On the Old Mandeville lakefront where Lake Pontchartrain meets the seawall, The Barley Oak is the Northshore’s most serious craft beer destination: a self-described old world draught haus with 150 beers from across the globe on a rotating tap and bottle list that would make a Belgian monastery jealous. The setting is the story: an outdoor lakefront patio where the lake breeze comes off Pontchartrain, the Causeway glows on the horizon, and the beer is cold enough to justify the drive across. Gulf Coast visitors who’ve eaten their weight in crawfish étouffée and need a quality IPA to restore their faith in hop-forward beverages make the pilgrimage without regret.
