Adam Erace reviews Growlers, the newish “bar, kitchen and living room” in Bella Vista. Erace likes the vibe but finds that the food has room to grow.

Surveying the scene, I sipped the garnet-red beer and picked at well-salted housemade potato chips as thin and translucent as panes of amber glass. A baby gurgled in a stroller by the fireplace. A famished senior gurgled over pulled-pork mac ’n’ cheese. The two bookended the Growlers age spectrum, every living generation between represented in the clientele sprinkled about the tables. From Lucky Peach apostles to Hidden Valley inhabitants, dressed-down attorneys to dressed-up crossing guards, Growlers gets them all, a mark of a healthy, interesting neighborhood gathering place, one this address has longed for. As for the food, it’s on the right track (generous, affordable and fun), but still needs refining.

Close to Home [City Paper]
Growlers [Official Site]