It used to be pretty simple – you could open a production brewery in a warehouse, throw a couple of picnic tables into the mix, and drinkers were happy. We were enamored by the idea that we could have a pint of beer in the same spot that it was actually brewed. If you haven’t been paying attention, things have changed a little bit.

Drinkers these days need more to keep hanging out in a brewery’s space. They need Jenga, TVs, drink options… all sort of stuff, including, yes… food.

That’s why since day one Woodburn has been working their butts off to not only bring a food option into the taproom but to elevate food there in a way that they have yet to attempt in any of their other taprooms. (If you weren’t aware, the ownership of Woodburn is also responsible for March First, FigLeaf, and the upcoming Cincinnati Distilling space in Milford).

The Team

When you decide to put a kitchen into a brewery, you can’t just throw it together if you want people to actually take notice and get excited about what you’re doing. It should go without saying, then, that when you start putting it all together there’s no way around it, you’ve gotta have the right team around you to make it all happen.

When I tell you that March First/Woodburn isn’t messing around, it all started with the team that they assembled to run things. It’s a massive step up from the pizza that their taprooms started with to keep drinkers’ bellies full.

Woodburn brought on board to their team Executive Chef Andrew Han, who is backed up by March First Brands Culinary director Bhumin Desai. Chef Han has been around town – he knows his stuff. He’s been at places like Senate, Pepp and Delores and O Pie O, and he’s got some really killer plans for the Woodburn Kitchen.

What You Can Expect

To elevate the food options at Woodburn, Chef Han has plans to bring us an eclectic Korean-themed menu, that is sounding freaking amazing. They’ve let us know that we can expect dishes like a Steak Bowl with Jasmin Rice, golden curry, marinated egg, pickled carrots, and red onions. This sits next to stuff like Smoked Wings and Pork Nachos and a BBQ Duck Mac and Cheese that I’m really curious about, and of course the return of the famous Woodburn Burger.

Woodburn is letting us know that they’ve got some healthy stuff on the menu, too – which I think will go over really well with their fans. They have a “Not a Wedge” salad, Woodburn Greens and a Toadstool sandwich with a ginger and soy marinated portobello mushroom, gochujang slaw, and mayo that I have to admit that healthy or not… I really want to get in my face.

These dishes are all really cool things that Chef Han developed to bring some of his favorite childhood flavors into easily recognizable dishes. It definitely kicks things up several notches in the March First food program, and get’s me pretty pumped about what they’re working on.

The Opening

Woodburn is preparing to launch the Woodburn kitchen upon the city starting on Wednesday, February 16th at 3pm. After then, you’ll be able to snag a bite to eat 7 days a week starting at 11:30 am every single day. The menu will run into late night, too with a special menu late at night to satisfy those midnight munchies!

They have a ton of plans for weekly specials, a brunch program, and a lot more a few weeks after the grand opening, it’s going to be a really really cool addition to Cincinnati’s beer/food scene – and lifts Woodburn up even higher as they work to rebuild the reputation of what that place can be in the future of Cincinnati craft beer.

I’ll have a lot more about them, and about the opening of the kitchen. Make sure you’re subscribed to Cincy Brewcast wherever you get your podcasts (and make sure you’re following me on YouTube, too!)