Husband and wife team Hayley Jensen and Stephen Durley are bringing their passion for craft beer and Mexican food to downtown Wilmington this spring with the opening of Beer Barrio.
The restaurant will be outfitted by Farriss Hospitality and occupy the space - now under renovation - that previously housed Dirty Harry’s Burrito and Juice Bar at 34 N. Front Street.
Jensen and Durley met while working at DBGB Kitchen and Bar in New York City. Jensen served as beer sommelier and Durley, a trained chef who had worked previously for DBGB owner Daniel Boulud at his famed restaurant Daniel, was part of the kitchen staff. The two would eventually move to Taproom 307 where Jensen again served as beer sommelier and Durley came on as executive chef.
“We worked as hard there as if we owned the place,” said Durley. “It was such a success story and we were so excited to be a part of it.”
Jensen explained that when the couple announced their plans to head south in order to open their own restaurant, many of their customers were shocked to find out that they weren’t the owners.
“We were just so dedicated to what we do that people just assumed we owned the place,” said Jensen.
But Jensen and Durley felt they would never be able to save enough money while working in restaurants to be able to fulfill their dream of owning their own without leaving Manhattan. And so the search for a warmer and more reasonable market began.
The couple says they scouted out many locations from the Norfolk-Virginia Beach area to Wilmington, Charleston and Savannah. They knew almost immediately that Wilmington was the right place.
“We wanted to go somewhere where beer is just starting to happen,” said Jensen. “And right now there’s no better place than Wilmington.”
Beer Barrio’s menu will focus on Mexican favorites such as tacos, quesadillas, nachos and pressed burritos. Durley says the pressed burritos will be filled with local meats, smoked black beans, pico de gallo, cheese and avocado and will be pressed to give them a crunch on the outside.
“I’m big on texture,” said Durley, “So they’ve got to have a crunch. They’ll be filled with all the good stuff you want in a burrito but without the rice which just serves as a filler.”
The menu will also feature several vegetarian options, one of the specialties being smoked Elote, a Mexican street corn.
As for the bar, Jensen has selected 30 draft beers, many from North Carolina. Classic margaritas will be served as well as a rotating feature flavor margarita, all prepared with fresh squeezed juices. A full liquor bar and wine will also be available.
Both Jensen and Durley are avid homebrewers, having won several competitions over the years, and Durley is passionate about incorporating beer into his recipes. He’s also currently working on fermenting his own vinegar to be used in his vinegar-based barbeque sauce for his Carolina Pulled Pork Taco. The taco will make its debut at Beer Barrio’s tent at the upcoming Azalea Festival.
Beer Barrio is expected to open in time for Cinco de Mayo.
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