Last night, my partner and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend opening night at Barren Hill Tavern & Brewery. Having moved to the area six months ago, we have been watching the progress of this establishment with great anticipation. After a wonderful evening of unique beers and tasty fare topped only by the tremendous service, we would certainly recommend this gem to devoted Lafayetters, newcomers to the neighborhood, history buffs, Wallace followers, and everyone in between.
One hour after opening, we walked into a packed house both in the bar and the restaurant. Taking our seats at the bar, several locals of the prior fixture confirmed how, as expected, Erin Wallace and her team had done a beautiful job to maintain so much of the loved General Lafayette Inn ambience and features while updating this 282-year-old establishment. With craft beer familiars both in attendance and behind the bar, we set upon making our way through the many delicacies Barren Hill had to offer.
The Tavern offers at least 18 rotating guest taps, currently including local favorites like Free Will Brewing Company, Dogfish Brewing Company and Yards Brewing Company, but we kept our tastes to their 12 current flavors brewed in house, led by the talented Scott Morrison (see Amy Strauss’ interview with the brewer). Picking favorites was tough as there did not appear to be a bad beer in the house. Here’s what we tasted:
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Imperial Vanilla Stout: not sweet as I feared. Delicious flavor almost like French toast. Tied for “favorite taste”!
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Pilsner IPA: a fresh, crisp lager with a malty ale finish.
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Biere d’Octobre: positively maltier than others of the season.
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Edel-Helles: described as “for the lighter side,” this beer was surprisingly flavorful.
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Burton IPA: nailed the English hand pump flavor with a noted chill and crispness. Favorite “all-day drinker”!
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Berliner Double Weisse: Light, tart and citrusy. The malt matches the double of its name.
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Baltic Porter: chocolate-like flavors were stronger than the porter-like roast taste expected. Tied for “favorite taste”!
We hear flights are on their way very soon so we will be able to try the five other brews currently available. I am most excited about the Black Rye Double IPA.
The food was as delectable and sharp as the beer, and whatever we ordered came out hot, snappy, and plentiful. Our shared starter of Welsh Rarebit was a meal in itself.
The bacon jam complimented the roasted turkey sandwich entrée without overwhelming, and the tomatoes were fresh. Massive shrimp steamed in beer were perfectly cooked. The spicy ale BBQ sauce should be bottled as when we ran out of shrimp and butter-grilled fresh bread, we started using the fries as dippers until we could no longer eat.
Head Chef Paul Trowbridge has created a unique menu, and I look forward to my next tastes: perhaps the carpaccio or the grilled radicchio salad to start? If there was room to spare, perhaps a Waygu burger or porchetta sandwich for a main?
A great night was had by all, and, when we left at 10 p.m., the joint was still heaving. It was obvious that everything the team had done to renew this venue has certainly paid off, and many are excited for its presence in Lafayette Hill. Note to former Inn regulars: they’ve kept your mugs for you and hope you’ll swing by to claim them.
We enjoyed everything about the evening, and I am certainly looking forward to our return. Nicely done!
Barren Hill Tavern & Brewery is located at 646 Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill, (484) 344-5438.
