Barrel Head Brewhouse

Barrel Head Brewhouse Restaurant Review:

A stately oil of Ivan Hopkinson’s late spectacled grandfather gazes down upon inverted oak barrels topped with sundry trinkets sealed in epoxy, a vintage two-player Ms. Pac-Man table top game console, and a floating circular fireplace seated in ancient wooden gearage. A rotation of seasonal house brews and 20 guest drafts pours from the rusted hulk of a torpedo, whose pedigree is hotly debated by the bar staff. A dozen cocktails and “brewtails” are joined by a build-your-own Manhattan menu that boasts 400 possible permutations, and a small wine selection. Standard pub options from the kitchen include house-smoked BBQ, a hefty white cheddar chili aïoli burger and a smoky pulled pork stuffed naan with cucumber and tzatziki. Of the lighter fare we preferred the citrus ahi tartare with micro cilantro and the nutty roasted beet salad with quinoa and goat cheese to the heavily-salted shishito chiles. Cap off the meal with NY cherry cheesecake, a chocolate chunk cookie or pots de crème. Small groups should angle to be seated at Hopkinson’s father’s workbench on the mezzanine.