Red Stone Pub

Red Stone Pub… is just that. A pub. Don’t come here expecting a fancy meal but do come here expecting great beer, a relaxing cozy environment and some tasty snacks. This has quickly become our favorite place to come to when we can get a sitter and sneak out for a drink. I get excited to check out their beer list and to find out what is new on tap. In the winter, they always have the fire going in both the main pub area and the side room. Majority of the tables are booths which are the perfect place to sit and catch up with each other. They do have an area for darts and ring toss. When the weather is nice, they have a small patio you can bring your drinks out to and enjoy the music streaming from inside. As far as food, they offer complimentary popcorn! I’ve heard the corned beef sandwich is really good but I have not tried yet. I really enjoyed their pickles and the side of bacon we shared. Was perfect for an after dinner snack with a nice cold beer. Ok, I’m ready to call the sitter and head there now. The place is charming and is to be enjoyed for exactly what it is, a New England pub!

I’ve been here twice and found the place to be friendly and the bartender helpful. I’m not a beer expert and the selection here is a little overwhelming but the bartender offered his opinions and several free sips and found a winner. One I never would have considered. Had a sandwich and it was pretty good. Second visit was as good as the first. Some of the patrons fit the self important, pretentious Simsbury stereotype but the place is a do again. I look forward to a weekly visit.

This place lives up to the «pub» in its name by not being too pretentious or taking itself too seriously. (Not always easy in upscale towns like Simsbury.) It’s a casual, pub-​like environment, with a big beer list (mostly bottles) and solid, not great bar food. Seemed to have quite the happy hour following when I went on a weeknight — very crowded at 6, but cleared out by 7:30. Our waitress was very friendly, with lots of helpful tips to narrow down the beer choices. Will be back!

When is Unilocal going to make 0 stars an option?
My friends and I were skeptical about heading to Red Stone due to some concerning stories from past employees and experiences of our own that we’ve had in the past with the creepy, overbearing owner. We were all looking forward to reuniting as we were home for the holidays and (I’ll give you this, Red Stone) the popcorn, peanuts, and fireplaces add a nice ambiance. Those won’t be enough to suck me in ever again.
A group of four men across the way from our group were a little loud for the owner, who proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs for the party to leave; it created a really uncomfortable scene and could have absolutely been avoided with some calm communication as the group was by no means out of control. Seriously, I’m telling you, a banshee would have been impressed with that guy’s pipes. The individual who had made the noise was literally afraid to leave the bar and told a server he was uneasy going outside as the owner «wanted to kill him».
The owner apparently could just not continue service after that unnecessary encounter so he proceeded to yell that the bar was closed — at 12:06 (the bar is listed as closing at 1:30). My friends and I weren’t heartbroken to have to leave but had just bought a round — we told our server we would drink quickly and he kindly told us not to rush. Welp, he was wrong. The owner comes in like a bat out of hell and physically removes our half-​full glasses from our hands and out of our mouths. We both kind of jumped; he didn’t acknowledge invading our space and had a terrifying look on his face that I can only compare to Michael J. Fox’s when he’s morphing into Teen Wolf. He acknowledged that he «absolutely ripped the beers out of our hands» and went on his merry way to go be a miserable human.
On our way out, a friend expressed her disappointment in the customer service and he yelled from the front door, «if you don’t like it, DON’T COME BACK.»
We won’t. Crossing my fingers a decent person takes over this place soon — it was upsetting to have that kind of experience in my otherwise lovely hometown.

So cool in here. Besides having a lot of history they have A LOT of beer choices. Huge variety/​selection for any beer lover. Staff is friendly and welcoming. The food looked and smelled delicious but we had only dropped in for drinks after work one evening. We will definitely be back!

Horrible. Claim they have all of these beers yet they didn’t have 3 out of the 4 my friend tried to order. My cocktail had little to no vodka in it. I asked one of the other bartenders to try it and he agreed. He told the bartender that made it and his reply/​excuse was that there want much vodka left in the bottle he used to make my drink. It was never corrected and nothing else was offered to me. Run down and unclassy! Simsbury should be embarrassed by this bar.

Do not order the food. I got nachos and guac and they were NO. GOOD. Like someone bought guac from a gas station and dumped in on a plate.
However. Amazing beer selection, great atmosphere. Cozy and homey and everything a bar should be. I’ve sat in the back, which is like a warm little cave, and the bar area – last time I was there, they had good live music. I like the buzz and noise of the place. There are bar games in another room but I’ve never hung out back there. I bet it’s a fun place to spend the evening.

Great beer selection and knowledgable staff to help you choose. The menu is small, but why make a ton of stuff that’s ok when you can make a few fantastic items?! We ordered the hot corned beef on rye and the hot roast beef as a French dip, both were fantastic! I stole half of my fiancé’s Ruben and I am not a Ruben or a rye fan. Even the coleslaw, potato salad and ginormous pickle were banging. I started our adventure out wanting a great sandwich & a beer and I was not disappointed. Such a cozy setting inside and out I can’t wait to come back! Our server Kyle was super sweet & personable.

The Red Stone gets a mixed review for me. As a beer lover, I’d give it 4 stars. The beer selection was really quite excellent and very diverse. The look of the place was really cool too, with a quaint, pub like comfortable quality. However, it was the food that lacked. Granted, I was only there once so I’m basing this on just one sandwich, which was the Corned Beef on Rye, but the sandwich was an average, at best, example of this genre. The amount of corned beef was less than normal and the taste was, well, just OK. So, if you are looking for a good beer selection, you’ll find it here. If you’re looking for a great sandwich, look elsewhere.

Long-​time customer. Everyone knows your name!!! Friendly, thoughtful staff with deep knowledge of the all-​important beer. 50 different beers on the board, constantly rotating drafts… what could be better?
Better? How about tasty sandwiches, nachos and pub grub!?! A Wall of Foam board (and ongoing discount) rewards loyal customers who enjoy 50 fine brews within a year. A Quaffer’s designation is reserved for a three-​time Wall of Foam drinker (150, repeats permitted). Mark and Lori are wonderful hosts. Love this place!!!

Beer and Ale heaven. No Bud, Coors etc on premises. Stella in a bottle if you must. The 8 taps are reserved for finer things. A large ever changing bottle selection. But tonight I enjoyed a fine Back East Cask Ale, Pallet Mallet a fine example of a imperial IPA ale. Not sure what the ABV on this is, but two were heaven, a third would have been, well a little too much,.
Small menu, hot sandwiches, nachos, guacamole etc. tonight they had Nodines Venison Summer Sausage with a couple of slices of their yummy half sours, kraut, mustard and some rye bread. Simple but melds with hoppy Back East just fine.
A few wine selections and limited bar. But do reach out and try some new lagers, ales and stouts. You can always get a taste (free) or a flight.

One star for the great beer, but the horrible service soured the taste. Food was not available due to an event. I sat at the bar for five minutes before I was greeted. The first server walked past me twice without saying hello or asking if I wanted anything. There was only one other party at the bar. Once I was served, no one came back. I settled up and left. Very disappointed.

Came here for the first time ever last weekend. I’ll break down my experience:
Atmosphere: my first impression, upon walking in, I immediately fell in love with its rustic look. The fireplace is cozy, the bare rock walls give it a neat underground feel, the high-​backed booths provide privacy for those at tables, and the bar is simple and nice. The place is clean. The bartenders looked sloppy however. The satellite radio channel was awesome– nice acoustic tunes, at just the right volume level. Lighting was set nicely for a Saturday evening.
Food: the friends we came with had told us prior that this was not a place you go to get a good meal. We ate at another establishment first. The menu is very limited, and from what I’ve heard, the food is just ok. That said, this pub does not advertise themselves as a big dining place. The focus is on the bar and drinking. As long as you know that up-​front, it’s not a big deal.
Drinks: I love their beer selection. I love that it’s written on a chalkboard on the wall and changes seasonally. The bartender was knowledgeable and excited to help us make our first-​time choices, and the beer was served cold. That’s important. They give customers a card with their 50 beers listed on it, and challenge you to join their «wall of foam», for those who fill the card. Nice touch. Our bartender was very engaged in helping our friends, who frequent the pub and are working on filling their cards, to choose new beers to try on this visit.
Service: having been in this industry for 10 years, I am a stickler about service. As I mentioned, the 2 male bartenders looked sloppy. But they were engaging and helpful. No one was ignored. We got our popcorn refilled 3x! We were approached as soon as we sat down, beers were refilled promptly.
All in all, I was impressed with the Red Stone Pub. I would definitely recommend it to people. Eat a good meal elsewhere and come here for your drinks. You won’t be disappointed.

This place is a bar where you go to drink. Simple as that.
Pros:
— outdoor patio
— huge beer selection
— nice interior
Cons:
— Very limited menu and what they do have isn’t good. We ordered their roast beef sandwich (which the bartender gushed over) but it was nothing special.
— Though nice, the place is small and tight. The tables in the back make you feel as if you are in a cave.
— outdoor patio looks over a parking lot
In all, its a good place to have some beers, but nothing more. I wouldn’t recommend it. Iron Frog is just down the street and has the same great atmosphere, a decent beer selection and great food.

My favorite bar. Tremendous beer selection; very heavy on darker microbrews and hoppy IPAs It’s usually a somewhat older crowd (which means not everyone is in their 20s), but when you’re mid 40s and beyond, that’s not a bad thing. Good mix and vibe to the place regardless. I haven’t gone too deep into the food selections, but the roast beef was fresh sliced and very good. Most people I know who have eaten there say good things and aren’t too phased by the limited (but gradually expanding) menu. The staff is pleasant and Mark the owner is great.
If I was to make one suggestion it would be add a couple of generic lagers. Some people I’ve been there with in the past aren’t beer experimenters and were intimidated by the huge blackboard of options. The staff, however, steps in nicely and can help direct.
Great pub with a great future!

If you like beer you will like this place. Amazing selection of draft beers and then really good bottle list. Food is pretty good very limited in their menu but good none the less. they have popcorn and peanuts to snack on as you enjoy your pint. Very cozy little bar in the winter big fireplace right in the bar keeps it nice and toasty.

Best sandwiches in the area with a great beer list.

Great beer selection! Anyone who loves trying local beers should check this place out and ask about the wall of foam club.
This pub is a small cozy place with a nice outdoor patio with a fire pit. The bartender we had was very friendly and knowledgable about all the beers on their menu.
They do have food here, although the selection is limited to a few sandwiches and appetizers. I didn’t get a chance to try any of the food, but it all looked good.
If you’re looking for a nice relaxed atmosphere to enjoy a few brews, take a look at this place.

A very odd place to review. It’s a very small pub in the center of town –maybe 8 booths and 15 barstools — that’s it.
Their actual menu has a few more choices than their on-​line menu, but it’s still a very limited choice of a roast beef sandwich, turkey sandwich, beef stew, corned beef sandwich, or a meatball sub for $ 9. The real star here is the beer — over 50 choices plus 15 wines all neatly written on their huge blackboard.
I ordered a Leffe Belgian Blonde ($ 6) and a Warsteiner ($ 5), I liked the first choice a lot better than the second choice.
Red Stone is most definitely a drinking establishment– There was a big crowd of drinkers seated on every barstool, they all seemed like regulars. They seemed to know each other, and the staff seemed to know them. 95% male. I sat at one of the booths and didnt really generate any interest from the staff. After I sat down, no one came over. I walked to the bar to order beer #1. No one came over. I went to the bar to order a Reuben sandwich then sat down. No one came over. My sandwich was delivered and I ordered beer # 2. After the beer was delivered, no one came over to check on me. I went to the bar to get my check, paid and left. So suffice it to say that the customer service was a zero.
The sandwich was OK– a decent size with marble rye toast, corned beef, and a few shreds of sauerkraut and cheese. Certainly not the best Reuben I ever had, but serviceable. It was served with a choice of chips, slaw or a pickle. I went for the slaw, but was surprised to see they also gave me a really good whole pickle cut into 4 spears.
I like a cold beer as much as anyone, but I don’t know enough about the 50 beers offered to rave about any one of them. If you are a beer hound– you might enjoy the Red Stone. I can’t see myself ever returning– what with the nearby Iron Frog and Lyme Bar offering so much more.

Happened upon this place because the Iron Frog was closed for remodeling.
Walking in, there is a gorgeous re-​purposed barn door to greet it’s patrons, beautiful brick walls and a feel of a few of the Scottish Pubs I frequented while living in Scotland. That’s just about where the feel of a «pub» began and ended.
My friend and I really wished we had gone anywhere but here. Very pretentious patrons made us feel a bit out of place. We felt under dressed in jeans and sweaters as it seems this bar caters to a business/​Simsbury elite crowd.
Sure, they have loads of craft beer selections, but only up on a chalk wall far enough away from where we sat that even with my glasses on I still couldn’t read. When we asked our waiter for comparable beers to what we normally would drink (my friend usually drinks Chimay, I’m more of a Belgium Ale kinda gal), he couldn’t think of any, so we took our shot at ordering something off the wall, no pun intended. You can never go wrong with beer if you drink enough of it, however, this place should stick to beer and leave the food for the better restaurants in the area.
My friend and I ordered the nachos for a snack and were highly disappointed at the whole experience. It took ages for our server to even ask if we wanted food, and once flagged down, we were promised their food was unlike any other we’d had. If by unlike any other, he meant pitifully bland and boring, then, yes, he’s right. I tend to stay away from food like that.
Our nachos came out on a paper plate with barely enough cheese to cover the tortilla chips. it literally looked like something I whip together at home when I’m out of food and too lazy to venture out to the store. Only difference was that these nacho’s cost us more than they were worth and we weren’t even given a fork or extra places to share. Family style dining with my best friend, at it’s best.
A lot of my friends dig this place, but I know of plenty of other places that feel more like home.