Iron Barley Eating Establishment

I was in St Louis for a week and finally found a wonderful place to eat! This place was recommended to me and a girlfriend. The atmosphere when we arrived was very nice and welcoming. The restaurant is located on a street corner and it does not have parking. However, once you are able to find parking you will love this place. They do have live music and it is not a very large establishment. The Duck Confit was fabulous! We had that as an appetizer but I definitely would have enjoyed it with a size and called it a main entrée. I ended up with the roasted chicken with asparagus. Also a hit! I would definitely recommend this place as it seems like a local establishment with great service.
The reason I did not give 5 stars was due to the wait to be seated and very little to no room to wait.

I wasn’t overly impressed with MY meal. Everything was decent tasting but I felt for the price, was a bit lacking. I also admit to not having had the entire menu. The ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger was decent, but I think the amount of pork should be reduced. The patties ended up being dry and a bit chewy. Great beer and bourbon selection. Fettuccine was great and had the perfect texture as well as the shrimp and chicken inside it. Having had other gourmet burgers, I could take it or leave it, but would be willing to try something else out next time.

Originally when my friends picked this place for a group outing I wasn’t thrilled by the menu but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. It is definitely a dive restaurant and is small so not ideal for large parties (although they put us in the basement which worked out). The drink selection is great! Food is rich but good. I got the fettuccine and probably wouldn’t get it again. However, there seems to be a lot of good options on the menu!

Enjoyed a birthday party this past Saturday and it was great. We had smoked wings, pulled checked sandwich and black/​white bread pudding. All of our food and drinks were excellent!!! The service was wonderful too. The only disappointment was how we got to our seating. The party was located/​reserved in their basement that was fully furnished with seats, tables, tv, cool lighting and a full-​bar, BUT we had to ALL walk through the kitchen. Literally through the prep/​cooking area. I felt as though there had to be a better/​sanitary way to get to the basement. I advise that they get that worked out quickly! Overall, great night with a great server!

Seeing this place on Diners, Drive-​ins and Dives, I had to try it out while in town for business and it was really good. It’s right off the highway and luckily we were able to get parking right next to the restaurant. It was busy when we arrived, but were able to sit down right away.
The food prices were very fare and the food was amazing. I had the Prime Rib which was cooked at the perfect medium rare that I ordered, but the highlight was the Schnitzel a co worker ordered. Good god, this was tasty. Only issue was the waiter was a bit odd, but all of us enjoyed our dinner. This was another great find on Unilocal while in St Louis for a few weeks.

Omg! Was on business trip, and had to try this place because it was on triple D! And I must say amazing! Loved the happy hour deals! Loved it all! Not sure if I would ever get a chance again but if I do. I will not backdown and will order the whole menu! The prime ribeye looked amazing! The black and white bread pudding dessert to die for! I wish I had a bigger appetite to get more but their portion was bigger than normal! I saw an alcoholic drink like Bloody Mary but green — didn’t try it but looked good! 4 out of 5 because it didn’t have the ribs but gosh a must try when in the area! Worth it!

Great down home comfort food. It has a great helpful staff and in a cool environment. Needs another bathroom just one unisex room. But I will definitely return.
Fyi– very fare prices for the high quality food.

We have seen this place on drive-​ins diners and dives several times.
Drove right past it it was very unassuming. Turned around and went in
The food was absolutely wonderful. Great barbecue and great sandwiches. Also a very German menu. Highly recommend this place

The waitress took the cake for me. She was so effective. I wish she ran a waitress training course, my gosh, she was the sort of waitress you’d see in the movies; no pin, recall your entire order, just the right amount of attentiveness w/​o being annoying and she knew the entire menu AND specials like the back of her hand.
Okay, on to the restaurant review…
Really cute old school décor but It is very dimly lit which was slightly annoying, however the food was filling and that’s what I came for.
I ate the Monte Cristo sandwich, it is famous for a reason. No one in town makes theirs like Iron Barley, plus the hot dog they use is all beef. I also got the barley side dish. Oh my gosh no no no. It tasted like I was eating beer! I had never heard of barley as a dish until today so I can’t compare it to anything else. But I personally didn’t like it and there were hardly any veggies in it. I had the wings too and sadly they tasted like beer too. If you are a big beer drinker no issues, if you aren’t, be selective with your menu items.
All in all, the portions were very fair, the service was good and many people like the Juke Joint feel, which this place has.
They are at least worth a visit.

Was not disappointed with the Monte Cristo which was the main purpose for the visit to this establishment. I’ll definitely swing by again if I’m ever back at St. Louis.

Ate here for the first time last night, so these stars are just based on that experience, but I’d be willing to come back again and try something different.
I ordered the Shrimp and Scallop Alfredo. The noodles were good (the waitress said they get them from Mangia Italiano on Grand). It was $ 20 and it came with two shrimps and two scallops. The dish itself tasted just ‘okay’. No flavor or seasoning to it. Might have to go back and try a dish they’re more known for.

Love this joint. As soon as I walked through the door, the wonderful smell of smoked BBQ hit me in the olfactory. The décor is unique and I can tell this place has been here a while. My wife got a chicken sandwich, which was really good, but the highlight was that I ordered the smoked salmon. Pardon the screaming, but, IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS IVE EVER EATEN. I know there are a few things from here featured on television but good lord, the salmon was packed with incredible smoke flavor and I am so glad I got it. I took small bites and as savored each one. This place is the real deal when it comes to smoked meats. Can’t wait to return and try other items!!!

To say I love this place might just be an understatement. Whenever I come to town, this place is one of my go to’s and a place I always take someone unfamiliar with St. Louis. So, yea, it’s good! It looks unassuming from the outside, but man do you get delicious drinks and mouth watering plates here
I can’t live without the prime rib. Part of me actually thinks I need it to maintain breathing, or is it the rich risotto that keeps blood pumping through my veins? The risotto is rich, nicely seasoned and just begs you to eat more and more. And, when risotto asks nicely, who am I to argue?
Ok, so minor note, on my last visit, the prime rib wasn’t fantastic. It was cooked to perfection, but the cut was just not as tender and succulent as it normally is. We came close to closing, so I think maybe this was just the one they had left? Or, more to say, I hope this is the case.
Ask about the drink specials. They change, and you might find some random deliciousness. On my last visit, I got a bacon bloody mary that knocked my socks off. Our servers have always been incredible too.
All in all, do I recommend this place? No surprise here: OF COURSE! I’d say to make this a must see on a trip to St. Louis.

Came here because it was featured on Triple D and I was not disappointed. The atmosphere was nice the wait staff was great and the food was excellent and reasonably priced.
I had the monte cristo dog which I highly recommend. I would have never thought of putting hot dogs with a jelly/​jam but it worked!
If I ever pass back through this area I’m coming back!

Another DDD spot along our road trip… Service was good and very friendly. This place has a good selection of local beers, which is something I look out for while traveling. I had the special, red beans & rice, and it was very good and spicy, a comfort food you can’t easily get in North Jersey. My husband got the Monti Cristo Dog that they are known for and said it was delicious. My daughter had the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burger of beef and bacon and really enjoyed it, especially their thick cut potato wedges. She’s usually not into eating potatoes that aren’t «fries», so I knew they had to be good. Very cool place, good food, and great service. Glad we came!

Great food — Great atmosphere — good time
Awesome place to eat. Also enjoyed the live music. The Montecristo dog was amazing. Coming back for more soon.

Finally tried this place out. Not exactly a place I would frequent all the time, but the food was good and the atmosphere is casual and relaxing. Went there on a Saturday and there was a guitar player/​singer in both the upstairs and downstairs seating areas.
For how crowded they get because of their TV appearance, they should invest in more seating. No need to make people wait. We had a table of 5 so it wasn’t a long wait for us. The host was very pleasant and friendly, and both he and our waitress checked in multiple times to see how our meal was going. She made sure our food was correct and brought a little birthday sweet treat for the VIP in our party.
I ordered the Monte Cristo dog, which is two hot dogs splayed and grilled on two toasted hot dog buns, slathered in strawberry jelly with a piece of melted Swiss cheese on top. It was one of three As-​Seen-​on-​TV menu items, and I love a good monte cristo sandwich, so I definitely had to try it. This was different from any monte cristo I’d had before and I liked the originality and creativity. I suppose you could pick this thing up but I used a knife and fork. The dog was moist and the jelly supreme, so it tasted great overall.
For what I ordered and the skill it took to make it, the dish was a little pricey, but hey, they were on TV so I guess they can do whatever they want. Host says they get a lot of out-​of-​towners in there on business trips. I’d go again but probably not all the time since they are located further south than I usually prefer to travel, but it was nice to get off the beaten path for once.

The food here is good, and relatively inexpensive.
The space is small and has a cracker barrellish vibe. There are only a dozen or so tables so I’d suggest coming early or on a weekday. The tables are small, and not that comfortable. And last night the place was cold inside. I had to wear my jacket while eating. There was a single guy playing a guitar in the corner of the bar… not really well, but not bad. It reminded me of the dudes that play outside of the Rams or Cardinal games.
But again, the food is really good. If the same food was sold in a more upscale location, they could charge double.
We started with a Barley Veggie Salad. It was simple but tasty. It included mixed vegetables marinated in an italian style dressing served with cooked cold barley. It was a great starter. For dinner, she got the stip steak with a bernaise sauce and a side of spinach (~$ 20). It was perfectly cooked and included the kind of char & flavor that only a cast iron skillet can provide. I had a half roasted chicken (~$ 10). Mine was just ok… the chicken was a bit overdone.
Our server was new, but fine (Sara I think).
It’s not romantic. It’s not classy… but it does serve some damn good food at really decent prices.

Get the duck salad. It’s not on the menu but it’s absolutely primal and delicious. And honestly, being a foodie for a handful of years I have learned that duck isn’t often cooked properly, and then just served to people unbeknownst to them, much like with scallops.
They have spicy desserts with peanut butter and the flavors of peppers, Chipotle, and peanut butter pie and spicy jelly don’t sound like they go together… Amazing. Just amazing. Might be one of my new favorite desserts.
Ordered the open face prime rib and it was more than I could eat. Over twelve ounces. Served with horseradish straight up… And any born and raised Collinsville girl from the horseradish capital adds points for horseradish.
We will be back… So that I can get my own duck salad and not have to share it…

That Guy Fieri knows a little somethin’ about somethin’ when it comes to food. He’s been here, so I needed to check it out. I’m glad I did.
From what I gather on my first trip, Iron Barley specializes in meat and lots of it. This place is very unique and everything was done right, with high-​quality ingredients and great attention to detail. They also have a good handle on cocktails and service was wonderful.
I HAD to try the Schnitzel & Spaetzle, which is one of the house specialties. It was also an early bird special on Monday night, saving $ 8 off the normal price. It was fried pork deliciousness and, much to my surprise, the green beans were almost the star of the plate (probably thanks to the bacon drippings). I also tried a bite or two of the strip steak special that was wonderful.
We tried the peanut butter blaster, which was great — although came out as hard as a rock. It took every last bit of willpower to not saw into it with our steak knife. Ok, we did saw into it, but it would have been much better if we let it sit and soften. The table next to us ordered theirs while they were still eating, which was brilliant.