Bottoms up: Foxfield Neighborhood Bar and Grille

As bars go, Foxfield Neighborhood Bar and Grille is the quintessential neighborhood spot.

Tucked away on Howard Street off Rosewood Drive, what once was considered a heavy metal punk pit-stop has taken a turn for the friendlier. Under new ownership, the 3,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor space has had an overhaul, from paint to a new outdoor stage, before reopening in September.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve made this bar,” said Becca Kinsey, who purchased the place with her husband, Bill. “It’s a good vibe. Now that I really see that the people in the neighborhood are supportive and they love it and I’ve got a good staff, that inspires me. So many people want to come here now. It’s been shoulder-to-shoulder in here, and people are still just having a great time.”

Word quickly spread about the bar’s new welcoming vibe, attracting locals who wouldn’t dare cross its threshold before.

Now, the once graffiti-laden location is an aesthetically pleasing gem, attracting a diverse clientele to its extensive bar menu. With more than 30 bottled beers – including four River Rats and Conquest – plus eight bourbons and a propensity for creating custom shots, the bar is able to make anything your taste buds desire.

“We found that this place’s customer was not used to having a top shelf, but that’s what we wanted to give them – a variety,” said Carmen Patton, head bartender. “When you come here, you’ll have a variety of beers, a variety of liquors, and then if you don’t know what you want to drink, I promise you we can put something in your hand.”

Beer and bourbon aside, Patton said the most popular cocktails have been the smooth Bird Dog Chocolate Whiskey-laden German Chocolate Cake martini; the light and refreshing Washington Apple martini made with Jim Beam Apple; and a Sparkling Salty Dog, which features homemade citrus salt and Deep Eddy’s ruby red grapefruit vodka.

A major draw for bargoers is the assurance that if you stop in, not only is the atmosphere friendly and familiar, but the drink prices are reasonable.

“People come in and are surprised at how affordable the drinks are,” Patton said. “We’ve got something for everybody, every day.”

Heavy metal or not, this place rocks.

Dwaun Sellers, dsellers@thestate.com

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 4:24 PM.