The Burrow on Greenville's Augusta Road aims for a neighborhood grill with quality menu

Josh Beeby has hinted at it for several years, but now, the restaurateur behind Barley’s Taproom & Pizzeria and the Trappe Door is ready to reveal plans of a third restaurant, his first outside of downtown. The Burrow is slated to open in the old Gregory Laundromat space, part of the Augusta @ Faris development, in the spring.

The complex also houses Moe’s and a Verizon store. The restaurant will occupy a near 5,000-square-foot swath in the middle and feature a large bar, seating for around 150 and a 40-seat patio outside.

The project has been in the works for nearly two years and came out of a first attempt to open a second Barley’s in the Conestee Mill development. Ultimately, Beeby found great inspiration close to home. He and his family have lived in the Augusta Road area for 15 years.

The Burrow is a reference to both the cozy home animals create and to neighborhood boroughs.

“We’ve got all these great neighborhood pubs now – Community Tap, Grateful Brew,” Beeby said, on a recent Friday while sitting inside Barley’s. “I just saw that demographic change – But we don’t really have that on Augusta.

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“This is a place the Augusta Road people can go have a glass of wine, a beer, a sandwich and chill out.”

The planning for a third restaurant began a couple of years ago when Beeby said the developers of Conestee Mill approached him about doing a second Barley’s there. Beeby was excited about the development, but delays pushed him on a new path.

Beeby noticed the space at Augusta @ Faris one day while driving home. With his mind primed for a third restaurant project, he connected with David Stone Jr., of Stone Property Management, who is overseeing Augusta @ Faris. It was perfect.

“We’ve always wanted to do something there,” Beeby said of the Augusta Road area. “This was a great opportunity to find the square footage with the parking in the perfect location.

The parking lot includes some 100 spaces.

With location firm, Beeby and his team got to work on a concept. Initially they saw a more casual, family-friendly place with a straight forward, but high-quality menu. Then, Augusta Road began attracting other restaurants, and Beeby and his team edited their plans.

“We wanted a place where you could get a steak and fries or a hamburger or grilled cheese for kids some place with the family aspect," Beeby said. "We can still have that menu; we’re going to have a grilled cheese, but it might be a raclette grilled cheese."

The Burrow is what Beeby describes as a “neighborhood grill,” but with much more menu creativity. It takes elements from both the Trappe Door and Barley’s to create a cozy, casual place with an emphasis on quality food and drink.

The Burrow team consists of people who have been part of Beeby’s work family for well over a decade. General Manager, Rob Romanstine, who conceptualized the cocktail menu at Trappe Door, will direct the beverage program, which will include a diverse selection of beers (12 on tap), nice wine varieties and an interesting cocktail menu. Executive chef, Cory Massa, who has led the Trappe Door since day one, is collaborating with Beeby on menu, along with Alan Bryson, who holds the position of corporate chef.

That menu is still in the works but will center on a sizable wood-burning grill that is inspired by Argentinian cooking culture. The grill is designed to allow juices from meats or vegetables to be collected and used for basting.

Plans also call for a snacks section of dips, a small plates section with lettuce wraps and steamed bao and gnocchi. Among larger offerings is a sandwich and soup section that will include vegetarian offerings along with a burger and a larger plates section with items like a hanger steak and frites and grilled octopus.

Beeby and Massa are also toying with a bowls section that would include ramen and poke bowls.

“We didn’t want to pigeon hole this,” Beeby said. “We wanted to be able to, if we felt like cooking something from Thailand we could. We didn’t want to be restricted to a thing. You have different flavors from all around the world. But all these different dishes, all is still various comfort food.”

Beeby and team have devoted equal effort to creating a comfortable look and feel of The Burrow. The restaurant space includes a long narrow section that opens into a larger room. The kitchen will be partially visible through a large window, showcasing the grill. A large bar will run along one side, with televisions for watching sports.  

In some ways, The Burrow, more than either of is other restaurants, represents something intensely personal for Beeby. As a working parent, he recalls so many nights of dinners at Corona on Augusta. They were fast, agreeable to parents and kids on busy soccer nights, and conveniently located near home. 

He hopes to create a place of new traditions with his new restaurant.

"We want to build this restaurant for our neighborhood people," Beeby said.

Plans call for beginning construction in the first quarter of the year with a May, June or July opening. The restaurant will serve dinner seven days a week and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.