Gardner Ale House at Moon Hill Brewing gave us a nice evening of good music, cold brews, good food, dollar oysters! (Apr 2026). We came here to try out their Monday Blues, and happened on their Monday Buck-a-Shuck oysters! We found a long room with over 70 seats set up at tables for four that looked combine-able, about 20 seats at the bar and at 2-seat hightops, both rooms with a wall of windows. The band set up in the bar window, but sit where you like, we found that we could hear the band everywhere! There's also a small enclosed outdoor patio with about 30 more seats at umbrellaed tables. The Jim Atkinson band is a foursome of Boston-area musicians that has been cranking out great blues, rock, & roots since 2017. We loved them, especially enjoying the creative keyboard and a real live sax! Their music selection was amazing, more their favorite solid blues than old-standbys, so we didn't recognize every song. But that's real music :-) The $1 New England oysters were big and juicy! They started at 4pm before we got there, and they still had plenty for us after 7pm! They say the variety changes with availability. These were not overly salty. This was dinner for us, and we started with their hot-skillet "Mexican Corn Dip" with zingy pico de gallo salsa and fresh crisp corn tortilla chips. We got a "warm energy" bowl of quinoa, fresh tart cranberries, baby spinach, roasted sweet potato, and goat cheese, flavored with some scallions and garlic-butter. Huge, delicious, and very satisfying! The Fish 'n Chips was a full-foot-long full of their own Moon-Hill-beer beer-battered haddock, piping-hot fries, fresh crunchy coleslaw, with tartar sauce. Yep, Huge, delicious, and satisfying! We tried their parmesan-garlic wings, but that wasn't our favorite. They were ok, but not crispy which we expected. Came with crunchy celery and creamy bleu cheese. Of course we leaned on their in-house Moon Hill brewery for several dry IPAs, their luscious Candy Mountain blueberry sour, (which could have been colder), and a very tasty non-alcohol Blueberry (Not)-tini, a bubbly beverage crafted with "Reàl Blueberry Purée", fresh lemon juice and lemonade. This is a nice community bar, brewery, restaurant, and patio. We are already looking forward to their big Octoberfest! read more

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I Visited this restaurant while in Gardner mass. It was an Easy in and out. Came here with only about 40 minutes to spare and got to enjoy a drink and an appetizer. I ordered the gluten free Red Apple Farm Cranberry Hard Cider Cider - Other Fruit * 5.7% ABV 16oz Draft $8.50 - 12oz Draft $7.75. Which I enjoyed because it was not too sweet. For our APPETIZER we ordered the Barbecue Pulled Pork Bruschetta Brick oven garlic bread, house made slow roasted pulled pork, bacon crumbles, melted shredded cheese. Drizzle of house made white barbecue sauce, scallions $16.00 and it was delicious! Service was fast and friendly. The atmosphere here was calm and casual. read more

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I want to like this place but it just doesn't do it for me. As a vegetarian I don't have a ton of options. Over the few times I've gone, I've had everything I can order and they've all been a little below average. It's a bit on the pricey side and the food just isn't worth it for me read more

Place is great! Whether for a casual bite and a drink, or a nice night out with your partner. The atmosphere is always great, TVs for watching the games, and sometimes there is live music!. I've had a few different things from their menu and they've all been at least good - some great, some amazing, but never bad... and they have pizza! It's a good spot to meet up with friends without any fuss, you can do reservations. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood or looking to travel for something delicious. read more

Used to really enjoy the pizza at Gardner ale house. It's the only place close to Templeton where you can get a true NY style pizza, not the pan style crap sold in most places around here. The last three times I got pizza at the ale house it has been absolutely terrible. I can understand a bad experience but not 3. Must be new cooks with no experience or could care less about quality. I'll stick to an occasional trip to the Wonder Bar in Worcester. Best pizza around. read more

Loved the food, wait staff, beer, and atmosphere. We had burgers, fish tacos, chicken sandwiches, French dip sandwiches, French onion soup, and corn queso dip and tortilla chips to start. All were excellent!! read more

We really love this Ale House! Whether you get a sandwich or full dinner the food tastes great. I had the swordfish and my son had a Reuben both delicious. And they give you recommendations on beer pairings. read more

I had such a wonderful experience with one of my good friends. We both got the hot honey chicken sandwich, which was delicious and extremely crispy. We had a fabulous waitress who recommended a few craft from loca beers. Will be back. read more

Moon Hill Brewing and Gardner Ale House - Hot honey chicken sandwich with house cut french fries... - Breweries Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

Nice little brew tavern in downtown Gardner. Looks small on outside, but is actually very big inside with a nice bar area. Our waitress was very friendly and patient, letting us settle in and study the menu. Great choices of beers, that were actually really reasonably priced. We started with a loaded nachos and boneless buffalo wings. Nachos were large and decent, while wings were average. I had a decent Cesar grilled chicken, while wife had a crispy fried chicken. Both were average bar food and decent. We had the cookie brownie sundae for desert, and this was warm, gooey and delicious read more

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Molly was an exceptional stewardess! She went above and beyond for our group and ensured our friend had a memorable birthday! On top of that, the food was exceptional! Next time we are in the area, we will most definitely go back. read more

Food is delish, chicken apps, dumplings, burgers, yummy fries! Fun atmosphere! Waitstaff really stand out the most... helpful, friendly, and make you feel welcome, want you to enjoy your experience. read more

Highly recommend. Delicious food, excellent service, comfortable atmosphere in a beautiful location. Ticks all the boxes! Looking forward to our next visit! read more

Went there on a Sunday for lunch but left without ordering any food. Their menu items were few and the prices were astronomical compared to most other places we go to. I guess because they have very little competition in the area they can charge what they like and still stay in business. Their rate of inflation is way higher than the rest of the country and area! read more

Stopped by for lunch on our way home from an overnight in NH. Beer, atmosphere and service - great! Food very good. Moon Hill Brewery is part of the establishment - and their beers YUM! (Bought a few 4-packs - one for me and one for some friends). Our bartender, Kayla, was excellent! Personable, attentive and all around great gal. I told the manager on duty how great she is... Kayla helped make our visit extra cool. Wish we lived closer, but we WILL be back! read more

Excellent tavern with fine fare and nice ambiance of exposed brick and beam in a low-lit atmosphere. Our lager and stout were tasty. You may ask to sample any draft beer before deciding amongst the creative offerings. Delightful stuffed acorn squash and an ale house steak salad were both very good. Friendly staff, plentiful seating and pub seating in the bar area. Bottles and cans if you wish to take some of the brew home. A solid eatery in old-town Gardner. read more

Sometimes, a featured dish is exactly what you had in mind to eat. Today I had the winter salad with grilled shrimp and it was excellent. My friendly waitress suggested that I could try some of their maple glaze (without maple glazed walnuts- which I am allergic to) and it was a great addition to the dish! Nice quiet comfortable ambiance as I worked away on my computer. Great service- lovely food. if it had been a few hours later in the day, I would've tried some of the amazing beers. read more

Amazing food and staff! Great atmosphere to sit and enjoy a cold one with the pals and share a good pizza, some individual delicious entres, and end the meal with a scrumptious warm cookie skillet. NO VOTE ON QUESTION 5!! read more

So bummed that this local place seems to be going downhill. The last few times we've been, it's been pretty awful, which I'm sad to say. The french fries have been mostly burnt, nearly black, and super greasy; a lot of our food was barely warm when it arrived and cold within a few minutes; and some of the fish is rubbery--how is it that we're an hour from the Atlantic Ocean but the scallops are frozen? $30 for frozen, rubbery scallops??? I feel for the chefs on that count, as they should be able to work with fresh fish, for Pete's sake--we're not in Oklahoma, we're near some of the best fresh seafood sources in the country! And only one vegetarian option and it's ratatouille--is it 1980 again? The service is usually great but the last time we were there, our server seemed really out of it. Maybe she was training, but she seemed very spaced out, didn't have answers to basic questions, and disappeared for long periods. It's too bad, because so many of the staff are fantastic and so hard working, and some of the dishes are great, but this used to be a much better place overall. We won't be going again for a very long time, if at all. read more

Great staff and great pub food and selection of homemade brews! Good local location and wonderful owners!

Some of the best food I have ever had. Seriously. The beer was outstanding too, but I can't get over the food. I wanted to start writing this review mid-dinner. Steak tips and baked haddock were absolutely amazing. The sweet potato that came with the baked haddock was like crack. I don't even like sweet potatoes. I almost ate the plate itself. Even the Caesar salad was one of the best if not the best I've ever had. My boyfriend and I are going back tomorrow before we head home. Apple cider donut sundae was also incredible. We also felt safe covid-wise. Safely socially distanced. I wish we lived closer. I never write reviews but they seriously earned this. 1000/10. You will 100% not regret going there. Thank me later. read more

Moon Hill Brewing and Gardner Ale House - Beer Flights - Breweries Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

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Made confirmed reservations on the 4th Sep for the 28th Sep. they called and canceled on the 15th indicating first come first serve. Don't trust reservations at this place. Their choice. My perspective. read more

A very very pleasant meal. Delicious food and our server took great care of us. Ordered the veggie flatbread and swordfish special. The homemade spaghetti was divine. It makes me wonder if I've ever eaten homemade spaghetti before this meal. Very well done dish. Our only issue was that both dishes were very very under seasoned. I've never had to salt and pepper a dish as heavily as I ever have as we had to for these dishes. I could only imagine the cook just completely forgot to use them because it was seriously lacking a vehicle to lift all of the ingredients and marry them together. read more

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I ordered the fish and chips. OMG what a huge portion! We also had chicken bacon ranch sandwich and buffalo chicken pizza at the table. All were great. Service was exceptional. Our waitress was on top of keeping our drinks full and was extremely pleasant. A definite return customer read more

Great food and good variety. Works for my kids, too. People are friendly and the back deck is nice.

Love this pub! Great service, fair prices and the food was tasty. Elote corn appetizers was fabulous.

Food is good, service is excellent. People that work there are very nice. I had the burger and the flavor was really good, fries were hot and crispy. read more

Great atmosphere with a wide selection of food and drinks. The staff is always friendly. In my experience they don't always get the food orders correct but that's just a personal experience I've had the past few times I've gone. Doesn't stop me from going back but definitely something I've noticed. read more

First time visitors to the Ale House and found the entire experience to be phenomenal from start to finish. We were greeted by a very nice hostess who made sure our preferences were taken care of. We decided to take advantage of a special for appetizers and each of our party got one. As such we tried the jalapeno rangoons, the fried pickles, and the mozzarella sticks. The seasoning on the mozzarella sticks was obviously homemade and light and airy. The duo I was with said the jalapeno rangoons were fresher in flavor than expected and had a nice slow burn. Lastly the fried pickles were some of the best I've ever had, and the sauce that came with them was one I would gladly buy by the bottle. For main courses we got the short rib poutine, the buffalo chicken tender mac and cheese, and the Bang Bang burger. We tried the new Bayou sauce and it is another that I would buy by the bottle if I could. Overall each main course was flawless; with complex flavor profiles and even the ex-professional chef i was with was shocked at how fresh and enjoyable flavors were. The short rib poutine was fall apart tender, the Bang Bang burger was cooked perfectly and the sauce delightful, and the mac and cheese creamy and obviously homemade. My compatriots got a Candy Mountain draft and a House Cider, which went over well and was perfect compliments to the dishes. They found the Candy Mountain would go well with a burger, while the Cider would go better with a mac and cheese or similar dish. The server was polite, friendly, and welcoming. Additionally she was very knowledgeable about the food and her options on what was and was not good was spot on. She made our first visit was one to remember fondly and is one of the reasons we will gladly be back. read more

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Quick n Dirty on the GAH .. Good and only local live music venue in the area. That being said you can catch an open mic night or a local band (usually the bluesy/rock flavor) and have a pint or two of a wide selection of ales. Interesting space between the bar area and dining room.. and I'll give them kudos on inventive decorations and ways to make the place look different through the seasons/holidays. That's where the fun stops. Service is hit or miss and nothing to rave about but certainly not the worst you'll have. Just seems indifferent to the experience. The bar area i find is too uncomfortable to sit and eat. The cold air drafts from outside in the winter are kinda brutal and when theres a band on, people standing right next to you while you try to down some wings is ... meh.. no thanks. The dining area is a lot more comfortable and you can still get to enjoy the band.. but you still can't talk to the person next to you if there is a band playing. Its way too loud. Food.. All around just OK.. mediocre... some items that could easily be freshly made are made hours before and reheated, or yanked out of the fridge and have garnish tossed on them. Burgers.. no taste to the meat and really not diggin the buns. Baked beans were ok but nothing different than Bush's . The Wings are the sorest disappointment. Just get that off the menu or serve real tenders and pump wings. Blah wish I could get my money back. Gave them another few chances and results are always the same.. Don't go hungry, with anyone you enjoy talking to or without a serious hankering for beer. read more

Moon Hill Brewing and Gardner Ale House - Sour patch martini. It's a fave. - Breweries Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

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We have eaten here for several years. It has a nice selection of different types of foods to please everyone, and it has good drinks and beer. We know everyone will be happy if we go here. That being said, last night I had a Greek salad ($15) with steak tips on top ($10 more). $25 is a hefty price tag for a salad, so standards were high. While tasty, the salad had only a few microscopic bits of tomato or cucumber, and banana peppers were nowhere to be found. The $15 was basically for lettuce. That was disappointing. The dressing was good and the steak tips were beautiful. Other members of the party got swordfish (very good) with pesto, pizza and the Thai chicken salad (which was said to be awesome). Our appetizer was very good too. I think now that prices are through the roof everywhere, it's more disappointing when things seem sub-par. read more

It has great survice but the food was it as good as I hoped although brunch is very good and I recommend lunch but not dinner

This was our "go to" restaurant before and during the pandemic, however staff and menu changes have ruined the food and ambience. One of my biggest complaints over the last four years is their stinginess with the bacon. I hope Zachary is still there, he's the best! read more

Moon Hill Brewing and Gardner Ale House - This is what I call a hot turkey sandwich! If you love turkey, I recommend this if it's on the menu! - Breweries Near Me - Gardner, Massachusetts

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We eat here often, good food that is of consistent quality. I am not a fan of their pizza, could be more generous with the toppings but their haddock has been very fresh, fries are great, salads good. Nice to have a decent place close by. read more

we had been wanting to try Gardner Ale House for months and finally were able to come on girls night (Thursday). What a great deal. Half off all appetizers. We stuck with appetizers and tried the calamari, coconut shrimp, buffalo chicken strips, and crab cakes. The coconut shrimp were amazing! We wished there were more in the order because they were the best thing on our table. The buffalo chicken and crab cakes were both good. Calamari on the other hand was quite a disappointment. Very bland and chewy. we were confused by the random slices of bread around the plate. Drinks were great. We tried the Swedish fish and Sour patch martinis. Unique and tasty. The main reason I only gave 3 stars was the poor service. Our waitress was low energy, unfriendly, and left us with empty waters for about 20 minutes (my pet peeve). If the service were better, I believe our entire experience would have been much more enjoyable. read more

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I love the Gardner Ale House. There food is always delicious and I've never ever gotten a bad meal here. The pulled pork nachos are bomb and the chicken ones are just as good! The beer is refreshing and they brew it so you can only get it there. They have a wide variety to which is very nice. I recommend the sour one they have. My all time favorite thing is the Thai chicken salad. It has a to die for dressing and the chicken is always perfect. I've also had their brunch buffet which is 16 dollars but you get a free mimosa and as much food as you can eat. This wasn't my favorite thing I've done here but it was still very good! If you haven't gone here you need to go. Be aware that it does get busy! read more

I was supposed to meet my family and relatives there the day after Thanksgiving. I use a wheelchair but I didn't go. I've been there before. It is mostly wheelchair accessible. The restaurant is ok for accessibility but if your in a wheelchair and need to use the bathroom, forget it. I've been there having dinner with friends and have had to leave because I needed to use the bathroom. The food is great as well as the service. It's just to bad that the bathrooms are not wheelchair friendly. I'm really going to have to think about weather I want to patronize a place that discriminates like that. Thank you, David H read more

The place was great. Stopped by on a Saturday afternoon for a beer and found a great selection. My fav was the Anniversary Lager, but they had a good mix of brews. The bartenders were very nice! read more

went in for lunch and ordered chicken wings for an appetizer. after half hour they brought out a dish of wings right out of the fridge my son bit into one and spit it out they never cooked them and served them to us. then our food came another half hour and the chicken tasted like fish and was completely disgusting over cooked and obviously cooked in the frying oil used for seafood. the fries were all no more than a half inch long and cold. terrible food and terrible service! never ever again. no stars read more

I've been here a few times now and the 30 minute drive is well worth it. I've had the tacos, the pizza and the pulled pork and they have been fantastic. Good beer selection on tap and a great place to watch a game or just hang out. read more

First time back since Covid restrictions began last year. We have always had great meals and excellent service. Unfortunately, today the server did the bare minimum, never asked how the food was just left it on the table and asked if we needed anything else; didn't see her again until the bill came. The haddock dinner was very disappointing. The haddock tasted like it was soaked in wine, the bread/cracker crumbs were soggy, the "fresh" green beans looked great but tased smoky, and we still weren't sure what the sweet potato tasted like, it didn't taste like sweet potato. We forced ourselves through eating the haddock but gave up on the vegetables. If we had had more time for lunch we would have sent the food back. Pizza may have been a safer choice. read more