Mad River Barn

Great but don’t order any kids meals. All teensy weensy! Pay the extra to get a real meal. When asked about it, they added nothing xtra and we had to order another entire meal. Great spot but be willing to spend money

Loved the décor, food, staff, and bar. However, wasn’t expecting there to be so many kids. Walls are thin — so we were woken up quite early but families moving around the inn.

This was a reunion. So we had a ton of rooms. The rooms were clean, warm, sufficient, etc. I do note that on the second day, we ran out of shampoo.
The lounge with fireplace was amazing. The staff was outstanding. The drinks were great.
The breakfast was pretty good. The food was average (had both a dinner, and afternoon wings).
Location was great and prices were perfect.

So great. Warm feeling when we walked in, even though it was quite busy at the front desk. Seated quickly (we had a reservation) at a great table. The waitress was nice and patient with our group (including 4 kids) and very accommodating for those of us who wanted to share. She was very helpful in working with one of our group who has a dairy allergy. The food was delicious– maple chicken worth the hype! The beet salad and kale Caesar were terrific. Waitress knowledgeable about the terrific beer selection. Dessert (brownie sundae, maple crème brûlée, cheesecake) were unbelievable). Will definitely be back.

Place gets 5 stars for the venue itself. Everything you want in a mountain escape bar/​restaurant. Food was a little to be desired and my friends actually really did NOT like the short ribs, however everything else was good enough for Vermont food and you will have a good time just being there.

Food is decent. Service good. Beer selection good. Be prepared for lots of kids as the game room gives them a lot to do.

I think the folks that wrote strong reviews must either work there or own this place. We were seated in a dark cold basement for dinner. we ordered some drinks and 3 apps to share at our table. We didn’t get plates for the GROSSLY overpriced appetizers. 3– 2 inch pretzels for $ 8???
My son ordered the chicken tenders and got 2 tiny pieces of an unbreaded grilled chicken breast. 2 from our party ordered the Maple Chicken dinner and it came out VERY well done and burnt. They were burnt on the outside and mushy on the inside. The flavor was negligible at best. Hardly recognizable as chicken. 3 of us went in with the intention of ordering the Hangar steak, we were told there was only 1 left. The waitress then came back with a menu to advise to make another selection as the 1 was no longer available. This place is NOT somewhere I would ever recommend. For 6 entrees and 3 apps and drinks=$ 200??? Really???
Service was bad and food was worse. AVOID!!!

Just left Mad River Barn after a quick holiday week break to ski at Sugarbush. What a fabulous place! My husband and older son spent a week here in February 2015, and decided to bring Mom and younger brother back for the Christmas holiday break. Although the ski conditions were not great this week, we still had a fabulous time. We stayed in one of the newly renovated Longhouse rooms, which has great design, was perfect for our family of 4, and offered a bit of privacy. The hearty breakfasts are great for hungry skiers, and my kids couldn’t wait to get to the game room every afternoon to hang out with all of the other kids staying at the Barn. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. Can’t wait to return next year.

Came here with my wife Sunday night of Columbus Day weekend. We didn’t have a reservation, and the restaurant looked quite busy, but we were able to sit without a wait. The service here was very good, and the food was tasty. We sat downstairs in the dining room, which had a nice energy, but the pub upstairs seemed like it could be a bit more fun. I ordered the roasted tomato soup and open-​faced turkey sandwich, and my wife ordered their soup special (cream of brussels sprout) and the beef burger. Both of us were very happy with our meals. Will definitely come back!

Always a must stop when we’re in the MRV. Sip of Sunshine on tap (I think I can end the review now) and the pub grub is of the highest quality, along with a great staff. Free shuffleboard and air hockey is a great plus too.

We keep trying the Mad River Barn because it’s such a great atmosphere, but the food is consistently mediocre-​to-​bad. We had the worst meal yet: I had seared tuna on the Mad River Barn salad and the tuna was old. It actually scared me. My partner had salmon on the same salad and he said the salmon was very bland. We both felt the salad was over-​drenched in dressing, and neither of us could finish it. The fries were great, though. If you decide to go, stick to the beer and fries, and you’ll be happy. (Staff is awesome, by the way.)

This is a great place to bring with kids. They have plenty of menu options for kids, and there are enough places for the kids to round around, while the grown ups finish their meals.
We had the Hanger Steak and the Housemade Veggie Burger. The Hanger Steak was a little overcooked, but was okay. Fries were good. Overall, the dish as a bit dry, as I tried to scoop up any bit of the gremolata sauce as possible. The Veggie Burger was a little mushy, but the flavors were good.
We’ll probably come back again.

The food here is fantastic, and the staff are friendly, attentive, and welcoming (especially Jerry the bartender and Heather who generally runs breakfast for guests in the mornings). Even the cleaning staff is super friendly! It’s a great community feel and we couldn’t have been more pleased with our experiences here.
Regarding the food — We have eaten here a number of times while in town, and actually just had our wedding festivities on site in the restaurant last weekend! Their house burger is delicious (it has some sort of blue cheese type sauce I loved) and there’s a great deal on burgers on Monday nights that you’d be hard pressed to beat anywhere else in the valley. We have ordered the Vietnamese spring rolls several times and never been disappointed. The cheese plate and bacon wrapped dates are also solid choices for appetizers. There’s blue cheese on top of the date/​bacon dish and it balances/​ties in all the flavors perfectly in my opinion. As non-​New Englanders, we were also thrilled with the awesome and affordable beer options (heady topper, Lawson’s sip of sunshine, focal banger, etc!)
Our friends have raved about the ribeye, salmon, and the apple cider cheesecake we served at our wedding. The cheesecake comes with a snickerdoodle crust that I can’t stop thinking about. Yum!
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a relaxing, friendly place for dinner in the valley, you really ought to try mad river barn!

A truly perfect Vermont dining experience. Hand’s down, one of the best filet’s I’ve ever had. The steak was cooked perfectly to Medium Rare with a delicious sauce, tasty vegetables, and garlic smashed potatoes.
They had several beers on draft including a one-​of-​a-​keg Lawson’s specialty brew that had a nice amount of hops without a bitter after taste.
They’ve got a great shuffleboard upstairs in the bar, air hockey table, and large screen TV paired with comfortable upscale bar atmosphere (think Ace Hotel in NYC).
I stayed at the hotel in their ‘Bunk Room’ which was completely renovated and far from what one might expect! The room was incredibly clean accommodating up to 6 guests (perfect for a group of friends on a ski trip) in one room for a very fair price! The Tempurpedic bed was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in and the shower and bathroom were kept perfectly clean.
Please note:
No TV in the room, but the bar area above the restaurant is a perfect place to lounge around and hang with your group of friends. Shuffled board and air hockey tables are free.
Tip:
Whether you’re passing through the Mad River Valley or planning a ski/​golf getaway I would highly recommend this inn & restaurant.

The food was amazing and the atmosphere was so cute. Nicely decorated with friendly service.

My review is for the pub menu and not the main dining room.
They should call this the Mad House Barn. It was packed when we got there around 5 pm. Since we didn’t have reservations, we went up to the bar area. In this area are a bunch of table where you have to hover like a vulture and find a spot. We were fortunate that a family of four allowed my wife and I to sit with them.
Now to the food. The burgers that the family we joined looked good. I ordered the maple chicken (per my server’s recommendation). That was one darn good chicken. All that was missing were the waffles. But the mashed potatoes and green beans that came along with it were very good too. The maple sauce was not overbearingly sweet. It was the right balance to complement the charred chicken skin and moist chicken. It was really good.
Unfortunately, my wife’s chicken pot pie was (as my wife said) chicken soup in a bread bowl. It wasn’t a pastry, but literally a bread bowl — disappointing.
So how in the heck am I going to rate this place? I found it too chaotic for me. When I spoke with the family that we sat with, they thought the same thing too.

What a nice space and a great, friendly vibe. It had a good variety of food and beer, all unpretentious and nicely done. The service was attentive and relaxed. We will be back.