Thursday 3rd of May 2012 07:27:21 PM

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We stopped in at the large Quonset hut recently and I ordered to 10 beer sampler for $12. On tap today were their Blonde Ale, Raspberry Ale, Porter, Oatmeal Stout, NCAAle Double Strong Ale, Scotch Ale, Copperhead Pale Ale, Hefeweizen, IPA, and Amber Ale. With their 3 ounce sampler glasses I thought that was a pretty good price for the 10 beers. The Scotch Ale was my favorite of the bunch. There is seating around the large bar area and tables scattered throughout. There are a few TVs in the place but they don’t detract from the overall ambience provided by the wood and corrugated tin walls that give this place a nice rustic look and feel. They also have a bar shuffleboard table. The area where we sat had a nice view of the brewery and all their tanks. They have outdoor seating but I can’t imagine sitting out there on a summer Tucson afternoon. The place is no smoking, has free WI-FI and plenty of parking outside. They have growlers to go. We didn’t order any food, maybe next time. The service was excellent. This place has the same owners as Gentle Ben’s near the University of Arizona campus. We opted not to go there to avoid the college crowd.

Thursday 19th of May 2011 06:41:34 PM

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Needed a bit of minor work done on the car and, being out of town, we had to travel 30 miles into Tucson (from Green Valley) to get it done. The rep at the counter looked like he was a beer drinker -- you will have to imagine that -- so I asked him. He smiled, look down then away then back and said, "yes I am" so I asked him for a recommendation. Without hestitation he said, "The Barrio."

The Barrio - conjures up certain images and here in South Tucson, like most cities, there are evident but I am ready at all times to try anybody "local" watering hole regardless of where it might be.

Housed in a semi-warehouse building ("semi" because it really appears to be one ginormous quonset hut), Barrio Brewery has character - a personality the moment you enter.

The brewery is straight back from the front door right next to the skee-ball. Tables are many and spaced far enough apart so when it gets crowded (and I can imagine it does on a Friday and Saturday night) you're not playing "knees-ey" with the Hell's Angel next to you.

The beer "garden" is long and lean and faces the street but it's not bad since the street is off the beaten path and the only traffic are your close, personal friends streaming into the place to say "Hey!"

12 beers on tap including (when we were there in May) a Summer Citrus (that was unique and delicious with WONderful bursts of lemon and Orange) and a Double IPA - Red ale but the hand's-down winner was the NCAALE - full, malty, complete with a rich alcohol slap in the face at the end. This is one of those beers that mellows and gets better with age; this particular batch was brewed back in 2007 and indeed, it could not have been tastier.

The food was simple but not typical brew pub fare - I had Marinated Chicken Tacos, Persimmon a Spinach salad.

I thought $11 for a 12-sampler was a bit spendy but it didn't stop me from ordering up a pint of the NCAALE.

So a big "Thanx" to Alez at the Tucson Jeep Dealership 'cause this particular "barrio" would most definitely bring me back for another and perhaps another and mebbe just one more.

Friday 17th of April 2009 01:22:24 PM

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Not too hard to find. Great industrial 'Mad Max' atmosphere. Steady crowd on a Wednesday afternoon?? Tried Nolan's porter, Hef and IPA. The porter was smooth and flavorful, the hef a german style (seems to be the norm in Tucson), and the IPA good and hoppy. Will definitley be back netxt time in town to try their food. We were going to head to Gentle Ben's next, but found out they serve the same beers.

Sunday 2nd of November 2008 04:47:06 PM

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This old Quonset hut styled building ahs been completely gutted and transformed into a very comfortable microbrewery. The beer is very good and has a wide selection to choose from. The Barrio has some of the BEST pub food I have ever eaten. As a newcomer to Tucson (I was there for 6 weeks for Spring Training) I hada little difficulty finding the place. Once I did.....in 6 weeks time I made there 5 times. Good service and good food brought my wife and I back on several occassions.