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What’s on Tap? Guests Can Pour Another One at Barrel Republic
 

New on Grand, Barrel Republic pours good times and great taps.

Dave Pike was out dining with his wife one night and sampling some San Diego craft beers at a crowded bar when he had a thought. He told his wife, “Wouldn’t it be nice to sample all of the beer list without having to wait in line every time to try them?”

From that idea, Barrel Republic was conceptualized and created. With four locations throughout San Diego County, the newest one just opened in April on Grand Avenue in Escondido. This unique, family-friendly restaurant and bar experience - with the motto, Freedom to Pour - allows diners to pour their own beverages from an assortment of over 60 taps filled with local and craft beers from around the country, cider drinks, and non-alcoholic drinks such as handcrafted sodas, coffees, teas, and Kombuchas. 

“We have a super venue with super food and our unique way of having our customers try different beers, ciders, and non-alcoholic drinks,” said Pike. “There’s something for everybody.”

At Barrel Republic, the guests are their own bartenders. “Barrel Republic was the first restaurant or bar that did not have a bartender,” said Pike. “It is exclusively self-pour.” 

Attendants are available to answer questions and serve food and the knowledgeable staff is always ready to help guests make drinks or food selections. But when it comes to pouring, it is a self-serve process. 

Guests receive a bracelet when they enter the restaurant that tracks their pours. “You can pour a pint, you can pour one ounce, or do a dash,” Pike said. The bracelet limits alcohol self-pours to 36 ounces to ensure that no one is over consuming. 

Taps provide detailed information on iPad technology.

Each tap also has an iPad located next to it with information about the beverages. It contains information including the name of the beer, its alcohol content, the brewers, and even added details such as the types of notes you can expect to taste when drinking it. 

“You can browse around and decide what to try and have some kind of content to go along with your decision-making process,” said Pike.

Besides giving  guests the ability to pour as they wish, Pike believes this type of atmosphere gives guests the opportunity to discuss the craft drinks with others who also enjoy tasting new flavors.

 “It gives everyone the ability to buzz around the room and socialize,” he said. “It kind of creates a fellowship between the people who have similar interests.”

Of course with COVID-19 restrictions still in place, social distancing protocols are still adhered to. However, there is plenty of outdoor space.

 “We have tons of back patio, front patio, and street seating,” said Pike. “We’re really entertaining a lot of people while still respecting COVID regulations.”

While Barrel Republic only opened in Escondido in April, it was a location Pike had set sights on for a while. “My mom worked across the street at the antique mall for many years so I knew the area,” he said.

Barrel Republic is located where the Avocado Grill used to be, and even though it is deemed a historical location, which came with considerations for remodeling, Pike is glad to be in Escondido. “We feel really embraced by the community and it’s been exciting; it’s what I have hoped,” he said. “Everyone who I have met who works with the city has been supportive and encouraging. I appreciate all  the support.”  

Joanna Axelrod, Escondido’s Deputy City Manager/Director Communications and Community Services, said Barrel Republic is a welcomed addition to the other restaurants and businesses on Grand Avenue.

“Barrel Republic has such a fun and vibrant concept that has already been embraced by the community,” Axelrod said. “It’s a great place to go with friends or with families. There is no question that our locals have welcomed this new bar and restaurant and will frequent it often.”

In addition to the vast selection of beverages, the food menu is also quite tasty. “None of the Barrel Republics have a freezer,” said Pike. In fact, they are all scratch kitchens that make all the food selections fresh daily. 

Guests raise a glass to Escondido’s newest restaurant and bar.

It’s an American eclectic family menu that includes starters, salads, flatbreads, tacos, burgers and desserts. For diners looking for a deal, Monday nights are Burger Mondays. Guests get a Barrel Burger with fresh, hand-cut potato fries for $7.00. This special has been embraced by customers and has made Monday nights one of the busiest nights for the restaurant.

Pike has plans to expand the Escondido location. Phase II, which is in the planning process, will connect with the neighboring property and give Barrel Republic an additional patio space with more seating and an outdoor game space, including cornhole.
 

Ample indoor and outdoor seating gives guests plenty of seating options.

Pike is glad to be in Escondido and provide the community with a fun, family dining option and hopes the locals will become regulars. “We just want to be part of the community and thrive with the local residents,” he said.

Barrel Republic is located at 136 W. Grand Avenue. For more information or reservations, call, 760-479-7001.

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Local Farmers to Benefit From New Water Filtration System in Escondido

Recycled Water Will Help Save Money & the Environment

Computer rendering of the MFRO facility to be completed in 2023.

In 2012, Escondido officials were faced with the reality that the City needed a new and innovative solution to deal with its wastewater. While the City had been using a portion of the wastewater for irrigation of parks and highway medians, a larger portion was still being processed and dumped into the Pacific Ocean, via a 14-mile pipeline that had been constructed decades earlier and was in need of repair. Repair costs for this pipeline exceeded half a billion dollars due in part to its age, but also because the city’s expansion had begun to outgrow the pipeline's maximum capacity. 

So City leaders proposed another, less costly solution and one that could possibly beneficially reuse the treated wastewater.

That proposal was an MFRO filtration solution that would take more of the water that is already treated to the recycled water standard and further treat it so that it is usable for agriculture irrigation in Escondido. In March, the City broke ground on the new MFRO Facility, which is part of a long-term expansion plan for Escondido’s recycled water treatment and delivery systems. This phase will also include some underground pipes, which will be needed to deliver the recycled water to the farmers who need it.

MFRO stands for Membrane Filtration Reverse Osmosis. This is a system that will be used to treat more of Escondido’s recycled wastewater so that it is usable for agriculture. 

 “The MFRO takes the recycled water that we already produce and puts it through two processes. The membrane filtration process pushes the water through pressurized filters, removing microscopic particles from the water other than salt and very small organic molecules.  Reverse osmosis then removes the salt, which is the key to make the water usable for agriculture irrigation,” said Christopher McKinney, Escondido’s Deputy City Manager and Utilities Director. The Utilities Department is responsible for operation of Escondido’s water utilities, including drinking water, wastewater, and recycled water for the City. 

This MFRO solution - while still expensive - is both financially sound and more environmentally responsible than replacing the pipeline for ocean discharges.  Expanding recycled water use is an excellent investment in Escondido’s future.

Instead of wasting usable water and sending it through a pipeline into the ocean, this water will now be directed back into the City and used by farmers to water their crops. 

“These farmers are a very important part of our economy,” said McKinney, who explained that as much as a quarter of the city’s total water demand is for agriculture and the increasing costs of water have put enormous financial pressure on local farmers. “We have a customer base that is thirsty for more water at a lower cost.” 

According to Grow Escondido, avocado crop revenues/exports have surpassed $40 million, and much of these dollars are spent locally by farm employees and by farms purchasing equipment and services. The multiplied impact well exceeds $100 million per year.

The majority of the farming in Escondido is avocado farms, but nurseries, citrus, and various small farms sprinkle the area as well. The reverse osmosis part of the filtration is the key to making sure farmers can use the water.

 “The removal of salt is critical because avocados are sensitive to salt in the water,” said McKinney.

City leaders and project team dig in at a groundbreaking ceremony.

The facility is located in the industrial area of Escondido on Washington Avenue near Rock Springs. About half of the ten-acre parcel will be devoted to the MFRO project and its planned expansion. 

Like many cities throughout California and other drought prone states that are looking to conserve and recycle water, Escondido has a plan to eventually recycle wastewater into drinking water. “To turn our water into drinkable water, we’d have to put it through yet another MFRO step,” said McKinney, adding that this plan is still 10-to-15 years down the road.

For many cities, expanding recycled water use is cost-prohibitive, but with the looming cost of replacing Escondido’s aging ocean outfall pipeline, the decision made sense. Additionally, much of the $65 million price tag for the project is being funded through State and Federal grants and financial incentives from the Metropolitan Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority. Additional funding comes from low-interest State loans and capital improvement reserves from the City’s wastewater fund. As the farmers pay for the recycled water, those costs will help cover the price of the loans and interest and help pay for further expansion into phase II, the long-term plan to recycle all wastewater into usable and drinkable water.

McKinney is proud to see the project finally reaching the construction phase. 

“One of the challenging parts of developing a series of projects like this is the long haul of planning, seeking approvals, and environmental studies,” he said. “That process can seem lengthy to our planning and engineering staff, and demoralizing to the farming community that is so anxious to get the water supply. The groundbreaking ceremony was very gratifying because the project is now actually under construction!”

Throughout the process, the community has been very supportive of this project.

 “We’ve had great support from both the City Council and the community at large,” said McKinney. “The community is excited about it and understands the incredible environmental benefits this project will provide, including saving water, energy and limiting the greenhouse gas footprint, all while giving farmers water at lower rates.” 

McKinney admits the price tag seems high, but said the benefits outweigh the costs. “I think everybody understands the importance of it and how critical it is to the future of our water needs and the needs of Escondido.”

The City expects the MFRO facility to be completed and running by early 2023. For more information about the project visit https://www.escondido.org/mfro-project.