The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Decisions, decisions
Which of 50 drafts — or 400 other brew choices — will you try at Concord’s new Beerhead Bar & Eatery? (And then there’s all the food …)
The newly opened Beerhead Bar & Eatery in Concord Township is likely to be wellreceived, not only for its hundreds of beer choices, but for its food. It’s shaping up as a great addition to the area, not only for Lake County dwellers but for those in next-door Geauga.
Those not familiar with the expansion of new businesses along Crile Road, which parallels Route 44 going east toward Chardon, might at first be challenged in getting there. The restaurant’s 8003 Crile Road address puts it on the corner of a plaza shared by a very large Discount Drug Mart. A fringe of forest remains as a backdrop to its sunny patio, which is petfriendly.
“We were really pleased to find this location,” said Beerhead partner Aaron Rasmussen.
He and two colleagues, Jim Maclellan and Eric Engelke of Three 30 Ventures LLC, opened the Concord place on July 25. The partners’ first Beerhead Bar & Eatery was opened in March in Avon.
“We discovered the Beerhead franchise in our construction business when we worked on other locations for the franchise,” he said. “We love the concept.”
Counting the Concord Township location, there are now 11 Beerhead Bar & Eatery stores in Michigan, Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania and Ohio, which also boasts one in Cleveland’s Flats, at 1156 W. 11th St. Another recent one opened in Chicago, opposite Wrigley Field.
The 3,750-square-foot restaurant and bar in Concord can seat 200 people indoors and out, many of them at communal tables for groups. Open seven days a week, it’s sure to please those who search for someplace to eat on Sundays and Mondays — and it even has a bountiful midday brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
“We don’t take reservations,” said General Manager Marissa Kinder. “But if you’re coming with 10 or so people, let us know and we’ll do our best to accommodate you when you want to come.”
The bar concept is framed around a rotating group of 50 craft beers on tap and 400 other beers. The beer
list clearly marks the local craft beers — an astonishing
number. The choices can be staggering. Its staff is schooled to know the beers so they can offer guidance to everyone from new beer drinkers to veterans.
“Once we’ve run out of a craft beer, it’s replaced with a new beer,” Rasmussen said.
Increasingly popular, artisanal ciders have not been overlooked, with both apple and pear ciders on the current list.
“We want our customers to see us as the place where they can experiment with tastes,” said Rasmussen.
A flight of four tastes might help drinkers decide whether preferences run toward a full-bodied porter, a creamy stout, a crisp or bitter ale, a light lambic, a hearty wheat, a flavorful cider, a tasty organic, a gluten-free brew or even a classic cocktail using local spirits.
Live music will be a frequent
occurrence on weekends.
Food is no afterthought, with a kitchen that’s open all day every day and menu offerings that range from $6 to $14.
Salads are served in stylish chilled stainless steel bowls, and the menu’s dozen “beer bites” include bourbon sauced beef and pork meatballs topped with feta cheese.
There are 14 sandwiches and 13 pizzas. Brunch, served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends, include a breakfast pizza topped with scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and a couple of cheeses, French toast, waffles and wraps with prices that range from $9 to $12. A “Never-Ending Mimosa” of orange juice and sparkling wine in $7, with refills at $3 with food orders.