Alexandra B.
Yelp
I've been to the Bier Baron many times now and I absolutely adore their vibe, great service, and sense of character. The Bier Baron has always been a very welcoming space for me, and I appreciate their commitment to their aesthetic and the communities they host upstairs at the Comedy Loft. My experiences there have spanned a number of different circumstances, from sitting down at the tavern for happy hour / drinks to seeing a show upstairs to even performing in one a few weeks back. So I'll break down my review by topic.
The tavern: The basement portion of the space is very relaxed and offers a nice sense of removal from the city. As expected, it's nothing fancy, but that's kind of the point. The decor is relatively thematic, if chaotic, with lots of old beer bottles and even tap handles all over the walls. Service is great, attentive, and very friendly. I was with a group of four there for about 6 hours one night, and our waitress was fantastic. Eclectic collection of beer -- I do with they had some more local options on the menu, but I really appreciated the diversity of types of beer and locations of origin that they did have available otherwise. Both beers that I tried were great -- a cherry stout and an espresso stout. Food is solid, but you should expect tavern food and order accordingly.
Shows at the Comedy Loft: Came for a Pride-related brunch event on a Saturday afternoon and the place was sold out. It's an interesting space because there are a lot of different levels and sections for such a relatively small space. The performers are easy to see from pretty much anywhere, as long as they are on stage. The staff were working their butts off to keep up with the demand, which I know is extra difficult during brunch when people want drink refills on top of food, and especially when there are performers in your way all the time! But they handled everything with grace and kindness. Tasty brunch food with vegetarian, but not vegan (at the time) options.
Performing at the Comedy Loft: What an interesting and exciting space! There are elements of it that are tricky, but other things that make it extra fun. On the tricky side, it is very difficult to see portions of your audience, which is probably good for a lot of people, but difficult when you are interacting with them. The space is tight in the audience, too, which makes it hard to navigate. On the positive side, they have a great set up with solid A/V, lighting, and even a very, very tiny green room that slides along the side of the restaurant. The environment is very relaxed and they make it easy for everyone to enjoy themselves and have fun. They even allowed us to take over the restaurant space to get ready, since a bunch of us were all performing in one night, and were very supportive with anything we needed. I would absolutely love to perform there again.
All in all, a great neighborhood place with personality, great staff, and food and drink that serves exactly the purpose one would expect and hope from this kind of joint. Thrilled to have had so many opportunities to visit over the past few months. They'll be seeing me again soon.