Having been to Oak Barrel Tavern a few times before, I was excited to have our Foodies Group try this new upscale pub where Tweeds had resided for so many years. Make no mistake about it, Oak Barrel is completely new, completely renovated and no where do you see the remnants of Tweeds at all. The decor is very appealing and comfortable. Walking through the bar area, pas the open kitchen and to the dining room you pass by a very nicely situated gas fireplace which I am sure will be comfortable to sit by in the winter. The menu, while not super ambitious has a few interesting dishes not always found in your typical pub dining scene. The craft beer selection is good and from what I could tell from our table, the wine selection was just as good.
The menu has exactly what you would expect from a pub, lots of familiar sounding apps plus a few not so familiar like Fried Pickles and Peppers, Sugar Cane Shrimp and a nice looking Hummus Platter. We opted for the Bavarian Pretzels mostly because we had them once before and they were great. Same thing this time, you get 3 large, salted pretzels, served nice and hot with a great cheese sauce and an even better hot brown mustard. Side note….the chicken wings at OBT are really good. I have had them with a few beers at the bar watching baseball and football and the flavors are fantastic – especially the OBT Stinger wings!
For my main dish I was torn between the Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese and the traditional Beer Battered Fish & Chips. Since a few of my dining compatriots had already ordered a few different versions of the Mac & Cheese, I order the Fish & Chips figuring I might be offered a taste from my dining friends. The fish was delightful, beer battered and fried, hot and a huge portion. Lots of krinkle fries too along with a small portion of very tasty cole slaw. The fish, while fried, wasn’t heavy yet light and very flavorful.
Our server Matt was very attentive, stopping with at our table often to refill glasses, get drink orders and bring napkins when needed. Even though it was a Tuesday night the room was busy but our food came out timely and from what I could tell, served nice and hot from the kitchen.
Overall I like Oak Barrel Tavern for what it is….a neighborhood pub, serving better than average pub food at reasonable pricesn a comfortable and nicely decorated atmosphere. The craft beer selection is nice and the bar area, which I have sat in many times is a great place to watch a game with friends, enjoy cocktails and appetizers. I would recommend OBT highly for a casual dinner!
