Barrel & Bushel

It’s a hotel bar… I honestly never expect anything amazing from a bar/​restaurant within a hotel… they are usually expensive, overpriced & the staff isn’t super friendly. Barrel & Bushel is pretty much on point with all of this.
Beer list: Solid choices, pretty standard beer prices.
Menu: Regular menu looked good, but kind of expensive for what it was; late-​night menu was pretty expensive & eveeerrryyything on there is insanely unhealthy for you. A tiny basket of fries was $ 6. That’s freaking nuts. And, can’t a girl get some hummus or something that isn’t fried at 11pm?
Staff: One night we had a really nice staff member, the next a different guy was kind of cold & not really around. He bounced to smoke for a bit while we sat & waited for our check.
The biggest pro is that it is inside of the hotel, and you can get some grub when you get in late, but said grub will most likely upset your stomach because it’s all so heavy. It seemed to me like the staff didn’t want to be there, and they also didn’t want the customers to be there? We heard from one staff member that a bunch of people recently got fired for being Class-​A eff-​ups, so maybe that had something to do with it. I think this place has potential, but they just aren’t 100% there yet.

Earlier today (Sunday) was our 1^st time here for brunch. We showed up around 10:45, which is 15 minutes before they stopped serving breakfast foods. It wasn’t crowded and we were seated right away, but then it took several minutes for our server to show up.
While we were waiting for our food, I noticed the floors haven’t been swept. There was some food scraps under our table, as well as the ones to our left and right. My first thought was they didn’t sweep and/​or mop the floors last night or at least early this morning. Perhaps I’ll give the benefit of the doubt the restaurant was really crowded earlier in the morning and there was no time to clean the floors again.
Anyway, I got the typical 2 eggs breakfast and my wife got the spinach omelette. It was fine overall, not spectacular. We’ve been here a couple of times before for their grass-​fed burgers, which we love! That’s what will keep us coming back whenever we’re in the Tysons area.

(This is perhaps 3.5 stars to me, but I’ve always had a great time here so I’m rounding up.) This is a fun place! It’s got a great look — a large modern and airy space, bright from light wood and huge windows that retract upward to open the restaurant to the outdoors. There’s comfortable seating inside and out, although the most plush seating is in the two large outdoor areas. The staff is warm and friendly throughout the restaurant, although service can be slow.
There’s a very good selection of regional beer, along with wines, whiskeys, and cocktails. The beer prices are a little high — as I expect around here for craft beers — but flights lower the price some and give you an opportunity to try several of them. The food menu is pretty large, covering a wide variety of food, most of which to me falls under the heading of ‘American standards. (I’ve particularly enjoyed the deviled eggs and the meatball pasta.) The selection of small plates seemed especially robust, while the entrée selection seemed comparatively small, except when combined with the burger selection. (There’s a breakfast/​brunch menu also, but breakfast doesn’t seem to be the strong suit here. It gives an option to guests of the hotel, but I found it to be overpriced and underflavored. I’ll stick to returning for lunch or dinner.)

I love this place! It came highly recommended by a friend and I wasn’t disappointed. The service and food were excellent. It’s a really pretty space, too. The only drawback is having to park in the awful Tyson’s garage. We went on a Saturday night and it was a mess. I probably wouldn’t go back on a weekend night for that reason, but would come another day of the week. I highly recommend making a reservation as this is a popular place. We had a reservation, so we were seated right away, but I heard the hostess tell the people behind me who didn’t that the wait was around 45 minutes. Great beer list and biscuits. I had the pimento cheese burger. It was very tasty. Definitely plan on returning on a weeknight.

My boyfriend and I had an amazing experience here. Mike was our server and he really took care of us. After describing the hot fried chicken to us we were sold and immediately ordered it. We had the pork belly and tater tots for an appetizer and the hot fried chicken for our entrees. Everything was great! We were thoroughly impressed that the food along with the service was amazing.
In conclusion… Don’t come here if you’re not looking for great food, great service, and a great atmosphere. We will definitely be back!

Disclaimer: I went here right after it opened, so many of the issues I had might be fixed. I will try and go back and update my review.
The poor review is mostly due to our service. We had one of the worst waiters I have ever had. He didn’t know the answer to any of our questions and constantly messed up or forgot our orders.
More often than not, the wrong beer was delivered (if it was delivered at all).
They had a great beer selection and the appetizers we ordered, we enjoyed, but the service made it almost intolerable.

Perhaps I am showing my age by giving Barrel & Bushel a big, fat meh, but just the seating situation alone is enough to knock off two stars. Long picnic-​ish style tables with round stools? Not exactly comfy. And we were jammed into sharing a table with another party of people while within a few feet of us were wide open, completely empty «reserved» tables whose occupants, in the hour and ½ we were there, never did appear.
My crankiness was exacerbated by the noise level, appetizers so lackluster I cannot even recall what we had, and a waiter who — –although nice enough — — seemed, I don’t know, like kind of surprised to find himself waiting on tables, like someone had snatched him from his job at the Gap and plunked him down in the middle of this restaurant without warning or preparation.
If you’re under 30, you’ll probably be just fine here. Doubly so if you’re a beer lover; their beer selection gets rave reviews which are probably well-​founded just on our observation of the bar. In nice weather, the outdoor seating area looks charming, and it can’t possible be as loud out there, so I think we’ll give it one more try sometime. Clearly there are enough very favorable reviews of the place that it could very well be that we were just there on an off night.

Love the atmosphere here! The inside looks modern with plants between the tables and has a wall lined with windows full of kegs/​drinks and pipes that run from there to the bar. It also overlooks the bridge that connects Tyson’s to the new office buildings they just opened up there not too long ago.
They got the vibe, how about the rest?
The drinks: You won’t find any light bland beers here, they are all local and somewhat exclusive because this restaurant has some that many if not all other restaurants cannot get a hold of. The bourbon menu is also extensive, I did not even know where to start, but I love having all the options.
The food: Craft food at it’s finest, these dishes were made with love and dedication. Some of the things that stood out to me.
–72 hour pork belly: Yes it takes 72 hours to make, and for good reason, topped with a maple molasses glaze, these are decadent.
–Hot fried chicken sliders: BBQ, hot sauce, cheesy biscuits, mayo, and pickles all helped these addicting chicken sliders into my tummy like an assembly line.
–Hot fried chicken: A ridiculous looking dish not for the faint hearted. Bourbon french toast layers held this all together with and ooey gooey goodness of a mess of fried chicken, sauces, and syrups.
This seems like the perfect spot for a happy hour after work because the drinks selections are very diverse and the small plates are all very nice treats that won’t break the bank.
Barrel and Bushel is a great neighborhood spot run by a couple of craft food and spirit fanatics that really have something going for them. Check them out!

New restaurant in town, we tried it for dinner tonight and we had the starters to share for dinner, sliders deviled egg and ciabatta smears, good food good beer, def will come back again
Love the décor the indoor plants and light fixtures

1^st time experience– service was lacking; enjoyed the pork belly and pretzel. Happy hour is 2 – 7 every day, including weekends.
S E R V I C E
Went around 2pm on a Sunday. Walked in from the outside patio area– a manager handed us 2 menus and told us she’d send a server immediately. An elderly couple sat down next to us shortly after. We had to be at Nordstrom by 3:00, so we only had about 50 minutes. After 15 minutes of waiting with no server and no manager, we moved to the outdoor bar.
Fast forward to the end: As we were leaving, the couple that sat next to us finally walked over from the patio and said they couldn’t believe we were leaving and that they had been waiting for a server all this time. It was 2:50.
I’m thinking maybe Sunday around 2pm is when management starts releasing servers from their shift? What explanation could possibly justify not noticing a guest or greeting a table for almost an hour? I’m so glad I moved to the bar because if that was me, I would never come back again. I really hope this was an isolated event and that service does not suffer like that usually. That being said, the vibe outside is really nice and good for dates. Looks like an upscale ski lounge with mini table side fires; they even had bright red throws (looked and smelled clean).
F O O D
We ordered a glass of pinot grigio, reisling, and shared the pork belly and pretzel. It was happy hour so
pinot was $ 5
pork belly $ 8
pretzel $ 5
Service significantly improved after we moved (I mean, any service is better than no service) The bartender was pleasant and helpful.
P O R K B E L L Y
Pork belly was delicious! Maple pork belly– super tender and juicy. The brown sugar-​maple on the outside was a nice crust. I love foods that are sweet-​savory. My friend enjoyed this as well.
P R E T Z E L
Pretezel was steaming as I tore off a chunk to eat it– super soft and buttery. I loved it with the cheese sauce and mustard. The added butter on top was unnecessary but I didn’t mind it. If you’re cutting calories, it looks like something you could ask for on the side or not at all.

I’ll give them 4 stars, even though it’s somewhere in between 3 and 4 but closer to 4.
We were here on a Sunday night around 5 p.m. When we first arrived at Tysons in the afternoon, we stopped in to make a reservation as my husband was concerned about how busy it might me. We had no problem making a reservation and the hostess was very friendly and helpful. They even texted us to let us know our table was ready.
We were seated at a 4 top table in the dining room area and were glad as we didn’t want to eat at a communal table. Our server was prompt getting to our table and asked if we had been here before. When we said «no» he gave us a run down on the restaurant. Then he recommended the 72 hour pork belly as an appetizer but we were planning on trying it anyway. It was happy hour when we were there so my husband saved $ 2 on his glass of house chardonnay. I decided to order a mixed drink, blueberry ginger caipirhna, which consists of: «fresh blueberries, canchaca, ginger simple syrup». It turned out to be a weakly flavored drink and the presence of blueberries and ginger barely registered. My husband found his house chardonnay to be decent.
Before we came here, my husband already knew what he wanted to have for dinner. No sooner did the waiter take our drink and appetizer order, my husband told him he wanted the pan seared scallops. I still needed some time to decide. When I told the server that I was thinking of ordering the hot fried chicken, he told me that they didn’t have it today because the brine wasn’t made properly. Okay… so I ordered the Maryland blue crab roll.
The 72 hour pork belly came out quickly and we have to say it was the star of the entire meal. That said, the server said it had all sorts of ingredients in it in addition to the maple molasses glaze. Supposedly, there was some beer in it, too. I took the time to savor it but the only thing that hit me was the sweetness. Yet there was a nice crust to it and yes, it does just about melt in your mouth. Plus we were pleased that the portion was small — 5 small cubes.
The rolls that come with the meal were quite good — warm, light and fluffy, served with a stout butter but we tasted no stout. Still, we did enjoy them.
The pan seared scallops consist of: «lemon, sweet cream butter, pistachios and Brussels sprouts». My husband was in such a rush to order them that he didn’t pay attention to what was in them besides the Brussels sprouts. So, we were left wondering what kind of nuts they used. The sauce drowned out any hint of pistachio flavoring. Still, he said the scallops were perfectly cooked and he enjoyed the Brussels sprouts.
The Maryland Blue Crab roll consists of «jm clayton lump crab, French toast, mayonnaise, celery, gem lettuce and Old Bay seasoning». Plus it comes with an order of fries and some ketchup. The roll was over stuffed so I had to remove some of the crabmeat in order to eat it as a sandwich. The Old Bay seasoning was used very sparingly — more could have been added. I thought that there was a bit too much mayo and less could have been used. The celery amounted to a small, thin stick-​like slice. The French toast roll was sweet but in order to pick up on that, you have to try some without any crabmeat. The fries were well cooked — not dried out at all.
So…a mixed bag. We both say we would go again, mainly for the pork belly! The kitchen was on the slow side getting out the main courses but not so slow as to be annoying. Service was great. Before the tip, dinner cost $ 87 + change.

Highly unscrupulous and rude staff as well as manager!
I don’t usually like to go to this establishment (horrendously slow service) but end up going here purely because of location as well as a good collection of single-​malts and bourbons but never ever again! I have never experienced such a rude staff and the manager was worst because he basically called me a liar.
So here is what happened, my wife and I were heading to Earl’s Kitchen for dinner to celebrate my birthday and decided to grab a quick drink here. I ordered the usual Talisker single-​malt for me, pinot noir for my wife and handed him my credit card to close the tab. When the check came for me to sign it was for $ 68.11??? The bartender had poured me a 18 year old Talisker which cost $ 56.25!!! I was flabbergasted and told the bar tender that I did not order the 18 year old. I just wanted my usual 10 year old which is $ 17.50. He said that the 18 year old is the only one they have. I argued with him that it was not true and that I always get the 10 year Talisker here. I told him that I was not paying for it (actually I already had since my CC was swiped). He said that he had already poured the drink and he couldn’t do anything about it.
Naturally I asked for the manager, who had a quick discussion with the bartender and another lady bartender and told me that the 18 year old Talisker is the only one they have. I tried to tell him that I come there quite often and I always get the 10 year old Talisker. He emphatically told me that, it is impossible because he is the one who orders all the liquor for the bar and they have NEVER had a Talisker 10.
Basically he was calling me a liar but unfortunate for him I know how much my single-​malts costs at each bar that I go to and more importantly I save all my checks. I told him that I will be back with one of my previous checks showing him that I was served a Talisker 10 at that bar.
I didn’t want to ruin my birthday any further so I signed the check and tried to enjoy the $ 56 drink which unfortunately was already ruined because of the excessive ice that the bartender had put in it. Now if I wanted to drink a 18 year old single-​malt I would’ve had it neat.
I plan to file an official complaint with Hyatt headquarters about this and will probably also swing by to prove to the scumbag manager that it was he who was lying and unscrupulous. I have added both the checks to the photos section for the world to see.
Never again will I set foot in this place!

(3.5)
I came here once for a company happy hour.
I had :
Deviled Eggs
Chicken and Biscuits
Pork Sliders
I really enjoyed the pork sliders, but found the chicken and biscuit sliders and deviled eggs were «OK»
Service was really excellent and they had a wide selection on the drink menu. Restaurant itself is really cute, so I’ll probably be back just because of the aforementioned service and atmosphere, and location.

Barrel & Bushel touts itself to be «your neighborhood spot». While that may be true for McLeanites with their disposable incomes, I found it a tad too expensive for my pocketbook. I went with some coworkers and between us, we got the deviled eggs, prime rib sliders, grilled cheese sandwich & slide of tomato basil soup, & the hot chicken roll. The deviled eggs were not bad, but almost overstuffed? I found myself craving the Founding Farmers deviled eggs instead. My grilled cheese was good — the cheese was plentiful, gooey, and full of flavor. The sliced jalapenos that I requested added a kick that I like in most of my dishes. For dessert, we got the beeramisu (an interesting concept, but one that just left me wishing for traditional tiramisu), and the pan cookie with icecream (the only real winner of our meal).
While the food experience was sub-​par, the service was on my point. Our server always had a smile on his face, was available to assist without hovering, and tended to our requests in a timely fashion. The décor of the restaurant is quite modern, and I could see this being a premier choice for lunch meetings.
Bottom line, if I feel like splurging on a week day lunch, I’ll be sticking to Founding Farmers for similar prices and way better (& might I say addictive) food. However, Barrel & Bushel has a happy hour from 2 to 6 pm which might redeem them in my book — will keep Unilocal updated. :)

We entered the restaurant for happy hour at 6:50pm (I looked at my phone) and asked to be quickly seated so that we can order our HH food. The server was helpful and the food was great, so they get a star there. Also Unilocal won’t allow 0 or negative stars.
Then it quickly went downhill.
When we got our bill, we were SHOCKED to see that we did not receive the HH prices on our food. We ordered multiple HH specials and drinks. The HH was supposed to go until 7pm. The bill had a time stamp of exactly 7pm. So we asked them to honor their HH prices. Instead the manager came out and flat out refused to honor their prices saying that the system «won’t allow» it. That is pure BS. Even if the system won’t allow it, what POS system nowadays don’t allow manager override?
She proceeded to lie to us and said HH ended at 6pm, even though there were MULTIPLE fliers and even a poster out front that said HH went from 2−7pm (see picture gallery). To add insult to injury, she said she «saw» us coming in past 7pm and we wouldn’t have gotten the HH special anyway. Well, how can they bill us at 7pm when we walked in AFTER 7pm? MANAGER FAIL!
This is not the kind of customer service that I’d expect from any reputable restaurant looking to build a customer base. There are PLENTY of great restaurants in the Tyson’s Corner area and we will NEVER come back to this arrogant, condescending, we know better than the customer, poor excuse for a restaurant again. And we’ll recommend that our friends and family to also ignore this place as well.

Tried this place for lunch and as soon as I walked in I really thought I would like the place. As the host walked us to our table we walked past a wall full of beer, homemade juices and wines. The restaurant was decorated very farm-​ey, natural-​ish, so you would expect a sustainable themed menu and it was cute.
But We sat down and it went downhill from there. We weren’t greeted for about 10 minutes and it was not busy at all. Our server then came by, introduced herself, took our drink order, brought us drinks and we did not see her until the check.
The place does give you a free biscuit a person, which were very good.
I wasn’t too hungry since It was early so I got a Gem Salad, and it was a tiny side of sprouts, butter lettuce, a grape tomato and some seeds. It was a side order so I didn’t expect much. Bf for a meatball sandwich which looked ok.
This place could be good but our experience just wasn’t the best and to top it off we got our check and saw they charge 4 bucks for a pepsi. It was rather offensive that this place would charge $ 4 dollars for a Pepsi… especially when we were not even offered a refill.
Others may have a great experience here, but based on mine but I do not plan on coming back.

Came here several weeks ago with my family and I am so happy my dad suggested it because it turned out to be amazing. Easily a go-​to restaurant, when I was some good eats. It is tucked away, outside on Tysons Plaza across from Shake Shack. The service was great, very attentive and prompt. The décor is rustic and ambiance is very laid back. Theres a big bar in the middle that flows to outdoor seating on the plaza. Huge barrels full of beer inside from all over the DMV area. Everything on the menu looked so good, our family couldn’t decide on anything we wanted so we decided to get several apps and sides. Here’s what we did get:
–72 hour maple glazed pork belly — just imagine yourself floating on a cloud, no noises, no one around you, just you relaxing. Heaven… it feels like heaven. Melt in your mouth, pork fat, the burnt maple parts… oh my. You cannot leave without trying.
–Hot fried chicken sliders– chicken lightly fried on two fluffy, buttery, cheesy biscuits with hot sauce drizzled on top and a hint of mayo. One of my favorites.
–Chorizo sliders– the farmer’s cheese on top… perfect. Chorizo is juicy and had a nice hint of spicyness with the chili.
–Prime Rib sliders– prime rib is cooked to perfection. It’s melt in your type of goodness, alot of flavor throughout and
–Salmon sliders– This was my favorite slider. The salmon was tender, flaky and flavorful.
–Tator tots– I can seriously have a whole bowl to myself. I don’t know what kind of cheese they use, but it’s not a common one and its freakin’ delicious.
–Spam mac and cheese– This was a side I could do without. It was delicious but I wish they would use more spam.
Today, I was lucky enough to try it again for a Unilocal Event and I got to try everything I wanted again… well just the pork belly but still. The only things I got to try this time that I didn’t get to try the first time were deviled eggs, which they gave us a HEAPING amount of soft yolk on top with sprinkle of old bay, so good. The crispy artichokes with delicious aioli. Pimento cheeseburger that was well-​seasoned and juicy.
Overall, the food is incredible and the service was on point! Though on the pricier side, there is a ton of food options for everyone and a huge selection of beer for the beer lovers out there. Must try!

Surprised to see that Barrel and Bushel only has three stars. It’s not the most gourmet food (I’ve only ever had appetizers on my 3 visits — maybe that’s the trick?) but they have a wonderful beer selection, a great vibe (the restaurant is beautiful with a very cool open bar and patio) and plenty of TVs great for sports viewing.
Let’s start with the beer. Over 20 local (some in the DelMarVa area, close enough) beers on draft. That’s phenomenal. I often have a tough time choosing, and they also do ‘themed’ flights, such as the ‘Southern VA’ flight. I’m never at a loss as to what beverage to order. If for some reason you don’t like what they are offering on tap, they also have a good selection of bottles. I’ve only ever sat at the bar — got great service twice and once was a little slower, but nothing to majorly complain about. This place does a BIG after-​work crowd being in the heart of Tysons but was pretty empty on a Sunday night. Their happy hour is from 3 – 6 every day and they offer specials on pints. If beer’s not your thing, they also offer a good bourbon selection, including flights and a small selection of wines and cocktails.
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve only ever eaten appetizers. I think my favorite appetizers are the Hot Fried Chicken Sliders and the Deviled Eggs. The sliders are served on these delicious, flaky and buttery biscuits, the chicken is nicely fried and not greasy, and served with just a touch of hot sauce. The deviled eggs are HUGE and dusted with old bay. I’ve also had the smoked prime rib sliders — wasn’t as impressed with those, they were a little fatty and they kind of skimped on the meat. This most recent visit, I forayed into their tater tots, which I think might rival Tonic’s for my favorite in the area — crunchy, crispy, not greasy and accented with pickled jalapenos (you can get them on the side) and green onions.
Again, seeing the lower reviews, I wonder if sticking to appetizers and beer is the trick. If I end up expanding my horizons, I’ll be sure to update this review.

Went here for lunchtime and it was so delicious! I haven’t heard of this place until today but I am so glad we went. It is in a great location, right inside the Marriot at Tysons Corner. They have a patio option which we opted for because the inside was waay too cold. It looked like they also have a bakery option you can swing by and grab some in the front where the hosts are.
We decided to get all of the appetizers/“shareable plates” rather than get seperate items and boy am I glad we did that. Each shareable ranges from $ 3 – 15. The sliders we got were around $ 10.
First, we tried the 72 hour pork belly… and oh my goodness I need to buy batches of this and keep it frozen so I can reheat it whenever I need to. It was so flavorful with maple and extremely tender. Definitely a must try — but it comes with only 5 pieces so we ended up ordering two plates of it.oops.
We tried all of the slider options as well. The hot fried chicken sliders took a lot longer than the rest of our food so by the time it came to my table, I scarfed it down to get it out of my site, but was still really good. The biscuit that it comes in was really good. We also tried the prime rib sliders which was my least favorite of them. It wasn’t too warm and wasn’t anything really special. My two absolute favorites were the salmon sliders and the chorizo sliders. The salmon was really flavorful and meaty. The chorizo toppings were my favorite and it has guacamole (my favorite) and the meat was really tasty.
The tater tots were soo good. The cheese on them and the pickled jalapenos were so delicious. The cheese was especially my favorite part. I definitely recommend trying it. I was extremely disappointed in the spam mac n cheese though. It didn’t taste like the noodles were cooked all the way.
FINALLY, at almost the end of our meal we tried the desserts. The pan cookie is basically a pizookie if you’ve ever been to BJ’s but I would definitely say it’s a personal size. We each had about one bite from it. The fried hand pie is similar to an empanada and I personally really enjoyed it but the rest of my family didn’t like it. Oh well, more for me right? The crust was flaky and the inside was really good. The inside had pieces of peach and some type of filling.
The service was really kind and our server, Michael, was funny and gave us honest recommendations on what to get. I’ll definitely be coming back here!

The menu reads like a great novel, at first innovative, engaging, exciting, but then seeing it come to life via delivery/​execution was an anti-​climatic fail.
The ambiance of this restaurant is similar to Founding Farmer’s with a cleaner more sophisticated look. Interesting how one side of the restaurant is literally open to the outside, don’t know how to describe it, but this would be perfect for warmer month dining. Décor is really spot on, as well as the service. 4 stars for the atmosphere and décor!
The food itself however, left us thinking false advertisement, where’s that meal we read about on the menu?! I think if they tweak the recipes and seasoning a bit more this place has real potential!
Menu items tried:
— B&B salad, their signature salad with gem lettuce, sunflower sprouts & seeds, figs, farmer’s cheese, heirloom cherry tomatoes, lemon &
extra virgin olive oil. (as a frequent salad eater, this one was meh, thought it was going to be a lot better than it was.)
— HOT FRIED CHICKEN served on french toast, spam mac & cheese, mustard greens, B&B pickles, buttered dark amber syrup (nothing will ever compare to Yardbird or Central Michel’s fried chicken, I think KFC might even be better than this bad boy, and I’m not a fan of KFC, a Popeye’s girl all the way)
— DENVER CUT” BOURBON SUGAR STEAK– this steak was a little to teriyaki tasting for my liking, but honestly wasn’t bad, the sauces that it comes with definitely amp up the steak.
— 800 DEGREES HALF CHICKEN– roasted tomatillo, avocado, cilantro, onion, smashed fingerling potatoes. (ORDER THIS!!! chicken is cooked to a crispy perfection yet still maintains it’s juiciness!) however, I was trying to go the healthy route and got the mustard greens that were just meh.
–SPAM Mac and cheese, I didn’t see any spam in the mac and cheese.
I’m not going to completely write this place off yet, but I definitely was left wanting more.
To be continued.