I love this place! We always come here when a family member comes to visit. My favorite food is pulled pork sandwiches and they have these yummy pulled pork sliders that do not disappoint.... Well, they are missing coleslaw, but they are still really good! The french fries with garlic added on are delicious. I have never had the burger, but members of my family seem to enjoy them. Though I am not yet 21, I can't wait till I can go here and choose a brew from their large selection. They always give my [lightweight] sister good advice on their light beers. Everything I've had here is really good basically so I definitely recommend it. Once I was waiting for my family and sat at the bar for a good 20 minutes and no one bothered me so that was nice! Granted, I did tell the bartender I was waiting for them. The service here is absolutely wonderful, as with the food. I know that I look forward to my next meal here.
Review Source:Cute place with tons of beer choices! That alone will send me back regardless. We were greeted quickly and with a smile. We chose our own seats and we got our beverages quickly. The waitress even asked if we wanted to switch to a window seat next to an open window to be cooler once she cleared it off. I really appreciated this.
We started with cheddar biscuits. They were yummy, the "herbed butter" just tasted like butter. I had the french dip with garlic fries. It was nothing special-kinda bland. The best thing on my plate- the home made pickles! My boyfriend had a bacon cheese burger and he did not complain. But he rarely does.
Next time I will try one of their salads or just go with a burger. Perfect place if you love beer and are in the area!
My boyfriend and I ABSOLUTLY love this place. I am a local to Bodega Bay and there is no place out here like barley and hops. The food is always so tasteful and the selection of local beers is awesome! I love that they always seem to have Pliney the Elder from russian river brewery. The servers there are always on point and are very attentive to the customers. I highly reccommend this place to all my clients and friends. Try their chocolate moouse dessert...it is soooo good!
Review Source:Spontaneous trip from San Rafael on a day my kids played a little hooky from school.  First stop mix in ice cream in Guerneville, then off to find an adult treat in a joint that could accommodate a couple of rampaging hooligans.  We were immediately impressed with the service, the spaciousness and the awesome beer selection with a very informative beer menu (my wife wanted to nick it but restrained herself  ;-)  )  Me, I went with Pliny on draught and the waitress made another stellar recommendation.  Kids dug into what they termed an "epic" burger and I snagged a bunch of their rockin fries.  My wife and I are vegetarian so we weren't sure it would be a good match but there were a few options.  The spinach salad was big enough to share and the curry had a kick to it.  Unfortunately the squash curry was exactly as advertised, squash and curry, no frills. Another vegetable or two would have rounded out the dish a bit.  Ultimately this place has the potential for I five but I usually don't give those until I have been back a few times and the place shows some consistency.  Fortunately for Barley and Hops I am pretty sure they will get the opportunity to earn star #5 as I will definitely be back.
Review Source:I came here with my Aunt because she had been there before and really loved the fries. Â Service is ok. Â We wanted to sit in the dining area and the bar tender told us someone would be with us shortly. Â We stood around in the first small room for a while before just deciding to seat ourselves. Â The waitress came out from the back a few minutes later. Â She was a different person from the bartender but there was no one else in the dinning room so I am not sure what she was doing in the back. Â
I enjoyed the selection of options on draft. Â It was a good variety and lots of interesting craft choices. Â This would be a great place to go for happy hour but not a place I would seek out for a full meal.
The fries were good. Â We got the ones with cheese and bacon. Â They were well cooked and not greasy which was surprising because the onion rings that I got with my burger were. Â Maybe the fryer oil had not come back up to temperature before they cooked the onion rings but the difference was stark. Â
I ordered the mushroom burger and onion rings. Â The burger was decent but not amazing. Â The bun was dry and over large so the ratio between meat and bun was off. Â The meat itself was good but not amazing. Â With the number of gourmet burgers restaurants popping up, places like this really need to step up in order to compete. Â As I said before the onion rings were greasy and soggy. Â Also, they were large but maybe only four or five came with my order. Â
Fries get five stars, service and burger gets 3 stars, and onion rings get 1 star. Â Average of three stars.
Wow! Â What a treat! Â This place is every person's delight!! Â It has food for everyone: Meat eaters, Gluten Free, Vegan, and it all tastes GREAT!!!! Â OH YEAH!!!!! They have fabulous beer selection!!! Â Lots of local beer on tap and in the bottle. Â They also have a lot of great beers from Germany and other far off lands that create delightful treats. Â
The kitchen staff creates flavors from Asia, India, England, and American, then fuzzes them together or separately depending on your preferences. Â
The wait staff was personal and funny. Â They made our experience unforgettable. Â
The prices where very fair. Â If anything we are getting the better deal. Â
Overall, I cannot wait to take my friends and family here!! Â Going to Occidental is always a treat for guests, but now it will be an unforgettable experience.
My son and I walked in mid afternoon for a quick bite.  We were dismayed when we realized that the other 5 tables with people sitting at them were all looking at menus - which meant we had all arrived at the same time.  Figured it was going to be a long wait but to our surprise the single waitress was amazing and had orders in and food served within 15 minutes for everyone.  I've never seen a waitress move so fast - very impressive.  Now, about the food which wasn't completely impressive.  Since I'm not a beer drinker  I asked for a diet coke.  They only serve Diet Rite!!  Nobody drinks that stuff.  So, you have all of these gourmet beers but you can't serve decent soda?????  So, I had water.  Then we ordered fish and chips and a burger.   I had a bite of my son's fish and chips - excellent!!  I only wish that's what I had ordered.  But I didn't - I ordered the basic burger - out came a very large, cold, bare onion roll with a tiny little beef patty (looked like the size you get at Burger King).  Absolutely nothing on it - no onion, no tomato and a small piece of lettuce on the side.  It was awful.  I would have been better off if I had gone to Burger King.  So, 4 star service, 4 star fish and chips but 1 star burger and soda = 3 stars.
Response to managers response:
1. Can't you offer a can of soda instead of inferior fountain soda?
2. While I appreciate your not wanting to waste food, your waitress never mentioned that there were options available for my burger. Â Mustard and mayo would feel natural to ask for if forgotten but in all my years of eating out I have never had to ask for onion or tomato so, foolish me, I figured the way you served it was the way you meant it to be.
I can understand an owners frustration with yelp that is why I was very careful to state the good things also - great waitress, great fish and chips. Â However, yelp is a wonderful tool for customers looking for good food. Â We never would have entered your establishment if we hadn't read you mostly favorable reviews. Â And, we will be back but this time I am ordering the fish and chips. Â It can also be a help to owners to read people's complaints.
The food is 5 star (Fish tacos, Gravenstein Burger, Death & Taxes Mousse) The beer is 5 star. Funky West County vibe.The service tonight (a Monday) was 1 star. Â
We sat for almost 30 minutes with empty plates and empty beers before she came back and then it was to bring our bill not ask if we wanted anything else. When we hesitated over ordering a beer, she ripped up the bill and then we were committed. Â We should have just left...20 minutes later she came back and said "Oh yeah, I was grabbing you the mousse. Â Another 10 minutes that showed up (seriously, it was in the fridge and did not need any prep!). Â Then we sat for at least 10 more minutes before we got our revised bill.
After two hours of ziplining fun we were famished. Â Headed to the tavern for some fatty burgers, tasty fries and some good beer. Â We had the hell or high watermelon ale, the heroine and the ace of joker. Â We liked the heroine the least. Â
After getting a lil fazed, we finally got food in our bellies which included the yummy and loaded guacamole burger, the dehart, fish and chips, and the French dip au jus. Looking around the table you can tell which meal was massacred. Â Not a trace of the guac burgers, french dip and fish and chips on the plates. Only the dehart sandwiches were left standing. Â The grilled chicken and the sourdough roll were dry, but the wine poached pears paired with Brie were nice. Â
Those that know me know that I love love potatoes! Unfortunately, the garlic fries were super potent and a bit on the salty side. Â
Overall, it filled our rumbling bellies just fine for 3.5 stars.
Yelpsop's Fables
"The Occidental tourist"
One early summer afternoon when the sun beat down upon the Sonoma flatlands, a thirsty traveler arrived in the little town of Occidental. It was past the time for lunch but not yet dinner. She'd filled up on bed-and-breakfast fare before leaving Kenwood a few hours earlier and wasn't yet ready for a sit-down meal (planned for Bodega Bay, in any case). But she was thirsty! So, with this in mind, the Occidental tourist entered the Barlet and Hops Tavern. Immediately she zeroed in on a wooden table for two in a side room from the bar, where huge open windows let in a cooling crosswind. She settled into the chair and wondered, what should I order? I am not hungry enough for a big meal, but I could use a little refresher from the rigors of the road.
Fortunately, the B&H was well prepared with housemade soft pretzels, from-scratch biscuits, and ample amounts of freshly brewed craft beer on tap. So, she and her traveling companion, who was equally thirsty and beer-starved, ordered a Lagunitas Pilsner and a Pliny the Elder along with said pretzel and side order of biscuits.
And then they waited.
But the waiting was part of the pleasure, because in truth they needed the rest. While they sipped cold beer in eager anticipation of the biscuits and Bretzel (German-style with grainy mustard), they listened in to a group of leather-clad Harley riders discussing what to do when a bee gets under your riding gear. This is exactly what they were talking about!
When the pretzel and biscuits arrived, the Occidental tourist and her intrepid traveling companion enjoyed them thoroughly. They hit all the right spots - piping hot and oven fresh, they made the perfect accompaniment to the exqusitely prepared and wonderfully cold craft beers.
So, if you are caught in the "in-between" hours while on the road in Sonoma County and need a cool refreshing break, then you could do much worse than pull off the road in Occidental for a short beer break. Even if you're not hungry enough for a full meal.
Moral: Eating out is not just about breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sometimes the best meals come in the moments in-between, when all that is needed is a little break, some cold beer, and warm biscuits.
And a fresh pretzel doesn't hurt, either!
I went to Barley and Hops last night with a group of friends for dinner and the food was amazing! Â We had the house smoked ribs, fish and chips, the Dehart sandwich, steak salad, and the lemon yogurt bunt cake. Â
All of the food had wonderful flavor and the ribs and cake were over the top fantastic!
In addition to the good food we also had great service. Â I will definitely be coming back and often.
We found BARLEY AND HOPS TAVERN here on Yelp while away in Bodega Bay. It said Occidental was about 20 minutes away, and that wasn't a lie. But taking the Bohemian Highway into Occidental was like traveling into another universe. And it was totally cool. Occidental was a throwback. It is Berkeley meets Santa Cruz Mountain. Lots of hippies with their dreads and tats. I soaked in the culture.
Barley and Hops is in an old Victorian home, with a bar on one side and seating on the other. My wife and I shared a hot and fresh Pretzel with homemade mustard as an app. It was so delicious - my wife LOVE pretzels and called this her favorite ever. I washed it down with a Pliny The Elder.
For our main course, I had the Chris Woods Burger - which was cheddar, bacon and beer-b-q sauce on a fresh onion roll. I paired it with a side of onion rings and a second Pliny. My wife got the Pulled Pork Sliders with fries, and they were amazing!
We were both happy with our meal and experience. I totally recommend this joint if you want to eat somewhere that isn't stuffy and overpriced near Bodega Bay.
4.25 stars.
I've been meaning to write a 4 star review for the last year of this place and then of course the new menu change has prompted me to write now. I have seen some restaurants doing extremely well and for some reason seem to feel they need to ramp up the menu or change it in some way either to cut costs or "up their game" while in the mean time they are already doing fantastic. Â Also let me state that the 3 star rating is because our server was wonderful and was very attentive so instead of a 2 star rating, they get a 3 star rating.
The owners passion for beer is second to non. He has a great understanding for the nectar of the gods and knows his business! The food to me is whats starting to slide. Besides the opportunity to push the prices up, they have seem to take a step back from quality or maybe it's lack of experience. Either way the food is coming out sloppy and ill prepared. Or maybe it was just this last time I went. To me. Fried food (ie fish and chip, onion rings) should have a seared crunchy outside and a piping hot inside. We got our fish and chips and rings and they were soggy. I also had the barely legal fries and them too were soggy. Get the fried food out quickly. Really.
I do however need to pay homage to the fact that they source all their food ingredient's from either their own garden or local farms! They pickle their own veggies also.
I say if you're a beer enthusiast, Â Take the time to go out (nice drive) and experience it for yourself.
Multiple vegan options at this out of the way tavern? Sign me up!
Unfortunately for me, I think I chose poorly - I could have gotten the soup or any of the burgers (with the house made vegan burger), but I got the Tuscan bean stew with kale and polenta. When I think of a kale dish, I am not messing around! One leaf does not cut it! People who are less fanatical about greens will be pleased, however. The polenta was dry and the dish overall was bland. It was okay but nothing special. I'm always down for a house made vegan burger though, so I'll order that next time.
The beer options are plentiful and varied but as I was the driver I did not imbibe. My traveling companions, however, were pleased! We did, in fact, return on another day but it turned out they were closed (Tuesday) - and it turns out we lucked out popping in as they aren't always open for lunch!
I'm going to give it 4.5*.
A friend recommended this place. Â We don't get over to this part of the woods often enough but, after coming in a sun drenched ideal March day this will be a destination every month or so.
We arrived in Occidental and there was a big festival going on for someone who passed away, there was a live band, a caterer cooking up two big (and I mean freakin huge) pans of paella in a parking lot in front of the tavern. Â We tried the paella for a donation to the memorial, in addition to our food at Barley and Hops. Â OK let's get to the review.
Who would have thought the food would be so good at this place. Â The front porch is dog friendly and we had along our trusted Basset Hound so this was the perfect setting. Â The beers on tap were a good variety as I got a 1/2 pint of Pliny the Elder and a Lagunitas pilsner. Â I think the pilsner was $4 and the Pliny the Elder was $3. Â Both reasonably price since other places would charge several dollars more.
We ordered the Occidental Burger and Fish & Chips. Â Both were so good. Â They make their own bread for the burger along with the pickles they make there (or should I say pickle there). Â The burger was cook nicely, not overdone like many places tend to do and the roll was toasted nicly which is a bonus. Â The batter on the fish had a nice crunchy texture and wasn't greasy at all. Â The fries, Oh Lordy, the fries were amazing. Â The were salted to perfection and had a great crunch without being soaking with grease. Â
This is a great place to have lunch if you're up in the area or make a special trip to check out the funky little town and have a good inexpensive lunch. Â But only open for lunch on weekends otherwise get a beer during the week.
I highly recommend Barley & Hops Tavern. The service was great  & the food was even better. Â
They had a large selection of micro brews, our waitress was friendly & had a pretty good knowlede of the beers they served. Â I will definitely go there again next time we are in the neighborhood.
Waitress forgot to mention that two of their "specials" were out of stock, and also the pulled pork sandwich. Â She apologized, but did it a few minutes later to another group that I could overhear. Â She also forgot to put in our appetizer until I reminded her after our food was already out.
Got a Pliny the Elder on tap, tasted a little off (I've enjoyed Pliny at many establishments).
I settled for a BBQ burger. Â The bun has not one but two human hairs (gross). My girlfriend's beer had a bug swimming in it. Â
My sister said the garlic fries were a heavy imbalanced, where they just dump a cup of garlic/oil on the fries and they settle weird, nothing on top, it's all at the bottom!
Stay far, far, away!
Edit: Â Just look at the comment responses for not only mine but all of the other "bad reviews" and you'll get the hint.
I've been wanting to come up and try this place ever since it opened, but never got around to it until this weekend. Â It was my buddy Dave's birthday and he's an Irishman who loves his beer. Â Noah, fellow Jew and owner of this place, knows his beer. Â Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to plan a birthday dinner for Dave at Barley and Hops. Â And am I glad I did!
The beer alone was worth the price of admission (which, incidentally, is $0). Â They've got a great selection of draft and bottled beers, and a few of us walked out with new favorites. Â I personally loved Toast. Â
The food was fantastic as well! Â From the Bavarian pretzels, chicken wings, cheddar beer biscuits and blaukraut we had as our appetizers to the burgers, pork chops, short ribs and trip tip sandwiches we had as our entrees, everything was delicious and totally worth the wait.
My only complaint about this place is that it's 90 minutes out of town. Â But whatevs...it's a nice drive and Occidental's a cute little town. Â Can't wait to go back!
Spent New Years Eve at Barley and Hops and we are big-time fans now!
Beer selection: AMAZING! Â Not may places can you find Pliney the Elder on draft along with a great selection of craft brews. Â There were some larger names like Sierra Nevada but it was the Celebration Ale, not the standard Pale, on draft. Â The Moonlight Brewing offerings of Toast and Death and Taxes were two of my favorites.
Food: We started off with two 6-piece hot wing orders, one set of the "Barely Legal" and one set of the BBQ. Â The Barely Legal was suppose to be super super spicy but really wasn't that hot - a good burn of Franks and perhaps an Habanero pepper. Â The BBQ wings were as advertised - sweet and smokey. Â While I was very sad that they were sold out of the crab cakes entree that were a special feature, the Elbows and Cheese with bacon was sinfully good! Â Think about the best mac and cheese you have ever had, add more cream cheese plus crispy bacon and a pretzel crumble on-top. Â Epic! Â Others at the table had the Three Little Pigs (pulled pork sliders), Tuscan White Bean and Polenta Stew, and the Pulled Pork Cuban Sandwich. Â Everyone was pleased with their menu choices. Â
We enjoyed the live Blues band that was there performing that night and the wait staff were eager to please and friendly.
We were traveling from Petaluma to Fort Ross and needed a dinner break. We found this place on Yelp and decided to stop.
It is a small place, definitely local. The beer list is extensive, and the bartender was knowledgeable a out the beer selection. The menu was pretty standard. My husband got a burger, and I got a bacon sandwich. I was really excited about the bacon sandwich, since it was thick cut local bacon. What I had was not what I expected. It was really thick cut. Like slabs of pork fat. it was hard to cut through, and fell apart as I ate it. It was just too much and too smoky and not appetizing. And I love bacon, so you can imagine how disappointed I was.
The price was a little high for the meal. But I guess when you are driving through an area where towns are few and far between, you don't have much choice!
It's also got a very local vibe. It is a converted old house with a small bar area, and then a dining area sectioned off on the other side. we felt a little out of place as you could see the "regulars" at the bar. One of the people at the bar (maybe an off duty employee) kept insinuating that the vibe was too boring and too low key and was trying to be loud and get the crowd excited. It was only 5:30, and the rest of the people in the bar area were obviously just passing through for a meal, not to get rowdy!!
I've seen this building change owners/businesses over the last 20 years. Barley and Hops is easily the most successful business to ever grace this building.
Great beer selection, amazing food, cute servers...
I guess it helps that I live about 2 miles away, but this is arguably the best place to spend your dollar, in Occidental.
I am not alone when saying the buns that they use on their burgers, are the tastiest buns I've ever had. Amongst anything else, Oktoberfest is the time to come here. Order a  huge Stein of German beer with one of the German dinners. Amazing ;)
Sorry to rain on the parade, but based on my first visit, not impressed!
I ordered a veggie burger to-go with onion rings. When you walk in, you're greeted by a long, narrow staircase and the bar is to your right, dining room to your left. It has a very cozy and homey feel. There appeared to be one person working and she called out to me if I had ordered to-go. She was very friendly and was running around serving all the bar customers as well as a couple families and couples eating in the dining room. Definitely give her props for her smile and hustle!
Food took probably 15 minutes..the patty itself seemed to be made of lentils and brown rice smashed together. It tasted very healthy and fell apart almost immediately. The patty was topped with sauteed 'shrooms and swiss. It came with a side of field greens, sweet cucumbers and tomato slices. It was almost a side salad rather than burger toppings..I ended up eating it as such. The burger was very messy and awkward to eat since the patty fell apart. Probably the best part was the onion encrusted bun. The onion rings were huge and EXTREMELY greasy. The left a really gross taste in my mouth and I felt heavy and bloated after eating them :( Also, they were thrown in one big box so they got a little soggy and made everything greasy.
I'll definitely be back. I just read about the pretzel chicken salad on BiteClub, so I'll try that next time! But I can't recommend the veggie burger or onion rings-- blehh.
We unexpectedly came upon this fantastic place on a bike ride from Guerneville to Bodega Bay -- needless to say our ride stopped here, and I blame/thank Barley and Hops. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon so we shared the bar with a handful of locals and the super friendly bartender. In addition to the FANTASTIC array of beers on tap, the kitchen produced an equally awesome lunch. The corned beef sandwich was simply one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.
If you're a fan of great beer, fantastic food and good people -- this place is a must.
I'm a Sonoma County native who moved up to Portland for the rain and (I thought) the beer. What was I thinking?! I stopped at Barley and Hops with my brand-spankin'-new husband and a friend from Portland after a day gallivanting through the redwoods and along the beautiful Sonoma coast. While I loved the trees and beaches, our stop here was certainly the best part of the day. A pint of Pliny had me grinning like an idiot, the mac & cheese was oh-so-comforting (OH MY GOD! HEAVEN IN A BOWL!), and a sip of my friend's Death & Taxes made me want to hurl her out the front door so I could have it all for myself. (It was okay though, we split some Death & Taxes mousse for dessert and it calmed me down.) Â Our server was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the beer, and an ex-Portlander to boot! It was, all around, an excellent meal.
I'm already planning a return trip.
Could somebody please kick me for NOT taking a picture of my dinner salad? Â Or even getting the name of our sweet waitress?
My dinner salad had tri tip. Â Or steak. Â It was DEEEE-licious! Â The service was perfection. Â
Husband and I were in the area for an overnighter and stopped in here for dinner with friends. Â The beer menu was an eyeful for my husband. Â It was as long as the dinner menu.
This establishment is HIGHLY recommended.
We came in late one night. A big group of us has been trekking around all day. We had been around Bodega Bay, down the beach at Goat's Head and through a good part of Armstrong National Reserve and we were ready for a good meal. Lucky for us we found it at Barley and Hops!
The kitchen was closed or closing when we got there, but they fired it back up for our group. The owner was our server and he was very personable, funny and really loved his menu.
The menu ranged from lighter salads to shepard's pie, but I opted for the moderate Red Snapper sandwich with a side salad. It was flavorful, juicy and the bread was perfect. It was a bit messy, but I needed something to devour at that point in the night and it fit the bill. The salad was chock-full of amazing pickled bits - mushrooms, onions, green beans and whatever else is delicious. :) Everyone else enjoyed their meals and we finished with decadent blueberry pie that wasn't too sweet or too bread-y. Also, they had Pliny the Elder on tap, so...yeah!
I wish I didn't live on the other side of the continent because I'd love to try the 'beer'n'pretzel' chicken! I mean, doesn't that just sound like heaven?!?
Okay, so I like visiting little Occidental as it is because it is so kick back out there. Now I have one more reason to make the trip. This place alone is worth it. The joint looks like a renovated historic home and we are sitting in the living room that was converted into a beautiful bar, full of beer of all kinds and local wines.
I really like that they have Pliny the Elder on tap. We both enjoyed our burger and fish and chips to no end. Very well done. We came for the beer and the food exceeded our expectations. It was an altogether complete success.
If a Red Snapper ever tasted a bite of Barley and Hops' fish and chips, he'd be lining up an ocean full of his Red Snapper buddies to get all beer-battered and fried. Â I've had fish and chips in gritty London pubs, in Boston seafood joints, in restaurants all along the California coast, and in many a misguided spot in between. Â Nowhere--let me reiterate, NOWHERE--have I had a morsel so buttery-flaky-flavorful-fine as a bite of Barley and Hops' fish and chips. Â If the Lord Almighty commissioned his only son to fry up a batch, I doubt he could achieve something so sublimely divine.
I've been to the tavern twice now: Â once last 4th of July weekend and more recently over Easter break. Â I had the fortune of dining on fish and chips both times, the first accompanied with garlic fries and the later with brewhouse bacon and cheddar fries. Â Over the various visits my companions have ordered the Tri-dip Sandwich, the Chimay Pretzel Chicken, and a Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich special. Â All were good, but at both visits, those who had foregone the fish and chips regretted it wholeheartedly. Â Also recommended is the Bavarian Soft Pretzel.
As far as drinks go (it's a tavern, after all), the first time I had the He'Brew Origin Pomegranate beer--upstate New York represent!! Â It was tart, hoppy, and refreshing. Â What blew my mind (besides the fish and chips) was, oddly enough, a cider I had during my visit earlier this month. Â It's called "Joker" from Ace, is brewed with champagne yeast, and is so pale it could almost pass for carbonated water. Â It's incredibly light and zesty, but carries a whopping 9% alcohol punch.
Live music was playing during our first visit (some lovely bluegrass band), and we were served by Tish both times--a wavy blonde with piercing blue eyes--who was completely charming and gracious. Â Lastly, the fish and chips (arguably the world's best) costs $9.50. Â For food this good, it astounds me that only a fraction of the menu items are priced above $10. Â It makes me lament what the heck I'm paying for elsewhere...
In summation, really really really cannot wait until my next visit up to Sonoma County--the highlight of that visit will, hands down, be fish and chips and cider and Barley and Hops.
Sonoma County is a wonderful place, made even more wonderful by its pockets - the backroads and backwoods, small towns and even smaller crevices.
Let's say you take a few extra minutes to drive out to Bodega Bay. It's a beautiful day, and you know that the beach, in fact, won't be foggy or windy as per usual. You look out over Bodega Head, you walk up and down the beach, you take in the scenery (not the scene).
It's time to eat. You take the back roads out to Occidental, a tiny but most adorable little town nestled in the woods. The journey is twisty and flush with nature.
Barley and Hops Tavern awaits you, with many points of excellence therein. Good food. Remarkably friendly and efficient service. A warm, true "tavern" feel.
And the beer. Oh, the beer. A selection pulled from some of the biggest and brightest of the local and national breweries. Pliny the Elder? Yep. Arrogant Bastard? Done. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA? Ohhhh yes.
Nothing completely extraordinary, yet still nothing short of fantastic.
From the front, you just know this place is going to be a cozy spot. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the bartender, who told us we could sit anywhere. When I asked about watching a baseball game, he told me that they were getting ready to show hockey instead, but that he'd be happy to give me score updates! :)
So, B & H has an impressive beer selection, both bottled and on tap - if you like good beer, you will have no problem finding plenty of options!
OMG their onion rings are the best I've ever tasted - totally worth the 'splurge.' Even if you don't like onion rings, I promise you will LOVE these.
I had the ratatouille (delish + vegan!) and my boyfriend had the meatball sandwich. We were both very happy with our choices, too!
Our server, Kim, was very sweet and attentive - she took great care of us the entire time we were there. It was a great, casual dinner in a wonderful atmosphere. I'm excited to go back again very soon!
This place is great. Â I have only been here once but will give it 5 stars just based off that one experience. Â Death and Taxes and Summer Solstice Cerveza Crema on tap! Â How awesome is that? Â Homemade garlic fries and spicy yet flavorful wings! Â The beer selection is second to none in Northern California and features a plethora of NorCal and Belgian beers. Â
The beer is great, the food is tasty and the service is excellent. Â Definitely a must stop if you appreciate good local brew, homemade pub grub and a good relaxing vibe.
I decided to give this place another try because the owner of the restaurant commented on my previous 3-star review. I'll document every step of my second visit, and show you why this place deserves 4 stars.
You walk in, and you're at a strange crossroads; the bar area is to the right, there is a staircase right ahead of you, and a few different dining rooms are off to the left. I don't think it's a very good entrance to the restaurant; I wasn't sure where to stand to wait to be seated (like the sign instructed me to do), and as I stood there waiting to be seated, I was hit by the swinging door behind me. Not only is there not a good place to stand when you first come in, but the bartender walked by our party of four and didn't even acknowledge us. Not the best way to start the meal.
The best way to start a meal is actually with a 22oz bottle of local IPA. I went with the Hop Rod Rye from Healdsburg, CA. Very strong IPA, clocking in at around 9%. 6 bucks for a 22oz bottle isn't bad at all, especially when it's an ale that you're gonna be feeling for a couple hours after you finish it (for example, me right now).
Started with the caprese salad: heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and balsamic vinegar. The tomatoes were tasty...not the best I've ever had (that title belongs to those at the W in Los Angeles), but definitely a good organic heirloom. The fresh mozzarella was just okay...pretty much the kind I could find at Trader Joe's, which was a bit disappointing. The basil was my favorite ingredient; I wouldn't doubt that it's grown in the back and hand-picked that day, there was so much flavor. Overall, a fundamentally sound caprese salad, and surprisingly good for a pub.
Since I was updating my review, I made sure to taste as many different dishes as possible. I ordered the Ed Gleaner (barbecue chicken sandwich), but got to taste the mac 'n cheese, the fish 'n chips, and the dish I got last time, the mushroom swiss burger.
My sandwich was very good. The piece of chicken was tender and juicy all the way through, the cheese was melted perfectly, the caramelized onions were bursting with flavor, and the herbed-onion bun was the perfect home. The fries were very good as well, definitely made from high-quality potato. The Asian slaw I remember has since been replaced by a normal cole slaw, which was a perfectly-chilly side dish.
The fish 'n chips are very good. Good quality red snapper. I'm not sure I'd call these 'lightly battered' because there's definitely a thick breading, but it's offset by the good amount of fish meat. It was at this point in the meal where I stopped analyzing so much, and just enjoyed my beer and my smorgasbord of gourmet pub food. In other words...get the fish and chips!
I then returned to my old friend, the Shroomer, which is the mushroom swiss burger. The herbed-onion bun has been toned a bit down since I came last, because last time, I couldn't taste the 100% Angus beef over the crazy mixture of herbs on the bun. This time, it was perfect. I could taste the quality of the beef and the other toppings while still getting the herbs from the bun. And again, the Asian slaw was replaced with cole slaw, which was definitely an upgrade.
I tasted the mac 'n cheese as well. I was very much looking forward to this, but I didn't think it was anything special. The flavor wasn't great, the texture wasn't great...it's not bad, I was just a little let down, as I love gourmet mac 'n cheese.
All in all, great food for a great value. Noah, you rock, and I hope I get to meet you sometime.
A-MAZING place. Â Great beer selection, including some very rare and unusual local brews. Â I highly recommend you have the soba salad, with fish on top if you're feeling hungry (still a lot of food without). Â This salad has everything: lettuce, beets, cherry tomatoes, roasted garlic, snow peas, tofu, carrots, grapes, beans, peppers, mushrooms, raisins, pickled apricots, etc, etc, etc, plus soba noodles, seaweed and dipping sauce. Â I can't remember it all, but I was blown away by the mix of textures and flavors.
Cozy pub atmosphere, great wait staff. Â Dessert was very tasty too. Â If you enjoy good beer and/or good food and you're in the neighborhood, do not miss this wonderful gastro-pub! Â I've got a reason to come back to Occidental now, too bad it's not closer to the city!
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