Back in the day, way back in the mid-90s, a couple of us would drive up to Bennington to buy gas, beer, and other things that were taxed at a lower rate than they were in NYS. Rick, Sinclair, and I would pile in to Rick's Saab and head to Beverage Den (which is still there...it is now also a vape shop because that's still a thing) and before we headed back the the wilds of Schenectady, we would stop at this place that had a volleyball court as part of the ambiance. I forget the name of it, but I remembered the location (Cursory research has it as JC's Tavern which may be what it was in the '90s).

Last year, we made a trip to Bennington to do some research on Shirley Jackson, the writer, and we were looking for a place to have a nice socially distanced meal while enjoying the late summer day in Vermont. I suggested the volleyball place from college, complete with the retelling of the above story. When we pulled up, it was not the place I remembered but this beautiful tavern with lots of outdoor seating and the patio was busy. It was delightful and that is not only because of the name.

Service was great. The selection was ample. (I had the club sandwich and it was delicious.) It was a surprise. A very good surprise. When deciding to add this location to this website, I did a quick Google search and came across this article which talks about how they used local suppliers and contractors to get the place up and running and how they want it to be family friendly. This made me smile.

If you are out and about in Bennington, stop here.

Parking is in the neighborhood so YMMV and I do not know about the doggos.

-EWA

The Dutchman's Tavern