Barrel

Upscale cocktail bar with a good kitchen, but can’t seem to decide if it’s a cocktail bar or a sports bar, which kind of hurts the mood for both. I came here for a cocktail date with my wife and we almost didn’t come because the TVs on the wall seemed distracting from the date atmosphere, but at the end the food and drinks were interesting enough we went for it. The TVs didn’t end up being too distracting, but still they changed the feel of the bar from a gastropub to feeling a bit more like a sports bar.
That all being said, we got several scotch-​based cocktails that were amazing and justified coming here for the drinks. We also got the mac’n’cheese and the spicy chicken sandwich. The mac’n’cheese was great in the way that fancy mac’n’cheese is with a bit of crust, great cheese flavors and not too tender pasta.
I was a bit more torn on the spicy chicken sandwich. The sandwich was honestly, really, crazily spicy, which I loved, but the chicken seemed slightly under-​cooked for my tastes, which was kind of a bummer. It wasn’t pink, it just didn’t quite have the texture I usually like for a chicken sandwich.
I also had a nice, local beer – although the beer selection was merely good, not amazing. That being said, it’s because the place is really a cocktail bar.

Nothing about this experience was positive. The restaurant seemed understaffed– it took the waiter over 15 minutes to even acknowledge us and he was very rushed taking our order. The portions are very small– I got tortellini that was served as four pieces in a broth. The linguine tasted fine but was there was maybe .5 cup of pasta. It was also expensive. I won’t be going back.

Nice bar in a great part of DC. Very casual and relaxing.

Came here for brunch! The food and customer service were a solid 4. My friend and I ordered the chicken n biscuit and the waffle. She said the waffle was great! The chicken was well seasoned and the biscuit with the sausage gravy was pretty tasty as well. The picks of both dishes can be easily found on Unilocal.
They have outdoor seating if you want to brave the heat! I will come back for dinner one day. I know they have a tasting room as well from what I saw on Real Housewives of Potomac!

I met a friend here for Saturday brunch. It was freezing in the restaurant and it was a nice day, so we sat outside on the sidewalk. Our server was excellent. She made recommendations, checked on us frequently and she was very friendly. I got a mint julep and it came in a metal cup like the real mint juleps in Kentucky. We both ordered this Asian fusion dish that was good. It was sort of like an omelet with chicken and shrimp and it included lettuce to make wraps. There was a spicy sauce to go with it that was very tasty. I was impressed with the drink, the food and the service.
This area is near Eastern market, so it’s a real pain to park if you drive. Also, warning about sitting outside… a bird pooped in my hair and it wasn’t fun trying to get it out.

I recently went here for a birthday dinner. I had a great first time here. The interior of the restaurant is relatively dark which creates an intimate setting. This is a good place for small groups of people (2 – 3 persons). There are TV’s lined up above the bar if you would like to catch a game. There are a lot of alcohol choices and the bar is packed with bottles of liquor. They had an extensive drink selection and all of them sounded interesting. We ordered 2 appetizers: a) the chicken liver and bacon pâté — the crusty bread was a little too chewy for my taste.
b) brussels sprouts — personally one of my favorite dishes. It had just the right amount of asian spiciness and flavor.
The main entrees we ordered were:
a) chicken phở — a bit on the bland side, wish there was more flavor. Otherwise, I would try out other things on the menus
b) cheese stuffed gnocchi — this tasted much better than expected. The gnocchi was cooked perfectly.
The food came out relatively quickly — I think about 10 – 15 minutes. The waitress was very friendly and accommodating. She knew the drinks very well and even explained to us the process of how some of the whiskey was made. I was overly impressed! It was a bit cold as the AC was blasting inside on a hot day, so we later moved to outdoor seating with no problem. I will definitely come back again and I highly recommend this place.

The creativity and thought that went into Barrel’s cocktail menu makes it totally and completely worth multiple visits. Cool Southern ambiance and delicious snacks with mostly 20 – 30 somethings in attendance. Tribe called quest was playing rounding out the ambiance with a music attractive to the crowd.
I tried sips of four cocktails – really enjoyed the Milk Punch (fav – doesn’t appear to have milk in it but sweet and vanilla-​y). Snacked on fries, Brussel sprouts and Mac. All fantastic.

Went for Sunday brunch and was definitely impressed. The whole log cabin feel matched the bourbon bar feel quite well.
We enjoyed their raved fried chicken (which some of the best I’ve had), paired with their absolutely stellar Mac and cheese. I’d go back for the Mac and cheese alone.
Don’t sleep on this place.

Barrel looked promising from its reviews and its selection of bourbon. I was pleasantly surprised to see Pappy Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, Hibiki, Yamazaki, and Macallan Rare Cask in the mix of their brown water selections. I think this would be a great bourbon bar to try out, but the food was not the best (at least not the food I ordered).
I ordered the smoked chicken and fontine stuffed sausage over greens and a poached egg. I was not expecting what came out. There was a very foul odor coming from the dish, but I assumed it was because of the vinegar sauce. I took a couple of bites but the sausage was not good at all, and I didn’t even finish it. Perhaps that was a good thing because in less than two hours, I got horrible stomach pains and the rest is history.
I will say that my boyfriend’s fried chicken dish was very good. I had a few bites of the chicken and it had great flavor. I also think the biscuits with the burnt honey butter was delicious. If you come for brunch, opt for the fried chicken and steer away from the sausage. Thankfully, we mentioned to the server about the odor issue and she offered to take it off our bill. She was very apologetic about the situation, so I’m grateful for her promptness and service.
May come back for bourbon and cocktails but next time, I’m getting the fried chicken.

Decided to try this place for my birthday. Had a party of 14. I called the day of since they do not take rez. Spoke to Parker, who was great and welcoming, stating that the wait staff would do their best to accommodate.
You’re always judged by your first impression. I hope management will train the front line employees to be more welcoming, and accommodating.
I arrive around 5:15 and speak to the woman at the front of the house and inform her about my party and asked about our seating options (Party to arrive at 6). She rudely says «We cant seat parties until everyone is here, you can go have a seat at the bar until they arrive»
There was no one sitting in the dining area yet, only about 6 people at the bar.
Instead of her suggesting a party of 2 sit at one of the end tables, she told them to sit wherever they wanted to sit. The naturally sit right in the middle of all tables which would’ve divided my party around them. 10min later, a woman comes in. She was told as well, «sit where ever you want» She sits at the opposite end at a table for 4. Another woman asks her if she wants a drink and she says i’m waiting on a party of 6, but i’ll have a water. Why wasn’t she told to go wait at the bar until her entire party arrived?
By this time 9 of my group had arrived and I took it upon myself to grab the rest of the tables, we politely asked the party of 2 if they wouldn’t mind moving down a few tables as to not break up our party and they graciously moved (we bought them 2 drinks as a thank you) They wished me a happy birthday and enjoyed sitting next to our group.
Our waitress was great. Drinks were great. Food was delicious. My only complaint was the brisket. It came out cold and was way over sauced. I had high hopes for this after reading the Unilocal review and the in house smokers. That much sauce is not needed if the meat is the star (see pics)
I tried my friends fried chicken it was 5 stars. Shouldve gone with that, or sent the brisket back (but I don’t want to be that guy)
I will definitely come back again without a large party, but when your party is dropping close to $ 1,000 for an hour and a half, you would think the front of the house would be a bit more nice. Definite a 4.5 star place. Just fix the first impression. Cheers.

Went to Barrel for brunch with my gf and a friend. Food was awesome, service very good. It was a bit dark in there but the décor was nice. Overall, very good experience.
We ordered:
–biscuits with prosciutto and honey butter (appetizer)
–Croque madame
–fried chicken with biscuits
–Tagliatelle
The biscuits were very good. I loved my croque madame, which consisted of slightly toasted brioche, prosciutto, gruyère and an egg on top. The mornay sauce was delish. Very rich dish, enough to feed two.
The chicken was moist and perfectly fried.
Didn’t try the pasta, but my friend seemed to enjoy it.
We also got a round of Bloody Mary’s which were not very good.
My only complaint, besides the BM’s, was the price. Each of us paid $ 40. Same as we would have paid for bottomless food and drinks. Would be 5 stars otherwise. That croque madame, tho.

Firstly, the décor at Barrel is AWESOME. The best way I can describe it is rustic chic. The ambiance is wonderful. When you walk in, you just grab a menu from the (yes) barrel at the door and seat yourself. A waiter will come to you and ask if you have any questions before ordering. I went for brunch, which was delicious! I ordered the Croque Madame. My two friends ordered the Brisket Sammy, which was also very tasty!
But what’s brunch without drinks, right? Their brunch cocktail menu, cleverly named «Hair of the Dog» features an electric mix of bourbon cocktails. It was so hard to decide! We eventually devoured the Bangkok Surprise. If you’re looking to get boozy, they offer bottomless mimosas by the bottle for $ 20 per person served with OJ, Cranberry and seasonal syrups.
Definitely going back again!

I came here for Sunday brunch with my boyfriend after seeing its great ratings, and was super excited to try it. We decided on the fried chicken and the croque madame. The croque madame was delicious– the poached eggs were perfectly cooked and the sauce was amazing. The fried chicken was super juicy and hands down the best either one of us has ever had. My only complaint would be the blood orange jam that went with it– it was too sweet for my liking and I didn’t think it went very well with the chicken. We cleaned both plates.
Overall, it was a great meal with very friendly servers and I would be more than happy to go back!

Amaze balls. Like this evening had all the bells and whistles with the designs of a simple basketball game and some drink for the start. I can’t possibly contemplate how unicorn-​ish this evening had turned into. But it had exploded into a great night, and I’m entirely grateful that it did. I may judge this night a wee bit skewed because of that but can you really blame me? I swear, find me on an off night some time and I would gladly relay this entire debacle to you solely because I enjoyed it.
So! I found a place that had a decent selection of whiskey, AND! It had the warriors game on. I found some co conspirators for the occasion and we had a fine old time among whiskeys I had not had in a while.
By the way, Sam. You rock. I don’t know if it was only that evening since this was my first time in this area. But really, stuff happens when people drink and we all know that only accounts for so much. You just rock. Accept it and rock on with it, you’ll be better off with that in mind.
Anyway, my co conspirators Jeremiah and JR proceeded to watch over the course of the Warriors going towards history along with me as the night continued. The service was always on point, attentive to my drunken needs despite where I had been in the evening. I’m a big believer in water along with drinking so the attentive refills over the course of the night made for a better experience overall.
Not to mention! Drunken white girl of the evening decided to rear her ugly head at the local staff. Huge mistake in our eyes although it did provide a decent amount of entertainment given the grumblings of the party in question. A round of applause ensued upon the exit of one rambunctious patron.
So let me lay it out for you… The whiskey selection is quite good and prices are actually quite decent for certain things. I’m not a lush (I think? xD) so I can’t tell you how it relates to the whole outside of here. What I can say is is that you have a high possibility to enjoy your time here so certainly sit at the bar and delve into the random personalities around you. I can guarantee you you will find yourself well matched and entertained for the evening with good people.

This is one of my top 5 favorite places in the DMV area to go for dinner or brunch. The food is outstanding! I have tried all but 2 items on the brunch menu and I can’t still decide which is my favorite because they are all so good. Chicken and waffles, the stuffed gnocchi, biscuits with ham and butter, and did I tell you about the Bottomless Mimosas! OMG! Food Coma of the good kind!
They also make their own cocktails and cask condition drinks that are too numerous to mention, but I’m working my way down the list and have yet to be disappointed. Oh, and the staff! Wow! They are just great. So go and see for yourself, don’t take my work for it or all the other great reviews. Go, eat, and enjoy. You will find yourself coming back for more.
Cheers!

I have found the best brunch in DC!
First come first serve, Barrel offers a limited amount of seating on weekends (about 50 spots) and a rotating menu. I loved everything about the experience — from the wooden décor to the chill music to our friendly waiter to the amazing food.
Yes, the food. When I search for brunch places, I look for three things: 1) are there dishes I couldn’t make on my own 2) what’s the price point 3) how much of the menu am I excited to try. Barrel met my checklist with its modest menu boasting a selection of brunch/​lunch foods while not overwhelming customers with so many options that I start to question how well any of them can be executed.
Interlude: I have to pause for a moment before I get into a lengthy description of the food, I have to call out Barrel’s bottomless mimosas. For $ 20, you get two juices, two syrups, and an entire glass of champagne. To start. For one! I have never seen a brunch place with a more elaborate (or generous) mimosas policy. Heavy on the champagne please!
Okay, back to food. With my group of five, we ordered family style, from mediocre to amazing:
–Brisket sammy — 1.5 stars — I was somewhat disappointed with this dish. The bbq sauce was too sweet, overwhelming the flavor of the meat itself and making the bread soggy. The fat fries were nice and crispy though.
–Biscuits with butter and ham — 2.5 stars — fairly good biscuits though not the best I ever had. I would have appreciated a little more crunch on the edges. Also, at $ 6, I would have liked at least one more biscuit (the dish came with two).
–Stuffed gnocchi — 3 stars — an interesting concept for brunch, I liked the gnocchi itself which was stuffed with some type of cheese and panfried to give a nice texture. It went especially well with a bite of pork fat served in the sauce. The wilted greens were an odd texture and taste contrast though. I appreciate the attempt at vegetables, but they would have been better omitted from the dish.
–Waffle with ginger cream and pop rocks — 3.5 stars — the waffle itself is softer than what I’d usually prefer. However the cream on top and the interesting use of pop rocks are what make this dish great. I appreciated that the waffle wasn’t doused in syrup and sickly sweet, instead using cream and some stewed apples to lend the perfect amount of sweetness.
–Fried chicken with biscuit — 5 stars — wow the server mentioned that the chef has southern food down and after having this dish, I have to agree. The texture of the breading was perfect, the chicken was moist, and the biscuit made an ideal complement. My friend proclaimed this as the «best fried chicken she’s ever had». Since I don’t order fried chicken very often, I’ll take her word for it!
–Croque Madame with mornay sauce — 5 stars — fantastic! Served open-​face style, Barrel’s take on this dish resembles an eggs benedict on bread rather than the grilled ham and cheese with an egg that I expected. The taste lived up to the mouthwatering presentation as each bite was rich and satisfying. I am glad I shared this dish as finishing the whole plate myself probably would have been too creamy, but the quarter I did eat was delicious and left me wanting more.
Finally, with five brunch entrees and a side of biscuits that left all of us extremely full, the total bill was still only $ 20 a person! Best brunch dining extravaganza I’ve had in DC!

I am pretty sure this is what heaven looks like. Bottle upon bottle of delicious brown water line the wall and there are wooden casks in the back that double as both beautiful decoration and a helpful reminder that the best things in life come from wooden barrels. Seriously, there was so much delightful bourbon here to warm my soul, IDK even where to start.
OK fine, I’ll start with the Mint Julep. Really, I need theirs in my life… like always. I had mine made with Woodford Reserve and I don’t think I have ever been so happy with this flavor combo. SO GOOD.
They also have a fairly extensive and interesting bar food menu and there is even another whole room tucked away downstairs. Plus their bartender Sam was pretty darn rad.
But can we just talk about that Mint Julep again? Because it was seriously amazing and I really wish I had one in my hand right now…

Such a great place. I will definitely recommend this place to anyone and everyone. We arrived right at 10:30, when they open for brunch on Sundays. My wife and I had a party of eight and we didn’t have reservations, but we were still seated pretty quickly. It might be because here weren’t a lot of people. Well, my wife, my friends, and I stayed until 5.
Their unlimited mimosas are my favorite, only because they serve you the bottle of champagne and things to add to your champagne. You get to control how much orange juice or cranberry juice you want to put in. So worth it and so awesome. They do stop the unlimited mimosas at four.
Food was oh so great! My wife and I both ordered the fried chicken plate and we were not disappointed. Probably one of the best and most tender fried chicken we’ve had in a while. We devoured it.
Service was great. The place is a bit small and it did get packed. They also offer unlimited bourbon for $ 50 if you’re into it. We stuck with our mimosas.
Again, go check this place out. Amazing.

This is an updated review of the one I posted on 12÷6÷2015. If you look at that review of mine, you can see that the manager, Mike, offered for me to come in on the house because he felt I didn’t get the full experience (in regard to the drinks) the first time. He was right!
First of all, if a manager takes the time to look at a review and then reach out to the customer and offer to help that’s already five star restaurant to me. It was such a generous offer to invite me and my boyfriend for brunch on the house just because he wanted us to have a great experience at Barrel. This team definitely cares about your experience.
Second, all I have to say is THE FOOD HERE IS DELICIOUS. My second experience here was better than the first, which I didn’t think possible. Definitely, definitely, definitely try to croque madame! The crab sauce is ridiculous. It’s basically Eggs Benedict-​ish with a poached egg and ham on top of Texas toast with the most amazing crab sauce ever! GET THIS. Or the waffle with ginger cream — definitely my favorite brunch dishes from this place. Ugh, craving that now!
My boyfriend doesn’t experiment much with different dishes, so he wanted to play it safe by ordering a «basic» omelette. This omelette blew his expectations and was definitely not basic! Great flavors and the side of greens it comes with are delicious.
Now on to this drinks, which is what I previously thought were «meh.» I would recommend asking your server about the drink options. I also think the service is better when sitting at a table vs the bar because I’ve done both, but that’s just me. It’s worth it to ask about the bottomless mimosa option too — we didn’t get this but we were told it’s basically like a build your own type of setup and you get a bottle of champagne accompanied by OJ, cranberry juice, and a selection of syrups to use to flavor.
We ordered the Bangkok Surprise and the Milk Punch drinks. MUCH better choices than what I ordered the first time! I don’t see the Bangkok Surprise on their online brunch menu (I think it’s on the normal bar one though), but it was a tall glass with an orange color and so good! It was a much better choice for brunch because it was very light and seemed somewhat carbonated.
The description is for the Milk Punch is: Milk Washed Old Forrester Bourbon and Paul Masson Brandy with citrus and vanilla bean. REALLY loved this one! It also smells amazing — I think it’s the first drink I’ve ever loved the smell of. Again, really fresh and a much lighter option. It even tasted great along with the food. I hate it when I get a drink then start eating and the drink doesn’t go well with the food taste. These two options were so light and refreshing! Also craving that Milk Punch now…
Long story short, I want to come here again sometime to dry dinner because I’m sure it would be AMAZING and I’m now marking this has a great place to take friends and family when they come visit! Thanks for a great experience!

Unilocal you’ve done it again!
Honestly I love you fellow Unilocalers because without you, I never would have found this place. Unilocal is my number one resource especially when I’m out of town and want to support a local business. Especially in a large metropolitan area like DC, how do you pick where to go during your limited time there?! Unilocal to the rescue!
I chose to eat at Barrel before I even knew that he head chef was on Top Chef. I saw 4.5 stars and bookmarked immediately. My man loves his liquor and I knew this place would be perfect for us. I don’t drink, but I sure love a good meaty meal. One reviewer said this place isn’t vegetarian friendly and I would agree with that. While there a a few veggies on the menu, the rest is mainly for a carnivorous crew.
I had the wings on the special board, the wild boar pappardelle, and the apple and rosemary crostada. We would have ordered more, but the portions were good for sharing. The folks next to us let us try their Brussels sprouts and they were delish! I’m already dreaming about that dessert. And I will definitely be back to try more dishes here the next time I’m in DC.