Barley Vine

My boyfriend and I have been to Barley Vine twice. Our first visit was wonderful! Our waiter was really knowledgable of the menu and encouraged us to get a flight which includes 6 samples of their draft list, which is full of local breweries. Being beer nerds, we LOVED it. The boy got chicken and waffles which came with maple syrup and a spicy cajun butter, which he still raves about. I got the Gouda Mac and cheese with kale which was also very good. Vegetarians beware though - their fries, chips and kale are all deep fried in animal fat. Our waiter saved my veggie conscious! The second visit was great as well, I got the sweet potato and black bean tower and couldn't stop saying "oh my god this is so GOOD" throughout my meal. He got a burger with a fried egg and loved it. My only complaint is we got the cookie platter for dessert and it was skimpy and not what I was expecting, but this place is great nonetheless. Can't wait to try their spring menu!

The craft beer selection, both on tap and in bottles, was phenomenal. Five stars for that. But the rest of the experience left me feeling  lukewarm. It seemed as if the bar staff and the kitchen were undermanned, and/or they were otherwise distracted.

It was very difficult to get the two bartenders' attention at the end of the bar closest to the door. I saw customers closer to the kitchen end of the bar have better luck. When you could get one bartender's attention, he was friendly and seemed to recommend just the right beer to the patrons he was interacting with. The other bartender, though, definitely seemed in the weeds and out of her element. She barely cracked a smile, except for a patron or two she recognized. She hurried through the order-taking process, and was not the least bit interactive about the menu or beer selections.

The food all seemed overcooked too. The praline bacon was tasty, but had the texture of jerky. The Cuban sandwich bread was burnt in places, and the bread seemed to have extra flour or some other powdery consistency on the outside. The onion rings were huge, and beautifully presented, but seemed as if they had been left in the Fryolator too long. They were dark brown and dry on the outside, so much so that I broke them apart so I could just eat the onions on the inside and leave the crust behind.

I really hope this place was having a bad night. The customers around me were friendly and conversant, and all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Conceptually, this is the kid of place I should love. I will give it another chance, but the first impression left me underwhelmed.

I'm torn on the star rating.  They have an excellent beer selection, great vibe and atmosphere, but the food hasn't impressed me.  The pizza sauce needs some seasoning and the burgers need less salt.  I do love the soft pretzels and the wings.  I'm going with 4 stars for the brews, atmosphere and bar bites.