What business do I have reviewing a restaurant, you ask? No, I don’t have any formal training, but I have been eating every day for over 22 years, often multiple times, so I should be an expert, right?
Anyway, my first review takes us to Barley’s Brewing Company, located at 467 N. High St. near the North Market. The eating area of this alehouse is about as wide as a pencil and fits three tables across, so you can imagine how close your neighbors are crowded around you on a weekend night.
We were stuck with the center table, which should have seated two rather than four. I recommend asking for one of the side booths if available. The bar area, on the other hand, has plenty of surrounding space and is open after the kitchen closes.
The décor consists of a nice selection of European commercial art bounded by an attractive array of wood floors, walls, tables, etc. The restaurant provides plenty of noise with the food — whether it’s from the diners or the Allman Brothers blasting overhead — but hey, it’s a brew pub, so what do you expect?
Barley’s has a large selection of beers brewed right in the building, including seasonal brews and a nice variety of scotch for those of you who are of drinking age and not driving. Each of us sampled the Scottish ale and the pale ale, and the consensus was that the pale ale was much better, although the Scottish ale did have a certain zest to it. Gallon jugs of these tasty local brews are available to take home at the restaurant and can be found in some area supermarkets and carry-outs.
For starters we tried a full order of Barley’s Unconventional Wings ($7.25/4.95 half). These wings are char-grilled and not deep-fried like most places, which upset fellow reviewer Gutter (a.k.a. the human garbage disposal), but everyone else enjoyed the switch, not to mention the plump, full wings.
We also shared a full order of Mildred’s Sauerkraut Balls ($5.95/3.45 half). Don’t be scared by the name — these batter-fried clumps of sauerkraut, cheese and Italian sausage are delicious. If you’re not a big fan of sauerkraut, don’t worry; you can hardly taste it. We hardly had time to finish the appetizers before the main dishes arrived, and speaking of service, the wait staff was always on its feet and quick to refill our drinks.
Keeping with the theme of the sauerkraut balls, co-reviewer L-Jo had the Turkey Nut Burger ($7.45), noted on the menu as a Barley’s classic. “It tasted like it was done on a George Foreman,” she said, “which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Gutter went with the Creole Burger ($6.95) which wasn’t as hot as he expected it to be. Nor was he a fan of the tomato paste that smothered the burger: “The burger itself was good though,” he said. “It was cooked perfectly and a good size.”
With Buffalo chicken being a staple in my diet, and fish and chips tragically being left off of the menu, I went with the Buffalo Chicken Wrap ($7.45). It wasn’t bad, but not great. There were more tomatoes and lettuce than chicken, which was dried out anyway. The fries, on the other hand, were pretty good and the others agree.
My brother Ryan tried the Seafood Pasta Florentine ($13.95) a chef’s special that night. “They should have called it salmon surprise. There was only a gaggle of mussels and only four shrimp and the succubus (L-Jo) ate one.” he said. “I think I would opt for a sandwich next time.”
The restaurant also offers soups, salads and veggie entrees such as the Garden Pasta ($10.95). The dessert menu is small, yet varied and everything is under $5, including the apple pie ($4.95) served á la mode with a pecan topping and caramel glaze.
Overall, Barley’s gets high marks for its pub grub, and it’s not a bad place for a night out either.
Nicholas Gill is a senior in English and journalism and can be reached for comment at [email protected]. He is now, for a limited time, accepting recommendations on future restaurants to review in the vicinity of this Hong Kong of college campuses, so it’s now or never.
