Perhaps we were just completely out of synch with the universe but nothing went right with our quest for a restaurant for dinner this evening. We ended up at the Barrel House in Yakima based on the 4 out of 5 average on 29 reviews on Yelp. Mediocre at best. Our waitress, while being friendly enough didn't have a clue. You could tell that for her it was just a job. No passion for food, wine, customer service...just a job. I had a very mediocre Barrel Burger and my wife had a very mediocre Cobb salad. Preparation was ok. Flavor was ok. Service was ok. Price, too high for the overall "ok" dining experience.
The bar is set very low in Yakima. In fact, if I were reviewing Yakima, it would get two stars max!
After reading the reviews from others, I was prepared to be disappointed. My only surprise was that for a Saturday night the place was mostly empty. My wife and I both had the sirloin steak and salmon, and both came out perfectly cooked...X 2. The sides offered were limited, but what they served, again, was fresh and tasty. Good food, good value, well done Barrel House.
Review Source:When I was a kid, I used to be stuck eating whatever my parents put in front of me. Â One of the best benefits of being an adult is that I can eat whatever I want. Â I am particular because I can be. Â I am am choosy because that is my right. Â I like a particular cut of steak (filet), and I like it cooked medium-well. Â I don't care what you supposed "steak lovers" say about cooking a steak too much. Â If it's a good piece of meat, it will still be tender!!
I ordered the filet cooked to my usual medium-well. Â I just like to have the thing cooked. Â You don't see steak lovers ordering hamburger rare, do you? Â I got my steak and it wasn't very close to medium-well, but more closer to medium-rare. Â I decided that I would eat it anyway, because if it was a good cut of filet it will taste good although undercooked to my preference. Â Well, I don't know how this was called a filet... Â It was rather tough. Â The knife would not cut through it with minimal effort as with a good cut of filet. Â And it also had a good deal of fat throughout the cut. Â Some is good for other steak cuts, but that is not a characteristic of filet. Â Especially one that costs $33.
A couple nights later, I went to Outback Steakhouse and ordered the Victoria filet. Â It was cheaper, it was much better, and they actually cooked it the way I ordered it.
I will say the service was very pleasant. Â I would go back for beers if they had more than 4 or so beers on tap.
Meal: Bleu Baron Melt - homemade bread was fantastic, light and flaky with a nice crisp on the outside. Â Cooked to order thinly sliced sirloin strips with caramelized onions and bleu cheese crumbles. Â Ordered the fruit side, instead of slaw or fries as kind of a pseudo dessert. $9
Drink: Local craft brews on tap, and full bar. Wine selection offered many options, so I paired with an average Cab by the glass. Â $5
Value: $14+ tax/tip - beats the pants off anything you could order anywhere else in this town. Â So the Yelpers who griped about prices need to get out more.
Overall: Delectable all the way through! Â Right on it's 3+ star rating and then some, so I'll go ahead and give it a 4. Â I don't dig too deep when Yelping, but certainly heed the warnings. Â Definitely revisit this quaint little place and explore some more items from the menu.
Oh, and the urinal is a MUST see lol.
Started with a bruschetta appetizer and got 10 pieces for the 2 of us. Â Very generous. Â Then we had some pretty good salads and I wasn't super hungry when our pork chops came out. Â They were really good and I wished I could eat the whole thing. Â They really know how to cook here. Â Â
Their sign said they were closing from July 1 to July 15th and then losing their liquor license except for beer and wine. Â Maybe new owners?? Â or maybe it is just a family restaurant and they are all going on vacation??
We had come in at 8:45 on a Saturday night and by 9:20 we were the only ones left in the place. Â They offiically close at 10 but they turned away some folks that walked in at 9:25. Â I think it is a small family run restaurant and they just do what they want.
We stopped here for lunch on our way from the Tri-Cities back to Seattle. Â The lunch menu consists mainly of burgers and sandwiches. Â They have an extensive wine list, and a solid selection of beers on tap. Â
All the food was excellent. Â I got a burger with whiskey cheese and onions and it was delicious. Â My dining companions also enjoyed their burgers. Â They came on an amazing herbed bun, which they make in house.
Would definitely stop there again.
Wow. Talk about judging a book by its cover! We just were rudely turned down for dinner because of our appearance. Wearing casual clothes, we were almost seated until I opened my big mouth after seeing a table with a placard that said "reserved". I asked if we needed a reservation and the host walked back to a female manager and as they were whispering, she gave a look of disgust toward us and said something. Sooner than later the host was back and telling us that some people would be arriving shortly and asked us to leave. Didn't even ask us if we wanted to come back, etc. said the tables were full indefinitely. Big mistake a holes. Haven't you seen Pretty Woman?! On top of each of us making well over 100k a year, we also had a $50 per person per diem and we came ready to spend. On top of it all, it's FRIGGIN YAKIMA!!! What a joke!!! Snooty in the ghetto. Wow. I'll tell everyone I know about how rudely we were treated.
Review Source:We did alot of research before going for our anniversary dinner. Mostly good reviews for this restaurant. We ordered the portabella mushroom appetizer. Mushrooms virtually non existant. The rest was a relish of disgustingness with potatoe and a rather decent sauce. The bread that came with it was decent but unremarkable. My wife ordered the flat iron steak. which we were told was 1 step below a new york, but couldn't tell us which cut? It was cooked correctly, but was truely unremarkable. I ordered the flat iron with portabella and risotto. I ordered it medium. My steak was well done if not further on top of what tasted like campbells cream of mushroom soup with rice. I commend the owner in taking a interest in his future and doing the cooking hisself, but he needs some cullinary training. The food was below average , no flavor, and truely disappointing. I was really let down, after reading the reviews on here. However, I do know why. Yakima has few restaurants that are worth going back to from our experience. Zesta Cuccina is one that is rather good most of the time. Wish we would have gone there. Done testing Yakima for good food. It pretty much does not exist. But it makes it worse when you go to an old salloon (like barrell house) and get a bill for 70 dollars and can't even eat it. I gave more for the tip, than our food was worth.
Review Source:We were on a buying trip in Yakima and I whipped out my trusty yelp app, looking for good food in unfamiliar territory. We had locals recommend Miners Burgers, but after reading the review of a trusted yelper on there, (thank you Jens for helping me out), who pointed out the $4.99 price for a basic burger that was unimpressive, I turned to the Barrel House.
It is located in a historic building that is not overly crowded with tables and chairs and sports a pretty impressive wine list. We sat down and the one waitress handling the customers, came over right away. We both ordered the PCB panini, which is the Pear, chicken and Blue cheese panini.
Yeah, I think a tear sprang to my eye for two reasons, one it was seriously THE best sandwich I think I have ever had out and two: they are 200 miles from home. I had low expectations, I've been burned before by overly exaggerated reviews of "made fresh by the owner/chef". They mean it here. I added a side salad, which was fresh and included, olives, feta crumbles, cucumbers and tomato, it was $3.00 and a good size.
Then the sandwich came, we opted for fruit on the side and got a generous portion of pineapple, orange and apple slices, all fresh, not out of the can. The sandwich, on homemade bread, was very light and let the flavors of the filling come through. It was sliced breast meat, and large slices of fresh pear and a blue cheese mix on it. The sandwich was HUGE. It is hard to tell in the picture, but it is enough to split if you are not a big eater.
The sandwich and fruit were $8.50. Extremely reasonable for what you get. You can get fries if you don't want fruit.
I do not run around giving out 5 stars like a cracked out Easter bunny throwing eggs, this place is really just that good.
This place was ok. Â Nothing spectacular, and not ghastly. Â It just wasn't memorable.
When I came here with my ex, there was a guy performing toward the front of the restaurant (someone needed to turn his volume down...sorry, I just wasn't feelin' it).
Our server was friendly, although he was perspiring. Â ("Beware of the man who sweats"....isn't that a quote? Â My co-worker says that of me all the time, because I sweat when I wear my lab coat.)
But yeah, this place certainly seemed to be hopping on a weekend night. Â They had a few beers on tap, and I believe I had one of the Yakima Craft brews. Â I honestly can't remember what I at here though.
Sorry, just not memorable.
The worst food I've ever eaten has been in Yakima. Restaurant after restaurant was worse than the next. I suggested the Barrel House Restaurant because people on Yelp raved about it so much. I told my boyfriend it had to be good, right? Last chance for Yakima to redeem itself!
I ordered a burger. It might have been one of the worst burgers I've ever had. It was dry, overcooked (why doesn't anyone know what "medium" is??) and the meat was absolutely flavorless. It came with a bland white cheese and caramelized onions. The bun was clearly homemade but it was lifeless and had no flavor. I finally gave up on the bun and just ate the meat.
The only good thing: the seasonal fruit was actually fresh and delicious.
We made reservations for 6 to 8 people. Â 7 people showed up.
6:00 on a Thursday, they were moderately busy.
I had the Santa Fe burger, which was very good, the bread was homemade or at least looked that way. Â I'd say the burger would be in the top 3 Â in town. Â It came with a side of "Chips", I asked the waiter if they were fries or actual chips...they were chips...Doritos to be exact, which seemed out of place on the plate with a $13 hamburger
My wife ordered a filet mignon, and it was very good. Â We also had the bruschetta w/ tomatoes & mozzarella- Â It was pretty good.
I couldn't tell if their decorations were wine/grape paraphernalia or Christmas decorations, they looked like plastic holly & mistletoe.
Best Lunch Deal in Yakima
I had the Bleu Barron Panini with pasta salad. It was just the right amount of food with excellent complementing flavors and everything was very fresh. You're not going to find a better lunch deal with this level of quality and wine selection anywhere in Yakima. A great place to relax and chat with friends over a nice meal.
This place has a great menu! Super cheep happy hour appetizers, drinks and 30% off bottles of wine as well! Its in a beautiful old building in downtown Yakima, complete with a laid back atomosphere... I went in for dinner with my beau the other night and we were pretty excited that the menu was flexible, items could be ordered al a cart, regular or couple style. We had the filet mignon which was really tender and executed flawlessly. Â Our friend had the bone in pork shank with cajun rissoto which made me a little envious... He let me try it and bonus, I didn't need a knife; fork pulled pork is the best! The menu utilizes local ingredients. Â Everything on the menu looks great. Â This is one of those places that isn't really busy after happy hour and it should be! Food is a home run, my friends and I will be back on a more regular basis to support this little gem of Yakima!
Review Source:In a small town there are big challenges finding a really good place to eat. Â Well Barrel House is just one of those places. Â The atmosphere is old town, with a great bar and real history in the building. Â
The wine list is impressive; the owners know their local wine as well as wines from other regions, and the wines available by the glass change frequently.
But the food, oh, that is why you must go! Â The food is amazing. Â Start with one of the variety of Bruschetta's available, they are wonderful. Â Favorites off the dinner menu include the Spinach Scallop Salad, (like eating candy). Â The Pork Shank with Risotto is wonderful. Â The Pork Tenderloin with Apple Chutney is to die for.
I only wish they were open Weekends!! (Then they would get FIVE STARS!) It is testimony to how good a restaurant this is that the owners can and do choose when to work, and when to be home with their family.
You will not be disappointed at the Barrel House, whether you are by yourself, a couple or a large group.
I was in Yakima for business and wanted to eat dinner at a local spot, not a chain.
The review I read on Yelp said that the Barrel House was "Yakima's best kept secret" and I would agree...to an extent.
The restaurant is small and modestly furnished, it is not the coziest dining atmosphere I've ever been in so I sat at the bar for dinner.
The bartender was very attentive and helpful in wine selection, and the Barrel House offers flights of local wines, which I thought was great from a tourist perspective and trying to get a taste of the local flavor.
The menu is very diverse and unique, I ordered the duck and it was cooked to suit. The owner of the restaurant is the one cooking the food and you definitely get that "home cooked meal" feeling. The portion sizes are modest, exactly what you might get at home, and everything was delicious including the side dishes (I had the fettucine alfredo, SO GOOD, actually a little bit better then my duck- they make it slightly spicy and I loved it).
I would recommend this for someone dining alone, or for anyone looking for a decent home cooked type meal of quality food.
Going back to local flavor, during dinner I learned  that the local jail is right next store and couldn't help but overhear a hilarious very colorful conversation between a mother and her son (who had just been released from jail).
Barrel house is DEFINITELY in my top 3 favorite Yakima restaurants (in terms of how delicious there food is)
the food is great, the service is great... my one and only complaint: be open more :)
love this place, I heard from a lot of people that previously the food wasn't good, or something... well, I have eaten here MANY times in the past year and I have not been disappointed once.
Came here from Whidbey Island for wine tasting and had the opportunity to dine here with my husband. Like the guest with the wine, we too were a bit concerned when the waitress told us our beer would be one price if we paid cash but another price if we paid with a credit card. Huh? BUT, the food and service MORE than made up for this quirk. The pork shank was incredible and my scallops on a luscious bed of spinach and other delicious ingredients was to die for. I honestly have not eaten this good at a restaurant in a long time. Top notch, attentive service made our dining experience all the more special. Cannot wait to return as my husband travels to Yakima every few months for business.
Review Source:My wife and I were hesitant about going in because it was pretty empty by 8:30pm. Â The menu looked great but the lack of crowd made us nervous. Â We went in anyway since we are adventurous. Â
We started out requesting a couple of glasses of wine. Â They have an unusual program that allows you to open a new bottle on the list IF you order at least two glasses. Â Turns out, the owner didn't want to own up to this offer and requested that we didn't open another red. Â It's understandable since it wasn't very busy, but on the other hand, we were about to spend $100 on a meal. Â We let it slide but normally we might have walked out as it wasn't a good sign.
Well, we were glad we stayed. Â The food was "amazing"! Â We started out with Bruschetta and a Pear something or other with Gorgonzola... I couldn't stop eating it nor could my wife. Â We both added a salad and it was good but our entrees were out of this world. Â Jen ordered Pork Shank with Risotto and I ordered the Crispy Duck... if you like meat, you will be very happy with both. Â We highly recommend it.
So, the atmosphere is something to be desired but the food is amazing. Â Check it out.
Did I walk into heaven? Or was it just the incredible spells wafting from the kitchen? A Monday night and the place was packed with over 60 Canadian tourists. A sea of grey hair (yikes - same here) and the thought that I was in trouble. The house staff described the situation and said they were booked. Decided to hang at the bar and watch some hoops and enjoy a $4.00 Greg Goose Martini  - extra cold and extra delicious. I watched, and smelled, as the 60+ out of town guests were served. You knew things were good when a complete hush went over the crowd as they dug into the main dish. After a second martini I was very comfortable and the chef nodded at me indicating I was going to be able to order. I followed the crowd and had the bacon wrapped pork loin in a chipotle apple chutney sauce. Not only was the pork loin abd chutney amazing but likewise the cheesy fettucine that accompanied it. Tried a glass of the Windy Point red as dessert and ended up taking four bottles back to Seattle. Compliments to Chef Tim Schroeder and staff for being able to serve up an incredible dinner after the invasion from the north.
Review Source:The atmosphere is "Yuppie Happy Hour" without the crowds. The prices are slightly above average for what you get. If you are a vegetarian you are pretty much out of luck. We shared a veggie-panini that wasn't a lot of food however, it was pretty tasty. The staff was friendly and cheerfully whistled through our entire meal. They have several micro-brews on tap and a large wine selection. They don't vacuum-cork their bottles so wine by the glass is not recommended.
Review Source:
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