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The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery

3.7 (303 reviews)
Open • 11:30 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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THE VANGUARD BREWPUB & DISTILLERY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Casual
Classy
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery

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Samantha G.

Great Music venue, lots of great bands and great sound system. The bad... it's nearly impossible to get a drink at the bar. On 3 occasions recently I have gone to see bands play but couldn't get a drink at the bar because they only had 2 bartenders working. I gave up trying to get service . This is a shame as they make a decent beer and nice cocktail menu. You could have sold me and my friends at least $100 worth of drinks. Get more staff. You are losing money on your big music nights

Ivy P.

Hadn't been here for a while and we decided to stop on our way home. We didn't order any food items because we had just finished eating but they have some interesting items on their menu which I hope to try next time. We were greeted immediately as we entered. You have to wait to be seated but there was no wait. Our server was so nice and friendly. She took our drinks order and answered all our questions. This place should be on all locals list to check out. The vibe is very chill. We have stopped by when it's been busy and they've had live music and also when it's been on the quiet side like today. Every time the service has been superb and the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcomed. I only wish they were a little closer to home since they are located in Hampton but don't let that stop you. It's not a bad ride.

Jan. 2026 $5 until 5 PM menu.
Dan P.

The Vanguard is always a mixed bag. Ordering a drink on a busy night is the worst. They need a dedicated order line. No idea why they don't have one. It's just a horrible experience as is. They need to go to Precarious and see how they do it. Their food is generally good to great. They have a $5 before 5 app and drink special menu that is a really good deal. Nice spot for adults to have some drinks. Just be patient as service is generally slow. Now onto my recent experience.... I suggested it to some friends who wanted to grab some beers on MLK day which was a Monday. There were 4 of us guys and 7 kids. It's a lot. I get it. They weren't overly busy. Maybe a quarter full. I tried to keep the kids away from other tables by giving them boundaries. They were not happy with us. They didn't like the kids being outside in their patio (freezing, no one out there) etc. The one server was getting destroyed. She had just like 6 tables, but a 16 top. I felt badly for her. Our drinks correspondingly took about 20-30 minutes each time we tried to order. She was nice when she could get to us. At one point a person who said they were a manager, I think she said her name was Hannah, came over and said the kids couldn't be going around (again, I had boundaries not by any other patrons etc. from what I could see they were honoring them, but who knows), anyway she asked if we could keep them by us, which is fine. I then asked her if I could put in a beer and app order as I had been waiting for our server with an empty beer for at least 20 minutes. Instead of taking the order and ringing it in, she said she'd send the server over and disappeared never to be seen again. 5 minutes Iater the server was able to get free from her big table and get our beer orders and food in. Several items were forgot, but at this point we were kind of over it. Just not really your typical relaxed brewery vibe. Felt like they wanted it to be more of a sit down restaurant. That big long story to say it's not a spot for kids. Overall food and drinks are solid. Beer is solidly middle of the pack for Peninsula. Management needs some work.

Diane M.

I held an event here on Saturday evening and let me tell you they rolled out the red carpet for us. My sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. was in Hampton to see a performance by Wanda Sykes a world renowned comedian and graduate of Hampton University where we all attended and graduated from as well. The placement where they sat us up was wonderful. The food was amazing!!!!!! Our server was fantastic. The manager was so accommodating giving us forks and plates for a birthday cake we brought in. I have heard so many wonderful things about this place and they did not disappoint. The place is huge and on the weekend even has a band!!!!! Everyone was so pleased. It was at least 40 of us and they handled the entire group. Food served piping hot and nice quantities.

Raw meat in tacos
Jade H.

Ordered takeout from Vanguard and was unfortunately served raw meat in my bulgogi tacos. Taste was decent until I found the meat had an unusual texture which caused me to check and it wasn't just one piece, it was the majority. I took it back and they offered to make something else which was nice but just opted for a refund after the experience. Just check your food!

So. Much. Salt.
Kimber R.

Our service couldn't have been better. Our server was so helpful and seemed like she truly loved her job. She made small talk and made some great suggestions. Inside is massive. I love the old building turned into something new vibe, and while it seems weird to mention, the bathroom was big and really impressive! I got the soup special of the day, which was buffalo chicken and SO good. It was like a wing in soup form. I also got the pretzel with cheese and while it was good....it was absolutely covered in salt. I had to spend a good amount of time desalting it to make it even close to edible. It once again was tasty after I did that, but I shouldn't have had to. The server was super sweet when I mentioned it, and said she would tell the kitchen. I was only in the area visiting, but I'll make sure I mention it to anyone I know will be in that area.

Behind the scenes foto (very cool!)
Jessica L.

I went for "The Prince Project" (summer, 2024) and paid extra for the VIP section, only to leave after 2-3 hours of no Prince project. The seating was not great (we were in the first come, first seat balcony/VIP area), and the only good thing about it was we had our own walk up bar. I'm not sure what was going on that night, but I couldn't get ahold of anyone about my tickets before or during, as I was wanting to know if we would ever see the Prince project for the $100 I spent. There was never a response, and I was highly disappointed. We got there around 6 and left around 8:30/9. I've been to the vanguard before, but this experience negated any good things about it, as it seemed chaotic & unorganized. Very disappointing & unorganized, and I'll be hesitant to pay for anything here again with the lack of communication. I will say we did end up ordering food and at behind the bar, which was a fun experience (even though not $100 worth and never seeing anything Prince related). That's the 2 stars- bar staff was nice & the food was good.

Selwyn
Andy C.

Great intro to an amazing music venue which serves excellent food and quality brews. We visited Vanguard last night for a blues show featuring local talent Jason Cale and the amazing Selwyn Birchwood out of Florida. The stage setup provides a great closeup view of the bands and tho the historic brick structure bounces the sound a bit, it also adds a raw element to the music. I liked it... a lot! Room to dance or get up close as you wish. Food was surprisingly topnotch with the jambalaya and Bulgogi beef bowl rated 5stars for quality ingredients and nuanced flavors. Way above average for a micro brewery. And the beers were excellent, but that part we knew coming in from the Vanguard's active role in local events and award winning offerings. Def worth the trip from VB. Get you summadat!

Henry P.

Got to try a advanced shot sample And really like the bourbon so I bought one The bartender and waitstaff provided excellent service Will be back when in town

Kim L.

6 years later and finally came back to try the food! The food was pretty tasty. We had the Pickle Chips, Chicken Spinach Mushroom Alfredo flatbread, and the Short Rib grilled cheese, and the Vanguard burger. I ordered a fish n chips to go (and my ol man really liked it). The server was very friendly and pretty spot on. There was a band that was playing which was a nice surprise. Will be back sooner than later to try their brunch menu!

Chelsi U.

This brewery is a pretty large building in downtown Hampton. I came here to meet a friend and try a new place. There is no happy hour here. So keep that in mind when you come. There was a cornhole tournament going on while we were there too, which was kinda cool. We decided to order a couple apps to share. We were interested in the salmon bites and the house wings. 6 wings came in their house bourbon sauce for $13 and they were pretty good. The salmon bites were disappointing to say the least. We thought we'd get more than three tiny balls for $10. We just stared at them when they got to the table like...wait is this it? lol. They were pretty good but I wouldn't order them again. Their sour beer on tap was pretty dang delicious. I'm a sour beer fan and that was one I'd go back for, if I were just going to drink. Other than that, it was a fun outing but we'd go elsewhere for apps.

Country Fried Chicken
Ashley D.

Today we decided to try something new for dinner. The service was great! Our food came out very fast. Very spacious on the inside, and they must host some sort of dance classes as Salsa was being taught today. There is a good amount of bar space, tables, as well as a stage and dance floor. Food: butterfly shrimp and fries were amazing. Seasoned well. Country Fried Chicken was really good. How ever, the green beans could use a little salt, and the potatoes were over cooked. The green apple cobbler stole the show! It was sooo good. I would definitely return.

Ariyana P.

Back in October, a buddy, my boyfriend, and I decided to try The Vanguard for brunch before homecoming. We picked this location since it was still close to campus but we expected it to be less crowded since it was also gameday. We were, indeed, correct. It wasn't very crowded while we were there. The venue is huge! Before they acquired it and transformed it into a restaurant, it was an abandoned military bunker. Bottomless mimosas and fried pickles were our first course. Both were fantastic, and I think I had three rounds of mimosas. Our waitress was quite kind and helpful, and she made several visits to check on us. I had a Vegi omelette, which was average and could have used more flavor. My friend had fried chicken bites with fries and my partner went with the grilled chicken sandwich with fries; both were happy. I'd love to return on a night when they have live acts because I'm sure the place gets busy later on such occasions.

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Ask the Community - The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery

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The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery - brewpubs - Updated October 2026

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