Publick House Provisions

Super expensive, beers they sell are much cheaper elsewhere, staff does not seem very happy or helpful, no wonder they are closing soon!

It don’t think I’d make a special trip out to buy my beer here, since you can find more creative beer selections not on the green line, but they do have excellent tastings ’bout every Thursday 6−9pm.
Hot tip: Each month one beer company or style is 15% off, which can make some of these special brews very affordable.

P-​House Provisions has so much to offer, I don’t quite know what to make of it. If you get a beer that you like at either Publick House or American Craft (its sister restaurants), you’ll likely be able to grab it here. You can get anything from standards like Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada to more obscure imports in fancy bottles with names I can’t pronounce. Recently, I was here with my parents, and the sales guy was very helpful in picking out a nice and eclectic selection of bottles to serve as a birthday give for one of their friends.
That being said, I wish the place were a little more organized. Perhaps there is a system of which I’m unaware, but I would appreciate some signage. Maybe by country of origin or by type of beer. Some guidance would be helpful. It might be nice if they posted cards with info about some of the beers, too. You kind of have to know what you’re looking for when you go in or being willing to ask for help. Usually, I end up getting beer with which I’m familiar rather than going out on a limb.
Publick House Provisions also carries wine and meats/​cheeses. I haven’t looked over the wine selection (and I know nothing about wine), so I can’t offer an opinion on that. The meat and cheese cooler is a little slim. Sort of looks like they had a more ambitious plan when it was installed that has yet to be fully realized. I would go elsewhere for those kinds of goodies. It does, however, have a full array of beer glasses for sale. You can buy beer and the proper glasses to match!
If you dine at American Craft, save your receipt for 10% off your next purchase here! They also choose a brewery-​of-​the-​month and do a discount on its products (20% off I think, but I can’t vouch for it).

This is a high-​end beer store which offers a ton of pretty hard-​to-​find brews; Although their selection is excellent and very well organized, I can’t justify spending money there, especially since a lot of what they carry is available elsewhere (I’m speaking to you, Downtown Liquors in Davis square!) and at a much more reasonable price.
Sure, sometimes, you can’t always get your hands on some obscure German beer, and chances are, Publick House Provisions will have it, in which case you should go ahead and head there for it, but overall, most liquor stores will carry what I need.
An example of such is Smuttynose IPA, which they carry for much more than what you’d pay anywhere else, which makes the place kind of pointless. On the other hand, if you are looking for Chimay, or some Belgian trappist beer, or hell, even something like a Kriek beer, this is the place to go; but be warned, some 4-​packs can cost $ 20+ there. They also have a selection of cheeses but I didn’t even glance at any of them; I already have a good spot for cheese, no reason to go there for any of it.
The service is decent, depending on who you end up talking to. One of the guys there was clueless and not very friendly while another one I dealt with was the exact opposite; I guess it’s hit or miss…
On the upside, there’s plenty of parking in the area, and you’ll be close to Publick House, their sister restaurant/​pub which is awesome or even American Craft.

If I end up living in Boston, I *must* live within walking distance of this store. It has the BEST selection, and for those of you whining about the prices, that is what you pay for GOOD quality craft beer.
This was the first store that I found this season carrying Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale, which is one of my favorite pumpkins from one of my favorite breweries. Today I found not only that (plus tack on the fact that it’s Dogfish Head Brewery month, which meant 15% off my total purchase today), but I also found tall bottles of Southern Tier’s Pumking Ale, which is also a fantastic find. There’s a small selection of wines near the back, but this is clearly a craft beer store… and I love it.
I’ve only seen the one guy in there stocking the place and making the sales at the register. Today when he checked my ID he also compared it to the name on my credit card. Well thank you sir. Thank you for actually caring about identity theft. I actually thanked him for that after it happened.
I noticed today that they seem to sell glass and stemware, plus a lot of merchandise. Given the fact that my partner lives within half a mile of this store, I’m sure I’ll become a regular while she slaves away on her outlines and textbooks. :)

SUPER EXPENSIVE! and you CAN get these brews elsewhere…
When I first walked into the place, I thought I was in HEAVEN! I bought the Kriek Beer (Belgian Cherry Ale) and many Belgian imports. I am a girl who loves her brews and I load up on a new thing when I see it. I went back several times trying new things each time.
There is noone walking around asking to help you so you’re on your own. When you are ready to make your purchase, up next to the cash register, hunkered in a corner… is the one worker I saw. I sit my things down and he says nothing and rings me up and that’s that. WOW WHAT GREAT SERVICE! NOT!!!
Well I live close to the HUGE Kappy’s on 16 across from Station Landing and Wellington Station. I go from time to time to pick up some Warsteiner and Spaten… Well I walk in this one particular evening and there are imports from Belgium, etc out the WAZOO!!! Kappy’s started stepping it’s game up and the selection is AWESOME!!! Not to mention all the imports from other states and you can get em warm or out of the cooler. Well, I found my Kriek beer and the others I bought at Publick Provisions… and yeah Kappy’s was WAY CHEAPER! Needless to say I haven’t gone back to Publick House Provisions… Why pay more, drive further and experience rudeness?!
Thank you Kappy’s!

While I was able to get my Allagash Interlude and Wachusett Blueberry with ease, the customer service was nonexistent. Apparently I did not look to be a customer, and service is not in his vernacular.
I walked in as if I was a ghost — not one question, one comment, or sign of a pulse came from behind the counter. I was more warmly greeted by the plate of cheese samples that sat on the counter, yet I was too afraid to try them for fear they would hate me too.

HA! I have to wholeheartedly agree with Erin C who said: «Getting too much customer service in your life? Then come to Publick House Provisions»
If I am going to be paying specialty-​beer prices, I would appreciate something vaguely like interest, or at least acknowledgment when I walk in the door. Thank you. (Also your façade is hideous, makes me miss Vinny Ts and Beacon Kosher like crazy).
To be fair, there is a good selection of hard-​to-​find beers here. but I’d really rather settle for some Stella at Gimbles. At least there, I get to listen to the owner yell down the phone, entertainingly in russian with [insert accent] «oh my god“s interspersed with an alarming frequency.

I’m in here all the time. great selection of hard to find beers, and a wide variety from american craft beers to belgian imports with a smattering of italian beers I’ve never heard of.
selection of British beers is definately neglected. Prices on some beers are on the high end, but they have Rochefort at a very reasonable price (yay!)
staff is very beergeek friendly and if approached polietly can help novices but I have seen them respond to rudeness with the same and I think that their reputation suffers unfairly. I’ll probably be in tehre tomorrow

HAVE YOU SEEN THAT GIANT WALL OF BEAUTIFUL GLASS WARE?
That and the kickass beers that Gimbels just doesn’t have.
Smuttynose Robust Porter?
Pretty things Brewery? Never had a beer I didn’t like by them…
Everything really…
I could care less about the food, but it’s awesome they do pairings and tastings!!!
Also, 15% off Brewery of the month? Please. Where else are you gonna find a deal that bad ass?

Wow — this place is super neat. It literally has every beer I can’t find anywhere else (like Unibroue Ephemere) and a bunch of stuff inbetween. There is a selection of cheeses (I may have to take a chance and grab some next time) as well as a relatively interesting selection of wines.
Also neat is that they sell all sorts of beer glasses — you can get pilsners, pints, flutes, stanges and tulips… you name the type of glass… they have it. I didn’t ask for prices, but I’m sure they aren’t cheap.
Two 4-​packs of beer cost me close to $ 30.00 but I honestly didn’t care. Good beer is worth the price.

Publick House Provisions is an excellent shop to get unique craft beers. They have an excellent selection of Dogfish Head and Rogue beers which may be hard to find in some other stores. They also have an impressive selection of small Massachusetts brews such as beers from Nantucket Brewery and Wachusett Brewery. It’s definitely nice to see an establishment supporting the locals.
The store itself is very well organized and the beers appear to be ordered by country of origin. It was also nice that on the shelves they had Beer Advocate ratings for all of the beers that they sell. That gives you an idea of what others thought of the beers.
It should be mentioned though that this place is extremely expensive. Chances are you can find some of their more common selections for cheaper prices at other liquor stores. But if you want to find a delicious, rare craft beer try Publick House Provisions first.

This place is pretty awesome. They’ve got all sorts of specialty beers, which came in handy for my holiday shopping this year. They also sell cheese but I think I can safely say I won’t be buying any of that. :)
My favorite item that they sell is JK Scrumpy’s, the best hard cider I’ve ever drank. Delicious!

If you really want an expensive beer, this is the place to go. That’s not to say that all the beer here is hugely expensive, but really, you’re here to get a beer that you won’t find elsewhere. It’ll be expensive and worth it. For instance, i dropped $ 20 on a four-​pack of something that a bartender at Sunset recommended to me. This beer changed my life and i cradled it like a newborn all the way back to my car. Maybe i’m exaggerating. Or maybe i’m not.
At any rate, when you need to find a beer like that, even if you aren’t into Belgian beers (i’ll pass, thanks) or stinky cheese, you stand a good chance of finding it here.

Meat and cheese and bread and pretentious beer? Was this place created just for me?
Here are the drawbacks to the provisions store: hours aren’t great, everything in there costs serious bank (except some of the beers), and the folks working there know CRAZY amounts about meat, cheese, and beer, or at least look and sound like they do. That shouldn’t normally be a problem, but because they know so much MORE than I do, I get the feeling they are annoyed by my lack of knowledge, like I am physically HURTING them by asking what type of beer I should get to go with the aged cheddar I have just purchased. I do not wish to cause them pain, but I must have beer to complement my cheese!
That being said, this store is completely boss. They sell meat and cheese and bread and beer! No, it’s not an outrageous selection of all of the above, just a really delicious selection. I get probably one of three types of sausage every time I go there, and one of two or three types of cheese, and a Guldendrak. I can’t get most of those things anywhere else nearby.
I’m sure if I wanted to, I could write down the names of a bunch of the beers I really like, run back home to Blanchard’s and try to get them to order it, but I’m too lazy to do that. Don’t go to the provisions store if you just want ANY beer — you can go to Gimbles and get good Sam Adams for a lot cheaper. Come here when you want a beer you can’t pronounce to show your friends you have better taste in rare Belgian stouts than they do. Or because you want a beer that goes well with a strong peasant loaf and aged cheddar.

Getting too much customer service in your life? Then stop by Publick House Provisions! I walked in and there were 3 (3!) people working in the store. Not one of them said hello. Not one of them acknowledged the fact that I had to move boxes out of the way to get to a few of the coolers. Not one of them offered a lick of help.
The cheese counter leaves a lot to be desired. It definitely looks like a side note rather than a feature.
The only thing that makes this place valuable at all is the variety of beers available and the cool glass selection. The prices aren’t fantastic but if you are in a pinch for a unique selection then they could work.
Blah. I will drive a bit further and take my business elsewhere.

I want to support this place, and I will probably go back, but there are some drawbacks.
While the idea for the store is great (us beer geeks needed something like this), some obstacles like price and disinterested staff hurt the experience.
The selection of brews is good, and they seem to specialize in Belgian. I like the idea of offering light food options (breads, cheeses, spreads, and other higher-​end snackage) that go well with beer. But, prices are a little too expensive. Yes, you have to pay a premium for nicer beers, but I’ve seen better pricing elsewhere for the some of the same beers.
They do have a cool wall of glassware. Next time I want a nice new glass, that’s where I’ll go.
I think the location is what might save this place, as they’re right next to American Craft and close to the Publick house… so beer enthusiasts would be walking by. However, I don’t think I’ll buy all my beer, unless there’s something specific I want that I can’t find elsewhere.
Lastly, the staff there was a little bit of a down for me. They’re not rude, but just a bit aloof. I tried talking to them, asking for a recommendation based off something else I liked, and it seemed like I was nuissance. Maybe the guy was having a bad day. But I had hoped fellow beer enthusiasts would be excited to talk to people of their own kind. If they were more outgoing, they could easily generate a lot of repeat customers… or customers wanting to go back more often. I need a «beer guy», but have yet to find a good one, or one who cares. I wish I could use them as a personal beer consultant when I might be looking for a specific beer to match a specific meal.
I’ll be going back… but, nervously.

Making up for lost revenue from the several months spent sans liquor license, I guess unknowing beer connoisseurs will find this place to be a holy grail of sorts.
And it is — with limited editions from Rogue, Dogfish Head, Brooklyn, Allagash, etc. All in one place. True to the Publick House umbrella, the store is well appointed, well stocked, and brings out your inner Epicurus.
The problem is that these beers are all available at much less reputable establishments — for much cheaper. The big bottle of Chimay is $ 18 here, $ 9 at Trader Joe’s up the street. Post Road Pumpkin is $ 10, but find it for $ 8 at Reservoir Liquors.
Go for the experience, pick up something you’re sure you can’t find anywhere else. Buy a glass or two, maybe some cheese. Support a local business and its rad staff. Then head to Marty’s or TJ’s for your prem-​o beer purchases.

Even without booze, this place is great. We stopped in just to browse. We walked out with two cheese, some eggplant spread, and a few other items. The men working there are serious about their food and beer. They gave us a lot of good info and tempted us with samples of cheeses and dips that we simply HAD to buy. They asked us about our meal at Publick House. When we told them what we ordered, they talked about pairings and about the food and they just seemed so intense about it – but in a good way.
We’ll be back.

If you like the Publick House, you’ll love its new extension: Publick House Provisions. It’s really supposed to be a fine beer store that also sells cool imported food, but they ran into some major red tape with the state at the last minute which is preventing them from selling alcohol right now. Hopefully that will be cleared up soon, as there are tons of lovely glass fridges waiting to be filled with tasty brews. In the meantime though, check out this shop for fancy glassware from myriad breweries, Belgian chocolates, unusual cheeses, and other interesting finds.
**UPDATE: As of last week (⁵⁄₂₉), word came in that the liquor license disaster was almost cleared up, so hopefully they’ll have stocked fridges soon!