Barley John's Brew Pub

Barley John?s is my new favorite restaurant. Their beer is excellent; my favorite being their house IPA. My wife and I went for lunch and agreed the food was very good. The bartender was very busy as he was also waiting on tables, yet he did a great job and even had their brew master stop by our table when I asked if it was possible to meet him. If you are in a hurry and want to be waited on hand and foot, go somewhere else, but if you want to relax and enjoy great food and possibly the best craft beer you will ever have, you need to check this place out. more

It's best to go to Barley John's in the warmer months when there is seating outside. Inside is cramped, but I haven't had any problems with take-out. Pros: Microbrews Cons: Small space inside more

Sure, this place brews its own beer, but what it needs is some more customes. Then, the food might not be so terrible and the beer -- which is excellent -- wouldn't be so overpriced. I love Barley John's but it needs a lot of improvement. Pros: environment, location Cons: food! prices more

My husband and I love to go out on date night. Our favorite place is Barley Johns!!! The grilled pizzas, artichoke dip and the seafood specials are my favorite. If you're in the mood for a burger, the buns are homemade and fit for a king. Pros: Food and Beer from scratch! Cons: make a reservation...it is popular more

We went here based on the star rating. The place lacked any charm. The bar was tiny, and if you like TGIF's food then you might like the food here. We left before we ordered as the menu was horrible. The beer was good, but that's about it. Pros: beer Cons: ugly place. food subpar at best more

Most people come for the beer. They have 4 ""always"" beers. A Bitter, IPA, Wild Brunette (a brown wild rice brew), & Porter. The last 3 are all strong, about 8% abv. They always have seasonals. They also a have a many guest beers, as they like to call them. They also have a good wine selection if your into that. The menu's selections are of a pub/bistro type. The food is good, but come for the BEER! Many home brewers frequent the place. If you want to learn or talk about beer, this is the place to go. Pros: Great Beer & Food Cons: Food is a little pricey. Limited parking if they are busy. more

Quite simply the best bar in the Twin Cities. BJ's is a brewpub: they brew their own beer, from start to finish, on-site. They even grow their own hops on the premises. Their beer rates easily as the best in Minnesota, and both the ratebeer and beeradvocate websites consider the ""Dark Knight"" (a seasonal brew) one of the best beers in the world. Pros: Best beer in Minnesota Cons: If the patio's closed, it can be tough to get in during peak times more

Went there once over the summer on a weeknight. Service was mediocre, and although the beer was 'good' it was way overpriced. (A pitcher of Pear Cider was purchased for about $40- a great value!). Pros: Close to me Cons: Way overpriced for what they offer more

Barley John's has pedestrian decor and is in a very cramped space. I've been there twice, and as other reviewers have noted, I found the service so-so. I therefore found the prices out-of-line: for dinners, they charge what I'd expect to pay at a formal restaurant such as McCormick and Schmicks, but the atmosphere is more like Perkins. I thought the microbrews were ok to good, but the food was nothing special...I was expecting much more given the prices. Cons: overpriced food, pedestrian decor, cramped more

The food is excellent. Their twist on ""american fare"" is refreshing. Their beers are pretty good. The service is friendly! I always have a great experience! Pros: Great food, great drinks Cons: The space is a little small more

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!!! Pros: Service, Atmosphere, Great way to meet new people Cons: Parking can be tricky on Friday nights sometimes more

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! Pros: Great food, Great beer, Great wine Cons: Flaky servers more

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. more

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. Pros: Great Food, Very Good Beer Cons: Small more

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. Pros: great beer, cozy atmosphere Cons: music scene more

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. Pros: Great microbrews, Interesting menu, Neat outside area Cons: Poor location, Beer out of season?, Wider variety needed more

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. Pros: Great bitter, Good stout, Friendly staff Cons: Off the beaten path more

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. Pros: Intimate/Friendly, Outstanding Brews, Live Music 2X/week Cons: Location more

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

This is no ordinary pizza! This is the best pizza I have ever had. I've tried each of the pizzas and find them all wonderful. One pizza is enough for the two of us. If you're a little hungry, I find the garlic bread great as an appetizer (it's the spicy tomato sauce). Pros: Micro-brewed beer, Friendly place, Great food more