I do love this place. It is always my go-to when i go out in the area. You'll find a lot of locals here usually. First off this bar has the best live music, great eclectic sounds, sometimes theres even room for dancing! Really good vibes. Second of all the bartenders are THE BEST. They make fabulous cocktails, on the menu and off, are attentive and on the ball. Im always impressed, even when its super busy in there. Oh and their beer selection, for you beer snobs out there--is very good and changes often. Ive never eaten anything from here but they do have a few vegetarian and one or two vegan appetizers. The only drawback is that it gets pretty crowded and because of the band it gets pretty loud and can be difficult to hear your friends. Besides that, best bar in the area, def. Great drinks, great vibes, great art, great music, cool people. Just try it. read more

I have to say: we haven't even eaten yet and I love this place. It's got a relaxed, casual vibe and seems like it would be a great venue for music, which I'd love to experience. My husband and I both ordered specials (since we already know we'll be back so we'll be able to order from the menu anytime): a "Blue Goat" and "Lemon Pig." Also ordered (and are currently eating) the French onion soup, which is very good. Chatted for a few minutes with the owner - their story is really awesome, and worth the trip here on its own. Will post again once we've eaten! Ok - now we've eaten, and it was fab. Also spoke with the chef , who's very cool and clearly into his craft. The food was great - my son had the smoked salmon grilled cheese, which was awesome. Truly enjoyed this place; can't wait to come back to try the chef's next concoction, and maybe even catch some music as well!!! ps - 4 stars is pretty great for me. Only my top 3 eating experiences *ever* would have made 5 star reviews. read more

The Stomping Ground - Balsamic-macerated strawberries with a RumChata infused fresh whipped cream and homemade angel food cake. Wow. - Bars Near Me - Putnam, Connecticut

Exceeded my expectations by a mile. Went for lunch and had the soup and half sandwich. My test item at any restaurant offering it is chicken tortilla soup, should be simple enough but so frequent can be a disappointment. The soup was outstanding, obviously made with fresh ingredients and seasoned just right. Everyone working there were friendly and efficient. It was a pleasant surprise and it will now be a regular. read more

We love the Stomp. Terry and his crew have created an eclectic music and grub venue in the heart of Downtown Putnam. There is nothing like it. Belle Guinness is our highly recommended meal choice, but everything on the reasonably priced menu won't disappoint. There is a large offering of beers, but we stick to the bottled brands due to our palates. Live music 6 nights a week. Without a cover. Folks, you can't beat this place. Sometimes crowded, often loud, but always worth a visit. read more

Only my third time there but the food keeps getting better. Sam the bartender was great and the cook on Tuesday afternoon was dead on. Had the Billy Bragg and it was awesome!! Thanks for the great food an service!! read more

As soon as you walk in to this bar, the aroma is delightful, it makes you want whatever it's on the menu! From the wonderful variety of ciders, beers, infused vodkas, savory pies, salads, wings and appetizers, you cannot make a bad decision! Friendly staff, great decor and great music. I highly recommend this place to anyone, I'm looking forward to visit again. read more

Great dinner, great atmosphere, great service. Sticking around to hear some great music too. I had a scrumptious grilled cheese, The Sinatra, and hubby had the biggest, juiciest burger, I've seen on a plate in a very long time. Delicious fresh fruit cocktails. Comfy, casual, atmosphere, not stuffy or pretentious at all. Hard to critique perfection! read more

The Stomping Ground - Great art all around... Love the atmosphere. - Bars Near Me - Putnam, Connecticut

This place is perfect. Great beer selection, amazing food and great live music. It's a great place in the community to run into someone you know, or chat with someone new at the bar. I had the McMullan home fries, which were on special and soooooo good, as great as the notorious McMullans themselves! read more

The Stomping Ground - McMullan Home Fries on special - Bars Near Me - Putnam, Connecticut

Awesome food. We were out finishing up our wine passport and yelped restaurants in the area. This popped up and sounded just right for a fall afternoon. Not just a pub - this is a fine dining experience. But at pub prices. Loved the vibe, and the food was just scrumptious. One of the owners was there and made a point of speaking to us on our way out. Such a fun find on a rainy fall Saturday afternoon !! read more

Stopped in after checking out the Antique Mall across the street. We were drawn in by the live music and the Day of the Dead décor. We didn't drink (we had a drive ahead of us). I had a pot pie with chicken, figs, and mushrooms any my bf had a chicken fontina wrap. His wrap was good enough that he didn't let me have a bite, lol. It came with a "slaw" that had beans and corn, etc. That was pretty good. My pot pie tasted good, but the fig part became an odd gelatinous blob that was tough to stomach. I worked around it. The portion was also kind of small. Pot pie is kind of a tuck-it-in comfort food and I was peckish by the time I got home. Overall, it was good and I'd consider going again, but I'd try something else on the menu. read more

Eclectic small town bar with an exceptional (if limited) menu. Great music and a rotating draft beer offering that rarely disappoints. Outdoor dining is available during the summer(ish) months. read more

Very different restaurant for me, it's is fairly small and cozy but you can sit either at the bar, at a high top or nice leather chairs with a table. There is local art all over which gives it a nice look. The staff was polite and knowledgable. There was a good assortment of beverages to choose from I had a beer the owner suggested to me they called the drunken Jew, it looked really dark but wasn't heavy at all, it had a little tartness but was delicious. I also got the French onion soup which may have been the best I've ever had the broth was not salty at all, the croutons where homemade, and the Gruyere that topped the bowl was delicious. I also had the Neil Young Burrito, it was amazing the addition of the duck sauce and apples really made the burrito different. I will definitely be putting this place on my rotation even though it's a 40 minute ride for me it's worth it!!! read more

The Stomping Ground - French onion soup - Bars Near Me - Putnam, Connecticut

See all

Kacie was absolutely amazing, definitely one of the best servers we've ever had. She is fast, attentive, charismatic, and her drink recommendations were spot on. Every time we come here we ask for her, she is always able to pair flavors and create combinations that make our experience so much better. Plus her shining personality make the entire experience feel less robotic and mundane like a typical restaurant experience. Kacie is consistent in her excellence and because of that, the Stomping Ground has become a regular stop for us. Absolutely 10/10, will continue to recommend read more

Definitely some of the best food we've had in Putnam, lots of house made stuff on the menu and very creative. Wish the draft beers featured more dark / malty beers instead of the current standard IPA, but the bottled beer selection was solid. Good atmosphere and great service. read more

My 3 and 5 year old ask for the grilled cheese here. My husband asks for the beer. Fun place! Clean, friendly and unique. A gem of Putnam!

Not the best food, but that's not why you go here I guess. Drinks are strong and music is pretty decent.

Good place! To grab a drink and listen to live music! Grilled cheeses are to die for! Just a little hefty on the wallet.

I love this place!! The food is great, the music is great, they have a fantastic beer selection that's always changing and the waitress/bartender Sam is super cool. If you go early in the afternoon it's kid friendly too. There is always something going on. If you're looking for something to do, stop by to check it out, you won't be disappointed. read more

My wife & I were here last week & had a terrific lunch. They have a fairly eclectic menu & okay tap selection. As on other occasions, the bartender was server for the whole restaurant, but he juggled everything admirably. The kitchen is probably no bigger than 10' x 10', but the cook turned out a yummy David Byrne sandwich for me & a cobb salad for my wife--kudos to him for getting so much good stuff out of a tiny kitchen. When we're in the area with the kids, they prefer Courthouse Grill across the street, but Stomping Ground is plenty fine for me. read more

Overpriced food for small portions. Soup should have been hot also and was just warm.

Well your typical bar what made it special was the live music otherwise I probably would have never gone. The food was OK and there wasn't a lot of seating in there. Sam was great bartender and pretty too! read more

Our party of 4 arrived on a Saturday afternoon in March at 2pm. The lunch crowd was gone and it wasn't busy. We were shown to a table and ordered drinks. Waitress came back promptly with drinks and took our food order (4 hamburgers.) At 2:40pm we still did not have our food. People who came in after us (sat at the bar) got their food before us. The waitress never came to tell us why it was taking so long to get our hamburgers. No one really seemed to care we were there. We ended up just paying for the drinks and leaving. The bartender was rude to us and said, "This is not a fast food restaurant, you know!" We will never go back. You shouldn't go there either. read more

Very much enjoyed the atmosphere, the music. It was a first date for my girlfriend and I we loved the coziness of the far room with comfy seats. Our waitress, Vivian, was excellent. She took great care with us and made it especially memorable. Thank you! read more

Great pub atmosphere, love the small plate style farm to table. Very creative plates, Mike the chef is very talented. I am a microbrew lover and they have beers on tap from around the US. The live music is tremendous, particularly considering it is a small intimate place. The staff is efficient, effective, friendly and informative. Sam is outstanding. We now go there every Friday we are in town and every time we leave our group remarks....how do they get such great musicians here in such a small place. Try it you will like it. Honestly don't listen to the review about small portions,. It is a small plate venue. I have been around the world and pubs are my thing. This place is the real deal! read more

Located in the heart of Putnam, The Stomping Ground is great for drinks and live music. However, if you like to chit chat, it is not ideal to come here when music is playing. Atmosphere is cool. They have purchasable local art listed and hung around the place which is a nice support for the area. They also have trivia certain nights ! As far as food goes, the bacon brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is my usual go to. read more

Great beer selection with ok pricing. Food is good with what I would consider pricing on the high end. Great live music vibe. VERY loud and cramped, but enjoyable. read more

Went here after running an obstacle course race at the Thompson Speedway. Everything we ordered was excellent! The bartender taking care of us introduced himself as one of the owners after overhearing us chat amongst ourselves about how much we liked everything. He was really attentive and clearly cared about us, the customers. Everything was fresh and homemade. I ordered a Watermellon Basil fresh fruit cocktail, followed by a Smoke & Dagger (beer on tap) with my meal. Both of my dinner companions were able to get their meals gluten free and enjoyed Downeast Ciders (also on tap) with their meals. There are plenty of vegetarian options, though I'm not so sure about vegan in case that's your thing. For food I ordered a grilled burrito called "Big Papi" that was stuffed with slow roasted shredded pork, spinach, and fried green plantains. Much to the chagrin of my waistline, I ordered dessert too: a homemade Zuchinni Bread with a spiced berry compote, chocolate drizzle and homemade whipped cream. Oooooh was it goooood! Needless to say, I won't have to consult Yelp next time I'm in town because I already plan to come here again! read more

The Stomping Ground - This place has a really fun atmosphere! There's all sorts of art hanging on the walls AND the ceilings! - Bars Near Me - Putnam, Connecticut

This is such a frustrating place. Great food, great beer choices, great music.......and just awful service. If you aren't sitting at the bar you are ignored. Waited 14 minutes at table today before going to bar to order drinks. And the owner is at bar the whole time. And this is not a one time thing. I come here often enough and it's always the same thing: great food, great beer, great music and lousy service. I can't say I wouldn't recommend the place. It's why I keep coming back. And it's not that the staff is rude. They're very nice. But they just don't seem to get that they are in a service business. There have been many nights I would have stayed much longer and spent more money. But after 20 minutes with an empty glass I just can't do it. So if you can sit at the bar go for it. Otherwise find another place to hang out unless you are very, very, very patient. read more

This bar is a great spot to go to during the week. It gets awfully packed on the weekends due to the small amount of room. More seating would be nice, but there really isnt any room. Great selection on beers. Thats never a disappointment. The food also is great. Just the portions are pretty small. The staff is attentive and seems to care about our experience every time. read more

My sister and I went here on a Saturday night, checking out the weekend scene since we'd been there mainly for weekday trivia. Before even getting our first drink, we had an extremely rude male patron start telling us off for taking a newly open bar stool he had apparently thought he deserved. There were enough seats for all parties, but I guess he wanted a very specific seat. He continued to berate us, calling us degrading names and trying to intimidate us to back down. Other customers at the bar were staring and offering their support, but he would not let go of the thought that we had somehow wronged him of his right to sit at the bar with a buffer seat around him (on a very busy weekend night). The female bartender, Sam, tried to get him to calm down, even threatening to throw him out. She was awesome and kept reassuring us we were totally fine for sitting at open seats at a bar and she was the only reason we stayed. This patron was a HUGE asshole, for sure, but who was really in the wrong that night were the two male bartenders, Jim and Patrick. They never once backed Sam up, even going as far as openly contradicting her very firm and reasonable boundaries with this guy. Patrick's behavior was especially troubling, as he was apparently both the acting manager and someone we thought we had a good relationship with from trivia night. But Jim and Patrick apparently felt that placating a yelling, abusive, misogynistic piece of shit was more important than ensuring the safety and well being of two regular paying customers. They ignored us, offered the rude customer extra free drinks for calming down, and demonstrated to us that we were not welcome at their bar. We also left a very detailed letter for the owner to alert him of the situation and unfortunately never heard back. If you want to take your chances here, go ahead. If you are a woman or group of women, take your business elsewhere. You will not be valued here and you may well fear for your safety. And none of the male employees will care or do anything about it. read more

Awesome drinks prices are awesome and staff is super friendly! Great place to grab a drink!

This is one of our favorite places in the area. Good drink. Good music. Great staff. A hole in the wall - but in a really good way. Never been disappointed. Sit back. Have a drink. Grab a bite. Listen to the music. read more

I love the food here. I visit a lot of music venues, but this is the ONLY one with a menu I totally respect. I make a point of ordering dishes that I know will be made with what's local and in season because I know it will be fresh, and taste the way food is supposed to taste. I haven't been disappointed by my choices yet. The bands are selected with the same care as the food. My only wish is that it was a little bigger, only because it's popular, and it would be nice if it wasn't so crowded. An inspiring spot. I wish more places would follow in it's foot steps. read more

Coming from Europe this is one of the few bars that reminds me of home. Great atmosphere, even better music and food that reminds me of home... With an American twist. What's even better, at least to me; no Tv's! Yes, people actually have to talk to each other, socialize and/or listen to the live band of the night. While you're at it, get up and dance a little, maybe not much room for it on a busy night, but the band will appreciate it! And you might get to talk to someone else then the party you came with. Although I'm not a beer drinker, I hear the beer selection is pretty awesome too. And they try to update the beer and food menu by the season and what the locals have for sale at that time. Def my go to place when I'm in the area! read more

A great little bar. The interior is small but well furnished with tables, comfy chairs and lots of eclectic artwork. Has a nice hipster feel, live music and was packed on the Friday night I went. They also have a great bar menu, so it's a little bit of everything you'd want on a weekend night out. Good food, beer and music. I like this place and will be coming back the first chance I get. read more

Best music around... variety, quality... great food, cool atmosphere... love this place!

Loved the food and atmosphere but have to say the bartender was not the greatest. Drinks were okay but her personality made me want to get up and walk out. Will probably not return in the future. read more

Forget the tourist trap restaurants in town and check out this great bar/restaurant tucked around the corner. Awesome food (gluten-free bread for the sammiches!), friendly staff, good prices. Why are you still reading this? Get over there! read more

The Stomping Ground is now open for lunch and we've taken advantage of the quieter hours to enjoy going through their menu, especially their specials, and unwinding. Even the early dinner hours are good for a great meal. The menu, especially the specials, always use local produce, organic when they can, and it shows. Now, the food alone would keep us coming back but the live music in the evenings is really top-notch. Things get crowded and slow down a little in the evenings but it's an enjoyable way to spend an evening with friends. It could be a little bigger but the size makes it cozy and friendly. read more

Love the stomping ground have been going there for years and never had a bad experience until tonight. As a server I try to think the best in people and only leave good reviews but the bartender tonight was so rude I had to say something. The hours listed said the bar was open until 1:00 but at 12:20 when I ordered a drink she said better drink it in ten minutes I tipped well over 50% as it's Christmas time. At 12:30 she walked over to us and said "either finish your drinks or go I don't really care but get out" as I said earlier the bar closes at one, and I personally think there are kinder ways to kick people out. The bartenders at stomping ground are usually amazing but tonight made me question whether I'd like to return. read more