Waybury Inn

Coming home after our weekend at the Waybury Inn was a tough return to making our own breakfast and sleeping in our own beds. My husband and I went to celebrate our anniversary and let him stay at the “Stratford Inn,” whose exterior imagery appeared on the Newhart Show in the 1980s. He’d been smitten with it since childhood. We’re already talking about returning, maybe every year for our anniversary. Halina’s service, communication, and the comfort of the inn stood out. The staff we met were helpful and friendly, and the place was very clean. Our room was beautifully furnished, the linens were incredibly comfortable, and the bathroom had little complimentary toiletries, a locally made soap bar, a hairdryer, and a nightlight. There were fresh baked cookies at check-in, plus a complimentary platter for overnight guests at breakfast each morning, with fruit and a fresh baked item: scones one day and blueberry oat muffins the next. Breakfast was included and delicious, with everything scratch cooked. We loved the homemade English muffins and breads, thick crispy bacon, and light, fluffy pancakes. You could taste the care in the food. We also had dinner in the pub. Make reservations on weekends, we highly recommend it. The place was packed, mostly with people who weren’t staying at the inn, which made us excited about its reputation with locals. Before the meal we got fresh rolls with whipped butter and tasty drinks, a stout for my husband and a “warm me up buttercup” for me. I had the prime rib special, while he got homemade chili and wings. We both kept praising the food’s quality and flavor. The only letdown was that they’d run out of the Maple Pecan Pie special, though our late reservation made that understandable. It was an amazing weekend. Neither of us could be happier, and we hope to be back in a year. Thank you for such an epic time!

We didn’t stay at the Inn, so this is just about the restaurant and bar. On Monday, when few places in greater Middlebury are open for dinner, we had a really enjoyable meal here. The food had a distinctive, tasty flavor, and some specials let you add soup or salad with an entree. The Monday Margarita was excellent too. They also had a $1.50/Oyster special from 4:00 to 5:30 pm. I’d highly recommend it.

After eating dinner here long ago, we always talked about staying someday. It took 39 years, but we finally booked 5 nights. The Inn worked well as a central base for exploring Vermont, and we weren’t disappointed. The owners and staff were gracious and helpful throughout. Our room was clean, with a very comfortable bed and good pillows. Breakfast was included, with a few choices, and was excellent. It was served in a side room with lots of windows looking over the grounds. We also really enjoyed the restaurant and pub. We know fine dining, and the entrees we tried were among the best meals we’ve had. The servers were excellent, and the pub food was very good too.

We had Thanksgiving dinner here, and the food was both delicious and plentiful. The atmosphere was cozy, but service was a problem. Our friendly server brought four rolls for the five of us, then disappeared. We had to ask the hostess for help, and when we wanted another drink, nobody came by to take the order. We also wanted coffee with dessert. After asking three other people because our server was nowhere around, we finally got cups that were only half full. The food was great again, but unfortunately, the service affected the server’s tip.