Barley Pub (Dover NH) Expanding

I heard this as well. Here is an article from Foster's about the move:

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120821/GJNEWS_01/708219938

 

I love the comfortable, exceedingly laid-back, dive feel of the old (current) Barley Pub. It's one of the absolute least pretentious and most fun places to enjoy a good beer, in my book, and is an old favorite. I remember my first visit, which was over five years ago, the night before I left for a semester abroad. It was a bittersweet time, and I feel the same way now.

I'll miss the old space, but the new spot is unbeatable in Dover. I had the good fortunate of never visiting RJ's, so I'm not sure what the new space is like inside, but if it's anything like the exterior, it's going to be very nice. I hope--and I expect--that the new Barley Pub will have the same laid-back, welcoming feeling of the original, whether it's as comfortably divey or not.

The idea of the Barley Pub become a brewpub, though, is especially exciting. I can't think of the last time a brewpub opened in New England. I think the last one that opened in New Hampshire was Moat Mountain, 12 years ago now. As glad as I am to see plenty of quality new nano-breweries in the region, I always love a place where I can drink at the source. I thought that era of craft brewing was over, so I'll be stoked if the Barley Pub becomes the Barley Brewpub or something. I also hope that they'll keep up their stellar draft offerings from elsewhere, too.

So many changes in the NH beer scene lately... Tod Mott and Will Gilson leaving, along with Bill Dunn of Elm City in Keene, all of whom have been succeeded by their former apprentices. And with Prodigal, Blue Lobster, Earth Eagle, Henniker and Great Rhythm opening soon (or hugely expanding production in the case of Prodigal), it's definitely an exciting time for beer in NH. I'll miss the old Barley Pub, but I'm looking forward to drinking beer from those and other breweries--and maybe even some house-brewed beer--in the new Barley Pub.

 

From the photos, the space--and the beer list and menu--look very good. The space reminds me a bit of the Publick House and Lord Hobo, a far cry from the old Barley Pub, which I also loved. The old place fit in with some of the more with quirky, cluttered, somewhat divey and exceedingly laid-back places I love--Eli Cannon's, the Great Lost Bear, and so on--and I'm really going to miss it. It was a type of super laid-back, entirely unpretentious bar that predominates in New Hampshire, and none pulled it off as well as the old Barley Pub. I'll reserve judgement until I visit this weekend, but from what I've seen, it seems like the Barley Pub is growing up at the same time that the New Hampshire beer scene is. There are plenty of bars I love in the state, but New Hampshire hasn't had the sort of grown-up but unpretentious beer bar along the likes of the Publick House, Lord Hobo, Novare Res, American Flatbread Burlington Hearth or the Black Birch. It looks like the new Barley Pub fits that bill--and while I'm really going to miss the old space and vibe, I'm also really looking forward to checking out the new one.

 

The couches are still there along with the fireplace. They are around the corner near the windows in a section that has the old wood planks on the wall from the original pub.

 

I stopped in for a couple pints last night, and I've got to see the new place is great. Again, I loved the old place, especially the vibe, but I also loved the new place. We had to wait--only a couple minutes--to get in due to them being at capacity, which is a good sign for business, and I hope it keeps up.

The space itself is very cool, with the big windows looking over the street, the long high communal tables when you come in, the atrium and mobile above the pool table, the beautiful bar area with the chalkboard and old tap handles above, and the tables from the old pub along the wall of windows. My favorite area, though, is around the fireplace, with the old couches and even some of the paneling from the old pub. It's a new space and a different (but still very good vibe), but I love that they've brought some of the old place with them. And the collection of different seating areas is very cool, too.

We didn't eat, but the menu looked very good. And with stuff like a duck confit sandwich for $7.50, I'm really looking forward to trying it out. The beer list was very impressive--easily the best in the state, with about 30 taps ranging from local standbys like Smutty IPA, to rarities like Zinneke and Lindz, to big name beer from farther afield like Union Jack and so on. It was very impressive, all very reasonably priced, and featured a wide variety in terms of styles, local vs. national, and so on. I'm really excited to see some of the stuff that rotates, and to see some of the specialty local offerings, like the Redhook Ben Harris Beer and the 2008 Smutty Wheat Wine.

The crowd was good, too--mostly young but pretty mixed. It was louder and more crowded than many nights at the old Barley Pub, but still laid-back and seemed like a solid crowd. It will be even more of a draw once they start brewing some of their own beer, but I think it's a destination as it is. The beer list is one of the only I've ever seen in New Hampshire that would be impressive in a place like Boston, and the space and vibe are very laid-back, but more grown-up for lack of a better term than any other beer bar that I can think of in the state.

 

Any word on how they are doing... They have minimal presence online. Was thinking of hitting them up tonight.

 

Hit them up, aweome beer list, great food. We were there on Sunday.

 

Glad I am here... A must visit if in or near Dover.

 

Why are you in my home town (and current town) of Dover, NH on this lovely evening?

 

Spur of the moment trip to visit a friend, love checking out New England towns I have never been to ... and whatever beer centric stuff available.

 

Sounds like you missed the old Barley Pub, which was also great in a sort of lived-in divey way, but the new spot is really nice: no place else like it in New Hampshire.