the birch bar

i finally found a bar i 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 asfoodgoes, 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 best bar i've found in the whole 7 cities area.

fantastic beer bar. this place is not for the following:
people who want dinner
people who want to drink cocktails while one person has a bud
people who want cheap beer

this is a beer bar.

go to the birch to experience beer. it is a small establishment with limited seating and an awesome, i repeat, awesome beer menu. there is always light music playing that you can actually talk over. if you do not like craft beers it may not be a spot you want to visit. this is not a restaurant. there isfoodbut don't go hungry thinking you are going to eat dinner. think of pretzels to cleanse between beers. my favorite part is that they keep the kitchen light off unless someone orders something.

the staff has always been great when we have been, always asking if we need another beer and offering suggestions for our next.

a jewel. i love this place. one of my favorite places in all of tidewater. most of the beers served here are not served anywhere else in the area and are exquisite. and the atmosphere is simple and well done.

the owner is actually quite personable and helpful--as are the others, though i don't doubt that he'll try to make space for paying customers over those just tagging along for conversation.

as to food, this is not a restaurant. it is a beer bar. yes, they'll make you a sandwich, but that's not their raison d'etre. the bestfoodis the cheese board. they have a phenomenal cheese board (i recommend stilton, cocoa cadonna & shepherd's blend).

not sure i understand the comment about no music. there is always music--good music--but i guess they keep the volume at a level that does not interfere with conversation.

don't go there with 12 people; go with 3 or 4 friends, talk with the staff about the beers, and the people next to you.

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 birch bar is 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.foodhere 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.

a good start, but needs to get better. i have been a micro-brew fan for over two decades and the birch just opened up on my neighborhood. my first visit was disappointing. the beer selection is very good. they had a bit over 20 drafts and a bottle list of over 100 beers. the place is very small so if you go you may want to go right after it opens in mid-afternoon. the "movie popcorn" for three dollars appears to be microwave. the cheese plate is tiny. the beers are expensive but not extreme. my wife had a cola and i had two beers. we had a cheese plate with two cheeses and the crackers/olive/honey/salami side. with tip, we walked out 40 bucks lighter. my second beer came in a round glass and the head was super thick and well below the top of the glass. so when it settled, i had about half a beer. our waitress was friendly. they sell no wine or other alcohol so if you have friends who don't like to drink beer, they won't be able to get an alcoholic beverage other than a hard cider. they had no ice tea and no lemons. lemons are good in a side glass of water, but also good in some varieties of beer. i think this place is can get better and i hope it will. it needs to improve itsfoodand make the inside more pub-like and comfortable. i black concrete floor with small rickety tables does not cut it. my guess is, the owner was on a budget and just wanted to open. let's hope profits go into the bar/pub and that thefoodand atmosphere improve. cheers, ayerdan

horrible service, poor management overshadow extensive beer selection. a craft beer bar is 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 a bar on 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 afoodmenu 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 beer bar is more than saying you have a craft beer bar.

mostly like it. summary of what i would say this to people who have never been:

1. be prepared for amazing beers!
2. be prepared for higher prices. (you are paying for imports not pbr in a can)
3. be prepared to ask your server for recommendations and information on beers you are unfamiliar with or better yet check out the beer list online and do some research before you head out.
4. be prepared to wait for a seat. this place is small but they do have tables outside for warmer weather days.
5. know that this is not a "bar" where you go to get drunk. this is a place you go to actually enjoy the beer you are drinking.

my experience:
i was very excited to finally try the birch. (we were there last week) i am not a big drinker but i love local businesses and was intrigued by the idea of a craft beer bar. :-)

i do like it, but i do agree that the service is some what lacking. we did not encounter anyone rude...everyone was nice, but you had to grab a server while you could (no one checked in on us.)

we didn't have any realfoodso i can not comment on that but we did have a bowl of popcorn. it was good! :-)

on a side note, i was the dd so i only had one beer. i would have to refer to the menu again to see what options they have for the non drinkers (i mean someone has to drive home) but when i asked for a glass of water it was warm tap water...warm water is bleck (i didnt mind the fact that is was out f the tap)

the good, the bad and the ugly. the good, the bad and the ugly......

the good....great beer selection and the quality of the beer is good. good use of glassware. on the down side, beers are poured with way to much head!! you pay eight bucks for a beer and get 4 inches of beer and 4 inches of head.

the bad....now i understand that maybe they aren't makingfooda focus and just need to havefoodsince it's va, but really thefoodsucks! for example, i payed $15 for a cheese tray and here is what i got: 4 slices of one cheese, a few crumbles of another, 4 small pieces of sausage, some stale crackers and some dipping honey. my friend got a $9 grilled cheese which was basically one piece of cheese and one piece of ham on two huge slices of bad bread.foodis horrible and overpriced!! don't eat here!

the really, really ugly......worst service and rudest staff ever!!!
if you want to wait forever for your beer, go here. if you want to sit at a dirty table and wait an hour for it to be cleared, go here. if you want to sit at an empty table and then be told to move, go here. if you want a server to tell you they can't get you a beer because you're not in their area, go here. if you want to be yelled at to move because you're standing in front of the draft list, go here. i could give many more examples but what it basically comes down to is that the staff is rude and unfriendly and treats a lot of customers badly.

it is unfortunate that a place with such good beer is so lousy. i won"t be back to the birch!! fortunately there are other places to get good beer in the area. cogan's pizza has great food, better than average beer and a way nicer staff. taphouse ghent has decent food, good beer and a mostly nice staff. and if you just want to pick up really great beer to take home, go to grape & gourmet in va beach. they have an unbelievable selection and the nicest staff ever.

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 birch bar has 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. thefoodthough 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 birch bar for 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 morefooditems 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 birch bar last 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 anyfoodwhile 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 birch bar is 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 a bar so 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.

the real deal for beer. really a great addition to the norfolk landscape. a much needed place for very excellent and huge selection of craft and cask beers. the landscape is ever changing as well with new additions all the time. haven't had a bad selection yet. ben and crew will tell you what you are in for in each selection. and there is a rhyme and reason for the cost of each beer and the glass you drink it from. as this is not just your average beer, the glass highlights particular styles and flavors. thefoodselection is fairly minimal at this point, but this is a craft brew place. theirfoodchoices compliment the beers and the cheeses and particularly the grilled cheese sandwiches are excellent. we'll see if the kitchen expands its selections, but be assured it won't be at the sacrifice of the beer. if this bud is for you, this might not be your place. but if you like taste, excellent beer and well....even more and different excellent beer, then stop by and make sure to talk to the staff about what to try. you won't be steered wrong. and be safe- a designated driver will be necessary, especially after a few selections. or, you can just live in west ghent and walk!

this is honestly the best place in ghent, maybe hampton roads, to get a beer but only of you enjoy good beer. the selection is amazing and they have a great turnaround on bottles and taps so there is always something different. thefoodis perfect to just munch on while enjoying the beer and the menu reminds me of little beer bars in amsterdam and paris. don't let negative reviews sway you from checking this bar for the great brews and amazing workers. seriously, do yourself and mouth a favor and run to the birch bar and enjoy yourself.

best bar in town. this place is the new gem of west ghent. people with ill experiences are obviously not the right fit for the birch. and lady-- it is not okay to leave an 11% tip. if you can't afford to tip, don't go out.
the birch is unique from anything in the norfolk area. the experience is focused on the beer (let me emphasize this: the focus of the bar is beer) and any true beer geek appreciates and understands the purpose of correct glassware. the owners are knowledgeable and obviously enjoy investing in their curious customers looking to try the latest and greatest hard-to-find beer on tap (or cask). i've always gotten great recommendations and lovely service from employees and the birch.
thefoodis limited, but delicious. the atmosphere is chill and cozy. i've heard friends compare it to pubs in london and other areas of europe. there is a serious buzz-- i say keep up the good work! ben and malia know what they are doing and that are on to something good. i will continue to be a faithful patron at the birch. crazy people stay home, it leaves more room for those who actually understand what the birch is all about.

best beer bar in town. i logged on to review the birch, because i had a great time there this week,!! i'm not a big beer drinker myself, but my friend i was with is. i asked for a lttle guidance since i wasn't sure what i would like. ben, who owns the birch definatly knows his beer and made a great choice for me!! we also had a grilled cheese with procuitto sandwhich and chips that really hit the spot!! the place was packed which was very exciting for a week night. the service was amazing....even with a full house!
i read the previous reviews on here for the birch and am quite surprised. i would just like to say that ben and his crew are doing a great job! i'm a server and if you can't afford to leave a decent tip (20%)....you can't afford to go out to eat!!!! if the service was good, yourfoodwas good, there's really no excuse...maybe you shouldn't have had that last 2 rounds! and if you have a poor financial situation that only allows an 11% tip....you shouldn't be going out for beers you can't afford, silly :)