The nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) and the parabrachial nuclei (PbN) are the first and second central relays for the taste pathway, respectively. Taste neurons in the NST project to the PbN which further transmits taste information to the rostral taste centers. Nevertheless, details of the neural connections among the brainstem gustatory nuclei are obscure. Here, we investigated these relationships in the hamster brainstem. Three electrode assemblies were used to record the activity of taste neurons extracellularly and then to electrically stimulate these same areas in the order: left PbN, right PbN, and right NST. A fourth electrode, a glass micropipette, was used to record from gustatory cells in the left NST. Results showed extensive bilateral communication between brainstem nuclei at the same level: (1) 10% of 96 NST neurons projected to the contralateral NST and 58% received synaptic input from the contralateral NST; and (2) 12% of 43 PbN neurons projected to the contralateral PbN and 21% received synaptic input from the contralateral PbN. Results also showed extensive communication between levels: (1) as expected, the majority of 119 NST neurons, 82%, projected to the ipsilateral PbN; but 85% of the 20 NST neurons tested received synaptic input from the ipsilateral PbN, as did 59% of 22 NST neurons that did not project to the PbN; and (2) although few, 3%, of 119 NST cells projected to the contralateral PbN, 38% received synaptic input from the contralateral PbN.