The Tap Brewing Company took home three wins at this year’s Tasty Awards. Chef Chris Kole won Best Chef, and the restaurant itself won Best Beer Selection and Most Creative Menu. The awards were handed out Monday night at Joseph’s Trattoria as part of the sixth annual event, capping off Haverhill Restaurant Week with a night that recognized the chefs, bartenders, and staff behind the city’s dining scene.
For a Haverhill brewery that’s been pouring beer on Washington Street since 2003, the wins aren’t a fluke. The Tap has spent more than two decades building a menu and beer list that keeps regulars coming back. This year’s Tasty Awards drew a record turnout, with more than 650 votes cast across 27 categories, from Best Chef to Best Vibe, as WHAV reported. The Tap’s three wins put it among the most-recognized names on this year’s list.
Here’s a look at what The Tap won, why it matters, and what to expect the next time you’re deciding where to eat in downtown Haverhill.
What The Tap Won at the Sixth Annual Tasty Awards
The Tap earned three of the night’s 27 awards: Best Chef for Chris Kole, Best Beer Selection, and Most Creative Menu. The awards were presented by Destination Downtown Haverhill, G4 Tequila, and the Greater Haverhill Chamber, with Mayor Melinda Barrett and State Representative Ryan Hamilton on hand for the presentation.
The Tasty Awards started in 2021 as a way to spotlight the people behind Haverhill’s restaurants, not just the food. Winners are chosen by community vote, so a win reflects what regulars and first-time visitors actually think about a place, not a panel of judges.
Best Chef: Chris Kole Wins Back-to-Back
Chris Kole, head chef at The Tap, won Best Chef at this year’s Tasty Awards. It’s his second consecutive win in the category. He also took the title at the fourth annual Tasty Awards in 2025, when The Tap was additionally recognized for Best Vibe.
Back-to-back Best Chef wins are rare in a field that includes dozens of Haverhill kitchens. Kole’s approach centers on pub food built with real technique: hand-crafted burgers, wings smoked in-house, and a rotating specials board that changes with the seasons. If you’re weighing where to grab dinner, a two-time Best Chef title from the community itself is a reasonable place to start. Check the current menu to see what Kole’s kitchen is running this week.
Best Beer Selection: Brewing In-House Since 2003
The Tap also won Best Beer Selection, recognizing the brewery’s in-house lineup of ales and lagers. The Tap brews every batch on-site in a 10-barrel brewhouse, typically keeping 11 to 12 beers pouring at any given time, a mix of year-round staples and rotating seasonal releases.
As a Haverhill brewery, The Tap is also a member of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild, a trade group representing licensed breweries across the state. Beer brewed on Washington Street doesn’t travel far to reach the glass, and the tap list changes often enough that regulars have a reason to check what’s currently pouring.
Most Creative Menu: Pub Fare Done Differently
The third win, Most Creative Menu, recognizes the kitchen’s approach to classic pub fare. The menu leans on hand-crafted burgers, smoked wings, and dishes built to pair with whatever’s on tap that day, rather than a standard bar-food lineup. That’s the category The Tap built its reputation on: smashed patties, house sauces, and enough variety on the menu to earn a community vote for creativity over 26 other Haverhill restaurants and bars.
Visit The Tap in Downtown Haverhill
Three community-voted wins in one night is a strong signal for anyone deciding where to eat this weekend. The Tap is open for lunch and dinner in its exposed-brick dining room on Washington Street, with The Deck offering seasonal outdoor seating along the Merrimack River. Downstairs, The Playpen adds a second bar with pool tables on Friday and Saturday nights.
The brewpub is located in downtown Haverhill on the Merrimack River, with beer to-go also available for anyone who wants to bring a taste of the award-winning lineup home.
Conclusion
Three community-voted wins confirm what regulars already know: The Tap Brewing Company brews and cooks with the kind of consistency that stands out in Haverhill. Stop by the Washington Street brewpub for lunch, dinner, or a pint on The Deck, and taste the award-winning menu and beer list for yourself.