Come for Worcester brewery’s beer and board games, stay for the legendary bathrooms

Worcester’s Redemption Rock Brewery has some of the best bathrooms I’ve ever seen at a brewery — or any business, really.

That’s a weird thing to highlight out of the gate. But that sort of little touch is what makes this colorful taproom off of Shrewsbury Street truly stand out amid Massachusetts’ booming craft beer scene.

It’s a deliberate, thoughtful measure that can leave a positive impression when you least expect it. Redemption Rock CEO and co-founder Dani Babineaux has seen it happen time and time again when one of their customers notices that, instead of stalls, Redemption Rock has a row of well-appointed single-user rooms.

“Any time someone comes up to me and is like, ‘This is gonna sound weird, but…’ I always know what’s gonna be about the bathroom,” Babineaux says. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, we did that on purpose.’ So I understand.”

Of course, there’s more than just bathrooms. Redemption Rock has a bright, vibrant taproom that can accommodate anyone who walks through that door. During the day, you’ll see families with cute dogs sitting and trying some flavored lattes in the bar area. Later on, you might find tables full of friends at a mini tabletop gaming convention trying IPA.

The space has free board games to play, fantastic artwork on the walls, an easy-to-access stand for water, plush couches to lounge in. There are so many little touches you’ll find here that you’ll wish you’d find at other breweries.

The craft beer scene has come a long way from the days when a brewery could open up in an old warehouse with some picnic tables and five IPAs on tap. Customers are looking for a better experience when they visit a taproom and Redemption Rock absolutely crushes those little comfy elements.

That’s not to say that Redemption Rock doesn’t make good beer. They do. Their Hop Rocks IPA can stand toe-to-toe with any beer you’ll find in the city. I look forward to their pumpkin spice latte stout — “I Can’t Even” — to be released every fall.

Redemption Rock is also one of the few places where I’ll go out of my way to try a shandy. Their Gemstone Shandy (which blends their Edelstein hefeweizen and house-made lemonade) is a bright, sweet experience that has these wonderful bubble gum-like vibes. It’s ideal for days when you want to cut down on alcohol consumption.

There are plenty of breweries that can get you a good beer. It’s been that way for at least a decade. Redemption Rock is a byproduct of the craft beer scene that is starting to grow up from its wild youth and settle into a cozier, more accommodating phase.

This is a place that doesn’t want you to just check out a beer. They want you to hang out and feel comfortable. In a lot of ways, Redemption Rock is a spot that has coffee shop vibes during the day before shifting to brewery mode at night. It certainly helps that they offer a wide selection of coffee, espresso and tea drinks during the day — plus baked goods.

Then there are the bathrooms. While most places have stalls, Redemption Rock has a long row of single-person, gender-neutral rooms that are clean and well-lit. They have those sweet Dyson Air Blade hand dryers and a basket full of feminine hygiene products in each one.

It’s a small part of the experience. But it’s also a universal one. If you go to a brewery, you’re probably going to drink a lot of fluids. You’re probably going to have to use the bathroom. Redemption Rock is the rare place that takes a universal experience that’s often overlooked and turns it into a strength.

“We’re big believers in, like, really small things can make a significant difference, whether it’s like putting a lot of thought into the furniture we’re buying, or how our artwork scheme works or doing merch programs and things like that. It’s always been something that is really important to us,” Babineaux said.

“We always get a ton of praise for our bathrooms and how nice they are, and they’re inclusive. They’re just, like, nice bathrooms. To me, that’s something that’s really simple and straightforward but clearly matters and gets overlooked a lot. Those little things make a big difference to people and I think it’s really easy to overlook them.”

The timeline of Redemption Rock is a wild one. They opened in 2019, which went great. But then the world shut down in 2020. Since then, they’ve felt like they’ve had to start from scratch every year, Babineaux says.

But heading into 2024, the brewery is really hitting its stride, especially with all the events it hosts. If you check out Redemption Rock on Facebook, you can find a crazy variety of events, including: food pop-ups, food trucks, comedy shows, trivia, live music, movie nights, craft club, pottery classes, paint-and-sip sessions, book clubs, yoga, karaoke, bonsai classes, Taylor Swift musical bingo, book fairs, cookie decorating, cornhole tournaments, markets and Redemption Rock’s own series of mini board game conventions.

Did I mention board games? Yeah, they’ve got board games — more than they ever expected. You have the classics like Yahtzee, Monopoly and Clue. But there are also some award-winning games from recent years like Settlers of Catan, Azul, Munchkin and Ticket to Ride.

Redemption Rock has more board games than Babineux ever expected. She’s never been into them. But a week before they opened, she had the idea to get some games to keep on hand.

“I had posted like on Facebook and was like, ‘Hey, I know I have gamer friends. What should we get?’ I got so many responses. I think I dropped like 600 bucks on board games before we opened — not counting the giant games that I had already ordered,” Babineaux said. “I just remember the first time, everybody’s playing games and it was like a huge thing. We’ve refreshed and added stuff over the years.

“At this point, probably 30% of those games, I did not buy,” she added. “They turned up. People clear out their closets and just bring old games here. I actually have a stack at my house that I have to bring here.”

More stuff you should know about Redemption Rock Brewing Company

Check them out: Website | Facebook | Instagram

What’s the address? – 333 Shrewsbury St., Worcester, MA 01604

What’s the parking situation? – The parking situation can be tricky. There is no parking directly in front of the taproom. Instead, visitors can park at the end of Putnam Lane or on Nebraska Street (but not the lots). It’s recommended you check out the brewery’s Parking Information page if you’re at all confused.

Do they serve food? – Yes, but mostly snacks. They offer cheese/charcuterie boards as well as giant soft pretzels, which they get from Crust Bakeshop in Worcester.

Is there outdoor seating? – There are picnic tables outside for when the weather is nice.

When are they open? – Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing:

• Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Monday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Tuesday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Wednesday: 2 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Thursday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
• Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

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