The Barley Mow Craft Beer House

Bar, Beer-to-go

719 Penn Ave
West Reading, Pennsylvania, 19611-1005
United States

(484) 926-2094 | map
barleymowbeer.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.35
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
34
pDev:
11.49%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by yourefragile:
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Rated by yourefragile from District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -13.8%

Jun 28, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of TheIPAHunter
Reviewed by TheIPAHunter from California

3.86/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Hipster vibes all-around w/ a solid menu to boot. They have a nice array of rotating beers on tap, and they have a grab & go cooler w/ myriad options to include some of the hype beers that aren't widely available. Definitely worth a look if in the West Reading area.
Oct 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.76 by Stofko1992 from Pennsylvania

May 11, 2018
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Reviewed by JNForsyth from Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Small bottle shop, only parking option is on the street out front as far as I know which can be tricky at times. Tiny bar area (4 seats) but other seats spread inside and outside. Ok selection for the area, not sure if there's any rhyme or reason to where bottles are placed on the shelf but everything is easy to see and prices are marked on each bottle. Some interesting options on draft, staff is super knowledgeable and attentive. Will try to stop here from now on when I pass through Reading.
Oct 05, 2016
 
Rated: 4.19 by AMarkle6524 from Pennsylvania

Sep 18, 2016
 
Rated: 5 by BroadStBrewing from Pennsylvania

Aug 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.86 by Beersmoke from New York

May 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.01 by dodge408 from Pennsylvania

Jan 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.64 by Njod2003 from Pennsylvania

Jan 02, 2016
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Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -12%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75
Quick stop this weekend to see what this place was like. Fairly concise tap list unfortunately the brew I wanted to try most was taken off the taps as there was an issue with the keg. Bottle shop area is a little tight but they had a good selection compared to what im use to seeing in the Harrisburg area. Prices seemed consistent with other places in the area. While the bar/bottle shop area is a little tight, they got some extra over-flow room out front. Not a bad little shop, its close enough to some other must see spots so its something id likely check out again when im in the area.
Dec 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.54 by tvghost from Pennsylvania

Nov 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.71 by Ralphs66 from New York

Sep 02, 2015
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

4.26/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
I stopped in briefly after having some food and beer at Chatty Monk's nearby. The place has a nice area to drink and socialize in the front with stairs and the tap/bottle area upstairs. The selection is good but a little pricey as you might expect from PA bottle shops. I enjoyed a draft of Cigar City on Nitro and bought a mix-a-six with some Heretic, Victory and Siren beers. I would say check Barley Mow out as they sell growlers and it is a convenient location in West Ready with some very tasty beers.
Jul 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.51 by SharkNado from Pennsylvania

Jul 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Cath from New York

Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.82 by IPAchris from Pennsylvania

Jan 27, 2015
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Reviewed by JJKBeerLvr from Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +5.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
This is a great place with beer on sale from their taps, as well as bottles. The environment is casual with stools at the bar, plush lounge chairs, and tables to sample and drink their beers.

Great variety of craft beer for sale. I enjoyed just walking around checking out all of the different bottled beers for sale.

They have refrigeration units if you want beer that is already chilled.

The variety of beers on tap is nice. There is always something new to enjoy, both from brewers I know and new brewers.

The owners are knowledgeable and very friendly. We enjoyed talking to them about the different styles of beers as well as the different brewers.

The puppy was fun to play with too! He's a miniature Australian Shepherd who is very friendly and playful.

I live an hour away, but will be back.
Jan 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by ShanePB from Pennsylvania

Jan 02, 2015
Photo of Blaze5445
Reviewed by Blaze5445 from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.9%
First off the decor and overall look of the place is great. It is very inviting and fits West Reading like a glove. The taps are always rotating and there is always something for everyone. Each time I have visited the owners have had a smile on their face and offered help if you need it. They are knowledgeable as well. They are some things that has lacked in this area. Along with Ganly's it is nice to see some awesome spots to get craft beer. Cheers
Dec 03, 2014
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Rated by chefhatt from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -8%
Great selection and rotating taps
knowledgeable staff.
Dec 03, 2014
Photo of Psupunk
Reviewed by Psupunk from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
I'd give it a higher rating if their bottle prices would be more comparible to other local bottle shops. However, the tap list is awesome and always changing and its usually not stuff you will find on tap at other local places.
Nov 17, 2014
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Reviewed by BrianBoruma from Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +9.2%
So the food is snack fare, but not bad.

The beer selection is great.

Their draft stuff is a constant rotation, so if you see something you like order it as it will likely be gone by the time you come back. Their prices are extremely reasonable.

The staff are all super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about not only what they're pouring, but the local beer scene and craft beer in general. They're happy to make recommendations if you're looking for something special and are really devoted to spreading the love and knowledge of craft beer. A great place to grab a beer and spend an hour chatting.
Oct 13, 2014
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Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -16.1%
First time visit yesterday evening. Of the ten taps, about half were pumpkin, a style I dont care for. That's just me, but seemed too many for one style.. A Boulevard was on, so that's a win anyday.

Place is essentially a house, and so the bottle area is very small, though packed. The aisles are very narrow. I am not a small gent at all, so a lot of tight space squatting squinting and searching. Hard to figure out best by dates without blocking traffic. Did find some out of date stuff. But picked up some new stuff, as well as a few old favs, so left fairly content.
Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Furley80 from Pennsylvania

Sep 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.72 by Jake12

Aug 26, 2014
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Reviewed by Beastcpa from Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.9%
This place is awesome. A very relaxed atmosphere designed for any age group to relax, mingle, and share great beer. It has allowed me to add several dozen beers to my listing and the constantly changing selection is refreshing. Go to this place if you like a reasonable priced mix and max 6 pack beyond compare, a good variety of beer, and a very clean ,well maintained locale.
Aug 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Barleycorn from Pennsylvania

Aug 16, 2014
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Reviewed by PTEdelman from Pennsylvania

4.37/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
Great spot in West Reading. Tap list and bottle offerings are constantly changing and unique. Very friendly, knowledgable owners. Also a great location to have a pint, pick up a couple beers to go and visit one of the many BYOB restaurants down the street.
Jul 20, 2014
Photo of Greenplastic615
Reviewed by Greenplastic615 from Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 5 | selection: 3
I was a little skeptical at first - when they opened, it was 4 taps for growlers and a fairly limited selection of bottles. I really wanted to like it because it's 5 minutes from my house, but after stopping by in their opening week, I left feeling I wouldn't be back often.

Fast forward a few months, and they really have their stuff together. While the selection is still small (no imports, mostly focused on PA breweries), they've managed to create a great atmosphere for enjoying a beer and picking up some nice locals. They're recently expanded to 10 indoor taps and 4 outdoor taps in the back patio-like area. The draft prices are extremely reasonable ($4 for a 19oz pour of Dock Street Rye IPA?! Yes!), growler prices are good, and bottle prices are fair for the area.

Sure, I'd love for this place to have more non-local bottles available, but for a place focused on the PA beer scene, they're doing a great job. The owners are really nice, and I find myself stopping in for a pint or growler with regularity, even if I don't leave with bottles to-go. Definitely not the shop for walesbro, but if you're in the Reading area and want a good place to have a beer and spend a half hour, I recommend The Barley Mow.
Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by sdaly3 from New Hampshire

Jul 14, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by Shad_dahs from Pennsylvania

Jun 27, 2014
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Reviewed by JTO_Read_PA from Pennsylvania

4.57/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Very good beer selection, reasonable prices. Went with friends, sat outside on the patio and enjoyed some brews...very good draft selection for everyone and excellent beer selection for bottles...good pricing on buying bottles to go... i'll go back again...cool place !
Jun 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by TimoP from Pennsylvania

May 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.85 by DLSheidy from Pennsylvania

Mar 29, 2014
The Barley Mow Craft Beer House in West Reading, PA
Place rating: 4.35 out of 5 with 34 ratings