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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

It brings a welcoming pub culture to the northern suburbs.. In Short
Co-owner John Moore decorated his place with stained glass, murals and wood accents to create an English pub feel. (The handmade bar and tabletops are straight from his late Grandma Helen's maple tree.) A friendly crowd comes for a creative bar menu, (grilled tempeh kabobs, beer brats, pork chops and grilled pizzas) and a long list of brewed-on-site and imported ales. There is also always a seasonally selected beer.

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munky2147

Joined 7 years ago

The best in every way. Barley John's is my usual Friday night hang out and I wouldn't miss it for the world. It is usually very busy between 7PM and 10PM on Friday nights but the staff is very friendly and prompt. I have been going up there each and every Friday for 2 years and have never been disappointed - unless Jeremy has taken the night off. Jeremy is a bartender and always remembers my order and my fiance's order and has it ready almost by the time we walk in the door!! Friday night is also a great night of music. Mary Elias plays some great songs and after about 11PM it opens to almost an open mic night. My fiance and a friend of his play a few songs and some other people hop up there too. There is a wide range of music from the Scooby Doo theme song to Weird Al to Stephen Lynch to Johnny Cash and The Righteous Brothers. There are also a few songs written by Mary and the other performers that are wonderful. It is very relaxing and entertaining. The service has never been bad and the food is amazing! The Chipotle Chicken Pizza is exceptional and the build your own burger will leave your mouth watering. If you are looking for a loud, full bar with people spilling drinks all over each other and dancing the night away this is not the place for you. If you want to sit back and relax with a beer, dinner, friends and listen to a wide range of music check it out!!!

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fydget

Joined 8 years ago

A little give and take. Barley John's is interesting in beer and food. The outdoor area is a fun place to sit in the summers and whatnot. For that we love the place. The only downfall is that the service, while very friendly, can be slow and ditzy. It's a very small place and even if you're one of the few people in the restaurant expect your service to be very slow and expect that they will forget things like the glass of water you requested. They are not at all attentive to their customers who are not at the bar unfortunately. But none of it has ever been in bad spirit. The time to talk and the food and wine keep us coming back when we have the time to sit. But skip it if you're in a hurry. Oh - and Great pizza! Gourmet pizza officiandos will love their pie!

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doug_weber

Joined 8 years ago

Great service/food/beer/wine. Why visit Barley John's:

1) Great service

2) Fantastic food - always a unique special to try. Sometimes pricey, but that's what you pay for unique. And always fun to hear about.

3) An aweome micro-brew or nice glass of wine

4) Did I say great service.

5) A good burger and great specialty pizzas to boot.

A favorite place for my wife and I to visit. Try Return of the Dark Knight.

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kestondoswell

Joined 8 years ago

Great beer, great food. Their beers are superb. The staff is really knowlegeable and won't hesitate to tell you about the difference between them all. The pizza is delicious and has surprising flavors that blend together perfectly. However, the crown jewel for me are their hamburgers. They are large and juicy, and you get to pick all kinds of toppings and extras. If you want an awesome burger and an incredible beer, this is the place. Bring your growler along and they'll fill it up so you can enjoy some suds at home too.

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mweide

Joined 8 years ago

Great beers found in small places. Barley John's could have the best beer in the MPLS area. The list of beer is always changing and they are usally winners! The bar tab tends to add up quick as their great beer is bit expensive. The food is above average, however is an afterthought compared to the beer. This small brewpub gets its character from the cozy atmosphere. However, the addition of music can make the place seem a bit too loud and hectic at times. I reccomend anyone that likes good beer to check this place out.

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diner_mark

Joined 10 years ago

Good microbrews. Had the pleasure of stopping by here quickly on 7/4 for a quick beer or two. We did not eat, although the menu looked impressive enough with many wood fired pizzas. Looks interesting enough to try for dinner. The beer is good, but seemed out of season. Still were serving maibock & porters, did not see any wheats/other seasonal. However, the Belgian Trappist was ok, as was the Porter and Little Barley Bitter. The IPA could be hoppier, was a bit too heavy in the mouthfeel. The best beer here is the Wild Rice Brunette Brown Ale. Hands down, truly a great, nutty tasting beer. Would we go back? Yes. Was reasonable. Next time we will try some of that menu. It looked good from what we saw.

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huuvola

Joined 11 years ago

A Hidden Gem!. More than just a great brewpub, Barley John's also serves spectacular pizza. I was a bit curious when my friend told us they don't have any red sauce on their pizzas, but the resulting pies we had were simply superb. Coupled with some very decent English-style beers, our dining/drinking experience was very satisfying.

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vhwswl

Joined 11 years ago

North Suburbs' HIDDEN TREASURE!. We are new to the area and were eager to find a pub to call our own....we fell in love with Barley John's the first night. Don't expect any second rate bottled beer here--only the finest hand-crafted draughts will do. (The Brunette and the Porter are our personal favorites). The thin crust grilled pizza turns everyday into gourmet...we recently tried the Pizza Laura, great for veggie lovers w/ toppings like fresh sugar snap peas and portobellas. Cozy, personal, casual, laid-back atmosphere.

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KariBittner

Joined 11 years ago

Funky. Like the atmosphere and the food. Had fun at the bar--met lots of new people. Check it out.