Barrel Junction is a new eatery on the Route 8 corridor in the Gibsonia area of Pittsburgh. This establishment replaced an old pizza joint of which the name escapes me. We had been meaning to try this new eatery for awhile. With a name like Barrel Junction they have to have good beer, right? I was not disappointed.
After being seated, I took five minutes to scan the ample bottle and tap selection displayed colorfully on chalkboards above the wall.
After settling on a Dogfish Aprihop (good beer, but where is the apricot?), Hope and I started to review the menu.
The menu is small but diverse with something for everyone. The focus is mainly on burgers and pizza, but they also have a selection of smoked meat sandwiches as well as standard wraps and sandwiches. They also have a board up by the bar with their specials for the day.
We started with a caprese salad that we shared. The portion was more than enough for sharing. The salad itself was not your traditional caprese offering of sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, but rather chucks of real, fresh mozzarella, diced tomato, and torn romaine with a balsamic vinaigrette. Very good. I cannot wait to try this dish when tomatoes are in season.
For mains, Hope settled on a bacon cheese burger while I ordered the shrimp and pesto pizza.
This burger was not lacking for anything. A real hand formed patty of 80:20 ground meat, not some frozen food service hockey puck, was topped with cheddar and four strips of bacon. The chef in the back also nailed the request for medium. The nice surprise were the fries along side the burger. Fresh cut and double fried to crispy perfection. Ketchup was not needed.
My shrimp and pesto pizza was pretty good as well. The toppings were basil pesto, followed by mozzarella cheese, diced tomato, shrimp, and spinach. I was pleasantly surprised that I did not have to go hunting for the shrimp on this pie. There were shrimp in every bite. My only complaint was that the pizza was a tad watery. I suspect this may have been due to the spinach. The flavor was there though. I would order this pizza again.
So, overall, Barrel Junction is worth your time. It is a nice eatery with that local bar feel. I could definitely stop in for a few pints and watch whatever game is on the TV. We will be going back.
5560 Community Center Drive
Gibsonia, PA 15044
724-443-0066
Thanks for stopping by,
Bill
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