Guest Author - Jessica Hoffmann
Any beer lover traveling to the mountains of western North Carolina or Asheville will need to save some time and appetite for Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria. For over fifteen years, Barley’s has been a staple to Asheville culture and dining.
The 8000 square foot restaurant and bar occupies a renovated 1920’s building on busy Biltmore Avenue in the heart of downtown. The building has an intimate feel, with wood floors and a dash of stagecoach character.
One of the biggest draws to Barley’s is their ever-changing twenty four taps, which provide beer aficionados with a slew of microbrew options and allow customers to sample the growing number of Asheville area breweries.
An empty stomach will make it difficult to digest the entire beer menu, but you will quickly find a top notch selection from breweries across the country and a few from around the world, like Wedge, Foothills, Hoppin Frog, Lagunitas, Bell’s and Weinstephaner. Both Highland and Pisgah Breweries are local favorites with consistently delicious beers and highly sought after seasonal offerings.
As you peruse the menu, it is obvious that Barley’s specialty is pizza and calzones, although they have plenty of other delicious options like black bean hummus and jerk chicken salad. The beer mash dough is the perfect place to start building a pizza loaded with your favorite toppings.
The service at Barley’s is typically quite good, although expect to wait during busy summer weekends like Belle Chere. The restaurant is understandably lively most weekends.
Venture to the upstairs bar after dinner and try your luck and fusball or pool, or stroll up Biltmore Avenue to take in more of the downtown Asheville scene. When the weather is good, check out Pritchard Park for a lively drum circle.
As the Asheville dining scene continues to expand, Barley's remains an important staple. In recent years, Barley’s has expanded to locations in Greenville, Spindale and Knoxville, bringing their famous plethora of microbrewed beer to each town.
