The Bench in Stowe - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Casual atmosphere. Delicious food! Helpful staff. Delicious delicious appetizers! Delicious delicious Margaritas! Well Done!

Honestly a little disappointed with the food and menu. We visit Stowe every summer and The Bench has always been a place we could count on for good food at reasonable prices. Not this time. The menu seems to have been significantly paired down with only a few main course offered. Mostly limited to a sandwich menu which was not what we wanted for dinner. Don’t see us returning any time soon.

Go early to avoid the rush. Great beer list. Super tasty food. Update six years later (September 2024) Enjoyed a Monday night dinner with my husband and daughter. The food is STILL super tasty. We were seated immediately and every host, server and back server treated us like dear friends. Truly a pleasure!

The delicious and the salmon were delicious. Good selection of beers too.

We were a party of 6 at dinner and they were pretty busy, but they got us seated right away. However, the table was back against the wall, where you could barely push out the chairs. The floor was unswept and had left over fries under the chairs, and the ambiance was so dark that you could barely read the menu. The food was alright. Portion sizes are large, but they made some odd choices. The salmon burger is fried, but not noted. The pasta in the burratini bucatini is quite overcooked. The classic burger was decent. Service - it took them forever to bring the bill and then collect the card. Most of the party had left to get air because it was so claustrophobic. It took so long that the other tables in the area cleared out. We had no problem paying the added 20% gratuity, however, don't use it as an excuse to give poor service.

Everything is delicious except the pizza :/. Please change your pizza dough it’s sad.

Amazing food, great service. We actually ate here twice during our five days in Stowe.

Excellent service, even with a full house. The wood smoked nachos were outstanding and our entrees, which came out at just the right time, were fresh and tasty. Every one in the kitchen deserves five stars.

Pork ribs and tacos were delicious! Ate on terrace which was lovely. Had the 9 inch cookie for desert- so yummy! Martini for him- Rutland blueberry blond beer for her!

My wife picked a new spot to try since we seem to always eat at our usual spots time after time. I remember when this place was Pie in the sky, if I am not mistaken. So many places have changed in Stowe in the 4 decades I have been up here. The restaurant is clean and has a welcoming atmosphere. Kids and I thought it was a bit too dimly lit, to be honest. It is very hard to read the menus, but that could also be my old eyes. Burgers were perfectly cooked and tasty. My wife loves fish and chips but was a bit disappointed in her meal. Dry rub chicken wings were very tasty and juicy. One of my daughters really wanted to try the Nachos but wasn't too sure about the blue cheese on it. Our waitress suggested changing it to Cheddar and it didn't disappoint. Overall, it's was a good meal. Although fish and chips are usually a relatively no frills meal, this dish didn't live up to the quality of the rest of the dishes we had.

Place smells delicious of the wood smoke.

Excellent service. Get the duck fat fries. Have tried almost every food spot in the area this is a Must try if in stowe!

Great small plates and excellent beer menu.

The food is an A+ and so is the service. Our waitress was top notch, we will eat here every time we come up to Stowe.

I've never had such a great selection of craft beer in a pub. Service was also great, food ok

Moss Glen pizza was delicious. The truffle oil paired well with the mushrooms. The martini was a bit watered down and didn't have much flavor. It is called the Mud Season Martini. Lacked a maple flavor. Overall we had a great experience. Food came out quickly and the staff are friendly.

My husband and I absolutely enjoyed our dinner. First off- our waitress Jenn was LOVELY. The best service and so friendly in the most genuine way. We had meatloaf (so delicious) and buffalo tenders with mac n cheese, also yummy. Thank you, Jenn, for being so awesome!

Great! Beef was the best I’ve had since moving away from Iowa and the beer selection is fantastic

Just fell short compared to the best places.

This place is nicely decorated has good atmosphere. Service was great. The food is probably really good but I went with a friend we both ordered the lamb gyro and it was awful…it was our bad we probably should have got a pizza those looked very good. I would recommend going…..but don’t order the lamb gyro

Wow! We were directed here by locals. Can’t go wrong. The salad was large portion and fresh with amazing dressing. The Salmon tacos had wonderful aoli sauce. Finger licking good. And to top it off… Maple Graghm double cheese cake. Incredible.

Amazing. The food was great, the service was great, the drink selection was huge! We chose to eat dinner here after driving up to Stowe and checking into our AirBnB. There were so many good choices, but this place did not disappoint. Our group got the poutine and dry rub chicken wings, and they were so good! The Poutine was so cheesy and you can upgrade to sea salt fries or duck fat fries with rosemary. I got the fried chicken sandwich for my meal after seeing it had thigh meat, and it was one of the best I've ever had. I wanted to take a look at the dessert menu, but we had plans to get some maple creamees afterwards, so I'll have to come back here another time! Try this place, I would highly recommend it.

I ate food from The Bench twice. First time was in the restaurant and the food was fine. Second time I did take out and I got a chicken Caesar wrap. This was $16 and disgusting. My sister got the same and hated hers as well. However others in my party enjoyed their food. Thoroughly disappointing.

Food was amazing and our server Erin was fantastic. Definitely come here.

When you visit, you must try the Mac and cheese with pulled pork- absolutely amazing!! Friendly staff, casual vibe, we will definitely eat here again on our next trip to Stowe.

Awesome service and food! I had Mac and cheese and 1/2 rack of ribs

Great, friendly staff, food is impeccable, definitely you're first stop when in Stowe

Excellent food and great service. The atmosphere is relaxing and has plenty of locally sourced products. We enjoyed one of the pizzas and ribs.

Lovely place, delicious bench burger and great service, would definitely recommend.

The food was nice and it was very relaxing

Had a great dinner on the outdoor patio. All food was well-prepared and enjoyed. Service was also exceptional. A perfect spot post-hike. Would definitely return.

Salmon was very tasty, meatloaf good- dessert cookie was amazing. Nice staff. Good service.

Great place to have a reasonable delicious dinner or lunch in Stowe!

Great fresh food, cozy atmosphere definitely worth the drive.

We had the Vermonter and Hellbrook pizzas. They were good as was the beer. Our only concern was the boisterous group a few tables away, which distracted from the pub's atmosphere.

Another great spot in Stowe. We shared a plate of nachos (with cheddar curds added) and they were fantastic. Also tried the buffalo Mac and cheese, and the bacon and blue burger. Everything was great. Would visit again.

Great menu and food. Service was great.

Ordered the classic burger with duck fries the burger wasn’t the best the fries tasted like sand and ordered fish & chips they were probably the best item on the entire menu ordered chicken tenders they were so bland I would’ve gotten more flavor from drinking the chlorine water awful.

There were unfortunately several issues with my families dining experience. First of all, the wait was quite long and the seater was rather unprepared to handle our situation. When we were seated we learned that the water was so heavily chlorinated that it was left practically intolerable for all intents and purposes. We ordered the food and were met with more misfortune. Chicken tenders were entirely unseasoned it, it tasted as though it went directly from packet to fryer. The sides were completely inedible, far over pickled and using near spoilt ingredients. The medium burger was served gray and well done. The ice cubes were once again incredibly chlorinated rendering the resulting drinks practically useless. The salmon tacos were particularly sad, the salmon was cooked to a near charcoal like consistency and lacked seasoning. The chicken sandwich was not bad however the chicken was over breaded. Quite tasty pickled cabbage and duck fries however. Over all I would not recommend The Bench to a patron interested in well seasoned and cooked food.

What started out as a Great experience, was destroyed by the salty AF pizza. Atlantic ocean on the pizza. It was dissapointing and terrible. And when sharing the experience it was not met well. As a top 10% reviewer on Google restaurants, I think the bench is a good place, but easily gets one star because the quality management of an icon menu item, failed to deliver. Will update next time we the pizza.

Kitchen is putting out top notch food. Service on point. 100% recommended

Great little restaurant, very good beer selection too!

Four of us went here and I was the only one that didn’t love their meal. I got the NY Strip. The Demi-glace on the steak was very salty. I love salt so, I am not one that is sensitive about it. Salmon, Ribs and Ravioli were all meals everyone enjoyed. Waitress was very nice and perfectly attentive. Delicious expresso martini.

Food was amazing. The wood fired duck was incredible.

Great food! Great service! Great prices! Five star all the way.

Absolutely LOVE The Bench. Their food is always fantastic, and the service exceeds expectations, just a wonderful spot! Dine in is definitely the preference for The Bench, nothing better than the fresh hot food right out of the kitchen. I've gone here more than a handful of times over the past 3 years and am always so pleased walking out the door. They have a separate ramp entrance / exit for accessibility and staff are so helpful and kind to all. Their prices are reasonably high for their quality of food and service.

The first time I went here I had a pretty terrible experience, but gave it a second chance and from top to bottom this place killed it. Good food and drinks!

We caught the Bench at an off time in the middle of a Saturday afternoon in Spring so we had no wait at all. The food and beer were all on point and the staff attentive and on point. Priced fairly for a resort area too. Definitely understand why it's so popular and would recommend

Good restaurant, very nice surprise. I really recommend the salmon

been eating amazing food in this building my whole life. duck is unbelievable easily the best ive ever had. great service and beer selection as well.

A friend and I had dinner here over the weekend. Overall, our experience was pretty basic. It’s clear they were overwhelmed from the influx of people for the eclipse and skiers for the late season snow. The mussel app was absolutely delicious and it is a must if you’re going here! It set unrealistic expectations for the rest of the meal. We both ordered different burgers off the menu, and while the toppings offered were good, both of our burgers were very over cooked. We both ordered medium rare and mine came out medium well at best and my friend’s well done. We both ordered a cocktail each, and both drinks were good. We didn’t received our drinks till after our app, which we had to ask the food runner to check on them. I would still recommend giving this place a try, especially for the mussel, but be cautious if they’re very busy. I believe our experience would have been much better if it weren’t as busy.

Nice casual atmosphere. Decent service. A good number of options on their menu. I was pleased with the fish, although I opted to substitute mashed (tasty!) for the chips. The coating on the haddock was nice and crispy. My friend was happy with her salmon tacos. I'd go there again if I were back in that area.

Significant cut above your average ski town burger/comfort food joint in terms of quality for that food type. We were happy with our meals and would go again. Reasonably priced. Some kind of special vinegar fries were particularly good.

Bartender Kailee and Cute little Amelia the hostess did a marvelous job. Aboustly Marvelous. The food was delicious to the very last bite. Lick the plate clean kind of yumminess. Blue cheese 🧀 burger 🍔 😋 all day all night long. I would highly recommend this place to anyone. Shane from Massachusetts

Good food and fast service in a laid back atmosphere. We went for dinner and while there was a wait things moved quickly and we didn't wait as long as predicted. The service was prompt and friendly and the food came out quickly. Everything was hot and fresh and delicious. Their house made fries are excellent and they have some great spins on old classics. The place is family friendly with kids menus as well as a great selection of adult meals and drinks. A great place for a casual dinner.

Amazing rack of ribs. Get the duck fries. My new favorite spot in town!

We have been wanting to try the Bench since the Fall . By the on line reviews it sounded amazing! Finally got there today excited to try some good food as we were both very hungry. Walked in to the restaurant at 4 pm to a half full seating area that was warm and inviting. However, we were seated in a very cold porch like room all by ourselves when there was visibly room for the the two of us at many two people table options in the warm main room for dining. Instead of asking if we could move we stayed in the cold room. I ordered the salmon tacos and my husband ordered the Buffalo Mac and cheese. I have never received tacos with such a minute amount of ingredients on them! Usually tacos are loaded up. Not these. If there was a tablespoon of coleslaw on the one inch by 3 inch sliver of salmon on them that would be a lot . There was also two slices of jalapeño peppers and a small sprinkle of cilantro on a smear of avacado crème fraiche . I had to tear off a lot of the tortilla just so I could taste the toppings with the salmon. So disappointing . My husband said his Buffalo Mac and cheese was good but not hot more like luke warm. It came in a small cast iron skillet and he said it did not fill him up. We love trying new restaurants and I rarely ever write a review . But was very disappointed . If I were a Chef , I would look at the plate I just fixed and would ask myself if I would like to receive the plate I was about to serve to a guest. This plate would have been a big NO! Wish I would have taken a photo to add to this review. 🙁

My new favorite restaurant in Stowe with an amazingly extensive local draft list. Every food item we ordered was delicious and we especially enjoyed how reasonably priced the half duck was. Servers were extremely friendly and attentive. Loved it so much we went back two days in a row!

The food here was very good, but the service was far worse than mediocre. It was dismissive and discriminatory. Five of us dined together, and two of us ordered pizzas. We saw that the pizzas were ready, and sitting under the warmers. A few minutes passed, and we asked whether those pizzas were ours and if they could be served. Our server said “No, they aren’t.” We waited patiently as time passed, and now they had been sitting under the warmers for about 15 minutes. We asked again if they were our pizzas. She then said, “Ok, yes, they are yours, but we can’t serve them first. It messes all of us up if we don’t serve all the entrees together.” We were surprised and stayed silent. It was at that point that another member of our group noticed that our server was spending far more time visiting and chatting with guests at other tables than ours. All five of us are Asian, and everyone else that she was serving was Caucasian. Many times throughout the dinner, we noticed that she would make eye contact with us and turn her eyes away quickly and abruptly. The pizzas finally came together with the other entrees, and of course they were lukewarm. Our server continued to dismiss and ignore us as much as she could, while chatting with the Caucasian guests seated all around us. We tipped her and left, not because we received adequate service, but because we saw that we would not get anywhere with her. I would suggest that if you are Asian or a member any other minority ethnic group to avoid this restaurant. And don’t order the pizzas unless all of you are getting one.

This is a gem. Great service, the food is prepared with great attention to detail and pride and the prices are very reasonable. My wife and I ate here twice during our visit to Stowe having; a delicious wood fried pizza, juicy burgers cooked perfectly with excellent ingredients and wonderful fresh fries, ribs that were terrific on mash potatoes that could serve as their own meal, so good! Tough to go wrong in this wonderful place, a prime example that all the little details separate a chef from a good cook. Well done!

Everything was great. We had the Cuban pizza, duck fat fries, Caesar salad, and Mac and cheese. Great service as well even amongst our kids.

Mussel appetizer 10 Scallops 10 Burgers 10 Service 10 10/10 will go back! 😁🔥

Best food I've had in a while. #1 chicken tenders of my life. Hot honey pepperoni pizza was also fire. Waitress Lynn >>> top tier

Highly recommended this cozy, upscale pub for a great meal after a hard day on the slopes. Excellent wood fired oven puts out some amazing food like the salmon pesto with roasted vegetables. Get there early, the place is very busy. We sat at the bar, by the oven. Very friendly service.

Great people, order online is great and the hosts are wonderful. The food is great as well

10/10 for a post ski beer and food. They have Hill Farmstead on tap!

I personally didn't think the sandwich I got had much flavor. It wasn't bad, it was just missing something. Their french fries were really good though. Service was average but the place was very busy so maybe that had something to do with it. I didn't like that they automatically put a 20% tip for 6+ parties. We didn't receive amazing service that would warrant that level of tip

This place rocks and Ava is a superstar .

Our favor place in Stowe and we’ve eaten at most of the dining establishments.

I won't call The Bench a hidden gem, as it's often very busy, but I think value-wise it's one of the best restaurants in Stowe. They had 6 (six!) different Hill Farmstead beers on tap!! The pizza is great, you can get wood fired nachos or mussels, the burgers are great - and they come with fries, something other unnamed places in Stowe charge extra for! And the kid's menu is excellent. The only downside is the wait when it's busy. But, go early and you won't be disappointed.

Had dinner at The Bench on Sunday January 27th. Mediocre at best. The waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Dry rub wings appetizer was very good! Unfortunately, my wife ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, which in reality was nothing like Pot Pie. What came was a blob of mashed potatoes with tiny pieces of chicken topped with a biscuit. My wife tasted it but did not eat it. The server graciously took it off our bill after informing us that the menu said the pie was "deconstructed". The menu clearly does not say that. I had a lamb French dip sandwich that was nothing special. The other two members of our party ordered burgers. They were great. Overall, I would not return to The Bench as Stowe has many other great restaurant options such as "Doc Ponds" or "Idletyme Brewery". Or if you don't mind driving to nearby Waterbury, "Prohibition Pig" provides much more bang for the buck with great food and warm atmosphere.

Great service. Beautiful area. Good food

It’s a very cozy place, I ordered the lamb sandwich and it was okay I was pretty drunk so I don’t remember what it tasted like but I definitely liked the restaurant itself, my bf got a lasagna and it was rlly good also. I recommend 💯

Restaurant hours are until 9:00. Called ahead to see what time kitchen closed. No one answered so drove over. Walked in. 3 host(esses) talking to each other. Asked for a table for two. “Sorry, kitchen closes at 8:30.” Pulled out phone. “8:30”. Precision of kitchen closing juxtaposes staff not answering phones. Disappointing.

Food and drinks were amazing. Must try the salt & vinegar French fries.

Salt and vinegar fries were DELISH! The trees knees cocktail had a great maple after taste. We also had the fried chicken sandwich with a side of Mac, and the hellbrook pizza. The crisp on the fried chicken sandwich was so good.

Really awesome place! Great for lunch or dinner!!

The food is always great! However, the Toast app, to order online, has hours different than what the website says (7:30p). I’ve also never been able to get anyone to answer the phone to order take out when online ordering isn’t working. Update: Thanks Phillip for the prompt reply and information. I noticed that the website was also updated to reflect 5:30p to match Toast. Thanks again!

A delicious meal with local ingredients!

Service was good and a good selection of beers. My wife had a good sandwich. My salmon tacos were very weak: tortilla raw, not blistered, and the "mango salsa" topping the fish tasted like stewed mangoes. Just a mush. So, if you're lucky, you'll get a decent meal.

This chef loves potatoes, but not much else! A 2 inch pile of heat-lamp fries with a decent piece of fish but no slaw for one of us and the chicken pot pie was a tasteless ring of mashed surrounding diced potatoes in a cream sauce lacking any seasoning...and no chicken or veggies to be found. There's lots of other great places in Stowe, give them a try.

I love this place! They were able to make a white sangria without it being on the menu and it was perfection. The Mac and cheese is phenomenal I added bacon to it which was an excellent addition. My husband also loved his meal as well so we will definitely be adding to our list of places to return to. Young hostess was a little amiss had to grab our own highchair but the wait staff and great food more than made up for it.

Great place to meet for drinks, but skip the dining. It was highly promoted and we expected something special, but were very disappointed.

We waited nearly two hours to eat Chuck E. Cheese pizza. Could’ve made better pizza in my easy bake oven, than you did in your wood fired pizza oven.

Great service, food was quick to come out. The place is really pretty and has a nice atmosphere. Pot pie and meatloaf were delicious. Would not recommend the Kitchari dish. Desserts were decent but a bit overpriced for the small portions.

Really liked this place. Service was quick and the food was great. Our server was very nice. Will definitely be back again.

Espectacular la comida rica muy buen servicio uno de mis restaurantes favoritos en Stowe

We were here during a very busy night but everyone was welcoming, gracious and competent. When we arrived we were told there would be a 45 min wait. We decided to wait and were seated in just under half an hour. Drinks were delicious. Food was very good and would have given them five stars but my meatloaf was just average. Our appetizer- mussels were delicious. My husband’s duck was very good. I should have went with a different choice but it was a cold night and I wanted some comfort food which ended up to be not the best choice. Well, now you know. If you have a chance, definitely grab a dinner here just choose something other than meatloaf. Unless they read this review and work on their meatloaf because judging by other food, I’m sure they can make it worthy of their menu.

I was really impressed with this place! Their selection of food was great, and their selection of drinks, cocktails, beers was also great. I'm not a huge beer drinker but I asked the waitress to suggest a beer that didn't taste like beer, and she recommended the Stowe Cider and this cider was so good, it was the best cider I have ever had. I bought a case of it the very next day because it is just that good. Their Mac and cheese and ravioli is also outstanding. The pizza was also impressive, I liked it better than some of the other local pizza options. The food came out hot, fresh and absolutely delicious. They have a great selection of vegetarian options and even vegan options as well.

The younger woman at the host was extremely rude and dismissive

We had Mac and Cheese, Vinegar Fries, Veggie Burger, Salmon and Sweet Potato salad; and all were fantastic! The service was superb! The atmosphere was friendly. Highly recommend it!

Truly 5 Stars for Stowe! We started off with the scallops and they were perfectly seared. I had the 14 oz New York strip that was cooked to perfection - so juicy and tender with a perfect warm red center. My friend had the salmon that was so tender it was falling off the fork with so much flavor. We split a bottle of wine and the rest was history! We will be back. Great food, great service, great atmosphere.

Food was awesome,service was excellent Erin at the bar really does a great job,is very sweet and personable....I would hire her in a second to work for me.

This is probably one of the best restaurants i have eaten in, in my life. Classic Stowe staple that is in the old pie in the sky building with the original pizza oven. stays true to its Vermont roots with mostly local ingredients. every time i go to Stowe i will stop in here. also whipped avocado is truly a stroke of genius.

had the 1/2 ribs, the pulled pork sandwich and a burger food was great. finished with a triple bananas !!

What was expected to be an ok dinner turned into WOW!!! The specialty drinks, beers, appetizers, entrees and desserts were unique, creative, artistic and absolutely delicious!! Relaxed cozy atmosphere to enjoy after a day in the snow!! Photos: chicken pot pie, lasagna, duck

Amazing food and service here! Everything tasted delicious!!

Always a staple whenever I'm in Stowe. Great food, service, and atmosphere.

My family had a great meal at The Bench the other evening. Staff was friendly and awesome, food was delicious and plentiful and the atmosphere and all around experience was something I'd recommend to anyone. I had 1/2 duck and shared a salad and poutine fries (best poutine south of a Canadian border hockey rink). Whether you live in Stowe or are just visiting, put The Bench on your list of meal venues.

Fantastic food and desserts were way better than we expected.