Moeller Brew Barn serves up craft beer, an exhaustive menu and community

What started as a watering hole on a country road has now expanded to Troy and downtown Dayton.

Moeller Brew Barn, which first opened in Maria Stein, Ohio, in 2015, not only brews its own beer, but also features a comprehensive dining menu, with something for everyone at the table.

Nick Moeller, founder and co-owner of Moeller Brew Barn, first had the idea to open a brewery while living in San Diego, California. Him and his wife were trying to figure out a way to move back to Ohio, and they settled on Maria Stein. “We wanted our kids to go to one of those small schools in Mercer County,” he says. “The inspiration was kind of family.”

A year and a half after moving back to Ohio, the first Moeller Brew Barn opened in Maria Stein.

Though the plan wasn’t specifically expand to Troy and Dayton, when those opportunities arose, Moeller knew he had to jump on them.

The Troy location, which opened in August 2019, is in a historic church. “Troy is a beautiful little city, and to add to that, was a good opportunity,” he says. “We went for it.”

The Dayton location, which opened in August 2022, is right across from Day Air Ballpark, the home of the Dayton Dragons. “We’re excited for the Dragons’ season and warmer weather,” Moeller says.

Moeller Brew Barn creates its menu with its general manager, Aaron Foreman; its Dayton chef, Jared Scott; and marketing team. The standard is “hot, beautiful and delicious” food.

Some stand out menu items are the “Totchos” (tater tot nachos), the pretzel sticks and the Barn Oven Baked Wings. The “Handhelds” section includes the Fried Bologna sandwich and The Barn Burger. A big part of the menu, as well, is the brick oven pizzas, like the Hot Honey Hen, with a ranch base, hot honey drizzle, chicken and cheese. There are also salads, gourmet hot dogs and desserts.

For each location, Moeller and the team want to make “everyone feel welcome.”

“In the long run, I figured out that we didn’t build it for us, we built it for everyone,” Moeller says. “Sounds cheesy and cliche, I know, but it is apparent every day when you see guests and our team feel like it’s their brewery.”

Moeller Brew Barn Dayton: 416 E. First St. M closed, Tu-Sa 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Su 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Moeller Brew Barn Troy: 214 W. Main St. M closed, Tu-Th 4-10 p.m., F-Sa 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Su 9 a.m.-8 p.m. moellerbrewbarn.com.