The Dirty Truth

29 Main Street
Northampton, MA01060
413.585.5999
http://www.dirtytruthbeerhall.com/

Strongly Recommended

I like this place. Yes, it is yet another beer emporium filled with brews I have never heard of but it seems to have a mission beyond the beer. Somehow I get the sense that they really want me to enjoy myself when I am there. The beer tenders know their stuff; they are obviously well schooled in their profession. I feel comfortable turning myself over to them and letting them guide me through the beer selection. Sampling beer is encouraged; questions are encouraged; relaxing is encouraged. I like it! But (sadly) I do not love it…the beer selection is very good, and (best of all) manageable. I can wade into the mix without getting over my head. It is the menu that needs work. This is the kind of place I want to walk into and get a great beer and then be blown away by the menu. I want chicken livers or sweetbreads or braised lamb shanks or really good sausages (sorry but the currywurst doesn’t qualify); I want something that is going to make me stand up and take notice, damn it.  There is nothing on the menu that does that. When I look at the menu I always feel like I am settling.  The other thing that bothers me is that a lot of the food is sweet. I don’t want sweet in a pub. I want savory, hot, smoky, fatty, rich, unctuous…not sweet.


What do I order for ballast when I am there? The baked pretzel is good. It is more bread-like than pretzel-like but it is still good. The hand cut fries with truffle oil can be great but are often overcooked and greasy. The Crawfish, Chorizo and Duck Confit Gumbo and Pork Shoulder and Duck Confiti Chili Verde are decent but that is about the extent of it.

When you are in Northampton should you go to the Dirty Truth…absolutely. Go often, have fun! Should you eat there? Not as often as you drink there.