. Great pub grub with all the favorites locally-sourced when possible. The outdoor seating throughout the summer is pretty cool. Your friends will definitely honk at you! Some may get a photo of you devouring their chicken sandwich like a raptor! But that can happen inside too.

I usually don't take reviews on restaurants seriously, so I thought I'd check this place out despite the bad rep because I love divey and dirty places... I made a mistake. Immediately noticed that all of the water pitchers were dirty and I literally took my nail and removed grime from the inside. Not a big deal because it was expected tbh. We got the burger with PB and white gazpacho. The gazpacho was rancid and fermented and made my mouth feel numb. I thought that's what it was supposed to be like, so I took a few bites to see if I could just power through and not say anything... then had my husband try it. He confirmed that it was terrible and definitely expired. We told the server and she didn't look surprised... she even mentioned that she could get me a new bowl from a different (probably newer) batch... so it seemed like she knew they'd served old soup that they didn't even bother trying before serving. I just told her I'd rather not have anything else and if I could just get that taken off the bill because obv. My husband's burger and fries were fine, so we split that, asked for the check... the soup was still on the bill, so I had to ask again for it to be taken off again. We paid and left. Then I started to feel ill. And then my husband started to feel ill. Not sure if it was the soup or the burger or the water, but we had severe food poisoning the rest of the night. We've decided to cut our trip short (traveled here from 5 hours away) because we spent the whole night getting sick and it definitely appears we will no longer be hiking for a few days. Overall... I do not recommend. I understand making a mistake and a place not necessarily being up to full health code standards (I actually have a super low bar)... but a mistake that could send someone to a hospital because they didn't try some old soup they were serving? And then having to ask to not pay for expired soup twice... just overall bad service and a bad experience. I recommend literally anywhere else because I wouldn't risk having to cancel all of your plans to get sick all night and day.

we were very pleased with the food. the wings were really juicy and the bbq sauce was flavorful, not too sweet. the burger was average, the patty was a bit on the smaller size and have to pay extra for any add ons, the fries were right

Love this place for a great draft beer selection from all around the U.S. and beyond including Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic. Welcoming bar and bartender. Friendly and attentive service. I had the Fish and Chips and my husband had fried chicken sandwich buffalo style. Both were great!

Good food - we stopped by for a quick bite before exploring the downtown Montpelier area.

Three Penny has leveled up on their cuisine! The menu is creative, diverse, and much more vegan welcoming. The service is attentive and friendly. The safe outdoor dining is very pleasant. Standouts on our visit: Crispy Chickpeas, White Gazpacho, the Charred Vegetable Salad & Farmer's Salad (with black bean cakes added), and those Tater Tots, whoa. Vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores in our party were very satisfied and plan to return.

Great little place. Bar area was a little bit stinky it dining room was nice. Good beer. Didn't love the tomato soup because it wasn't smooth and creamy and had a little bit of something in it that was a little overpowering, although sweet. Grilled cheese was good and so was the black bean burger. Service was great, hence my 4 star!

I've beer to Three Penny on several occasions- today was another great experience. They put two tables together to seat our party of five. We ordered some various Hill Farmstead brews to start - all amazing (we would have loved to plumb the depths of their outstanding tap list further, but that would take numerous trips). For lunch, I had the steak and cheese sandwich- it might have been the best I've ever had; the steak was thinly shaved and well seasoned, the cheese spread had a nice back burn to it and the fried onions and mushrooms tasted great while not swamping the perfect brioche (and the fries were stellar). My wife had the Cuban sandwich; it too was amazing. For both, it was clear that great local ingredients and some creativity took both pretty common sandwiches and made them something worth going well out of your way for. Our server was great - friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The COVID protocols were good, not just in terms of masks and hand sanitizer, but also with their table sanitation between customers (which I witnessed). In short, the food is great, the tap list is a thing of beauty, and the team behind it all are professionals.

Believe it or not, you can mess up on soup and sand which but not here. Delicious garlic tomato soup paired with yummy Cabot cheddar grilled cheese on rustic bread. Omg Extremely lean pastrami as well and tasty on par fish taco. Great hard cider on tap and just the perfect window seat on a lovely fall day with friends. Will return

This place has been a staple in Montpelier for over a decade now. It remains one of my favorite beer bars, and the food is sneaky good. I think the burger may be the best in Vermont. Keep it up, Three Penny!

Coming from Colorado, we walked around Montpellier looking for the best spots to grab a beer and a bite to eat. Three Penny was the perfect spot! The food was absolutely killer - best chicken sammy in town! The fresh tomato soup was absolutely amazing and the bread they used for the grilled cheese was seriously the best. The bartender (I didn't get his name sadly) was extremely friendly and took amazing care of us! The Edwards Hazy IPA rocked our world along with the dry cider. We'll definitely be stopping in next time we're in Vermont!

We stopped for a light snack and enjoyed a seat by the front window. The seared tuna tacos were so delicious and the creamy tomato garlic soup was rich and yummy. We then tried the chicken nuggs with sweet chili sauce. They were ok. I expected them to be solid pieces of chicken but they seemed like ground chicken. The sauce was good but spicy. The server was great.

Poor drinks under cooked food over priced. Disappointing burger was good the pretzel bites not cooked all the way the onion soup Cold and poor taste lots of salt martini horrible

I ended up having to go to mcdonalds after to eat because the chicken was awful. Good drinks though.

We just moved to Central Vermont and what a welcome of a dinning experience was had at the Three Penny Tap Room. The Bell's Two Hearted IPA paired beautifully with the bountiful and generously portioned House Charcuterie Board--the featured items being smoked salmon, andouille sausage and a pork and pistachio pate. All of it was fantastic. We also enjoyed the fish and chips, which was also great with the Bell's Two Hearted. Can't wait to return!

Fantastic all the way around! Great food, great atmosphere. Serving staff is always helpful and good company. All in all, this place is a gem.

GLUTEN FREE PEOPLE REJOICE I just had fish and chips with fries and beer. ALL GLUTEN FREE. ALL DELICIOUS. I haven't had fish and chips in YEARS. This was such a treat! They also have gluten free buns and a couple gluten free beers. So happy!

I eat here every so often. The wings are pretty decent and the burgers are good. I had the "French Dip" today and boy, was that a total disappointment. On the menu it said: sliced rib-eye, cheese, horseradish aioli, au jus, fries or salad. Now, I've had many french dips before and this my friends, is not a french dip. I'm not sure what it is to be honest. When it was delivered I thought they had the wrong dish because it wasn't a sandwich and there was no au jus. I asked where the au jus was and they said that "we don't serve it with au jus because it's used in the sauce...with everything. This is our modern take on a french dip." What I got was a piece of bread (looked like a slice of Italian bread) with the aioli on top with the shaved beef over it and then the melted cheese. It was open face. Totally disappointing and no flavor whatsoever. If this is modern take on a classic, I'm ready to go back in time because that was a terrible excuse for a french dip. You might as well just grab a couple over priced beers and go some place else to nosh.

Took a chance just driving through the area. Did not disappoint. The charred vegetables were fantastic! Would recommend. Outside seating was a bit chilly but we were dressed for the weather so it was enjoyable.

The bartender was a complete asshole to us. He was curt, acted like we were bothering him when we asked for another round, then would go to the end of the bar to joke with his friends (who I think worked there as they all went into the kitchen). The beer was good but the service was terrible.

This place was great! Awesome customer service! Best root beer I've ever had, and great food too!

I stopped at three penny last week and had a decent appetizer and a few beers . The beer list is very rounded, a little bit of everything. However, tonight was a different story! I probably would have left a decent review if I wasn't shut down at the door. Hostess had absolutely no interest in seating a single guest. I asked the hostess "how long would it be for a seat?" "umm it's hard to tell, we already have a couple waiting for a table" "ok so you think about twenty minutes, I'm not in a rush." "Umm well it's hard to tell I guess someone's going to get up eventually" ????! Um no kidding! "ok , can you take my number, they did last week and they sent me a text when my table was ready" "umm it's kinda past the time when we can take numbers for that" ????? I thought to myself for what a table?!? Mind you it was 6:22 pm they stop serving at 8pm " ok thank you" and I walked away!! It's sad because I'm a professional chef and I travel for work, I liked it the first time and I would have spent a bit of money there. Their loss!!!!

I'm putting back the 4-star rating, and here's why... Recently, I ordered their buttermilk wings for take-out. I was really disappointed by the tiny portion. Since then, the restaurant out to me about my review. It was great to see that this business is proactively reading reviews, listening to their customers, and trying to make things right. He explained that the high product demand was causing their supplier to process their chickens earlier, resulting in smaller portions. They are working towards a more consistent weight based vs quantity based portion. On top of their amazing selection of beers, yummy food, you can add great customer service. Thanks Three Penny Taproom!

Fun place and great atmosphere. Good food, good beer and good prices. Will definitely look forward to coming back here for lunch or dinner when I'm in the capital area!

Montpelier was a great place to see a pretty vibrant local food scene. If I need to find lots of beer choice, three penny fit the bill. The place is half bar area, half seated restaurant but both sides serve the menu. The waiter was great at explaining all of the choices of beer and menu. I went with the oysters ($10 for 6 special) and a double flatty with fries. Both were very good. The double flatty was like a mini burger x 2 with a special sauce that brought it all together. The fries were excellent and none were left by the end. Overall, excellent value, excellent food, and a great place to eat if you are in the Montpelier area.