Phantom Gourmet: The Barley House In Concord, NH

CONCORD, NH - Some say they make the best burger in New Hampshire. Others claim you can't win a presidential election without coming here. For over 15 years, The Barley House in Concord, New Hampshire has set a higher standard for beer bars and pub grub.

"I would say that the Barley House is a comfortable place with good, housemade foods," said General Manager Brad Corbett. "We try to do as many things in house as possible. Everything from sauces, up and down, our salad dressings, all the toppings, anything like that, we do right here. Try to do as much locally sourced things as we can. Quality food, quality beer, and service above all."

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He says the Barley House might look like an Irish Pub, but the ingredients and expertise on display in the kitchen make it clear that at this place, food comes first.

"The Barley House is a restaurant with a bar, opposed to a bar that just serves food. We've got Best Burger in the state multiple years - several in a row actually."

"Everything in house; everything hand made," boasted Chef Jonathan Frobese. "We cure and smoke our own bacon here. Everything fresh, fresh, fresh."

He doesn't cut corners; he cuts premium brisket to be slow-cooked inside a rich Guinness Beef Stew.

"That is not an easy thing to do. The beef stew from start to finish probably takes anywhere from 3 to 4 hours," the chef explained. "Braised brisket, it also has carrots, red bliss potatoes, parsnips and turnips."

"It is a labor intensive process," added Brad. "The brisket comes through with great marbling, so you get tons of flavor. It's stays nice and juicy; one of our favorites. People go nuts for it, for sure."

Customers also enjoy the housemade Guinness Bratwurst; the Tavern Strip Steak served with scratch-made steak sauce; a Lobster BLT with lemon garlic aioli; and the Crispy Brick Pressed Maple Chicken, finished with a savory cranberry nut topping and sweet maple sauce.

"So you cut a piece of that chicken .You kind of slide it around your plate, get that maple sauce right on it. Especially fall/winter it's the perfect seasonal dish, but we serve it all year round and it is enjoyed all year round," said Brad.

The same can be said for the macaroni and cheese, which boasts cavatappi pasta, slices of chicken, chopped bacon, and a housemade Ritz Cracker coating. But the Barley House is really known for two things: Burgers and Blarney Puffs. We'll get to the burgers in a minute. First, let's explain what the deep fried Blarney Puffs are all about.

"A potato mixture with cheddar cheese, chives, wrapped in a wonton," described Chef Jonathan.

"The Blarney Puff more or less is a Crab Rangoon filled with potato and cheese," Brad said. "But really it's more or less a vessel to eat the Guinness cheese sauce that we make here in house."

"Cheese sauce has an onion garlic base to it. Then we obviously add our cheddar and blue cheese, ground mustard and a little bit of Worcestershire sauce also helps," said the chef. "The cheese sauce just melts all over the fried wontons. Cheese explosion in your mouth, for sure."

The most explosively delicious item on the menu is the burger, featuring seven ounces of house-ground, open prairie, all natural beef. Come in for lunch, and you might want a classic cheddar cheeseburger. Come in after a rough night, and they'll recommend the Hangover Burger, stacked with Applewood bacon, hash browns, a fried egg, and Buffalo sauce. When you come hungry for something deliciously different, the one you have to get is the Dublin Burger.

"This is definitely the best burger I've ever had," boasted Brad. "It's a peppercorn charred house patty, the whiskey pepper gravy on top of that, blue cheese crumbles, crispy onions, lettuce, tomato. You got much going on. It's something a little bit different."

"Definitely a unique burger. There's not another burger you're going to see around town," said Chef Jonathan.

It's so good in fact, The Barley House has become a must-visit campaign stop for pretty much any national politician making their way through pre-primary New Hampshire.

"It just so happens we're located directly across the street from the State House. The location being right in downtown, it's kind of the hotbed for the primary and all that. So we've had all the candidates coming through," said Brad. "The road to the White House starts at the Barley House."

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, we can all agree on a platform that includes good burgers, craft beers, and plenty of blarney.

You can find The Barley House at 132 North Main Street in Concord, NH, and online at thebarleyhouse.com.

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