Barley Island Opening Thursday

As Bob O. reported earlier today, Barley Island is set to open their Broad Ripple location on Thursday, November 5th. They'll be opening in the old Scholar's Inn location at the corner of Broad Ripple Avenue and College Avenue for lunch that day and I'm looking forward to getting there early!

Jeff Eaton, the owner of Barley Island, was kind enough to host some industry folk to a sneak preview Tuesday evening. As a fan of the Noblesville restaurant (which will continue operations both as a restaurant and a production brewery) I had pretty high hopes for the new place and it did not disappoint.

Barley Island Broad Ripple is a modern, clean, efficient and yet very atmospheric venue. It's a place that anyone can feel comfortable in, especially if you're there to enjoy the food and beer, both of which were terrific. There are plenty of televisions for game day enthusiasts, a roomy dining area that sports a very clever barrier between the family dining area (bring the kids) and the over 21 portion of the pub. Why clever? The top of the waist high barrier is lined with glass holders, so those who may be standing have a convenient spot to leave their drinks.

The long bar against the back wall boasts 24 taps, some of which will host Barley Island beers while others will pour guest beers from around Indiana. What a welcome addition to the bar scene in Indianapolis - a great bar that features Indiana beers so prominently!

We may be witnessing an acceleration of a fundamental change in the bar scene in Broad Ripple that Broad Ripple Brew Pub and Brugge Brasserie have already started. For many years a lot of the offerings in Broad Ripple centered on less expensive, mass produced products. While BR Brew Pub and Brugge offered high quality beers, they were the exception and not the rule. Yes, other pubs carried good beer but I don't think that beer was ever the main attraction (outside of BR Brew Pub and Brugge). Barley Island is making a point of presenting great beers with no apologies right on Broad Ripple Avenue and they're doing it in a fashion that will make their new location a destination for those who are coming in from outside of Broad Ripple.

Adding Barley Island to the weight that BR Brew Pub and Brugge already carry should go a long way to bringing the more discerning diner back to Broad Ripple while making another first class presentation of great beer.