Small Batch grows into something more

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To adequately tell the Small Batch story, you’ve got to start with the beer. Because that’s how it all started.

In 2013, the Small Batch project benefited from a number of cultural and business intersections: It was a downtown reclamation project, planned for the old Kopper Kitchen — owner Tim Walker pledged immediately to keep the iconic frying-pan sign — on a section of Fifth Street that suffered from an aging convention center and unruly neighbors. Both situations have since been rectified.

There was to be a small, curated menu of well-crafted dishes big and small, most of them designed to be eaten at tall tables with drinks after work. They used Kickstarter for a piece of the startup cash and to help get the word out. But in 2013, when brewpubs and bottleshops began appearing in downtown districts like desert blooms after a rain, it was the beer that sold it.

Like the name implies, the beer would be brewed in house, in single batches, allowing for a great range of beers that could only be bought here.

It was the beer that brought people in through the door, when downtown Winston-Salem’s after-work crowd was looking for a place exactly like this. In 2015, when Small Batch began serving burgers in the space next door, diners lingered after their meals over pints of house brews. And when Small Batch opened its High Point location, the beer was central to the plan.

Now, Small Batch has come to mean big things. The small deck of tapas has given way to a full menu of bar-top appetizers, dishes to share, salads, sandwiches and entrées that have earned their place among the Triad’s best dishes: sweet-chili salmon, fish & chips, Korean BBQ-fried cauliflower, porkbelly banh mi, mac and cheese with Goldfish crumbs, the best bar pretzel in the Triad.

The burgers have become legendary — an array of crafted designs that stand out, even in a place where great burgers are everywhere. Like the beer, the burgers are singular: the Figgy Piggy has fig jam, bacon and goat cheese; the Hellboy brings salami, fresh mozzarella and cherry peppers to the party. The hand-cut fries are appropriate with any burger, and also on their own.

Now, along with its bespoke brews, Small Batch has a craft-cocktail menu, a wine list and shooter board. They even have milkshakes that truly test the limits of the form. One of them is garnished with a slice of cake.

Brunch has become a big deal at Small Batch in both downtown Winston-Salem and High Point, with a menu that adheres to the ethos of the brand. A workday lunch following appreciates the timeliness and quality of the orders. And dinner has always been a good call there, with something for everyone in the crew.

But perhaps Small Batch is at its best at night, after the dinner crowd has gone home and the place becomes what it was always intended to be: a really great bar, with an interesting menu and fantastic beer.

Small Batch has just released its first pilsner, Poppin’ Pilsner, available at both Winston-Salem and High Point locations.