First off, I really want this place to succeed. Storrs needs a fun, laid back pub where you can go hang out with your family or friends and play some games or just relax. That said- here's what Hop Knot gets right: 1) a concerted effort to offer local beer. The vast majority of beer and ciders offered are either from Connecticut specifically or New England in general. We are lucky to have such great local breweries and Hop Knot does right in showcasing them. 2) The atmosphere is headed in the right direction. More seating would help make the place feel cozier (right now it feels a little sparse) and wouldn't compromise the experience 3) Offering board games and trivia nights is great. We played Mad Gab and had a blast. 4) Groups with kids and groups without kids would be equally welcome and comfortable Now for the cons, and if these cons aren't addressed soon, Storrs will lose a hangout with such potential. 1) The online presence is weird and amateur. The beer list- arguably the main draw- is only available online if you have an untapped account. Why make people jump through an extra hoop to see what you're serving? The pictures of food on the menu do not show the dishes off to their best potential and verge on depressing looking. 2) The vibe upon arrival is also weird. We were instructed via a sign to seat ourselves, and then, after 5-10 minutes of sitting, began to wonder if this was a self serve type deal, and did we have to go to the bar ourselves to place an order? Eventually a server did show up, but despite the fact that the bar was not crowded by any means, service was very very slow and the food took an shockingly long time to arrive (when the menu tells customers to routinely expect 30-40 minutes for pretzels, take this as a giant red flag). 3) The food. While Hop Knot gets the Hop part right, it fails spectacularly at the Knot part. These were the worst pretzels I have ever eaten. We tried three different stuffed pretzels, and every one was bland, flavorless, and depressing. The pretzels themselves do not have pretzel color, taste, or texture, and are instead just thick doughy breadsticks. The tomatoes in the caprese pretzel were the most tasteless tomatoes I have ever had. And I'm writing this as a New Englander who has had my fair share of imported winter tomatoes. The pesto was high on oil, low on basil and zeroed out on taste. The mustard for the spicy mustard dip was just Guldens - not even a halfhearted attempt made in the kitchen to make it unique. The beer cheese was grainy and bland. The spinach artichoke dip was just as tasteless as everything else. Tl;dr- Storrs needs this place, but the establishment isn't going to survive if it doesn't do a massive overhaul of its food. read more

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Such a fun place to hang out providing board games, shuffle board, jenga, air hockey, and corn hole! Not to mention the 20 craft beers on tap, most locally brewed! Menu consists of soft baked prezel items with unique dipping sauces. The Hop Knot sandwich was fantastic with tomato, bacon, and cheese on a pretzel bun. I wasnt sure I would like the bun but it wow'd me. Great place to enjoy when visiting your Uconn kids!! ***Service was a bit slow getting our beer orders and our sandwiches came with our traditional soft baked pretzel which we wanted as an "appetizer". Staff is still learning. And better to order beer by number or there could be a mix up. Overall very happy to have a new place to have a nice lunch. Will be back soon! read more

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Burgers came to us cold. Tried a variety of burgers, all in our party (6) agreed combinations of flavors of burgers were odd and dis not go well together. Meat was weird texture. Bacon appetizer was good but food is very expensive (i.e. (4) small pieces of bacon = $16). Burgers don't come with fries, they're $3 extra. Tortilla chips with buffalo dip appetizer were very stale. Wings were good but that's about it. Our waitress was terrible too but hopefully she doesn't represent all the waitstaff there. read more

This is a really fun place right down the road from UConn . They have trivia nights kind of a brewery atmosphere. They also have a lot of great beers ont tap. The food involves a lot of variations of pretzels entrees, I really enjoy the Philly cheesesteak that they have there as well. read more

Loving this place more each time I go. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. Food always hot and on point- huge portions. Def try the flatbread, nachos and pretzel sandwiches- yum!!! read more

Service was amazing. That female bar back was top notch. The food was so fulfilling and delish.

Whatever reason you use to justify coming to Hops 44, it's a good one! Thursday night trivia got me in the door about a year ago, and I've been a weekly visitor ever since. The food is always tasty and served in generous portions, with a weekly specials menu that offers seasonal dishes (and drinks) as well as other fun and novel options. Of course, while Hops 44 is well-known - and deservedly so - for their wings, every choice on the menu is a good one. I highly recommend the 1/2-pound brisket burger ("The Danielle") as well as pretty much anything that comes out of the in-house smoker. Beyond the food, the service and atmosphere are top-notch. As a family-owned restaurant, great care is taken to ensure a high-quality and consistent experience each and every time. The waitstaff are efficient and attentive, and management even went out of their way to stock a special request at the bar. Speaking of the bar, whether you're interested in one of the rotating selection of 18+ beers/ciders on tap or a cocktail, there's always something for everyone. Hands-down, one of the areas best restaurants! read more

Amanda was our server and she was amazing. she was so informative of the menu/drinks & had amazing recommendations. On top of it all, had us laughing the whole time, highly recommend this place! read more

Really nice family-style restaurant. They offer board games as well as weekly trivia and live music! Service is always very quick! Anything you get will be good but my favs are the apple walnut salad, crispy cauliflower (app), Buffalo chicken stuffed pretzel, and pig bowl! There's a nice selection of beers to choose from. I always go with a margarita flight. For $14 there sure is a lot of alcohol in those! Overall a great stop for dinner, drinks or watching UConn games! read more

Hops 44 - Margarita flight and game! - Pretzels Near Me - Storrs, Connecticut

So... Myself and 2 friends arrived and waited about 5 minutes to be seated even though there were a few open tables. Our server came over after another 10 minutes and took our drink order, and we all got cocktails. MISTAKE! we also ordered fried pickles which came out before our drinks?? It was almost 30 minutes before they arrived, and the cosmo was so bad that my friend or I could not drink it, the other didn't have all the ingredients listed, mine at least was good. It seemed like the bartenders didn't quite know what they were doing. Also, they use bread and butter pickles for the fried pickles which was not appetizing. 2 of us ordered the stuffed pretzels and they were so salty and undercooked neither of us finished. The $12 salad my friend got was massive but oddly unmixed, with a bottom layer of spinach and lettuce on top with 2 slices of cucumber and croutons...let's just say it was underwhelming. The server asked if everything tasted ok, but said the salads were often sent back or unfinished. We very rarely complain or send anything back, but I have truly not tasted food so bad in a long time. We asked for our checks which were dropped off, but when she came to take our cards with the card reader she left us at the table with it...we had to wait about 5-10 minutes to actually pay and leave. They have an awesome beer selection though! Just don't get the food or the mixed drinks. read more

I feel compelled to leave this as when we walked in, the people coming out said they were going to leave a bad yelp review and told us to eat somewhere else. This place was great! Beer selection and service 12/10. The food is good bar food. Not sure why those other folks had such a bad experience. We would definitely come back. read more

I want to thank Hops 44 for doing such an amazing job for our company Christmas party.. this is the 3rd year we have chosen to have our party there, and Hops 44 is very professional and takes pride in their work. Genovesi Construction read more

Took the family here after an afternoon at the adventure park. I love the new expanded menu! Great additions including wings and sandwiches and salads. Excellent service and very clean. Can't wait to return. read more

The Place, the Food, the Staff and the Service have all been Super ! .. They have a nice assortment of craft beers, playroom, and a well decorated establishment .. I've tried a lot of their Pretzel foods and all have been great !! .. For example, for dessert: the Apple Crisp stuffed pretzel is to die for !! .. You can also check their event schedule on Facebook for Live Entertainment. Thumbs up !! .. Hop on Over ! :) read more

Not happy with this place. First off, staff pushes anything on menu...even though your have ordered what you want. The pulled pork sandwich on a Brioche roll is the size of a an appetizer..... Disappointed.... NOT TO RETURN!!! read more

Great place for a laid back, fun time. Went there for my son's 21st birthday with a party of twelve and they handled us with ease (disclosure: this was on a Wednesday night). Tons of craft beers and pretzel deliciousness to choose from, and the prices were extremely affordable. Happened to be there on Jukebox Bingo night - what a blast! read more

Decent beer. Good pretzels. Wait staff wasn't helpful. My girlfriend and I were here for almost an hour and a half and we were only asked for refills once. I'm not a high maintenance guy, but it was a very weird and confusing dynamic in the business. The decor is on point, but they have, for example, yard games set up throughout the bar. There were no tables available when we went, so we were seated at a wooden barrel (yes, a wooden barrel) right next to a cornhole game. Which, by the way, was in the line of fire for people going in and out of the bathrooms. Another horrible idea is the giant Jenga they have set up, so every ten minutes there's a shotgun-blast of wooden blocks falling on the ground. Most importantly though (to me) is the drinks. The beer selection is quite good, albeit expensive, but that's to be expected. If you've ever been to Fenton river grill, it's very similar, with the menus on the TV's. Cool idea, unless you're half blind like me and have to sprint through a game of cornhole and dodge the falling Jenga blocks to read the beer menu. The pretzel we got was also quite good and, I will say, only took about 20min to get. It was priced fairly. Maybe the experience was less than stellar due to the fact it was a Saturday night, and it's a new business, but it's a solid two stars for me. I'm hoping they iron out some issues, and this can be a great classier bar for Mansfield. Until then, we will be at Willibrew. read more

Come for the beer and stay for the barbecue. Tough times coming through Covid and every restaurant everywhere in need of staff .... But, Hops 44 does a lot of things right and is worth a repeated visit. The beer selection is fantastic, many local Connecticut breweries are featured, and the selection rotates frequently. The barbecue is delicious; give the brisket a try. Staff are friendly and courteous. There are regulars but also the UCONN crowd in season. It makes for a good mix. Music played sometimes on Friday or Saturdays and a trivia game on Thursdays. A great place. read more

I went back. I am updating to 3 stars because the staff is awesome. Great selection of beers but they still need to crank the cooler up a bit. The beer is just above room temp at best. The food? Ehhh. It's ok. read more

AWESOME PLACE! We came with a large group with tons of kids! Super quick service and food was excellent. Very accommodating and patient with the kids. Sounded like a fun spot to hang out without kids as well. read more

This location has only been open for two weeks, so it is not up to full speed yet. However, I do have high hopes for it. First, I would like to acknowledge our server "Dylan" who was extremely pleasant and attentive. He was well versed and very knowledgeable with the many beers on tap. The location is clean and spacious and has a variety of games to keep anyone busy. There were many TVs that were visible from most locations. Now for the bad.... The pretzels themselves were small and just blah - not very flavorable. Honestly, I like the pretzels at the Sam's Club kiosk better. We first tried a small flight of beers which was good, but when we ordered a pint we found the beer flat. One of our party ordered a glass of wine which amounted to little more then a shots worth of cheap wine in a large glass. I will return in a few weeks and give Hop Knot another go. As I said, I have high hopes for them! read more

Nice atmosphere excellent food. Live music on Friday nights. Great selection of drinks. Gluten and vegan options. Highly recommend.

This place is great! The bartenders are great and the servers are so helpful! The beer selection is wonderful and they keep it local. Had the Thanksgiving special sandwich called The Gobbler and it was to die for! Excellent, will be back again! read more

We just had the most fun bridal shower here. Our own space in the game room, couches and a buffet. The patio is off of the game room so it's easy to go outside. Order anything with pulled pork, potato, ham, bratwurst or hotdog. Super delicious. Also order the fried Oreo desert. A must have. Outstanding. Our server Jody was the best. Hats off to Erin for a phenomenal buffet choice. Anything we needed, we got. Thanks so much for an offbeat and successful afternoon of girl bonding. read more

I've been to this place a few times since it opened. I really wanted to keep going back because the food is great and the atmosphere is very unique however, the service is one of the worst I've ever had. It takes such a long time to get an order in, get water refilled (with even going out of my way to ask) and lastly get your check( 30 min wait). I've even made eye contact with the waitress to signal her service and I'm just blatantly ignored. I tried giving this place 3 tries because I genuinely love the food and atmosphere but the service is just NOT IT. I'd give more stars for the food quality but the service just disappoints me that much. read more

Food was ok...nothing great for price...service was extremely slow since all they do is pretezels... more of a brewery...cool concept.. just not sure I'll return read more

I've visited a few times now. Everytime hoping it gets a little better. Pass on the pretzel bites if you go. They are not pretzels, just quarter sized dough balls with seasoning. Very disappointing. Beer selection is still impressive. Food no, beer yes read more

After a couple long months of hyping myself up to try this place since it recently opened, I finally got a chance to try it last week. I was way too full the night I went to try any of the stuffed pretzels, which would have been my first choice, so I instead chose the garlic basil pretzel. I was disappointed to find that the pretzel was extremely dry and surprisingly unflavorful. The sauce didn't help matters, as it had a very "jar sauce" flavor, and ultimately couldn't compensate for how overwhelmingly dry the pretzel was. This would have been a two star review given the food itself, but I did enjoy the vibe of the place. Aside from the fact they they could probably fit more tables in there to close it in a little more, I thought it was visually appealing and a nice spot to hang out on a Friday night. With all the games (which I didn't get a chance to play but think would be fun with a big group) and the fact that it's not solely a bar, there really are a diverse array of options that could satisfy a lot of different people. I felt completely comfortable not drinking while my friend did, because of how casual it is here. So for that reason I do think the Hop Knot deserved the extra star. I can definitely see myself coming back here, and plan on giving the pretzels another try. read more

Hops 44 - garlic basil pretzel - Pretzels Near Me - Storrs, Connecticut

Went here for the first time last night, welcome dinner for our friends wedding, and I was so delightfully surprised. What sounds like a beer-fans-only kind of place, is actually a place for the ENTIRE family. They have great drinks, delicious food, and the service was spot on! There are two people who helped our table for most of the night ,both knowledgeable, personable, and great at their jobs! Ryan was one of them and the other was a girl who has been working there since college, but has stayed on because she loves the place! (Sorry I'm bad with names) Either way, if I had to recommend servers it would be them over and over again! Definitely recommend making the trip to have an amazing time with friends or family. read more

Like craft beers good service and great food? This is the place for you!! The appetizers were served hot and the bbq cheese burger was tangy and delicious. Inside and outside seating makes it a great stop all year round. read more

These pretzels are just baked dough with a couple of salt parcels attached to them. No butter, barely any salt, burnt pieces of garbage. This is supposed to be a pretzel place. Everything on the menu has to do with pretzels. How do you not know how to make a pretzel? Take a lesson from Auntie Annies please. Service is slow, poorly poured beers, owner is rude and dismissive. Atmosphere is nice. Wasted opportunity. read more

Hops 44 - Pretzels Near Me - Storrs, Connecticut

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I really hate giving one star reviews and I was VERY hopeful this place would be a hit. I have heard wonderful things about the Middletown location, so I went in expecting it to be a positive experience. I went during the first week they opened so it is to be expected that there would be some bumps along the way. Unfortunately, our experience was terrible all around. We went for lunch about an hour or so after opening and the place wasn't too busy, with just a few tables filled. I did notice that none of the tables had food or drinks, which struck me as odd because it was well past opening time. It took about 20 minutes for our drink order to be taken and another 15 to receive the drinks. This is far too long of a wait for a drink and it set the tone for a pretty awful dining experience. I give one star for the beer selection because it was very good. We decided to put our food order in when we ordered our drinks because of the slow service we were already experiencing, and we weren't really planning on a multi-hour lunch experience for pretzels and beer. 45 minutes later, food started coming out....for the entire dining room. Every table (even those that had been there long before us) all received their food at the same time. Odd. As an avid soft pretzel lover I am so sad to say this was probably the worst soft pretzel I have ever had. The chicken in the sandwiches/stuffed pretzels was those frozen Tyson grilled chicken strips (the ones with the fake grill marks) that was somehow more unappetizing in the pretzels than it is just plainly cooked from the bag. Something about it was off, our entire table was wary to eat the chicken further after having a bite or two. Additionally, everyone who ordered a stuffed pretzel at our table sent them back because they were completely raw. The only cooked part of my pretzel was the very outside edge. It honestly didn't even really look like a pretzel in shape or color (no classic dark coloring on even the basic pretzels ordered at our table). I'm surprised the stuffed pretzels were served as they were visibly raw. After spending a few hours there, I left hungry. I would like to give it another shot, but I'm likely going to wait a while until the service/food quality issues are (hopefully) sorted out. I really do hope the Hop Knot figures it out because it would do very well in this area that is in need of more fun dining. read more

My 3rd time at the Hop Knot today and service has not improved. We sat at the bar thinking we would get better service. They have been open several weeks now so I thought I'd see some improvements. It took 5 minutes to get a beer sitting at the bar. Something must be wrong with their training or something and they never seem to know if we have been waited on by someone else. Don't waste your time if you are looking for good service. read more

While the hop knot has a good beer selection and lively atmosphere, there pretzels are mediocre to bad. This is unfortunate for a pretzel themed restaurant. read more

Menu is lacking variety. We've been 3 times, two of which we received wrong drink orders and/or servers were not clear of the beer menu. Many games to choose from, though board game options are already missing critical pieces to play. Trivia nights are good. The pretzels are good. read more

It angers me how critical people are. People need to keep in mind that this is a bar environment; if your looking for a diverse menu and superlative service equivalent to a 5 star gourmet restaurant, your choice in establishment should be evaluated.....this being said.... Hop Knot Storrs is a family owned and operated facility. The owners are readily available and make extra effort to make sure their guests are taken care of.If you have an issue you may speak to them or the manger by simply asking to speak with them. As a local business, the Hop Knot hosts many fundraisers to benefit the community, in addition to employing UCONN students. There hasn't be a time that i've been to Hop Knot that it hasn't been busy. I've watched the beer menu change at least 4xs on a busy night. The taps change so frequently, often that there is no way to a website menu could be updated. Try new things, they offer samples of every beer on tap! The food is great. Highly recommend the sandwiches. I reiterate that if your looking for something to go with a cold beer you're in the right spot. The pretzels are also made to order, by hand, which takes time! Relax and enjoy the company while you wait. This is a laid back environment, that some could say is family style. Come in seat yourself, make yourself comfortable, grab a game, and enjoy your time with friends. The live bands and trivia nights add to the experience. Who cares about the presentation of the social media pages. Put your phone down and go see for yourself what Hop Knot is like! People need to stop being so critical of a NEW establishment. It takes time to get good staff. The franchise restricts much of what can and can't be changed with the establishment (that includes the menu lacking pictures). Go in, grab a beer & just enjoy the game! You won't be disappointed, this BAR is worth the visit! read more

This is what storrs needed! I went here for happy hour with a few of my colleagues and the deals were incredible. Yes, it is new and some of the servers were working out the kinks so it did take a while to get the food but it was worth it. It was packed and there was fantastic live music to set the scene. Plenty of seating and great for larger groups. I got little pretzel bites which were okay, a bit dry but for the happy hour price not bad. You must get a stuffed pretzel. The happy hour ones come in little hot pocket like forms which are super tasty and easy to eat but the full ones are 1) beautiful and 2) delicious. I will be coming back, mark my words. read more

Excellent first time experience here. We brought our children who had a great time playing games. Delicious food and drinks. So happy to have this place open near us. Congratulations to the owners and best of luck! read more

I had high hopes for this place, the interior is beautiful and clean. However, the service was so, so slow. I also found it strange there were no beer menu at the tables, only on the TVs. So we all had to get up and walk to the wall, which was weird. I ordered the pretzel bites and they reminded me of bread croutons and not pretzels at all. I am hoping they will make improvements, again I was excited to come but was ultimately very disappointed. read more

The beer was good, the bartender was very nice, but... We ordered the poutine, a traditional French-Canadian dish. Properly prepared, the cheese curds should be at room temperature before being tossed with hot French fries and hot brown gravy which partially melts the cheese curds. Our "poutine" came topped with large chunks of refrigerator cold cheese curds. We sent it back. The "Karen" who brought it back after putting the poutine in the oven said that poutine isn't supposed to go in the oven (she's correct), but she'd warm my poutine in the oven any time. I tried to explain that the cheese curds are supposed to be melty from the hot gravy and fries, and the reply I got was "that's not what the recipe says." We now had a plate of disgusting, soggy fries with melty cheese curds. A couple of minutes later "Karen" has the audacity to come out of the kitchen and stick a printed recipe under my nose! I replied that poutine is a traditional dish from Quebec and the cheese is not supposed to be ice cold, and as Karen walked away, she said "Well, we're not in Quebec!" We didn't eat the disgusting plate of soggy fries, and it was taken off our bill. It's bad enough that they call it poutine on the menu, but then to be berated by "Karen" twice is appalling customer service. Never in my life have I had someone come out of a kitchen and argue with me. I'm not part of the easily intimidated college crowd. As a mature adult I will not be treated in this undignified manner. I'll go elsewhere where the customer is treated with dignity and respect. Word of mouth is powerful advertising. read more