WILLIAMSBURG — The Brewmaster’s Tavern had its last day of operation Monday.
“It’s not a good thing for us,” said the building’s co-owner Dennis Bates. “It’s not a good thing for anyone.”
Bates and his business partner, Mike Charpentier, bought the Main Street building that houses the Williamsburg eatery last May. They also own Brewmaster’s Brewing Services — a brewery that is run out of the same building — which Bates said is “doing fine.”
The tavern’s owner, Jack Lucey, has been leasing the space from them, Bates said, and “there’s no new owner lined up for now.”
The Gazette was unable to reach Lucey by 4 p.m. Monday, and a reporter who showed up on the premises earlier in the day to inquire about the tavern’s status was asked to leave.
The restaurant sits on a site that, according to its website, has a colorful history dating back to 1812. It started as a hotel run by Gross Williams until his retirement in 1840. The building burned down in 1873 and was rebuilt that same year, subsequently surviving the 1874 flood in Williamsburg. The site recalls this history in a sentimental first-person narrative from the perspective of the property: “Time passes. I am a hotel, tavern, livery, store and restaurant. I have many owners throughout my life and am known by many names. Today, I am called the Brewmaster’s Tavern.”
Some of the items on The Brewmaster’s Tavern’s menu included Roast Prime Rib of Beef, Baked Sea Scallops, New Orleans Pasta and Balsamic Crab Cake Salad. It also served a breakfast buffet every Sunday.
This is the second closure for Williamsburg in the new year. Earlier this month, the Williamsburg Pharmacy officially closed its doors after 34 years of service.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.