Willimantic Brewing Company, a beautiful former post-office-building-turned-brewery on Willimantic’s Main Street, has long been a favorite of lovers of beer and bar food. Just a few months ago, Thrillist recognized Willibrew’s nachos as one of the 21 best nachos in the country. That got people rumbling on Twitter: Are these the best nachos in Connecticut?
For the sake of structure, here are some things to strive for in a perfect plate of nachos — a nacho rubric, if you will: toppings (quality and quantity); distribution (chips to topping ratio, how well the toppings are layered throughout the dish); overall flavor (am I eating something that tastes good?); overall value (am I getting what I paid for?).
So my colleague and I went to Willibrew to see what all the fuss was about. No doubt about it: Willibrew gets so much right. The menu is diverse: Between the sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads, burgers, and full-size entrees, it’s the kind of place with something for everyone.
Then there is the huge beer menu: Besides its own brew, there is a selection of craft beers from all over the world (plus plenty of local brewery love). Because we’re looking for cheap eats, we stuck with the appetizers: Buffalo chicken tenders ($9.49); Salisbury steak (read: meatloaf) sliders ($7.99); and some warm soft pretzel sticks that were a special.
But what Willibrew didn’t get right was its famed nachos (starting at $11.99). We added the famous vegetarian chili (plus $3.99). This enormous plate comes our way, which was very exciting until we got a good look: too many naked chips, not enough cheese and a sloppy spilling of unappetizing chili poured on top. And somehow these nachos achieved the bizarre paradox of having charred chips and cheese on the outside with cold, unmelted cheese on the inside.
Minimal layering, minimal love. My nacho-loving heart was crushed.
“But at least it’s a good deal,” my co-worker said.
Perhaps the portion size is meant to distract you from the fact that what you’re eating is nothing special.
But anyone can have an off day. So we took another trip out to Willibrew to give the nachos a second chance, and there was an improvement. This time we ordered the grilled chicken nachos ($14.98). They weren’t burnt, but the chicken cubes were bland and we still had that signature cold, unmelted cheese inside. Distribution of ingredients was better, but there were still too many naked chips.
As for the rest of our food, it was OK. The boneless wings were acceptable, and if you like the idea of meatloaf on a bun, the Salisbury steak sliders will please you. The pretzels were the best thing at the table — my co-worker still talks about them (she loves bread a lot) and raves about the cheese sauce that accompanied them.
Servers, while nice, were not that helpful. Both times we asked for recommendations and both answered: “It depends on what you like!” But what’s popular? “They’re all popular!” Thanks, so much.
And if I saw my patrons dissecting a plate of nachos “like a CSI detective,” as my co-worker tweeted, I would at least ask whether they were enjoying their meal, especially after they didn’t finish it.
To be fair, Willibrew wins a lot of categories in CTNOW’s Best of Readers Poll: Last year it took first place in 14 categories, including best bar, best bartender, best beer selection, best place to eat at the bar, best locally brewed beer, best American/Continental restaurant and best place to get late-night eats. (Sadly, there is no nacho category.)
The nachos chronicled in the Yelp reviews and Foursquare check-ins were not the nachos we experienced. I can easily think of a half-dozen better nachos in Connecticut. We can do better than this.
Willimantic Brewing Company, 967 Main St., is open Monday from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. 860-423-6777, willimanticbrewingcompany.com.
