Restaurant Review: Barley John’s Brew Pub
Barley John’s Brew Pub is moving up to be one of my favorite local gems.
To start with, it really is a brew pub. They make their own beers right there on the premises. And just to review: Budweiser, Coors, Miller are NOT beers.
The stuff Barley John makes are real beers. Ales, lagers, porters. The brews change seasonally so there’s always something new to taste. Despite the boutique nature of being a small brewery, the pour are about what you’d pay for a good tap somewhere else.
The place is small and cozy. Maybe only a dozen tables and five or six stools at the bar. It’s not over-designed but it is comfortable and clean. Lots of wood and the small size gives it a bit of the ‘up north’ cabin feel. There’s not a corporate feel to the place at all. The two little tables in the bar area are made from a tree from the owner’s grandmother’s yard.
Given the smoking ban in this part of the city, there’s a fireplace out on the patio where smokers can gather during the winter. In the summer there’s outside seating and they have live music.
The menu is not extensive, but there are enough choices that everyone should find something they could/would eat. The preparation is not over the top frou-frou but it is not greasy spoon slap together either. The food is very high quality. The black angus hamburger is made to order and is a 1/3 pound for the regular size. So portions are not skimpy. I ordered mine medium and it actually came done ‘medium’! Not too common. The chicken sandwich seems to have been made from an actual chicken breast, not a frozen Sysco facsimile.
The wait staff are friendly and helpful and seem to have fun at their jobs. Which is not only unusual in food-service but makes the dining experience more fun too. The couple of times I’ve been there lately the bartender and waitress have been the same. These two employees seem like friends and like they have a passion for this place and exude real hospitality. I’m pretty sure the owner is in attendance regularly.
Dinner for 2 with 2 beers each came to about $35, (oops, I mean) $45, so it’s a reasonable night out too.
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
February 23rd, 2007 at 8:52 am
there is a reason I dont drink when I go out much, because of the cost, but dinner for that much with drinks, WOW!
I LOVE breweries. We dont have one here in our town but LOTS of bars
February 23rd, 2007 at 2:11 pm
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