June 24, 2009
Straight up, the service sucked. The bartender was flaky and inattentive and chain-smoked the whole time we were there. I don’t usually complain about smoking in a place that explicitly permits it and I wouldn’t even mention it if, say, it were 11pm and all of the patrons were lighting up. But it was the middle of the day and none of the patrons were smoking. It would have been nice if the bartender had taken her cue accordingly. Meanwhile, the cook finally decided to roll in an hour after the kitchen was supposedly open. Seriously people, get your shit together.

That said, most of the other pieces were in place. The beer was not mind-altering but it was solid. (Come to think of it the impy stout actually was pretty mind-blowing.) The ambiance and decor was sufficiently casual, unpretentious and inviting. The crowd was pretty mellow and beer-knowledgeable. The food must not have been that great or that bad because I barely even remember it.

I’ll give this place another shot, but if I’m as ambivalent about it after my second visit, there probably won’t be a third.

May 11, 2009
I was not impressed at all. The beer was mediocre, all of our food was burnt. Prices were outstanding (9.00 for an appetizer of fondue beer cheese and bread!) The atmosphere was ok, it had a nice Celtic touch.Service? Horrible. We were lucky we got waited on. Our server was in such a hurry, he would run to the table and take off before we could tell him there was a problem. Would I return? Maybe for the cheese bread, but I would get it to go.

March 21, 2009
Full disclosure: my experience here was terrible, largely because of consistently inept service (e.g., vegetarians don’t enjoy being served beef-based food when they specifically ask for bean-based food). Sort of your standard chain Irish Pub with some additional coziness. Love the building it’s in, if only they could bring out the old rafters and wall-flavor a bit more. Had some nice guest taps (always enjoy me some Alpha Klaus!), and I’ll be sure to raise the score if my next visit is even passably enjoyable.

September 7, 2007
A brewpub, with an Irish theme, Barley Island’s main calling is in the 15 or so beers (rotated, seasonally, and with a "sampler") that they brew on the premises. The overall beer selection is limited. They feature their own brews and a few guest beers on tap (Rogue Dead Guy, Founders Dirty Bastard, and Youngs Double Chocolate Stout stood out, during my visit). Beer prices are reasonable ($3.50/pint), though they have very good specials on pints of their own brews ($1.50/pint) on Mondays and Tuesdays. They also sell their beer in bottles and growlers. The menu is good, though sandwich oriented, as is typical of brewpub fare.

April 2, 2007
I like this place a lot. It reminds me of some of bars in my small hometown. With thexception being they have great beer! Really I talked to the bartender for about an hour and he was a pretty cool guy, seemed fairly knowledgeable. Their Black Magic Java Stout just recently won a silver medal at the GABF.

January 16, 2007
Quality beer and a pleasant, warm ambiance. A good brewpub with very cozy seating where each booth is separated off. Knowledgeable staff, good food.

August 14, 2006
This has a rustic, old-timey feel which is right at home in a small downtown area filled with old brick buildings. Bottles to go are available in the cooler. I had a friendly, knowledgeable bartender. The bar itself is isolated from the rest of the restaurant. I was here around noon, so things were pretty quiet. I didn’t bother to look for parking provided by Barley Island, unfortunately. I did, however, find a parking lot with dirt-cheap meters a mere two minutes away by foot. This place is up to par for a brewpub.

April 30, 2006 [ Updated May 5, 2006 ]
Located 6 miles west of I-69 in the downtown of Noblesville directly of street with good parking. Large building with Brewing on the right, dance floor in front. pool room in the middle and pub in the back. Wood bar with table seating against the wall. Good freindly service. Had the sampler set and a bomber bottle of bourbon barrel aged brew. Reviewed menu of sandwichs, pizza and soups. Had an app. Nice location with good brews.

April 21, 2004
Barley Island is about 20 minutes from downtown Indianapolis. Aside from some confusion with their many streets named Fall Creek, it is pretty easy to find. They have the entire brew works viewable from the street! Parking consists of a small side lot, and some additional parking in the rear.

Inside you are greeted by a fairly sparse seating area, but toward the back things get a little warmer, with booths and frosted glass all in an Irish theme. I especially liked the hanging lights that showed leprechauns holding mugs of ale. The bar area is tucked in the rear and is pretty small but well stocked. They also have an adjoining game room with pool and classic arcade games.

The beer selection is fairly good. They have 6 beers available, including a seasonal or 2, and a cask offering. The have a sampler and growlers available as well. The beers range from standard brewpub stuff to more unique offerings like a 60 Shilling Scottish Ale.

The service here was decent, but they were not busy at all on a weeknight.

The food was a combination of Irish pub grub, pizza and sandwhiches. We tried the brewpub nachos and were not disappointed.

All in all this is definitely a recommended stop if you are in the Indianapolis area. It’s not that far (unless you take a couple wrong turns like I did) and the beers are all pretty good.