By Laura McCarthy.
Officially launching on Wednesday 4th February, The Dirty Barrel held their opening party across the 30th and 31st of January to the joy of Southampton locals.
Those who were devastated by the closure of independent skate pub Beards & Boards need not be sad any longer. Like a buffalo-sauce drenched phoenix, The Dirty Barrel has risen from the ashes with a flashy new look and a kitchen to boot.
We are the first to arrive at The Dirty Barrel on Saturday. Matt is ready to serve us at the bar and seems pleased with a positive opening on the Friday.
“We had a really busy opening night and sold out of all of our food really early. It was completely rammed the whole time. It’s been great to see so many people coming in to enjoy the food, the drink, and supporting local, independent business.”
If you go to The Dirty Barrel on Bedford Place, you can expect 12 rotating beer lines, 4 cider lines, wines and spirits, American-style fried food, and alternative music on the speakers.
We sit down, thrilled with our beer served on tap. I’ve gone for the Nitro Stout and Chris has gone for the Lime Sour. Both are a bit too delicious and Chris soon finds himself ordering a second beer. So far, it’s just like how we remember, though things look a little different now.
The interior is different from Beards & Boards and, although I was sad to see the iconic octopus go, the new aesthetic is sleek and modern whilst still retaining the alternative edge we loved before.
We order 3 small plates for £17, which turns out to be more than enough for two of us dining. It’s difficult to choose; the menu is exploding with exciting options and we need a good ten minutes to ponder, before we finally decide on the hot honey pork belly, the Nashville chicken tenders, and the dirty fries. All are solid choices which I would order again.
Pork belly isn’t the easiest to do at home (and is more than a little annoying to clean up after) so why not grab a plate at The Dirty Barrel? The meat has just the right amount of fat and is elevated by the hot honey. The dirty fries are seasoned well. They are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, topped with pickles which bring an acidity and freshness that balances out the salty bacon bits. The Nashville chicken brings a good amount of heat without overpowering the flavour. Safe to say: we are happy as Larry (or, should I say, happy as Lance Mountain landing the frontside invert to fakie?).
If you want to support a local business, eat great food, and enjoy alternative spaces, you should definitely skate down to The Dirty Barrel.
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