It’s a venue everybody knows for its music and parties — and especially for its beers — but according to Daily Beacon records, no one here has reviewed it as a restaurant.

Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria, 200 E. Jackson Ave., is one of the largest and most popular nightspots in the Old City, but it’s open before sunset. Ever find yourself with friends trying to figure out somewhere different to go for lunch? I did, so I took the short drive from campus to the Old City. It’s packed with cars at night, but parking is a cinch in the daylight. Barley’s kitchen is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday you can get your pizza craving sated from noon to midnight.

Barley’s pizza comes in just about any form you can think of. You can start by deciding between sourdough or wheat dough, then decide how to start the pizza. Pesto comes with no sauce but fresh pesto. This is an excellent choice. Pesto is underrated in taste, especially when pizza is involved. The Greek gets you spinach, onions, black olives, feta and sun-dried tomatoes. Vegetarian is available, plus the Barley’s All American, which comes with pepperoni, Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and green peppers.

Then there are the toppings. Gourmet toppings, which are the price of two regular toppings, are as follows: pesto, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. I recommend the roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts.

You can always stick with tried and true regular toppings like pineapple, broccoli, spinach, cheddar, green olives, red onions, etc. Tofu and banana peppers are also served.

A single large pizza, plus drinks, cost my two friends and me less than $20 and filled our tanks to the top. You can order a single pizza split down the middle with different toppings, though Barley’s won’t divide it up more than that. I tried plain ol’ pepperoni and cheese, and it beat the standard I set for this basic pizza stock. It was a pleasant surprise. I also had a few slices of pizza topped with jalapenos, garlic and ground beef. The garlic was strong and the peppers added the punch. It was savory and spicy.

Though pizza is clearly the specialty of Barley’s (and they should be taken up on the offer), the menu is expansive. Calzones with two toppings are only $7.95 and definitely make a meal. But there’s a whole other type of cuisine that finds a place on Barley’s menu; Barley’s is definitely more than just a pizza joint.

“We’re affiliated with Sunspot … and Aubrey’s,” manager Dawn Ardison said. That means you can get a Sunspot Burger, a $6.95 veggie burger with black bean hummus, lettuce, onion and tomato, plus Cajun chicken sandwiches and jerk chicken sandwiches.

The nice thing about having a bar nearby is that you can get your own combination drinks. I had the bartender make me a mix of orange juice and grenadine. My orange-cherry delight was the perfect tropical compliment to my spicy pizza. They have a selection of juice and tea, and they even have two non-alcoholic beers for the non-drinkers out there. Flavorful juice mixes are a great choice for lunch.

If you’re a loner, you can get pizza by the slice at 60 cents per topping on cheese for $2.25. $5.95 buys you a soft drink and two of your choice out of a side salad, a one-topping pizza slice and a bowl of soup. This is offered daily till 4 p.m.

Barley’s has a unique atmosphere. It is spacious and floored with hardwood. Huge wooden beams form columns inside. It is large enough to accommodate lots of big groups, feeding into the fun atmosphere.

“You pretty much have anything you want in one building,” Ardison said.

Barley’s has six pool tables, three electronic dart boards, foosball, three pinball machines and some random extras. Upstairs and downstairs there is space for dancing, socializing and playing games.

Barley’s is more than a restaurant, and it’s more than a bar. After 10 p.m., it’s 21 and up. Bring your friends, savor some pizza, play some games and enjoy the cordial atmosphere. At lunch, enjoy a quiet chat or a business lunch. It wouldn’t be a bad place to do some work or have a meeting over pizza. It’s one of the most quiet and relaxing places to take lunch I’ve found.