With striking, abstract lines dominating the skyline west of the Sacramento River, The Barn’s architecture looks like something straight out of a Picasso painting.

Constructed as essentially a funky bridge on land, The Barn mixes a modern venue with traditional features – drinks, live music and a great view of downtown Sacramento across the river.

Upon walking up to the Barn, visitors are greeted with a number of diverse food trucks. Among the cuisine offered is pizza, barbeque, frozen yogurt and the ever-popular mexican food. Enough options to satisfy even the pickiest vegan hipster.

Underneath the roof of the Barn lies a pleasant cocktail bar, with a number of cocktails, wines and beer available, albeit at a typically marked-up price. However, there is also an information booth that sells bottled water for only $1 for those who are unwilling to part with their hard-earned cash.

Expected to be completed sometime in the middle of 2017, Drake’s Brewing – a local Northern California brewery – will be setting up a kitchen on-site and operating the venue permanently.

The live musical acts on stage are quite enjoyable with small indie rock and alternative bands occupying a majority of the live acts. When live musicians are not playing, an upbeat playlist containing a number of varying genres smoothly transitions in.

One odd feature of the Barn is that all of the available seats on location are individual chairs, but without tables. While tables are not entirely necessary, this does detract from the social aspect of meeting people at the venue. Everyone tends to form their own circles of chairs, which is not exactly an invitation for others to join in.

The staff working the bar and information booth have all been nothing but welcoming and have provided excellent customer service across the board. Dogs are allowed throughout the venue and there are generally several present.

There is a decent amount of free street parking available, although patrons arriving later in the night will likely have to pay and park in section F of Raley Field’s parking lot. Conveniently, free valet parking and storage is available for all those who arrive via bicycle.

The Barn is a unique destination that has something to offer for everyone. The venue will only continue to improve as Drake’s Brewing establishes their permanent kitchen and word of mouth makes it a major Sacramento attraction. Bring a couple friends, and enjoy the experience of Friday nights at The Barn in West Sacramento.