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.

It’s really great to have a world class beer bar in the area. It’s something Hampton Roads has been missing. Good Things - Great Selection of beer. New stuff is always going up on tap. Service has been great so far. Like the Atmosphere. Some Bad - Would love to see more American Beers on tap once in a while. Pours can be a little to expensive when you aren’t even getting a full 12 oz. Food is lacking but for what they have it’s pretty tasty and simple. Bottled beers can be way overpriced. Bottom line though, this is the best beer bar in the area. The positives far out way the negatives for me and love to go there.

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.

I have to caveat this rating. I’ve been to a few of Ratebeer’s highest rated bars and with those in mind, that is how I rated the place. Without a doubt, this is the best beer bar in the Norfolk area. If you are looking for craft brews that are hard to find or a great place to have a conversation, come here. My only complaint is the small menu (food). That being said, I will keep coming back here because they have new beers every week and they know what craft beer enthusiasts are looking for

brand new, and much needed, quality beer bar in West Ghent. selections of beers is fantastic for what is essentially a wasteland of good taps. not many places have Old Guardian ’07 on tap! 2o taps plus 1 cask everday that rotate constantly and are updated immediately on the big chalk board. had a few things i’d not seen before and nothing but quality beers. food selection is pretty sparse, but it’s cool bar food, and the pretzel with beer mustard was great. service was a little slow but it was a busy tuesday. definitely a place to get to early as it’s becomming popular already. haven’t got a fill yet but the growler prices seem reasonable. pretty sweet to have a place like this 5 minutes from my apartment.

Pound-for-pound one of, if not THE, best beer selection of any bar I’ve ever been to. All killer, no filler. Drafts change daily, so if you don’t like the selection today, come back tomorrow!

This is the awesome new beer bar in W. Ghent you heard about, and it’s just minutes away from ODU. Check it out. The staff really know their beers and maintain a constantly rotating selection of the latest and greatest. Plus they always have something special on cask. They fill growlers! What more could you ask for??

Great Beer, great people, what more could you want. Please, if you live in the Hampton Roads area, stop by and have a beer, you won’t be disappointed.

The Birch is great. The staff was great. They took the time to explain different beers that we asked about to the best of their ability... they have such a broad selection i doubt they personally have first hand knowledge of them all! It was packed in there, but that was to be expected for such a great place for craft brew. Can’t wait to go back and grab a growler.

What an amazing place right in my own backyard! Great beer, great people and great atmosphere.