Why: Barrel Mountain Brewing has become a go-to place for residents of Battle Ground seeking local craft beer. Located on Main Street, the brewery provides a unique dining experience for the whole family, which is elevated by the inclusion of some exclusive menu items.
Atmosphere: The interior of the space is something along the lines of a wood-paneled man cave. I’ve been here before, and my apologies if I’ve described it in this manner already, but if the shoe fits….
It has fishing, mountain biking, and beer artifacts placed throughout the space. Seating takes various forms, from picnic-style to tall, bistro-style tables and chairs. Lighting is subtle. Outdoor dining is located behind the restaurant and beyond it is the brewery.
What I tried: To start, my dining companions and I tried the Northwest Smoked Salmon Nachos and the Brewery Steak Bites. The exclusive nachos are a layered combination of house smoked salmon, sweet corn, onion, cotija cheese, black beans, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and corn chips, with a spicy lime sour cream and avocado cilantro sauce. The result is more akin to a salad than nachos but we found the dish appetizing. The steak bites are combined with mushrooms and garlic cloves in a rich sauce. The pieces were truly bite-sized and extremely tender and flavorful. Do try these if you like steak bites. They will not disappoint. I ate the Old Town Burger made with an 8-ounce short rib-brisket-Angus burger patty piled with smoked bacon, a runny egg, white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and Barrel Mountain beer mustard on a brioche bun. I opted for a salad with my burger, which was garden fresh and of a hearty size, which, paired with the burger, made for leftovers. My dining companions tried the fish tacos and the Daybreak Burger which is topped with smoked bacon, avocado, Muenster, fried onions, lettuce, tomato and a chipotle ranch sauce. The fish tacos are from the “Hoppy Hour” menu and stuffed full of blackened fish, mandarin orange relish, cotija, avocado sauce and lime sour cream. Both of my dining companions were satisfied with the quality and flavors of their selections. The burgers are on the tall side so they are a little difficult to eat, but this is true of many worthwhile burgers.
