The Charlottesville 29

156 Carlton Rd. Suite 203 . Charlottesville, VA . (434) 984-2337
http://www.beerrun.com/

The full article on Beer Run is here. Quick guide below.

Why Beer Run?

Beer Run — a bar, beer and wine shop, and eatery– is Charlottesville’s quintessential family restaurant. It is run by family, feels like family, and hosts families of all kinds every day. With an ever-changing menu of well-chosen draft beers, and good food that pairs well with the beer, it has that je ne sais quoi that makes for an irresistibly comfortable place to be. In Beer Run, Josh Hunt and his brother John Woodriff have created Charlottesville’s most difficult restaurant to leave.

What to Order

A few tips. First, sandwiches are best on whole wheat bread or as a wrap, rather than house bread. True, the house bread — a focaccia-style made from beer —  is very good, and goes well with the cheese plate, for example. But, for Beer Run’s delicious sandwiches, less bulky vehicles are a tortilla wrap or whole wheat bread.

Second, the soups are excellent. Although they are not prominently featured on the menu, Beer Run serves two soups each day. They stand up to the best in town, even at restaurants exclusively focused on soup.

Third, desserts are hidden gems, listed on a chalk board above the bar. Most of them are made by the very talented pastry chef Elicia Hernandez, who is Chef Hernan Franco’s sister.

Beyond that, here are our specific recommendations, the owners’ and chef’s picks, and appearances in Five Finds on Friday, where chefs and personalities have named a Beer Run dish one of the best in town.

Our Picks

• Breakfast Tacos (Saturday morning)
• Beer Run Nachos
• Chicken Philly on a Sun-dried Tomato Wrap
• Turkey Trot on Whole Wheat, Pressed
• Bison Burger
• Dubliner Sandwich (March special we wait for all year)
• The Davidson

Owner Picks

Owners Hunt and Woodriff named:

• Egg BLT (Breakfast menu)
• Allagash Fish Tacos, (Sunday brunch)
• Tres Colores Fish and Chips
• Seared Scallops with Local Oyster Mushrooms and Soy-Ginger Butter

Chef’s Picks

Chef Franco named the Tres Colores Fish and Chips and the Seared Scallops, as well as:

• All-Natural Grilled Hangar Steak with Bacon-Blue Cheese Compound Butter  

Five Finds on Friday Picks

• Nachos — Robbie O’Cain (Starr Hill Brewery), Liberty Kalergis (formerly, MAS Tapas); Morgan Hurt and Gabe Garcia (Kitchen Catering & Events), Marijean Oldham (100 Things to Do in Charlottesville Before You Die), Lisa Reeder (Local Food Hub)
• A.M. Biscuit — Kate Ellwood (formerly, Citizen Burger Bar)
• Autumn Omelet — Diane Flynt (Foggy Ridge Cider)
• Avocado Toast – Kathryn Matthews (IRON Paffles & Coffee)
• Pupusas — Jessica Hogan (formerly, Beer Run)
• Muffaleta — Ian Redshaw (formerly, L’Etoile)
• Bison Burger — Mike Yager (formerly, Glass Haus Kitchen)
• The Dubliner — Ellen Searcy (reader)
• Turkey Trot — David Morgan (formerly, Tavern & Grocery)
• Grilled Radicchio Salad (add Salmon) with Allagash FV13  — Jeff Bloem (Murphy & Rude Malting Co.)
• Salmon Linguine with Sparkling Brut Rosé — Chrissy Smith (Beer Run)
• Lasagna — Jason Oliver (Devil’s Backbone)
• Tres Colores Fish and Chips — Hunter Smith (Champion Brewing Co.)
• Kimchi Pork Wrap – Todd DeSorbo (UVa Swimming)
• Duchesse De Bourgogne — Tristan Wraight (Oakhart Social)
• Saturday Morning Randall (retired) – Charlie Toder (formerly, Kardinal Hall)