A beloved Langley brunch spot is expanding its culinary horizons into the Freeland brewery scene.

Lisa Carvey, owner of the Braeburn Restaurant, is hopeful beer and fried chicken will be a match made in heaven. She recently took over ownership of the food truck that resides next to Penn Cove Brewing Company’s location in Freeland.

Aptly titled the Braeburn at the Barnyard, the mobile venture specializes in all things crispy and breaded.

“Fried chicken kind of got us through COVID, so it holds a very special place in my heart,” Carvey said.

A few years ago, she never would have dreamed that her flagship restaurant would be known as a fried chicken joint. During the pandemic, the best-selling item was a family fried chicken dinner that people often ordered to go.

She decided to carry on the theme at the new food truck, which has officially been in operation for about a week.

Poultry lovers can find it in a sandwich, beside mac and cheese, or on a biscuit or waffle. Vegetarians can even nosh on a plant-based patty that’s also been fried.

For Carvey, who grew up in Vermont, fried chicken was not a staple of her childhood. It became something she explored in adulthood. During the renovation of her restaurant a few years ago, she and her husband ate their way through the fried chicken scene in Charleston, S.C.

“It has become one of my favorite foods. I try not to indulge in it all the time. Being on a chicken truck every day could be dangerous,” she said with a laugh.

With 40 possible combinations of chicken sandwiches, she plans to rotate the food truck menu every so often.

Carvey bought the truck on an impulse from Gordon Stewart, who has plans to start another restaurant in Coupeville. He is the well-known chef behind Gordon’s on Blueberry Hill. When he owned the truck, Stewart also had chicken on the menu.

“I think people like seeing there’s some crossover between what Gordon had and what we have,” Carvey said. “It’s a new truck but there’s a little bit of familiarity there.”

Although the small space can be challenging, she is finding it to be fun.

“After running a full-service restaurant, the food truck doesn’t feel overwhelming,” she said.

Carvey purchased the Braeburn over a decade ago. She never cooked professionally before buying the restaurant.

“I discovered that I really liked being a line cook,” she said. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to please people with the food.”

It’s something she’s done less over the years – due to a shoulder injury – but the food truck has allowed her to return to cooking in small batches.

Working with another business like the brewery, she said, has been gratifying.

“I love the atmosphere up there, and that was what drew me to the idea of running the truck,” she said. “It’s such a cool spot that they’ve created.”

The Braeburn at the Barnyard is located at 5488 S. Freeland Ave. It is open from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 12-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Hours will likely expand during the summertime. For more information, visit braeburnlangley.com/braeburn-at-the-barnyard.

Photo by Lisa Carvey A chicken and waffle served with whipped maple butter and maple bourbon bacon jam.

Photo by Lisa Carvey A signature fried chicken sandwich, known as “the Sammy.”