Brick & Brew is Gastropub Dining at its Finest

With locations in Havertown and Media, the cozy neighborhood joint specializes in elevated pub fare.

 

 

Brick & Brew Havertown bar manager Kelsey Jackson mixes a margarita behind the bar.Photos by Steve Legato. 

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With a scant 54 seats and no reservations, you may have a wait at Brick & Brew—not that it’s deterred an increasing number of those in the know, who rank this Havertown hot spot among the best gastropubs in the region. Founded in 2013 by Havertownie Tom Kane and beer-and-spirits aficionado Mike Grubb, B&B doesn’t skimp on its impressively executed pub fare. And the stellar beverage program features craft beers, carefully selected wines and artfully prepared cocktails. Add to that a friendly wait staff, exceptional bartenders, a brick-oven pizza bar, seasonal outdoor seating and an overall community vibe, and you have all the ingredients for one great bar.

The Shake, with vanilla-bean ice cream,
chocolate ganache, toasted marshmallow,
a homemade chocolate chip cookie and whipped cream. 

The grilled octopus over warm bean salad with
grilled chorizo and paprika-sherry vinaigrette.

Chef John DaSilva and his committed kitchen team have mastered the confit wings—braised with duck fat and sheened with a fiery brown-butter hot sauce. Other hearty, shareable starters include extra-thick slices of bacon lacquered in a bourbon-Sriracha maple glaze, and a zesty lager-spiked bowl of chorizo and mussels. Healthier options include harissa-flecked white-bean hummus with toasted pita points and oven-roasted vegetables.

The Custom 81/19 Burger, made with a mix of short rib, brisket, strip steak and ground beef.

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The tangy pulled pork sandwich with “Delco” barbecue sauce is a menu staple, and the dough for the Neapolitan-inspired pizzas incorporates prized 00 flour and a special ingredient: beer. A shiitake mushroom cheesesteak was a special one night; crispy Korean duck tacos made an appearance on another. A recent burger special arrived slathered with Buffalo peanut butter aioli, housemade relish and melted blue cheese—smoky, sweet, salty and creamy, all in one bite.

A whiskey sour.

The Avocado Pizza.

Watching bar manager Kelsey Jackson loft empty beer glasses in the direction of bartender Randy Berman was entertaining. Equally playful are Grubb’s classic and pre-Prohibition-era cocktail recipes. Try the whiskey sour, with Basil Hayden bourbon, blood orange-infused Rooibos tea, a cherry juice floater and a garnish of cherries cured in Everclear grain alcohol.

It’s no wonder Brick & Brew is popular—hence the inevitable waits on weekend nights. Parking can also be an issue. There are metered spots along Darby Road and a lot nearby, so bring quarters. Also keep in mind that there’s now a Brick & Brew on State Street in Media, and a third one is on its way to Malvern by year’s end.

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Brick & Brew Havertown, 2138 Darby Road, Havertown, (484) 455-7250, www.bricknbrewpub.com

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