John Harvard’s Brew House

We were all happy with the meal and the service! My husband and I got the fish tacos and they were delicious. They had avocado and a yummy coleslaw made with diced jalapeños that gave it a nice kick. It also came with rice that was very tasty. Our daughter had a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and our son had chicken tenders and fries. We’ll go back

I am updating this from one star to three stars. I maintain my observation that this place definitely acts like the monopoly that they are. There are no options if you are staying at the country inn. We have to make reservations days in advance.
The food continues to be average. However, today there was some promise. Our waitress was very friendly and the food came quickly. They had live music which added some quality atmosphere.
I’ve been here many times now, which says something: it’s not so bad that I’d rather go hungry.

We ate here after skiing. We both had burgers that were good. They have a good local beer selection. Service was prompt and friendly.

My father and I decided to stop for dinner on our way to Williamstown. We were correct in that it would not be really busy since the ski season has not kicked in yet., I had eaten at the JH at Holiday Valley a number of years ago and enjoyed it very much. At Jiminy Peak, JH has an inviting, cozy atmosphere. The hostess, waitress, were all friendly and accommodating. My father enjoyed his fish and chips and I though my buffalo chicken sandwich was very good. Of course the beer was very good. It is a little pricey, but it is a ski resort. I would go back.

We were starving so the food was ok, but a little pricey. The service was slow, but it was vacation so there was no hurry. It was conveniently close and did in a pinch.

Expensive menu for a joint in the middle of nowhere (e.g $ 15+ for a burger). Ordered a very rare burger and they got me something barely pink, SUPER salty, and with stale buns. Service is slow. Would not recommend unless nothing else in the area is open.

Food is edible, service is slow but kind, hostess could use a better understanding of how a restaurant works. On property at Jiminy Peak. Only reason to go to this place is convenience.

Uninspired pub food. Nachos are huge, kids pizza is good. Decent place for a basic meal when you’re staying a Jiminey Peak or Wyndham Bentley Brook.

The food was very good but the service… We ordered the Bowl of Basa small plate but the waitress brought us a chorizo mac and cheese dish and then insisted we ordered the chorizo. We had to ask at least 3 times for bread which was promised by our waitress. The entrees came before we got the corrected appetizer and we told her we didn’t want it. Then the appetizer was promised for free along with a free entrée. A few minutes later, our waitress came to us and said the entrée wasn’t going to be free because the person who told us that misspoke. We didn’t ask for a free entrée or a free appetizer. The entire night was plain weird and if we weren’t staying at the hotel, I wouldn’t recommend this place.

We stayed at Jiminy Peak and ate at John Harvard’s in the hotel. The staff meant well. First my husbands beer order was wrong — twice. It’s a brew pub. Then my nine-​year old ordered chicken fingers and apple sauce, my seven year old ordered pasta and French fries. Twenty minutes later the runner put pasta and fries in front of the nine year old. I said, «he ordered chicken fingers». She said, «no he ordered pasta». I said, «okay then». Then she put pasta in front of both of them and walked away. I didn’t argue because 1. he loves pasta 2. I didn’t really care and 3. we didn’t feel like waiting another 20 minutes for chicken fingers. The way the runner said it was SO RUDE it was FUNNY. Again, I didn’t argue because it’s between Christmas and New Years in a small ski resort in western MA — it’s crazy busy and the server pool isn’t very large here — something’s aren’t worth arguing over. She was clearly having a bad shift.

Staying at Jiminy and was tired of driving so we ate down the hall from our suite.
Service was ok, just ok. There were a few other couples but it took them a while to figure where to seat us. We had to ask for water, twice. We were brought the drinks we ordered then didn’t see our waitress for too long. I don’t like to be rushed but this wasn’t good service tonight.
The beers are their own unless you want Bud or Amstel in bottles. They had 7 of their beers and I started with their «flagship» brew, the blonde. It tasted like they added a generous shot of vinegar. After sitting with this skunky beer I couldn’t drink in front of me for about 10 minutes we flagged down the waitress and told her the problem. She apologized and asked if I wanted to try another. I ordered their dark beer and she wisely brought me a shot glass of that beer. Not as skunky as the first but the same vinegary finish. I ended up drinking water. I know bitter beers and this was not the issue. I have had a lot of beers on this trip, most local from VT, ME, NH, MA. I have to say this was the worst of the trip and the worst I’ve had in decades of drinking beer. I brewed beer myself that is superior.
The food was average and overpriced by about 10−15%.
I wish I had just driven to another place for an average beer, average meal, average price.

We had a great dinner, we were a little tired and got our meals to go and were blown away with how good the steak and meatloaf were, cooked to perfection and seasoned perfectly. It was a real pleasure. We have eaten in at lunch but never dinner before. We will be back for eating in and taking out.

I love John Harvards on the Island, so I was excited to experience the SAME menu but different atmosphere. I was wrong. The menu was totally different, and they didn’t even have pumpkin spice (which is weird, because a pumpkin patch is everywhere you look up there). They even tried to promote a dinner and beer tasting for $ 35, like it was such a great deal. The burger that came out was very good, but the chicken tenders as an app was ordinary. It’s always packed because its the only good restaurant in the resort so I would make reservations

Cozy, typical ski resort rustic spot, serving great hamburgers .Try the lobster bisque which was exceptional. Fish and chips were middle of the road but certainly acceptable. Essentially the only game in town if you don’t want to drive into Pittsfield or Williamstown. Good selection of beers and ales add another dimension to this ski resort restaurant

They are good as chain can be.

Funny, because i’ve been to the John Harvards on Long Island and liked it. I don’t even know if I reviewed it, it wasn’t great, wasn’t bad… just average. That being said, after my horrible experience at Old Forge on my most recent trip to Jiminy Peak the wife and i decided to stick to what we thought would be a sure thing… some place we’ve been to on LI, and on the mountain.
Ok well I can’t really review the place because we walked in, and got to the hostess station only to find out that the bathrooms were down two flights of stairs. Strike one.
We were seated (which took almost five full minutes of the hostess asking whether I wanted a booth or a table) a few minutes later, and waited… and waited… and waited… while at least half a dozen times waitress’ passed by our table without so much to even offer us a glass of water. I also witnessed half a dozen girls just talking by the hostess booth while a table next to us actually had to go up and give the money to the server because they just never came to the table. So almost 20 minutes after being seated, we got up and left.
I’d never go back, to this one at least. Horrible service=horrible management= poor experience and even worse food from my experience. Kind of sad for a place in such a hot location.

Decent fare. Excellent choice of beers. Nicer than Cristiansen’s. Recommended if you want to eat on grounds of Jiminy Peak.

Stopped in here for dinner and to watch a baseball game while on a weekend trip to the Berkshires. We sat at the bar, and our waitress was great — very attentive and chatty. Both of us ordered burgers, which were good; nothing to write home about, just typical pub burgers, but they definitely hit the spot after driving all day! They had all of their own brews on tap, and we tried four of them: their octoberfest, blueberry, amber ale, and hefeweizen, all of which were pretty good. For dessert we tried the brownie sundae, which was tasty but nothing too special, and the «campfire sundae» which was actually reallllly good (vanilla ice cream covered in graham crackers, with whipped cream, hot fudge, and raspberry sauce, and roasted marshmellows on the side).
Nothing particulary special about John Harvard’s, just your typical pub food, but definitely a place where you can get a solid meal.

Five of us decided to head up to John Harvard’s Brew House for dinner tonight. For everyone it was our first time there. I had checked
for available reservation times, but it was booked from 5pm on. We decided to go up anyway and take our chances.
When we got there, sure enough they said it was full, but the bar was empty and we were able to sit there. The bar is very comfortable with very personable bartenders. The bar top is copper, which is very cool. The shape of the bar made it very easy for all 5 of us to chat, so nothing was lost by not getting a table.
The strange thing was that for the entire time we were there (1 ½ hours) they kept many tables empty. Understandable that they had reservations, but it seems like they had a lot of lost opportunity to seat people with enough time to still fill the reservation. I don’t recommend showing up without reservations if this is a regular practice here (unless you don’t mind the bar).
I tried two of the house brews which were excellent. I had the «6 ft. Blonde» and a something or other «White» (can’t recall the full name). I had not had a John Harvard brew up until tonight, but now I’m a fan. While at the bar I learned they have a 6 beer sampler for around $ 8. I wish I had seen this as I would have done that instead … next time.
The menu selection was excellent. It was not over whelming, but had a good variety. I ended up going with the Smoked Gouda and Chorizo Mac and Cheese. What a great dish for a winter night in the Berkshires. I will have to go back to try the Rosemary Chicken and the Buffalo Mac and Cheese. Everyone else went with the half pound brew burger. The burger was cooked to order, and each person said it was done perfectly.
We could see the lights coming off the trails of Jiminy Peak, but there was no line of sight to the mountain from the bar. Next trip up, we’ll make reservations for a window seat overlooking the mountain.
With it being right in the main lodge of the ski resort, I would have thought there would have been children running all over the place and a little loud. This was not the case though, it was quiet and very relaxing. If you can get a spot by a window, it might be a good place for a date.

Our first evening dinner in the Berkshires, and we were sick of driving. Since almost everything is at least ten miles away from everything else in this picturesque region, that limited our options somewhat. There were five restaurants to choose from, and we started with this one.
We usually sit at the bar to eat, and it was a crowded night for families in the restaurant, which left plenty of open stools. We parked it next to a crowd of confusing French people, which was awesome. Our bartender, while friendly, made it clear he was not to be consulted on any matter beyond beers, wines and liquors. As he very abruptly stated: «I don’t know anything. I come here, I work, and I go home.» So much for local flavor.
Our drinks were pretty standard. He was a little skimpy on the fresh blueberries in the fresh blueberry ale, but happy to give me extras. I love blueberry beer. Call me a sissy if you want, but I loves the stuff. Anyway. They do make good beers at JHB.
The atmosphere is the same as at the shop in Boston, but it works. I kind of like it, even if it is corporate-​mandated.
I ordered something called «Crab Stuffed Seafood» which would have been more aptly titled: «Scallops Covered With a Pile of Wet Breadcrumbs Containing Some Other Seafood Substance of Dubious Provenance». It comes with a side of tasteless white rice still in the shape of the ice cream scoop that dug it out of the bucket. Yay.
The better choice was a large mixed green salad topped with fresh sea scallops. Crisp and inviting with a piquant dressing that complemented the seafood nicely. I lose.
Ah well. I do love their beers, and it’s a pretty cozy place to drink several. So I won’t go hatin’ on it.