The Barrel Saloon & Texas BBQ

Went there today with the kiddos. We ordered the loaded tater tots, chili fries, and a chicken wrap.
30 minutes in, only wrap is ready. My loaded nachos were up about 10 minutes later.
Delivered to the table. My nachos were wrong and still no chili fries. Lovely young lady, the bartender, let us know the cook walked out a little while before.
About 1 hour, we got new nachos, correct in my request for no jalapeño and olives. Missing chili. Chili fries also arrived. Obviously, chicken wrap kiddo is finished long time.
Noticed offensive Uncle Remus plaque. Mentioned it to our server. Owner, Chris, comes out and was honestly concerned that I found it offensive. Explained the historical value.
I really wish he had come out to help the obviously lost people in the kitchen.
It took 1 ½ hours to get food. That is not a very good impression.
Food was acceptable.

I come here for lunch when I’m in the area for business. Great music and good food! I recommend the brisket sandwich.

This place is awful. In particular, it has a bunch of fake/​reproduction vintage beer/​liquor signs, including an incredibly racist one of «Uncle Remus.» Racist décor = automatic one star.

Would never go to this place again, the beer selection is small and some of the beer tasted like the taps dont get cleaned often. The food is a joke, it is amateur «smoked» food. They even have a item that is them pouring canned chili into a bag of fritos… Distguisting and insulting to anyones palate. Cant pass for texas bbq. They leave their garbage by the door and i happened to notice they use walmart bbq sauce and use walmart brand bread. I can only imagine what else they are using straight from walmart… Probably a can of walmart chili in a bag of fritos purchased at that same walmart.

This place is a hidden gem! Great service, excellent food and drinks.
Don’t let the «off the beaten path» location throw you off. I was so impressed with the delicious bbq.
The ribs were the best I have had! You have to try the wings and Mac and cheese! You will not be disappointed.

As a sports bar, the Barrel is just about ideal for my needs. The televisions are ample and well placed, but they are not so big and the sound is not so loud you can’t converse with your bar mates.
However, the Barrel has recently promoted itself as a source of authentic Texas barbecue. That’s why I was here, along with the opportunity to have the Dallas Cowboys break my heart yet again. (Barrel becomes a Cowboys bar during Sunday games and there was a small but vociferous fan contingent.) And after two tries I have some misgivings.
The basic problem is that, while Texas barbecue in its native form is a simple, unadorned food that stands on its own merits, the Barrel dresses it out like typical bar food of the Northeast. The most notable example is the Kreutz’ sausage sandwich, which is covered with fried peppers and onions like a brat. I ordered mine deconstructed so I could taste the sausage by itself. It’s somewhat different than the Kreutz’ I remember, which is juicy and fatty with big holes in the interior where the fat has cooked away; this was more like a kielbasa. But they say it’s Kreutz so I’ll assume this is what they export from Texas.
We had the «Big D» nachos which was a tray of tortilla chips generously slathered with cheese, pickled jalapeños and a mild ground beef chili. (Side note: in Texas chili is not made with ground beef, but with tiny chunks chili maven Frank X Tolbert describes as about the size of the last joint in your pinkie finger.) We’d ordered it with pulled pork but this was one of multiple mistakes in our order. (Not complaining because we also didn’t get charged for one of our drinks.) We got to try the pulled pork on the Dorsett sliders and it was excellent, tender and smoky with a nice bit of bark. I spoke to the cook and it’s clear he takes a lot of pride in his work; I think the issue is management decisions about what to serve, along with service that’s focused on beverages and not on food.
My advice: come for a game, and order the nachos with pulled pork, and send it back if it’s not right. You’ll have a good time and your stomach will be lined for consumption of multiple beverages. (There were some excellent choices on tap BTW.) Just don’t plan to pretend you’re in Texas.

Excellent place for lunch. Their smoked salmon is out of this world! The food is fresh and perfectly seasoned. Their pulled pork does not disappoint either. Amber, the bartender, is very friendly and provides great service.

I went last week to see a band and had just a delicious meal! I had the Mother Clucker wrap. It was delicious, spicy, cheesy, huge. Yum yum and another one for good luck. It came with home made pickles, or at least they tasted homemade, and I ordered a side of collard greens just the best thing that ever happened to anything green and vegetablely. Just delicious washed down with a corona light just the perfect meal and entertainment too. I’d recommend going a little early next time you are going out dancing just to eat the delicious food.

The beer selection leaves something to be desired, especially if you’re into craft brews. There are a few, but the majority of their beer selection is standard stuff and they have 8 drafts available.
Most of the food is surprisingly good though, and that’s reason enough to stop in if you’re in the area and are looking for BBQ and southern inspired fare.
I wasn’t a fan of the brisket, but then I travel to Atlanta 4 times a year, and when there I eat at what is considered one of Atlanta’s best BBQ joints – in a city loaded with good one’s – and they have amazing brisket. The Barrel’s brisket just doesn’t cut it in my opinion. (Though others have said they liked it, so maybe it’s just me).
I’m not a fan of the ribs either, but that’s where the bad news ends. Everything else I’ve had was quite good.
The chicken is great. Tender and flavorful.
The sausage flown in from Kreuz Marketplace in Texas is excellent. Mildly flavored, with a tender but toothsome texture and topped with a mild horseradish sauce and bell peppers. But be forewarned that it’s popular and they’ve been out of it from time to time.
The sides are quite good too. The collard greens are great, with a delicious vinegary punch. I loved the green bean casserole, and the cheesy corn pudding is tasty.
The chili is 97% ground beef with a few chopped bell peppers thrown in. No beans and no tomatoes. It’s mild but full of flavor. Beefy flavor. It’s different to be sure. I find traditional chili to be boring. I really liked it a lot.
The staff has been great the 3 times I’ve been, no issues there.

Well, I have been sitting on this review for a while because I initially had a confirmation bias about this place. I absolutely can not stand country music. In fact, I hate country, or what people call newer country. the first few time I’ve come here, it’s every wannabe cowboy from the other side of the river that thinks they are cool and tough. I came here for a Unilocal!event recently and my mind was changed by the place. It might have helped that I didn’t see every tough guy from the town of Schodack. The real tipping factor for me, however, was the fact that they do food now, which is absolutely delicious. They do BBQ for real here and it is quite good. The chicken is to die for, as is the mac and cheese. The hospitality here is pretty good too, which also influences my rise in stars for ratings. So, that being said, it’s worth coming here for the food and drinks.

I liked the spot good place to eat and hang out regardless if you’re a country person or not

Hi. Went out for a change of scenery and decided to explore my red neck side. Ordered a can a Genesee Cream ale. Hey $ 2 a can is hard to refuse. The bartender was both attractive and friendly. Mets on TV, life is good. But OH GOD, the food. Ordered a pulled pork sandwich with a side of Mac and cheese. People, PULLED PORK DOES NOT MEAN GRISTLE. Very rubbery with NO SAUCE. I am beginning to understand vegans. The Mac and cheese was horrible, completely with out flavor or crust. Come for the beer and music but eat elsewhere.

Great place for bands! Especially that Jet Crash Billy. Great stuff guys! Don’t forget about the mechanical bull.

I really like the country theme here, and so do a lot of people. However, the drink selection is not what you want at a bar. They «feature» PBR, Bud, etc. I searched the taps and found maybe one reasonable-​quality selection. Everything else here is terrific, but I’m sorry, this is a bar, and bars are rated on drinks. The birthday fishbowl isn’t even a mixed drink — it’s PBR and lemonade. That’s just sad. If they can improve the beer selection and offer better drinks, I’d give them at least 4 stars instead of 2. The ambiance deserves better.

I’m not big on some of the louder, perpetually overcrowded bars in DT Albany… especially the ones where the patrons don’t look they belong in the actual bar… but its the place to be so that’s where they are…
Barrel Saloon is a good respite from that– its a simple bar… americana and country and fun… maybe a bit kitschy… but…can’t beat a mechanical bull!
PBR can specials are always a good idea… and they’re always around here…
bar tenders are super nice… attentive…and while Barrel does get crowded on Friday and Saturday nights… it never feels too crowded or that you’re surrounded by peeps there for the scene and not for the actual atmosphere… and given most of the bars in Albany are night club musicesque. although I’m not a big country music fan… its a nice alternative to every bar that has the same music…

Went in for a Unilocal event.
Super quiet inside on a weekday when Wolffs and Stout both appeared to be pretty darn busy.
Nice enough for a honky tonk bar if that’s your thing. Pretty typical crappy American beers selection.
Nice huge outside area is a bonus when the weather is nice I am sure.
The food was not memorable. Wings were edible but not great. I wouldn’t go here for anything other than some country music & cowboy boots.

I stumbled upon the Barrel Saloon after Wolff’s Biergarten down the street got too crowded.
There was a $ 3.00 cover which at first I thought was a little redic. but there was a band and they were very entertaining plus it seems as if $ 3 is enough to keep away the herds of people in the nearby bars. BONUS.
The age range was all over the place from 21 – 51, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Next time I am in town I will make this the first stop.

I wasn’t super thrilled with the cheap beer, hoards of sad looking cougars, or sipping out of the same liquor bottle that everyone else in the bar had shoved in their mouth, but can see how this would be enjoyable for other people.
The band-​e-​oke performances were entertaining, the bartenders gave free shots to many in the bar (by pouring out of the same bottle, which sometimes touched patron’s mouths), many people were dancing, and they had cheap beer. Not that the drinks were cheap (my Sam Adams was $ 5), but they sell cheap $ 2 or $ 3 cans of crappy beer.
Not my scene, but it was certainly an experience.

This is THE place to be!!! Weekends for live music or during the week for a GREAT jukebox and drink specials. They got it ALL form a nice Chivas toa $ 2 PBR… Great staff and ambiance.
This is the place u can take your girl and not have to muscle past 20 hoodrats to get in the door! They’ve done an amzing job with an old bank that has lay domant for years. They market to a crowd that wants to HAVE A GOOD TIME!!! What more can you ask for.
Ownership is GREAT always accomodating and has an eye for detail. I love everything about this place. So does everyone else that Ive spoken to. Stop by have a drink and your hooked!!! GREAT JOB CHRIS! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

I was so excited to hear that there was a new bar opening, not only that but it was going to be a rock n’ roll country bar. Oh heck yes. Lets get my cowboy boots and go. So I rounded up some of my girlfriends and we went out.
The place is really nice, its got a bunch of tables and stools, and a nice outdoor patio like area with a bunch of picnic tables and some nice overhead string lighting. Theres also a mini upstairs area with more tables that overlooks the bar. Theres a cool stage which will be fun if they start having live bands.
The bar is kind of small, if the place gets crowded I can see this being sort of hard to get too. The beer selection is good it’s what I’d call grocery store beers. Its all stuff you can buy yourself, nothing fancy or microbrewed but thats fine. And its pretty cheap! 2 dollar pbrs and a bunch other low end beers. Then 3.25 for my favorite mic ultra. You can also buy some turbo thingy for 10 dollars and its 64 ounces of beer. Amazing.
The only problem with going right when a bar opens is we ordered shots but they didn’t have sugar or any thing to mix with stuff. Eek! they also have a sign saying «fishbowl birthday» but you can’t get it. cause they don’t have the stuff for that yet either. Disappointing. But this will clearly be amazing when its completed.
Theres an Jukebox on the wall that probably needs work cause the sensor for the buttons are hard to press, but has a ton of music, The owner put in a ton of credits and then asked my friends and I to pick out a few songs, which was really awesome. Apparently theres going to be an ipod set up so that a jukebox isn’t the only musical option but its not running yet.
Honestly, this will probably be one of my favorite bars this summer. Although I do LOVE mircobrews and its hard to give them up, I do love country, I love drinking outdoors, and I love cheap beer. This place is a win-​win-​win.