Coming To The Old Darby’s: Beer, Burgers, Wings And “Detroit-Style” Pizza
Cooper Johnson is a fan of Detroit-style pizza but he’s “taken a few liberties” with the style of Detroit-styles he sells at Bricksworth Beer, soon to open in the North Loop where Darby’s used to be.
They are square and have caramelized edges, but instead of cheddar cheese they have a bubbly mix of mozzarella and provolone, “which we kind of borrowed from the tavern style of Minnesota and Wisconsin,” he says, and the sauce is on top “which we kind of borrowed from Chicago.”
The pizzas have been a hit in the original location of Bricksworth in Burnsville which opened amid the pandemic in 2020. “Super stressful, super hectic to climb out of that hole from Covid but the response has just been extraordinary,” Johnson said.
Now he’s about ready to open in what he calls “the illustrious neighborhood of the hospitality scene in the state,” the North Loop. And he doesn’t mind that his new place is a little hard to spot from 5th Avenue.
Owner Cooper Johnson
“It’s not really our style to be the big huge sign, big fancy new building right on Washington Avenue,” he said. “We wanted a space like this. It just worked out perfectly.”
They will also have smash burgers, chicken wings, a full bar and beers from head brewer Tyler Ostlund, who was at Surly and Barrel Theory before joining Bricksworth.
The grand opening is set for February 1st but Johnson is considering a soft open in the coming days. Keep an eye on their Instagram and Facebook pages for that.
By Mike Binkley, North Loop volunteer