Barley's Brewing Company

RxforBeer

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5

Living in Columbus for a few years, we got spoiled by having such great beer so accessible. Barley's Ale House in the Arena District is a most for any true beer advocate. The bar is beautiful with a lot of wood and brass. The food is excellent - ranging from typical pub grub to more sophisticated selections. But at Barley's it is all about the beer. (The other stuff is nice and makes for an overall great experience.) Barley's brews some of the best micros and offers a wide selection that is sure to please any beer lover. They have a few standard selections - Pale Ale, Scottish Ale, Pilsner, etc all year. Then they brew special seasonal beers. I highly recommend them all - the Cherry Porter and Imperial Stout made me the beer lover I am today. The two downsides to Barley's is the parking and service.

09-03-2003 16:03:08 | More by RxforBeer

rodney4130

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

One of my favorites in Columbus. Really good beers, though to be fair, probably not the best you've ever had. Still, you'll find a couple of things that you'll enjoy, I'm sure of that. The Imperial Stout had a really nice flavor, but was just barely imperial, clocking in at a hair over 7%. It was a touch watery too, but after another miss at a different Columbus brewpub, I was pleased all the same.

Our food was very reasonably priced upscale pub fare, and the server was really nice, friendly and knew his beer.

Totally worth a stop. Nice building too.

07-29-2012 14:57:05 | More by rodney4130

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Located across the street from the convention center in downtown columbus oh. My boyfriend has been here a few times and wanted to share the experience with me.

A- The atmosphere is simple but very good. Its sort of an old woody pub feel. What makes this place stand out to me is the beer poster above every booth. Some are very Euro and some are posters of Barley's own ales. This place doesn't try to be a "big deal" They arent advertising all of their stuff to go or merchandise. We had to ask to get a growler fill-and they had them-but they werent tooting their own horn in the esence that a lot of other places are.

The Beer- 9 beers on tap 8 regular and a cask. They are really big fans of firkin and real ale. The cask this evening was a very well put together bourbon barrel barley wine (what?)- amazing. Also was a pale ale, pilsner, 2 christmas beers, their flagship scottish ale, a DIPA (best I've had in awhile), a Russian Imperial Stout, and a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Pretty serious stuff. All were well put together- the DIPA and the availibility of the barleywine definately stood out for me.

The Food- Pretty standard upper middle class pub food with some nicer entrees. THe bleu chips were awesome and my buffalo chicken wrap was a bit too spicy. Edit-I have been here again and everything is good except for the wrap being a little too spicy

The Service- Our server was knowledgeable about the beer and did well-but didnt have much of a personality.

Overall- This was a bit pricey but a great experience. I'd love to come back here again!

12-27-2011 04:59:47 | More by PittBeerGirl

CapitalGains

Oregon

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

When I lived in Columbus about two years ago I was at Barley's downtown location at least once per week, usually during the late afternoon or early evening. My friends and I usually sat the bar which seats about 15-20 people. There are a lot of tables (maybe 20?) as well. No outdoor seating if I recall correctly.

Atmosphere was enjoyable especially considering its proximity to the heart of downtown which can garner some less-than-par beer enthusiast environments. The crowd was never too obnoxious and the establishment as a whole was never all that busy when I visited except on a few occasions.

Quality was above-average but not stellar. Barley's puts out solid products across the board but nothing that will blow your mind. We usually had the same bartenders who were attentive and knowledgeable and started to recognize us (in a good way) after awhile. Can't say they did anything spectacular - they did their job.

Selection consists of 7-9 of Barley's taps, of which 4-5 were constants and the others were seasonal rotators. There were usually a couple of guest taps (2-3) that often weren't ordering in lieu of Barley's in-house selections. Apparently there is a bottle selection as well but I never ventured to take a look at it. There always seemed to be at least one beer on cask which is worth checking out. Barley's does a fine job with their cask beer - highly recommended.

I usually ordered food at the Smokehouse but the food at the downtown location was tasty the few times I ordered it.

Prices are about average. I always enjoyed myself at Barley's and I would have to say it was my favorite brewpub in the general Columbus area. My favorite selections were the Alexander Russian Imperial Stout and usually whatever was on cask.

07-19-2011 02:42:16 | More by CapitalGains

jrstacy98

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

A fun place - it wasn't as big as I expected it to be, thought it was a conveniently located and a great escape from a Volleyball tournament for a few of us dads. If you find yourself at the Columbus Convention Center - this is a definite great way to escape from the $3+ bottles of water.

I tried the Scottish Ale (top notch) and an Oatmeal Stout. Good but a little weak on flavor.

We sat at the bar, wait staff friendly and took care of us. With a large beer supply I was surprised to see some patrons drinking main stream beers - so they sell both.

05-16-2011 03:15:33 | More by jrstacy98

UnionBrew

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -12%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$

Due to it's location near the arena, this is a popular pregame spot for many Columbus Blue Jacket fans. And I, with my hockey jersey sleeves rolled up, have spent many an afternoon in the slender but inviting dining room that makes up the main eating hall at Barley's Downtown. The menu features a nice mix of American and German style food that compliments the beer served there nicely. Most recently I enjoyed the $2 brats and 50 cent sauerkraut balls that were on special that day and they hit the spot.

Barley's isn't well known for traveling too far outside of traditional styles and their beer selection has remained relatively unchanged since they opened the doors in 1992. They normally only introduce a few new one off batches of beer a year, and those are usually a twist on beers they already brew. Due to the fact that the brewery shares space with the restaurant and bar, the restrictive space probably doesn't afford them much opportunity to experiment with many test batches. I assume they're going with the montra that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" which is reflected in the sampler that I received.

There's the token Pilsner for those that prefer to judge beer on how easily you can see through it rather then on taste. The Pale Ale and Blurry Bike IPA were pretty forgettable, and the Stout was on par with a Guiness. Now this isn't indicative of every experience I've had at Barley's, I actually really like their Centennial IPA which comes in above 7% ABV, I just think I came at a bad time in their beer rotation. The exceptions being the Scottish Ale which I found to be surprisingly sweet and almost had a cotton candy taste to it, and the GlenLenny's Scotch Ale was the star of the bunch. The GlenLenny had a sweet and boosy taste that sort of reminded me more of a Belgium tripel then a scotch ale/wee heavy. I ordered a glass of it for my bonus round and was not disappointed.

So to sum up the experience, I would skip the sampler and go straight to what interests you. One of the nice things about Barley's is that you can sample a beer for 75 cents, which is a nice deal for 5oz and more ideal than trying to fight through $5 worth of beer you don't want. Unfortunately, the service is sort of hit or miss so sometimes it's just better to sit at the bar if you can. Although they don't stray very far from the beaten path as far as their beer selection, the location and overall experience of coming to this brewery makes it worth a stop if you're in the neighborhood.

04-08-2011 19:59:17 | More by UnionBrew

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.26/5  rDev -19.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

Man, everything in Columbus is expensive. Im just a southern boy and these prices are killin me! Beers here were $5.75 for a "pint". I guess that is about standard for downtown Columbus, but it doesnt mean I cant complain.

I wasnt very impressed with the service here. I ordered a porter and after the guy next to me ordered a pint of the cask ale, I decided I wanted that instead. The server gave me a menacing look and said "Are you going to make me waste a beer?" I understand there is a bottom line, profit wise, but I have never beer refused a different beer in my life. I have only asked maybe twice but anywhere else, the staff were very compliant and willing to serve. So, I had my porter and left.

I was actually pretty excited abou this place but the server ruined that. The atmosphere wasnt really that good anyway. It was kind of dead and boring. They had only 5 beers on draft. Why cant a brewpub have more than 5 beers on draft? The beers were a pale ale, a scottish, a porter, something called Auld Ale, and a Frambwah. I dont get it.

Barleys is across the stree from the Hampton where I was staying, but I wont be going back anytime soon.

01-18-2011 01:21:34 | More by SaCkErZ9

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I was re-reading my beerfly reviews and was surprised to find that I never reviewed Barley's Downtown! For the time my wife and I lived in the Columbus area, Barley's was one of our favorite stops. Sure, we were partial to the Barley's Smokehouse, and to Bodega, which was a short walk from Barley's Downtown, but we always visited this place.

It was so nice going to the North Market and then walking across the lot to Barley's. Never crowded, just animated, with a cozy atmosphere, lots of wood, nice ample booths, dim lights, unobtrusive music. Yeah. This is a place to enjoy beer.

And the beers are top-notch! A great IPA, a great Imperial Stout, a great Rye IPA... and so on. They're not your average brewery that only brews a pale ale and a brown. They go beyond! Quality is always very good, and Scott Francis the brewmaster (a classic of the Columbus beer scene) is always around.

And on Fridays, the firkin! Beer as it used to be, on a wooden cask, warm and raw.

Food is pretty good, better than average. We loved the Truffle Mac n' Cheese, the Hummus (even though it was a bit to seltzer-y), and the sauerkraut balls and brats that were a weekly special (perfect with beer!).

Prices are very, very reasonable. Better than the Smokehouse and most places around Columbus.

Service is good, either at the bar or the tables. No complaints. It is funny, though, that a lot of the servers have this surly face, like they're not enjoying, but still- they do their jobs fine.

As I'm writing this, I realize I miss Columbus/Ohio.

01-08-2011 07:34:59 | More by DoubleSimcoe

tat2dhllblly

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 5 | $$

Barley's Beer and Food are a wonderful treat I look forward to everytime I visit Columbus. I have 2 growlers that I fill everytime I am there and have people fill for me when they go to Columbus.
I have yet to have a bad beer but I really look forward to their Centenial IPA, it is amazing and a great representation of the style.
Also the Imperial Stout is great and a local ice cream shop has used it to make some ice cream, that's just how good it is!!
Also try their Turkey Nut Burger!!!
The only issue I have is that their waiting staff could use a class on manners. The bartenders are great but their table wait staff are usually rude and hard to find.

12-05-2010 18:27:17 | More by tat2dhllblly

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

Barley's downtown is a solid brewpub that won't let you down when in Columbus. Good variety of house beers on tap, 1 cask, and a small number of guest taps. Nothing to mention in the bottle selection, primarily BMC.

The house beers are good, running the standard range, a pilsner, an IPA, a porter, a pale ale, a mild, a barleywine, basically most styles except sours (so far).

The square-shaped bar serves customers along 3 sides, with seating for about 16. Beyond that there are plenty of booths and some tables, allowing for another hundred or so customers. Lots of woodworks, neutral colors on the walls, plenty of house posters on the walls with original artwork pushing the house drafts.

The food is OK, not exceptional but not bad at all, decent USA pub food. Average prices, the only real issue is the lack of free parking. You can do meters on the street or try your luck with the North Market lot, but you'll want to get a validation by some store in the North Market.

06-23-2010 18:29:11 | More by TurdFurgison