Beer Run
by Charlottesville29
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 expertly selected 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, better vehicles are a tortilla wrap or whole wheat bread, both of which are available upon request.
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 Franco’s sister, and who also works at HotCakes.
Beyond that, here are some of 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)
- Conchi’s Biscuit Basket (Sunday Brunch)
- Claim Your Steak and Eggs (Sunday Brunch)
- Beer Run Nachos
- Chicken Philly on a Sun-dried Tomato Wrap, Pressed
- Roast Beef Reubenesque on Whole Wheat, Pressed
- Bison Burger
- Dubliner Sandwich (March special we wait for all year)
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
- Lasagna — Jason Oliver (Devil’s Backbone)
- Autumn Omelet — Diane Flynt (Foggy Ridge Cider)
- Tres Colores Fish and Chips — Hunter Smith (Champion Brewing Co.)
- Muffaleta — Ian Redshaw (Lampo, formerly Tavola and L’Etoile)
- Bison Burger — Mike Yager (formerly Glass Haus Kitchen)
- The Dubliner — Ellen Searcy (reader)
- Duchesse De Bourgogne — Tristan Wraight (Oakhart Social)
- Turkey Trot — David Morgan (Tavern & Grocery)
- Nachos — Robbie O’Cain (Starr Hill Brewery), Liberty Kalergis (MAS Tapas); Morgan Hurt and Gabe Garcia (Kitchen Catering & Events)
- Saturday Morning Randall – Charlie Toder (Kardinal Hall)
- Avocado Toast – Kathryn Matthews (IRON Paffles & Coffee)