Barrel Head Brewhouse

I love the atmosphere in this place. It is incredibly chill and relaxed. I have tried a few beers here including the Pumpkin in a Pear Tree Belgian which is really good. I have had the vegetarian risotto and the fish and chips which I found delicious. The servers are attentive and I always have a good time here.

Super cute restaurant/​bar! You get your choices of booths, small side tables, or the round table with the fireplace setting. They also have communal tables if you prefer that too. We ordered the ahi tartare and pulled pork with naan and tofu. I recommend both! My sangria was too small so I ordered two of them. The staff was friendly and servers were sharp and very nice. I would come back again to try their other dishes!

The service was amazing considering we kept changing how many people were going to show up in our party. Down to us already seated and two people saying they were on their way (with no notice beforehand they were even coming), the hostess was very accommodating. Kudos to her!
That fourth star is for the beer. They have a version of kolsch that was quite tasty, the oyster stout was yum, and they even have some dessert-​like beers that are definitely a good replacement for dessert since they only had a brownie as their dessert option that night.
The food was ok. The gravy and cheese on the poutine was good, but I like my fries thinner. The brussel sprout salad was surprisingly a good combo of nuts, bacon, and cream. Those were the best ones out of everything else I tried.
I’d definitely come back for the beer and at happy hour time as it’s $ 2 off beer and brewtails. So my sorely sought after kolsch is totally a winner at $ 4.

Such a cute place! Perfect scene for grabbing a beer or flight with a few friends. It’s not too loud so you can actually have a conversation and the beer is really good. Food is a bit on the expensive side and I don’t think any of the food is included on their happy hour, but what I tried was really good and beautifully presented.
Butternut squash soup
Chicken wings (mustard and buffalo)
Barrata tortellini (I didn’t get this but was told it was good)
It wasn’t too crowded when I went ~5pm on a Monday but you can make a reservation through SeatMe

Sunday night. It’s raining, hard like a faucet out, so we take refuge inside. The place is empty. We go to the bar, order our overpriced ales. I know better than to order the food again, which is average in taste, presentation and quality.
We have a seat at the long table downstairs, as the empty room upstairs is closed for unbeknownst reasons. No problem. We carry on, sipping our ales, when the young (and visibly annoyed) hostess alerts us that the (empty) table is her territory and we need to close our tabs at the bar. Why is it such a big deal? Because she loses her tips, of course. Then it dawns on me: this is the exact same thing that happened last time. Transfer the tab? Just forget it because the place is empty? No. Go close your tabs. Order from the hostess, who did not acknowledge us or notify us of this table situation when we talked in.
Look, you want the table to be service only, tell your host to inform guests. Put a note out. Sort it out in the back of the house, because I really don’t care about assigned seating in a completely empty bar for tip territory. Anyone who has worked in service will notice this discrepancy immediately, and it is annoying. I say again: sort this out in the back of the house. We left right after that, me indignant and remembering why I said I’d never go back in the first place.
Annoying staff issues aside, the beer is mediocre, the environment confused. I had high hopes for this joint — lower prices by a dollar or three, across the board ($ 12 for a grilled cheese!?), sort your seats out and decide what you want to be: a brewpub or a college hangout.

When one of my mains moved to the NoPa area, we had to take some time and check this area out. I heard of a few places but ultimately chose our place based on Unilocal.Came across this place and loved the variety of dishes so it was definitely happening.
I like the look of the joint. They have two floors, big wood tables, good for big parties and super quick service. We were sat upstairs which felt like an oversized balcony overlooking the restaurant down below. Super hip and young vibe so the energy was up!
For dinner, I got the skin on Atlantic Salmon for $ 24. Seared salmon, buttermilk mashed potatoes, brocoli rabe, roasted tomatoes and smoked salmon buerre. The dish was vibrant and colorful! The salmon was situated in the middle and everything seemed to be placed around it like a nest. The flavors were great as well. For my cocktail, I got the Daniel’s Mistress for $ 11 which was their whiskey rye cocktail. Lots of mint and super fresh flavor!
This place was awesome. I’ll definitely be back to try other things on the menu as their appetizer menu looks super delicious!

I went here with some friends for NYE and had a blast! The downstairs seating was very chill. We bought a few orders of poutine to split and OMG, I think I am in love. I also ordered the pulled pork naan, which was good but not as good as the poutine. Hahahaha. The sandwich itself was yummy but I didn’t care for the fried tofu that came as a side as much. As for the drinks, I had two Hookers and Recreation and some rum and cokes. So good! I saw my friends ordering some little boot shot glasses of Jameson and that made me giggle. I don’t know if that’s something specific to Barrel Head, but it was cute none the less. :)
The waitress for that night rocked! I wish I had gotten her name, but anyways, she was great. :)
I enjoyed myself so much here, I brought someone else with me the next day to try out their brunch! We both had the brisket hash and another helping of that heavenly poutine. The hash was delicious. Those orders with two coffees ended up being close to $ 60 if I recall correctly.
I would probably come here more often if it was a little cheaper, but with this being SF, it’s to be expected. Still worth a trip here! Next time I’ll try one of those beer samplers my friend ordered. She said her drinks were very good. :)

Came here to try their beer flight, $ 10 for four sampled beers.
We were only here for some beers, so we didn’t really get to try much of the food. But after seeing the plates that passed us, it seems as though another visit is bound to happen.
The seating… down below seemed so chill, whereas upstairs (unfortunately, we sat here) was SO LOUD. I couldn’t here anything that was being said on just the other side of the table. Maybe it was because it was playoff baseball? But it was pretty unbearable, definitely brought down the experience a bit for me. It also gets warm up there, so that wasn’t cool either. If I come back, I’m definitely requesting seating on the first level.
All in all, good beers, pricey eats, LOUD AS FUUUU up stairs. Not bad, but not amazing either.

I really loved the décor and theme of Barrel Head Brewhouse and it had a nice open feeling especially because they have an upstairs section which I hadn’t even realized until we had almost left.
I ordered two My Bloody Mary’s throughout my visit and loved each sip and it has the perfect amount of kick to them. As for my meal, I ordered the Breakfast sandwich which came with bacon, eggs, cheese, hollandaise sauce, and herbed fries. The sandwich was really good, and I wanted more especially because the bacon was baked perfectly. The herbed fries were good, nothing too fancy, but definitely tasty.
As for the service, our hostess seemed a little distracted while seating us and our server was mediocre. Though I loved my meal and the atmosphere, my only disappointment was the dismal service.

Walked in on Friday night with no wait and the Warriors game on. I didn’t try one of their beers, though I kind of wish I had. I went with their Panhandle Sangria that tasted like juice, even though their was wine and rum in it. Dangerous indeed!
We ordered the following plates to share:
Shishito Chiles — really good and not very many spicy ones in the bunch.
Poutine — it was good, but would probably pass next time.
Ahi Tartare — very delicious
Mixed Baby Greens — this had pomegranate, persimmon, and grilled pear. I probably could eat a bowl of this stuff.
Risotto — this was a vegetarian risotto, but added spanish chorizo. I actually didn’t care for this one. It felt like it was missing something and didn’t necessarily seem to have the consistency of a risotto.
The shishito chiles, ahi tartare, and the mixed baby greens were the highlights.
This is a cool spot to hangout for some drinks, food and to watch some sports.

This was an excellent restaurant. The service was great. Very attentive waitress and knowledgeable about the menu.
We wanted dinner and was a bit skeptical as it was a bar/​restaurant. The tables were full outdoors. The inside was dark and bustling. We were seating without reservations — we decided to have the house special that day. Mussels 4 different ways with french fries and french bread. This was amazing. Loved the Thai spiced and the jerk mussels. I wanted to return the next day for the Oyster special. They have an extensive array of Beers. Flavored ones (peach) was very good!

So, it’s my last night as a resident of San Francisco, definitively one if the top three cities in the US for foodies. So, where do I choose for my Last Supper other than Barrelhead?!! The food they serve is pub food at its absolute finest! Chef Mikey knows how to transform pub classics into modern culinary miracles. And, he’s on the shy side of 30!
Seriously, there are so many things that he transforms into culinary delights. My favorites are the Ahi and Hog Island oyster appetizers, though others swear by the authenticity of his Poutine. His Fish & Chips never miss, but my current favorite among the main courses is the grilled pork chop with cabbage and black lentils. (Normally, I avoid lentils, but these are amazing!)
As good as the food is, as adventurous and pleasing as the house brews are, the real reason to make BHB a regular stop is that the staff will make you feel at home. There are many things that I will miss about living in San Francisco, but none more than the people behind this NOPA gem. Seriously! Stop in for a beverage, and tell them you read Bob’s review on Unilocal.It’s good to be the Norm!

Meh.
It’s meh.
I stopped in for lunch and a beer on a Saturday afternoon. I had been walking forever and there wasn’t another bar in sight. Maybe that’s why this place is overrated? Or because the UCSF students haven’t quite grasped what a decent brewery is?
The brunch menu was small, not necessary a pain point but if I’m between breakfast and lunch, I’d definitely like to see an even mix of things without eggs.
I opted for the burger. It was overcooked (see my previous rants on burgers being overcooked after people ask how you want them). The «herb» fries were barely sprinkled with parsley flakes, which is honestly, just a colorful garnish. All of this for $ 17.
I had a craft beer. It was ok. I’ll note that the bartender was a bit spazzy and unenthusiastic about helping me find a beer to my liking. The total for the burger and beer came to something like $ 34 with tip.
Perhaps I should’ve walked a little further.

So I used to frequent this place with the rest of my coworkers when I worked at St. Mary’s down the street. Food and cocktails were delicious. So for a good portion of 2014 it was great. I came back tonight to meet up with a couple old coworkers, and was very disappointed. This is what $ 120 gets you (technically $ 140 since we still tip well)
Chili Hazelnuts = Meh
Poutine = Always good, but pretty sure we got the bottom of the cheese curd container since it was more like sprinkles of Parmesan cheese
Fish and Chips = Burnt fish
Bacon cheeseburger = Burnt Bacon
Roasted Beet Salad = Delicious
Grilled Flatbread = Grilled aka mega burnt
2 beers = Meh
2 cocktails = not sure why they ever changed their cocktail menu. These were completely pointless
Vodka soda
Conversation with server after we paid the bill with our plates of burnt food almost untouched still in front of us:
Me: «not to be nit picky, but I just wanted to bring to your attention that the fish, the bacon and the flatbread were burnt»
Server: «the flatbread is supposed to be like that» sorry about that other stuff
Me: I pick up the cancerous flatbread to give her a better look (in my head saying wtf and about to fling this black frisbee on a plate at her) If you see the picture I posted, it’s literally darth Vader black
Server: «well what do you want me to do? Take it back?»
Me: no, we already paid the bill, but being that everybody’s dinner was burnt maybe turn down the burner
Sad, I used to love this place. Even when they ran out of chicken wings during the last giants World Series

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday with our roommates. None of us even knew this place existed. So thanks Unilocal!
We were starving so I automatically knew I was going to order something big. And boy I did! I ordered the pork chops and my boyfriend had the flat bread with spanish chorizo. SERIOUSLY, I am not even exaggerating that was literally the best pork chops I have ever had in my life. It was served on top of a bed of sauteed lentils and onions. And on each side of the plate there were two huge portions of charbroiled CABBAGE. I capitalized cabbage because I am a huge fan of cabbage. I love that darn vegetable I don’t even know why haha. Anyway, one thing I couldn’t pinpoint was the flavor of the cabbage. Or if it was the sauteed lentils that were giving it it’s flavor. But regardless, it was so delicious. I literally devoured that plate within minutes. I didn’t even want to share with my boyfriend when he was asking for a bite.
The beer was good, I’m a light beer drinker so I don’t appreciate the beers with stronger flavors. I ordered the flight of course, but I was disappointed that they only offered four types in the flight. Anyway, I’m definitely coming back for more food. The restaurant/​brewery itself is really unique. I love the décor and art.

We came in as a party of 2 on a Tuesday night and were able to get a seat with no problem. The main draw for me was that Barrel Head is a microbrewery and they serve their own original beers, with some pretty interesting descriptions. The food itself is good quality American gastropub fare.
— BBQ Sampler — brisket, pulled pork, chicken sausage, pork sausage, pickles, chicharones. Brisket was probably the best, being super tender and fall-​apart smooth, smothered in a sweet & smoky sauce. The serving of pulled pork was generous, and seemed to be marinated in the same sweet-​smoky sauce of the brisket, without being overly saucy. Both sausages were delicious, had a slight char, and had a satisfying snap, while both being distinctly unique. Chicharones were a unique side. Pickles were a bit salty.
— Green salad with olive oil, grilled pear persimmons, pomegranate. Not on their menu online, and a nice contrast to the meaty BBQ sampler.
Beers:
— Pumpkin Peach IPA (special seasonal release) — delicious! Tastes exactly like what it says. Very interesting and full of layers of flavor.
— Pine Meat Fresh Hop Pale Ale — piney, hoppy deliciousness, but not too mouth drying.
Service was super friendly and sweet, although they seemed to disappear after sometime. Too bad, otherwise we would have ordered more beer.
Overall, we had a great time. I’d recommend Barrel Head for anyone looking for beers and barbecue.

Went here for a couple drinks last night and loved it! I ordered the Strange Brew Session cocktail which was actually super strange — it was gin, beer (IPA) rosemary, maple, & lime. I can’t say I would ever think to mix gin and beer but this drink was amazing! I highly recommend this drink to all the gin drinkers out there.
Loved the brewery itself too — good vibes all around. I’ve also heard great things about the brunch/​food in general here so i will most definitely need to come back very soon and try the food!

I love my neighborhood if you haven’t already noticed by my Unilocal.Today, I will pay homage to a neighborhood joint, Barrel Head Brewhouse.
I waited out the hype to finally try this place and it didn’t disappoint. There is a good selection of appetizers, salads, and pub food with flair. With items like poutine; pork belly; shrimp and grits; burger; and pulled pork stuffed naan, you cannot go wrong. I encourage you to try all of the above and will bet you will agree with me on the deliciousness.
BHB has many craft and draft beers, as well as a variety of different cocktails. I was surprised (upon my first time at BHB), that they were celebrating Negrone week. My better half was quite happy with that so he could get his craft cocktails on!
Hell or high royale is my favorite Brewtail (beer and cocktails genius). It combines 21^st amendment watermelon wheat beer, pineapple, and sparkling wine! Hello! Can you say refreshing? This is a winning combo with the pulled pork stuffed naan.
Great place to watch sports and hang out for happy hour. BHB is open late and you can make ressies on opentable.
Go on now and check BHB out! Great food, service and at reasonable prices. This place has a tendency to get crowded during peak hours, and parking can be nightmarish (as everywhere else in the city can be).
Cheers my dears!

I’m a tad indifferent about this place.
That said, ill preface this review stating that I didn’t try their moneymaker, beer, so bear with me here.
SF has an abundance of brunch places and I’ve made it my mission, as of late, to try a new one every week. While scouring Unilocal,I come across barrel head and I’m immediately intrigued. I love breweries: The industrial feel & look, the creative spin on bar foods and duh… The house made beer. How can you lose?! To add to its overall flare, barrel head also offered bottomless mimosas. SOLD.
Barrel Head is in a very unassuming part of NoPa, nestled between our beloved papalote and our coffee nemesis, Starbucks. Walking by, you wouldn’t think much of the place but once you’re in, you can’t help but admire its size (that’s what she said?). The interior is two levels, open floor plan, has a very rustic/​woodsy feel and, of course, equipped with beer tanks. We were seated upstairs with views of the whole restaurant… and TV’s at every turn (great for game days).
We started our order with, of course and true to brunch tradition, coffee and bottomless mimosas.
Food wise we shared the following:
P.B.L.T– pork belly lettuce tomato. While I typically sing pork belly praises from the roof tops, I was low key unimpressed. The sandwich was LARGE, stacked with lettuce, tomato and over-​salted-​kinda-​dry pork belly. Maybe im spoiled with Asian restaurants serving beautifully marinated and tender pork belly, maybe. Its hard to fault barrel head for my palate being so picky, but I wouldn’t order it again. The sandwich was also served with fries, which were standard at best.
The saving grace (minus the mimosas) was *drum roll*
Bacon poutine fries
The outer paleo health freak in me was disgusted while the inner-​fat kid grinned from ear to ear. Think: a skillet with fries covered in poutine, cheese and bacon. We weren’t hungover at the time, but it would have been heaven on earth should we have been. It was rich, it was hearty and it was just downright unhealthy… dare I say more?
The service was friendly and the mimosas were filled quickly. Overall, a great date spot or somewhere to watch a game while trying out great beers. Food wise, I’d recommend communal family style dishes. Four stars well deserved with a potential future bump to 5 when im able to come back and try the beers.

Barrel Head. Is. Awesome.
When I saw it opened across from my neighborhood Lucky store, I immediately investigated. New brewery? Yes, please. Takes brunch reservations? Oh yeah. Brews their own beer but also serves cocktails and features other fantastic guest beers? Don’t stop. My enthusiasm abounds.
Yesterday we stopped by for brunch. We had been twice before for drinks, and had received such good service, I would call it notable. The first time, our bartender described the menu to us and made recommendations, and we didn’t even ask! Also, we tried their house-​brewed beer and it was frakking awesome. The second time, we came on a Thursday night, and it was super busy (I believe they had a deejay), so we sat upstairs. We were skeptical that someone was going to take our order, but we were pleasantly surprised when we were served right away by a very pleasant and attentive young lady. I think perhaps dining out so much in San Francisco, where you often wait 20 – 30 minutes for a cocktail, can leave you feeling pretty jaded.
Anyhow-let’s talk brunch. Far and away, the best brunch I’ve had in AGES (and I go to brunch A LOT). We started with an order of 5 chicken wings with blue cheese (gratuitous, I know). Our wings were served promptly and they brought us 6 instead of 5 wings – I don’t know if that was intentional, but it was a nice touch. That blue cheese dressing is delicious! I would like a gallon of that for the house. I ordered the brisket hash and the boyfriend ordered the breakfast sandwich with sausage. Both were fucking awesome. The brisket in my hash was melt in your mouth tender, and the bernaise sauce was a wonderful idea – I want bernaise on everything. My boyfriend’s sandwich was off the hook — the sausage was delicious and the bun was amazing — like if a croissant and bagel got married and had a delicious brioche baby. Skip the American cheese and opt for cheddar or Swiss.
Our cocktails also rocked. My boyfriend’s Bloody Mary was hands down the best I’ve had. He remarked that it was the first time he didn’t have to ask for extra horseradish. But we want them to bring back the one with the prosciutto! My drink was called «ginger ginger» something or other, and it’s my favorite cocktail on BH’s menu. The mimosas were also good (we had orange and grapefruit)– loved the glassware.
The service is tops: fast, friendly and attentive.
Yes, yes, yes!