Ben and his wife took really good care of me here, and the free samples were flying left and right. The place was full, but the crowd was very mellow for a Saturday night, with jazz playing in the background, and everyone gathered around the Big Board. Draft selection was terrific, but the bottle selection was amazing - and what’s on the card is the tip of the iceberg. Not bad for what looks like an old gas station. One change I’d make is that I’d add a complete cellar inventory. Great place.

May 2011 - Finally got a chance to drop in on the Birch for the first time since returning to Hampton Roads. One word: WOW. The young owners here have managed to put together a cozy little place in a ’seasoned’ neighborhood right outside the commercial dockyards of Norfolk that has an AMAZING rotating lineup of draft beers, and an equally potent fridge full of bottles. All you have to do is check out the "available at this location" list to see that somehow the Birch pulls down some of the most amazingly rare beers, if extremely tilted toward imports. Follow this place on Facebook to watch the amazing rotation. Food certainly isn’t a priority here, but they also offer a solid choice of cheese for a nice nosh to go with the beer. Definitely among the top 3-4 most amazing beer bars I’ve ever visited ... and it’s brand new. This place is destined for greatness.

VERY glad I stopped here. Located in a hybrid industrial/residential, the building in which the Birch is located is an old garage. Dimly lit, with several tables and a very long bar. The tap and bottle lists are simply intimidating. Nothing of low quality here. Definite emphasis on European beers, but there are others also. The prices are a bit on the high side... a night of drinking here could hurt the wallet, but it’s really not bad compared to the quality of beer. Some of the bottle prices are excellent for a beer bar. Simple and well priced food menu... my sourdough grilled cheese was tasty. The owner was working the bar, and he was very friendly. He will sell bottles to go, and they fill growlers of a few of their beers. This is a world class place, and its shocking they’ve only been open 6 months.

So I go back 16 months after my last visit and the owner remembers my name and where I’m from. Now that’s pretty amazing. I’d raise the service score, but it’s already a 10. so...

I had three days off and no plans, so the fiance and I decided to pick a place and go. There was recently a thread on ratebeer claiming a lot of places get spam high reviews and mentioned The Birch. I was skeptical at first too. So I tried it out for myself! The location is very odd, 50 yards from an industrial loading dock and in a sort of low-income neighborhood. Next door seems to be a popular Mexican restaurant and bar. Parking along the street seemed to be enforced by resident permit, but around the corner closer to the dock entrance there is unlimited parking after 6PM I think. The inside is modest, homey, tavern-like, definitely a locals’ bar with a lot of regulars, dark lighting, chalk board tap list. 20 Taps about with a lot of variety and nearly everything being odd or difficult to find. When I was there it was "43 Hours of Dark" where everything on tap was relatively dark including Nogne O DH2 on tap, which I’ve never seen before. Also a lot of one-offs from B. United’s Zymatore series, some of which were very good. The staff are pretty much the bar owners, who chatted with us and made us feel at home. After ticking the tap list, I was asking about some bottles in their cellar that were on display. Unfortunately, those bottles are for display only and I guess are the owners’ own private cellar. A bit of a tease but okay. But, the bottle I asked out was suddenly popped and sitting in front of me compliments of the house. What!? I ran to the car to bring some special beer to share as well. Really neat environment. Went back the next day to try the cheese plates and new things on the tap list. Likewise, we got to split an odd bottle from the cellar that the owners picked out for us. Awesome!

PROS: homey environment, rapid keg rotation, rarities/one-offs, amazing staff, crazy licensing here to allow bottles to go/bottles to bring in/growlers to go, informal bottle share ability

CONS: bizarre location, fairly pricey, cellar is not for sale via bottle list, minimal food/snack options though the cheese/olive/sausage plate is nice for palate cleansing.

So a must go location for any beer hunter/nerd and remember to eat beforehand and bring some special beers to share with the staff.

Stopped by on my last night in town, fully expecting to be disappointed - I mean it can’t possibly be as good as the hype, right? Well, it is. This is probably the best beer bar I have been to. Ambiance is spartan but utilitarian; this place is about drinking good beer. Service is great, and the staff really know their stuff. Tap list is phenomenal, like nothing I have seen outside of Belgium. Bottle list is pretty impressive as well, and apparently what they show is much less than what they actually have in the back. I can’t wait for my next trip out East so that I can stop back in.

Amazing bar and a must stop in Norfolk. Finally got the chance to spend a night here and had an excellent time. The owner was very knowledgeable and paired me a few beers with my cheese plate. Atmosphere was dark and inviting with very few people (Tuesday night) and nice jazz playing at the appropriate level. Selection was unmatched by bars in the area and i’m sure in the region. Great place for a date or some beers with friends but you will pay for what you get.

Great selection of hard to find beers with some light fare.

Went to the grand opening. FANTASTIC. Hampton Roads NEEDED this! 21 taps, a hand pump, and a well thought out bottle list - plus growlers to go. Very West Coast feel to this place - a HUGH addition to the local scene! Thank you, Birch, for being here!!! EDIT: Ample parking available in The Birch lot, one block away at the corner of Boissevain Ave. & Orapax St.

Well maintained bar in the middle of a "nowhere" part of Norfolk. That notwithstanding means nothing compared to what is inside. Though high priced, the beers therein are typically hard to get and worth it, for the most part. The food is a bit on the lax side and the bare minimum of what’s required. Either way this is a worthy stop for any beer hunter in the area.

If you are not familiar with the neighborhood finding The Birch the first time can be a bit tricky. However, this is a destination that is certainly worth the effort. The inside is simply decorated with a large bar and several tables. Behind the bar is the row of taps (21 of them). In the corner there are shelves with the appropriate glassware and on the other side large refrigerators with a ridiculous amount of great beer. For each of my trips to The Birch, Ben (one of the owners) has been my bartender and he knows his beer. The selection is pretty amazing. Truthfully, even as someone that knows a bit about beer myself, I have to do my research before each visit to make sure I don’t miss out on anything great. The food is minimal, however, what they have they do well. I recommend one of the cheese pairings. The prices are probably reasonable for beers of this caliber and rarity on tap but I really have no comparison since I have not visited a bar anywhere else with these selections. Overall, this is a beer destination and worthy of its "World Class" ranking.