North Shore icon takes their food and drink very seriously; themselves not so much
Beast + Barrel is the fourth pub incarnation and most elevated menu and craft bar to come from owners Ryan Chilcoat, Matt Lewis and Geoff Tarr. Joining The Honest Pint, The Hair of the Dog Pub, and The Terminal Brewhouse, Beast + Barrel offers a unique atmosphere and a menu that will have customers wanting to return again and again.
The publicans added this gastropub and smokehouse hybrid in 2014 as they saw a gap in “upscale pubs” in town. This casual dining concept combines some great comfortable elements with just enough finishing touches to feel great as both a classy night out and a relaxed place to have a salad or burger for lunch.
Described as a “gastro smokehouse,” Beast + Barrel is sure to satisfy any meat lover as these folks smoke everything from pastrami to wings to ice for cocktails. The Gastropub feel is defined by the chef-driven menu items like the rack of lamb, steak tartare, and artisan meat and cheese boards.
Combining traditional meat dishes such as smoked pork, house made pastrami, fried chicken, and crab cakes, with a hint of Southern- and French-influenced culinary flare, the dishes at Beast + Barrel are different from the pub-style cuisine of the other three restaurants.
While meat is a primary ingredient in many of the dishes, Beast + Barrel offers vegetarian options like the Chickpea Burger, a house-made chickpea mix grilled with lettuce, tomato, house pickles, crumbled feta, and lemon dill dressing served on a slice of Niedlov’s challah bread, and the Market Veggie Plate, described on the menu as, “we went to the market, your server better know what we got. Test ’em.”
In addition to lunch and dinner, Beast + Barrel also serves brunch, opening at 10am for the early birds. Beast + Barrel’s brunch includes dishes like Merica’ (two eggs any style, Beast bacon, house sausage, local grits or smoked potatoes, and a biscuit) and savory classics like Eggs Benedict and every Southerner’s favorite, biscuits and gravy. Or if you’d prefer something on the sweeter side, try their banana pancakes or peach French toast.
To complement your food, Beast + Barrel offers a large selection of craft beer, wine and cocktails. Featuring only Tennessee brewed craft beer on tap, the beer menu is categorized by taste to help you select the best choice for your palate.
Wine lovers have a large selection of white, red, sparkling, and dessert wines to order by the glass or bottle, but if they are having a tough time choosing, Beast + Barrel offers a wine sampler that allows customers to try 2-oz. samples of all six of their wines on tap.
The Happy Hour at Beast + Barrel has quickly become known as the best in Chattanooga. They offer $3 craft beer, $4 wine on tap, $5 classic cocktails and $6 bartender’s choice cocktails along with food deals to match from 3 to 6p.m., seven days a week.
Beast + Barrel’s cocktail menu includes several classics like the Sazerac, Old Fashioned, and Dark and Stormy, as well as balanced new age house specialties like Strawberry Letter, made with Cathead vodka, Cynar, strawberry, basil, lemon, and B+B grenadine.
For brunch, customers can choose their own juice or puree for a mimosa or bellini, or their own mix and liquor for a Bloody Mary at the Bloody Bar. For larger groups, Beast + Barrel offers brunch carafes, which serve three-to-four people.
With plenty of cheap and convenient parking out back by Coolidge Park, Beast + Barrel is an easy choice for lunch or dinner. The open air feel and back deck add elements of open air dining in a bustling area of town with great views.