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SOCIAL SPOT
BURNT BARREL SOCIAL BOASTS FINE BOURBON AND SO MUCH MORE By Diane Krieger Spivak | Photos provided by Burnt Barrel Social SOCIALSpot
The name gives it away if you’re a bourbon aficionado. The main focus of Burnt Barrel Social is, of course, bourbon, as barrels are charred in order to impart flavor to the spirit. “It just kind of fit our theme,” says operating partner Matthew Strong, who started busing tables at 15. “Bourbon has always been a passion of mine. It’s got a lot of history behind it. It’s been in our country for a very long time and it takes a lot of time and effort to make, and I’ve respected that profession very much.” The Yorkville spot serves up bourbon from all over the country and all over the world — domestically as well as Japan and Canada. “We have a little bit of everything for everyone, and we support local distilleries out of DeKalb,” says Strong. Its bestselling cocktail is an Old-Fashioned using Old Forester bourbon.
The spirits don’t just stop at bourbon, however, says Strong. The venue offers a full bar, including craft beer and seasonal cocktails with freshly squeezed juices. Everything is made from scratch, like the smoked Manhattan or a traditional whiskey sour with egg white froth. The restaurant’s smaller food menu allows for more focus on the preparation of dishes, from sandwiches to salads. Meats are also locally sourced, including from Ream’s Meat Market in Elburn and Makowski’s Real Sausage Co. in Chicago. And they make a killer burger. “We have one burger,’’ says Strong. “It’s a
¢ BURNT BARREL SOCIAL 508 Center Parkway, Yorkville 630-882-9116 www.burntbarrelsocial.com
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create-your-own burger and you can put anything you want on it, from some of our house vegetables to some of our meats. It’s our No. 1 seller — a 10-ounce black angus beef burger out of Wisconsin and we handpack them and put our own seasoning on top that we’ve created to give it some good flavor, then we cook it on the grill.” The next most popular menu item is the steak sandwich — New York and rib-eye cuts marinated in-house and served on a fresh Americana roll. “It’s very tender; it’s delicious,” says Strong. Another popular menu item is a marinated New York and rib-eye steak salad, with fresh mixed greens. “We always have a seasonal soup of the day, made fresh inhouse,” he adds. Some of the most requested are tomato bisque and Wisconsin beer cheese.
One can’t exclude dessert, which is also locally sourced. The bourbon bar is a warmed chocolate bar with caramel and pecans covered in bourbon barrel sauce.
The ambiance is rustic and modern at the same time. The bar top is cut from a single oak tree from northern Wisconsin, and the tabletops are live-edge oak. A beautiful heated patio includes awnings for shade. Something worth keeping in mind for next year: The patio showcases live music Thursdays and Fridays in spring and summer, mostly classic rock with a little bit of funk.
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