This is one of just a handful of places I can go for a beer in Oxford and not feel like an old man (I'm in my mid-30's). Â Sure, that has something to do with the prices. Â Neither beer nor food come cheaply here. Â That said, you get what you pay for. Â The beers here are good - very good. Â I think that's the other reason you don't see many college students. Â Yes, they have Budweiser and Miller Lite (at least, I feel like I've seen people drinking them here, I'm not entirely sure) but that's not their raison d'etre. Â Delicious craft beet is why you go to Quarter Barrel.
The food's good, too. Â Try a "lavosh" - Armenian pizza, basically. Â Very tasty and light. Â The edamame is good and so are the sandwiches (at least those I've tried). Â Bear in mind that I've only been in here and NOT had a beer or two one time. Â Beer makes food taste better. Â But you don't need to drink to enjoy the food at Quarter Barrel - as I said, it's good. Â It's just not why you go.
Take time to ask questions about the different beers, request samples if you're not sure and be sure to try one of the beers they brew in-house. Â They do well with it.
I've visited the restaurant on a couple occasions, and have had a very pleasant experience on the patio both times. Â The first time we ordered the Baked Brie as an appetizer, which was very good but became difficult to eat after a while due to melting. Â I then ordered the Fusilli Pasta as my entree. Â It was very good but not spectacular, and was served with a generous portion.
On our second visit, we ordered the three cheese and herb lavosh, which was delicious. Â This was my first experience with lavosh, and I was not disappointed. Â It made for an excellent appetizer for our real goal, the martinis.
Each visit, we had the Helvetica martini, which is apple flavored and absolutely the best. Â We ended up ordering a second, and it was what brought us back to the restaurant. Â We also tried the Futura, a chocolate based one, which was also good but a little too chocolate for my tastes. Â There was also a berry based martini which had an excellent taste, but I don't recall the name, and we were too focused on the Helvetica to focus on it.
I thought the service was good, we had no problem with response time on the patio. Â A couple times the waiter tried to bring out an obviously overfilled drink, and ran the risk of spilling on us. Â But the waiters were courteous and responsive.
I aslo appreciated the casual atmosphere of the restaurant, it's easy to stop for a nice meal while you are out about town.
I was visiting Oxford, Oh and was looking for somewhere with good beer, good food, and a good atmosphere. I went on a Monday summer night so it wasn't busy at all. Â I sat outside, which was nice and quiet in the evenings with some street traffic. Â It's not in the heart of town but it was nice. Â There was a good beer selection of a variety of kinds of beers. Â The menu was limited but the entrees ordered were delicious, the salmon and the burger, cooked rare. Â The atmosphere inside seemed cozy as well with the books on the walls and wood furniture. Â
My only critique was the server. The service overall was great, very fast, but the server didn't introduce himself and didn't seem very personable. Â Other than that, it was a great experience.
I'll admit I'm a beer geek and thus take any opportunity to try a brewery when I travel. We came here for a few beers on the evening after Miami's graduation ceremony. I was shocked that we were able to grab a few bar seats and even more surprised to get some time to speak to the brewer/ owner who was wonderful.
The place has a unique atmosphere with books covering the shelves against most walls and a great outdoor patio. Interestingly, their brewing system is slightly less than one barrel and they only have one of their beers at a time on draft. They only employ CAMRA's methods for brewing, which can be a turnoff for some people, but I really enjoyed what I tried. (CAMRA is Europe's Campaign for Real Ale which basically means cask-conditioned without additional carbonation. They also have an excellent beer selection (although relatively pricey) of  both draft and bottled beer.
Made the mistake of coming here on a beautiful Thursday evening during Miami's commencement weekend- uhoh! Â We waited over an hour for a table outside when we were told it would be 30 minutes, which is understandable given such a busy night. Â Once we were seated though, things didn't get much better. Â Our appetizer came at the same time as our entree despite the fact it was just an order of edamame. Â I had the pasta with vegetable ribbons- there were hardly any vegetables and the pasta was swimming in olive oil. Â I actually had to pour some out onto an extra plate and there was at least a tablespoon full. Â I'd like to try Quarter Barrel again in the summer when it isn't so busy. Â But I'd make the 40 minute drive for the outdoor patio and not the food or service.
Review Source:This pub has good ambience and an excellent selection of interesting beers (and they'll give you samples so you can decide which one you want). Â The menu is relatively small but the food they do they do well.
So why the 3 star review?  I went recently with out of town guests at 6:30 pm.  The place was perhaps half full, with lots of empty tables and a cluster of people at the bar.  The hostess laughed when I asked for a table and said it would be a 2 1/2 wait.  We decided to go ahead and put our names in and get drinks at the bar.  An hour later, the same tables that were empty when we came in were still empty, with "reserved" signs on them.  We could have easily eaten in that amount of time, but she  refused to yield the tables.  We asked again about how long it might be and where are names were on the list, and she refused to show us the list.  I now wish I had tracked down the manager to let him/her know about the terrible attitude of this employee.
We left, went to Kona, and had a fabulous  meal.  I have no intention of going to QB again.
I, for one, am an avid fan of craft beers - even if craft beers cost me an arm and a leg. Â Most people who frequent Oxford are not interested in craft beers as much as they are interested in leaving the club sloppy after a few domestic beers and possibly a well drink or two. Â Being past the phase of my life where I drank nothing but Bud Light, it's a welcomed sight to see a brewpub in Uptown Oxford, conveniently located caddy-corner from a hospital.
Quarter Barrel makes their own beer, but it's only one beer that they produce. Â I did not try it when I went, but I have heard good things about it. Â You can even see some of the brewing equipment right behind the bar, which is quite neat.
Quarter Barrel has bottles of domestics and some imports, but doing so is frowned upon. Â The real treat is the selection of $5.25 draughts of craft beers from across the country. Â There are 4-7 taps (can't remember the exact number), so it's nothing large, but every beer I had was superb. Â Note that craft beers are typically rather strong, so drinkers should plan around that.
The ambiance of the brewpub is excellent. Â Who would have thought to place a brewpub in a 19th century building adorned with shelves of books on each side? Â Those are impossible to find in Ohio. Â It's quite obvious that this is a bar, but it feels like less of a bar than Brick Street or 45. Â An added bonus: Â this is the place the frats avoid like the plague.
While the ambiance and beers were great, you have to be really patient with the bartenders sometimes. Â The bar is rather long and windy, so you have to practically get in the bartender's face sometimes just to get an order. Â Other than that, this is a great addition to Oxford. Â It makes Uptown a better place for people with acquired tastes.
This is such a great addition to the Oxford bars and restaurants. Best day to go is Tuesday for $5 martinis. It's got a better atmosphere than Three Trees. I really like the lavosh at this place, they change up their toppings every so often. Great daily specials and unique beers you wouldn't be able to get at Brickstreet. They do brew their own beer too and it's tasty.
Review Source:QB is not bad, but it's not totally there yet -- first of all, I'll say I think most of their lavash "pizzas" are pretty disgusting. Â Rather than accentuate the lightness of the crust/bread, they slather on ranch dressing, bacon, and too much cheese so it becomes pretty much like any other rural Ohio college "food." Â Unhealthy, and gross to most people over 25. Â The beer is fine, and features a nice variety for a town like this.
The few times I've gone in, the service has been terrible. Â Very, very slow, and messing up my order once. Â This was within the first two months of the place opening, so hopefully they've addressed these kinks, and I'll give it another chance soon to see. Â They've been very nice, just not running on all full cylinders the few times I've been there.
The biggest problem with the place is that it wants to be all things to all people -- a bar on the weekends for college students, a "pub" (nothing like a real pub) during weeknights, and a restaurant during the day. Â The largely-unused books lining the corners speak volumes -- cheap stuff picked up from thrift stores (there are a few Readers Digest condensed books in the mix). Â Why are they there? Â They haven't thought through how or if they want people to hang out in the space for long, like a coffee shop -- it's got Wifi, there are something like books there, but it's certainly uncomfortable and not terribly hospitable for long stays. Â Do they want it to be a restaurant, bar, or hangout?
I do like this place, and am glad it exists, but there's room for improvement.
Edit: Don't ever, ever get the mussels. They're awful.
This is the best addition to the Oxford dining/drinking scene in years. Â They have one of the best on-tap beer selections, and of course, great wine (one of the owners runs the local wine shop). Â On the evening menu, the mussels are an outstanding appetizer, and the flank steak w/mashers and broccolini is my current favorite main. Â Lunch is probably the best in town, with homemade soup, awesome sandwiches, and a variety of salads. Â Saturday brunch is amazing with a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar!
Very good for a drink as well!
While there is a steady stream of Miami students, it has yet to get annoying (and probably won't due to the classy yet casual vibe), and the clientele is very mixed with locals, MU staff/profs, and day-trippers.
They are still working on the service issues, which have improved...CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
This is probably my favorite lunch location in town (I usually go there at least one lunch a week). Â The soups are unpredictable but most of them are excellent and flavorful. Â I'd love to see the garlic mashed potato soup as a permanent menu item. Â The artichoke melt sandwich is also a favorite.
I've also been there a few times for dinner, and the dinner entrees I've tried (steak, roasted chicken) have never been less than amazing. Â I don't usually expect to be "wowed" in Oxford - more just to get a decent, filling meal. Â This place does "wow" me.
It would be a five-star rating if they could work on the service a bit - it's discouraging to hunt for your server only to find them hanging out and chatting behind the bar.
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