the birch bar

having traveled the globe i find the birch a very unique beer experience to be in norfolk. this type selection/depth is only found in larger areas. to replicate rare beers, the varieties that are offered there is very special and comes with great effort. my friends and i had not found this experience in va. til the birch got there. its all about the beer. many restaurants serve beer, very few bars and rest. have the strength of character to stand by its beer alone, at the birch the "suds does", ( cheese trays,limited sand. and snacks).truly a craft beerbarvenue its constant rotation of drafts keeps the drinking experience new and exciting. i also use the birch as a social gathering spot to meet friends at. with conversation and no tv its a sporting event within itself. cheers !!

the birch is the best beerbarin tidewater - without exception. the selection of beers is not only vast, but carefully selected by the owners to provide a quality drinking experience. the atmosphere and lighting is warm and low-key. both ties and t-shirts are welcome and can be seen on any given night. while i am not inclined to post restaurant andbarreviews, i signed up for urbanspoon in order to provide my take on the birch.

i usually go by thebara couple of times a week and have come to know the owners, ben and malea. i have also come to know the rest of the staff - kate, jordan and mary. i consider them friends. not many young couples have had the courage, particularly in these economic times, to forge ahead and take the chances that ben and malea have undertaken in opening this superlative bar. kate and jordan are friends of the couple and mary is malea's mother. ben's dad can often be found sipping a beer at the end of the bar. i find this setup comfortable and reassuring in a time when most bars are owned and run by faceless people or companies who rarely, if ever, can be found on the premises and typically employ short-timers who direct you to a laminated beer list of seven selections. if you're hell bent on a budweiser, every otherbarin town can take care of you. if you're up for something more adventurous, give the birch a try. if you're up for something adventurous but want something like a budweiser, tell one of the staff that you typically drink bud or miller and they'll recommend something that will likely surprise you. my dad falls into this last category. and if it's too crowded and you don't have time to wait, go next door or down the street to one of the other ghent locations and drop in another time.

the world is already full of appleby's, tgif, flingers etc. and, in many cities, they continue to sprout up like weeds next to beige condominiums and parking lots. in norfolk, the birch tells me that the 'local tavern' is off of life-support and willing to offer something better to those who want it.

i finally found abari like. this is one of those fantastically hidden away gems that has only been around for a year or so, so if you're like me and feel like you've been missing out, you're not too far behind the curve. these guys serve high class craft beers that are unlike any beer from the mainstream distributors. i had an absolutely amazing imperial stout, german wild porter, and fortified cider while i was there, and every single beer had a unique flavor and was more than worth the small draft price.

as far as food goes, they have a cheese selection, which comes with good crackers, and for a small cost, also comes with honey, black and green olives, and delicious sausage. each cheese is delicious.

the bartender is extremely knowledgeable and i essentially took his recommedations for all three beers and my choice of cheese, and can honestly say it was worth the price.

no live music when i went (wed evening) but quality jazz music playing to match the diamond-in-the-rough atmosphere. if you're not a beer snob, this place will make you one. my only shame is that i found them so late in my time in norfolk, and am leaving the area soon. easily the bestbari've found in the whole 7 cities area.

what a beer!. i first heard about birchbarin the oct. veer mag. i live in norfolk, and was surprised to hear about an all beer bar-had to try it. walked in and immediately appreciated the missing tvs!! :) the lighting is subdued, and the atmosphere very comfortable.
ben, the owner, came over, and was very open and forthcoming with an offer to assist in the decision-making process-which is a good thing given that the bottled beer list is 3 pages long. :) there's a floor-to-almost-ceiling board listing the beers available on tap, and a list of eats available as well-although that list is modest in comparison to the other two. but it is all about the beer!
with a little assistance from ben, i settled on the ola dubh 18, and was absolutely smitten. i'm not an 'educated' drinker of beer, although i will always take the smaller, batch-made brews over anything mass-produced, but the od 18 was amazing. now there's only one problem....and it's quite serious....i have been thoroughly and unequivocally spoiled--all my other beer 'favorites' have turned to water in comparison....i've been back once so far....and have yet to get beyond........ola dubh!! :)

cool atmosphere that was ruined by the rudeness of the staff. this place has great beers tonoffer however when i went here with a group of 12 people they asked the 2 people who did not order drinks to stand bc they needed the chairs for another party who was about to arrive. when the 2 took a nearby seat at thebarthey were again asked to get up... what type or establishment treats their customers like this? we stayed for 1 drink and got the checks bc of their awful and very rude attitudes. because of this we will never go back.

the birch: it's not a tree. this is a beerbarplain and simple, and in that regard you will be hard pressed to find a better beerbarin the city/state/region. it truly is a beer lover's paradise. the draft and bottle list are ever changing and there isn't a bad beer in the bunch. we are talking world class beers on a regular basis. that being said, if you have a problem paying more than $5 for a beer this is not the place for you. sorry.

not only will you find knowledgeable staff eager to guide you in your selection, the unconventional look and feel of the venue add to the distinct vibe you wil find only at the birch. be it fellow patrons commenting on your beer selection, invigorating conversations with complete strangers, helping a lost soul staring helplessly at the list of 21 unique drafts, or just frothing at the mouth for one of the vintage bottles newly added to the bottle list... the birch provides a truly unique experience. i drive from williamsburg on a regular basis just to get my fix. that's a helluva endorsement considering fuel prices at the moment.

for those miffed about being turned away at the door... that is to protect the integrity of what makes the birch so great: it's atmosphere. ben would rather provide a memorable evening of individual attention and comfortable seating then cram the space like a cattle cart and make you wade through a sea of bodies to grab your next brew. it's a tiny place with a massive regional footprint in terms of buzz. i implore you to give it another chance and you'll see why.

over the top.... i have a feeling my fellow reviewer's aren't going to like what i have to say about this place, but i have to call it like i see it.

first things first. do they have great beer here? yes. do they have great atmosphere? yes. is it all over the top. absolutely.

the birchbaris the latest hipster trendy place to arrive on the norfolk scene. i'm not sure if that was by design or not, but that's what it's turned into. the beer selection is awesome and it's also way over priced even for downtown norfolk. food here is sparse. you can get a grilled cheese sandwich for $9.00 (cough) or one their cheese boards. they also have some little finger snacks like popcorn and beer nuts for $3.00 each and that's it for the menu.

they play no music and i like this concept as it invokes conversation. however you wouldn't have been able to hear the music, or much less the person next to you, without screaming the night i visited.

the beers are many and varied and the assortment is always changing. no matter your poison, the pint or goblet you order is going to run you on average about $8.00 per beer. we were definitely having trouble getting a waitress to serve us so we ended up getting our beers from the bar.

i'm going to wait a bit and let the hype die down before my next visit. personally i wish they were open on sundays so you could experience the joint with a non nightlife environment. maybe they'll do that next year by the time football season has started.

great beer. the birch is one of my favorite places in hr. the beer selection is amazing and the policy of replacing an empty keg with a new beer is perfect! i try 3-4 new beers a week here. the cheese's they have on the menu are fantastic, i havent tried the sammy's but i hear they're decent. the servers are amazingly knowledgeable when it comes to beer and are always willing to help you make a decision. the only real complaint i have is that service at thebarcan be painfully slow.

if you're thinking of trying the birch definitely try the "steal the pint night" on wednesday's, just make sure you get there early so the special keg of the night doesnt run out, or the glasses.

good beer, horrible staff. the owner of the birchbaris the most pretentious prick i have ever encountered. we called a week ahead of time to make a reservation for a party of 12 which they would not do. we arrived early to ensure we had seats and they would not let us move tables together unless everyone in the seat was drinking. they would not separate checks but did not warn us ahead of time. i believe our waiter was owner boy and he did not want to take any time to explain or recommend any of the beers on a rather extensive menu.

our intent was a night out at a new place. the staff sucked and none of us will ever return. if the place goes out of business, owner boy know it was you. you are a jerk.

horrible service, poor management overshadow extensive beer selection. a craft beerbaris not simply defined by the beer selection. it's defined by the entire experience, which includes service, meeting expectations, and delivering on advertised or portrayed overall product. this place started to earn a buzz through facebook and twitter months before they opened. and they continue to portray one image through social media but deliver an entirely different experience.

my friends and i arrived at 830, not really the busiest time to visit abaron a friday night. the "door guy" greeted us as we walked up and said "sorry, we're at capacity right now. i can't let you in until some people leave." i looked over his should and saw that while all the tables were full, it certainly wasn't "bar full." but then the guy tells us we can wait on the porch area and someone would come by to serve us out there while we wait. my friends and i thought we'd give it a try. after all, i had been waiting to go to this place for a while.

we stood in the porch area for 15-20 minutes before we saw a waitress. she handed us a food menu but no beer menu. "can we see a beer list. that's why we're here....it's a craft 'beer' bar," we told her and she said she'd try to find one for us. another 5-10 minutes go by and a waiter walks by. "can we get a beer list" we asked him. he replies "man they're all the over the place. i don't think we have any more." um, what? how are we supposed to order beer without a list? the guy finally comes back with a bottled craft beer list. awesome list, but one problem....it doesn't list the beers on tap! apparently that is on a board on the inside.

so i went to the doorman to ask if we could go inside to look at the board to see what crafts they have on tap. we were told no. at that same time, 6 people walk out and i ask if me and my friends can enter now. "no, we were actually over capacity so you'll have to wait out here longer." ok, but i'd really like to see what you have on tap. can you at least take my droid phone inside and take a picture of the board for me so me and my friends can order a beer after waiting out here for another 30 minutes? "i don't think so, let me ask my boss."

after waiting another 10 minutes we ended up leaving. given some of the other negative reviews, the birch really needs to start understanding that an impressive beer list is just a start. the other 75% of the experience is service. waiting 30+ minutes and not even getting the opportunity to see what specialty beers are on tap is insane. this place is run so poorly the beer list is overshadowed by horrible management, poor planning, and the inability to see that running a craft beerbaris more than saying you have a craft beer bar.

bestbarin norfolk!. the birch is my new favoritebarin ghent. the selection is amazing, the staff is friendly and helpful. they have a good selection of cheeses that go well with the beer too (just ask for suggestions). not to mention they have growlers! you can't beat the birch.

explosive craft beer content.. as a true craft beer enthusiast every time i went out it was like pulling teeth to pick a place to go. no more am i plagued with indesicion and mediocre selection. no longer do i have to say the dreaded words, "well, where do you guys want to go tonight?" for there is finally beer nirvana right in my back yard!

the birchbarhas twenty one taps of pure bliss. one of them is even on nitro which untill now was unheard of in this area. they kick and change out kegs so regularly that there is always something new to try. also, make sure you are sitting down cause your about to get weak in the knees, they have true cask beer. the beer gods are benevolent and have blessed us with the birch.

the atmosphere is focused, intimate and social. no horrendously huge tv's, slimy shtick or lackluster decore. you are surrounded by beer culture and its warm embrace. the staff is knowledgeable and quick to impart as much time as they can spare you so as to meet everyones brew needs. the food though limited is the perfect poetic complement to the massive selection of liquid meals that are served. concise and extremely complimentry.

do yourself a favor and go to the birch bar.

great place for craft beer. went to the birchbarfor the first time recently after hearing about from a couple different people. i wouldn't consider myself to be a true beer geek, but it was a great place to hang out with friends and get some real beer that you can't find anywhere else around hampton roads. it was a pretty relaxed place even with friday night crowds and i liked that the music playing in the background. the big draft selection is also updated online (including prices) which is pretty cool. so far the main focus is beer, but i would like to see a few more food items to snack on. the soft pretzel i had was good and i tasted some good cheese from one of the platters a friend ordered, but i dont think this is going to be a place to sit down for dinner.

great beer, great atmosphere, great staff.. i went to birchbarlast saturday night with my husband and two friends. we were thrilled to discover gordon working there. he's a mainstay of the ghent community and a really nice guy. i worked at azar's on colley when they opened in 2003 and gordon came in regularly and was one of our nicest customers. i think he has every right to expect courteous treatment as a server because he gives the same as a restaurant patron. the atmosphere at birch is great. it's crowded and lively, but not so loud you can't have a conversation. we didn't have any food while we were there, but i had already read online not to expect a full menu, so we ate at home before coming. i tried two beers, both i had never seen before in this area, and i loved them both. as for location, i think birchbaris in a great spot. i live just a few blocks away in west ghent, so it's an easy walk, but for those who live further away, they have a large parking lot available one block away. this makes parking much easier than anywhere in east ghent. contrary to the opinion of"thebeergoddess" in her review, the area is also quite safe, west ghent having some of the lowest crime rates in norfolk. this is no "mugging and raping" haven. according to the recently issued (oct 2010) police report on west ghent, the area has been essentially crime free other than a few car break-ins. i think some people are just afraid of the dark. : ) i would have no problem walking in this area at night with my girlfriends. another thing to note is while beergoddess sings the praises of grape and gourmet, they are not a bar, they are a retail store. grape & gourmet does have a nice selection of beer, but again, it's a store not abarso i wouldn't consider them comparable to birch. anyway, birch is well worth a visit. it's a lot of fun and i'll definitely be back regularly.

enormous potential. everything about the birch is awesome. it's tucked away in the lambert's point area of west ghent - quiet and secluded. the vibrant colors of the building's facade are artsy and inviting. inside, the ambiance is dimly-lit, with the hubbub of patrons filling the room. it really is a joy to have a place like this, focused on craft beer, in ghent. with a large selection of craft beers on draft, bottles and cask, the birch is something of a norfolk bier garden (albiet with significantly less focus on food). for the record, i really enjoy the birch and have been up there with friends and family close to 10 times since they opened their doors. very glad to have them in norfolk!

but no establishment is perfect and i do have a few criticisms. i believe the birch to be understaffed, primarily with regard to bartending. on occasion, myself (and others i've witnessed) would patiently wait at our seat at the bar, with an empty glass in front of us. sometimes for a number of minutes. this shouldn't happen. i think part of the problem is that since it's abarfocused on craft beer and the conversations that surround it, some of the staff get involved in these conversations and unintentionally neglect other patrons ready to order more. if they were to hire an experienced bartender (or two), these people could engage the customers more, talk about craft beer more, help out on occasion, but primarily let the experienced bartenders do the heavy-lifting. especially when the birch is at maximum capacity and things are very fast-paced. i've heard similar concerns voiced about their lone waiter.

having said all that, i have complete confidence in the birch becoming a successful business and i believe they have enormous potential. the owners are very knowledgable and fun and really have something special with the birch. despite a few things they need to focus on, they've got everything in place to become a wildly popular venue!