This is a great wine bar. The waiters picked some awesome wines for us to try. They also recommended different appetizers to go with the wines.
Went out with some coworkers. They have some menu items that are just adventurous enough for our tastes :)
It is kinda dark, though, even in the day. Other than that, it's definitely worth the trip.
Excellent atmosphere! Â This is a great little place for wine tasting or a rmonatic dinner. Â My sister and I went, because we wanted to do some wine tasting and ended up ordering a wonderful dinner. Â I had the beef short ribs, incredible and she had the fish of the night. Â A tad bland, but in all the meal was great.
The service was ok. Â I ordered a glass of Cabernet to drink with my meal, but the waitress forgot. Â I didn't get it until the meal was almost gone. Â Big bad on her part. And we were seated in the corner in the back of the room, which was ok, but the floors were filthy. Â it was like they swept all the left over gunk from the tables onto the floor and left it there to get ground in. Â It was pretty bad. Â
Pros
Garlic Fries
Cabernet
Braised Beef Short Ribs
Salted caramel cake
Lamb lollipops, really good flavor
Cons
Dirty floors
Waitress was frazzled and fogot to serve wine with the meal
That's it. Â I'll be back to this place for sure!!
Came here as it was close to my hotel. Â Although I didn't have wine, my colleague did. Â Looks like they have a vast variety to choose from. For dinner I ordered the french onion soup to start with and also the Penne Porticello. To be honest, it was mediocre at best. Â I enjoyed the andouille sausage in the sauce. Â But I thought that the kalamata olives were out of place, and there were way too many capers. Â
Nothing horrible about this place, but nothing that stands out either. Â Maybe my mind would have changed if I ordered wine, but then that would just make my memory more fuzzy :)
This review doesn't need to be too long as this place is pretty self explanatory. Â The Barrel Room is owned by Rancho Bernardo locals and is a very refreshing wine bar and restaurant in the area. Â The wine bar is something to look forward to especially when coming in for a surprise date or bringing mom or pop out to celebrate once in awhile.
The wine selection is not too bad and the service was pretty good. Â Our waitress was very attentive and did her best to make us feel comfortable while we waiting for our tables.
The food was not absolutely the best, but was good especially when paired with the right wine. Â For appetizers, I got the Garlic Fries. Â For entree, I got the sea bass. Â Both were good, however the seasoning or the taste would be heavily influenced by one condiment or ingredient which may be too heavy for some food critics.
I'll definitely come back again. Â The ambiance is great and the added bonus of wine and small appetizers will keep the date special.
Not even a one star. Horrible food. I kept trying to come back because its a cute place. But the food is so bad --- third time WASN'T a charm. Jarred dressing slathered on salads, burned coconut shrimp. Ugh. I've had better food at a military chow hall. They must hope you drink a LOT of their wine before you order the food... probably not a bad idea if you go for anything to eat. I've had a cross section of the menu after 3 visits and nothing has been good but the wine.
Review Source:The Barrel Room is great! Not so much of a wine person so this review is for their food. Been here so many times for their garlic fries! Best in san Diego! Crunchy and not oily like other fries. Some of my other favorites are the zesty chicken panini, jambalaya, calamari, and our new fav appetizer the spicy pork chops. Yummy! Only thing is that it's a small dining room but they have a nice patio. And the wait can be a bit long but worth it if you like the food like I do!
Review Source:This review is solely on the service and food as nether my wife or I drink we did not try the wine. That being said don't come here for the food the quality is way too low. Â I had expected it to be a lot better . I am guessing that this is a wine bar that happens to have some food. Â Here is the run down. We ordered apps to share we got both flavors of the lamb chops , the duck quesadilla and a cheese tray.
The lamb, we got two one of each flavor. Now I guess the difference is just that there seasoned different as I couldn't tell by looking at and the seasoning did not stand out at all. We had ordered medium rare and there was some inconsistency here but they are small and cook quick so I can overlook this but I can't overlook the fact that they served both with Ranch really ranch. What a waste of a good lamb. Â My wife was upset and asked for some other sauce but they could not or would not produce anything else.
Now the duck quesadilla, the quesadilla was good but they had to go and put hoisin sauce all over it. What don't you have a chef that can make his own sauces and not just pour them out of a jar? Really?
And the last the chees tray Thought this would be safe. I mean how can you mess up a cheese tray right? Well they found a way. I thought and I think most People would, that a place that prides them self's of having good quality wine would know something about cheese. Â Well not here. Most of the cheese is form those deli logs you see in your local market now the difference is that these cheeses are made for slicing so they tend design the cheese for that reason and not for the flavor. Great for sandwiches but not for cheese trays. And the so called aged brie that was a joke this brie was the worst brie I have ever had. Â Brie as it ages gets softer to the point that when you cut it will flow out. This brie was like a piece of rubber not creamy at all. What a disappointment.
The service was not great but no big gripes from me the wife was not satisfied though.
We spent over $60 and left vary disappointed we won't be back here ever
The Barrel Room is a great place with great food and delicious wine! Â The brie cheese and the port salut are unbelieveable and both come with apples and bread and the garlic fries are delicious also! Â I personally sit at the bar area and just do appetizers but all of the meals I have eaten at the actual restaurant are great also. Â It's a great place to meet your girlfriends, go on a date or meet your family for dinner. Â Josh is a wonderful barender who is always so friendly and always remembers what I order when I come in, that's great service! Â Sometimes it does get really busy and it's hard to get a seat as it's such a great place but in that case you can always go next door to their sister restaurant "Urge" for craft beer and gastropub type food so there's an option for everyone.
Review Source:I did not even stay long enough to try anything out so this review is based just on my first impression and interaction with the people here. I was told the food was not the best here but I could probably find something good to sip on so that what I set out to do.
Was in SD for a business trip and this place was in walking distance from my hotel. I was dying for a beer and I checked this place out. It is a nice place inside but as soon as I walked in was greeted by some male customers there and they were just annoying and turned out to not be the scene I was looking for after all.The bartender showed me a menu and when I asked for beer he said i should go next door to the gastropub if that was what i was looking for..well alrighty then.
I left right after and was glad I did.
Not my scene. Sad to say since I usually LOVE wine bars.
Oh well.
Hadn't been the Barrel Room in ages, mostly because it's always packed! Â Took a chance on a Thursday evening and got there around 6:30PM. Â Were seated at a nice table immediately. Â Service was prompt and friendly as usual. Â
The Barrel Room has a wonderful wine list with prices at all levels. Â We chose a Cabernet by Provenance Rutherford, a very smooth, mellow wine at $11.00 per glass. Â There are less pricey wines and wines much higher. Â As I said, a very good selection.
The menu prices vary: Â salads (large and small sizes available) and paninis are well priced for the portions ($7-14), pastas and entrees from $11-23. Â
My husband had the bacon-wrapped filet, which he said was excellent. Â I had the small Pecan,Apple, Walnut Salad along with the appetizer-sized lamb chops (4 thin chops from a rack). Â The rub on the chops was a chipotle/cinnamon rub, and while it was good, I prefer their usual Cajun rub. Â The food was prompt, hot where it was supposed to be, cool where it was supposed to be.
The only negative is the noise level. Â The high ceilings and open bar area make for an inviting space, but as the room fills, the volume increases. Â But it's not enough to keep me away.
Glad we re-visited.
Got to have a lovely lunch out in the back patio. Nice weather out and it wasn't too crowded maybe cause it was slightly a little later in the afternoon. I would have to say the service was very good. Funny, I didn't come here for the wine but to eat. I can tell you we tried the duck quesadilla because we were intrigued. If you love duck this was definitely different and it tasted good. The meat to cheese ratio was decent but overall it was on the small ish side.
Garlic Fries. They're the thinner kind and flavored just about right, then again I love things heavy with garlic. Â Garlic fries were fried well. Crispy and not dripping with oil. Â The portions were big enough for taking home for a snack/second lunch. I did a build your own panini and the ingredients they used were not cheapO. They were good helpings that I did not feel jipped for the amount I paid. I would love to come back here to try other main dishes but I think I really love the paninis here. Â I guess it's not fair to make a comparison with Panera and Barrel Room since they're really two different types of establishments. Anyway, Â I just want to go back and try all the paninis now.
Parking should not be an issue and I have to say noise level was not that bad. You can definitely hear the person across from you while eating at the patio for lunch. Â Casual and chill place and actually might be better at night when it's a wine bar. It gives off an intimate vibe.
I came here with my girlfriend for lunch one day and the food was surprisingly good and filling. The restaurant in and of itself was small but nice and cozy with the furniture and the open wine cellar to show off all the different wines. I built my own panini and added Salmon and chicken while my girlfriend ordered her own salmon panini off the regular menu. The meat was well cooked and the sauces and cheese were really tasty. I'd have to say that this was one of the best sandwich places I have been to and the paninis are really good for somewhere that isn't a Panera or Corner Bakery. The sides that came with it were pretty big too. I ordered the fruit for the side and it was fresh. I would come back to this place if I was in the area again.
Review Source:I was quite impressed by this place actually. On a whim we decided to go check it out. We did not have a reservation, and of course the place was packed. So we were seated outside in the back. They had patio heaters so it was fine. It was quite nice actually. The food was super yummy! The wine was spectacular!!! We had a wonderful hostess who seated us and a terrific waiter. I was so glad we tried this place out. I'm looking forward to going again soon and this time with a reservation. I look forward to becoming a "regular".
Review Source:This is now my favorite hangout spot. You can't beat getting a bottle of wine at a decent price. I got soup and salad which was pretty good.
This place can be very crowded by 530PM on a weekday so go early or expect to wait. ..or go after 730PM.
Hostess and waitress we had were great. The waitress probably wasn't as attentive to us since it was so busy but it was fine since it was more of a lounge to me rather than a restaurant. She was still nice and get us what we needed.
Will be back soon!
The Barrel Room is a not-so-secret hideaway in a strip mall in Rancho Bernardo that serves really good food with a large selection of reasonably priced wine. Â The atmosphere is casual, but not SoCal "sloppy", so a button-down shirt with some nice jeans or slacks will not go amiss. Â
For a starter, I recommend the Duck Quesadilla or the Mama's Brie. Â The salads are really good, and the Caesar is my favorite. Â As for the entrees, I have enjoyed several, but the Lamb Chops are amazing and I find myself ordering them more often than not. Â
But the real win at The Barrel Room is the wine list, and more importantly, the wine prices. Â I'm glad to see that most restaurants have figured out the doubling or even tripling the retail price of the wine is no longer a sustainable model. Â The guys at the Barrel Room figured this out and have gone to great lengths to provide a great wine list with consistently low mark ups. Â Obviously it is paying off, because everyone I see is ordering wine not just by the glass, but by the bottle. Â These guys must be turning over the inventory pretty quickly considering the number of bottles I see being sold on a given night.
The Barrel room is a great place to have dinner or just relax with some friends and a glass or three.
Came here on a Friday night with friends, and the wine choices were impressive. The calamari and scallop appetizers were delicious, but I think we should have stuck to wine and apps. I had a potato crusted halibut entree that was so drenched in potato that you could barely get to the halibut. Disappointing, but now I know!
Review Source:I recently visited this little bistro up in Rancho Bernardo and enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and a great cheese plate. I had never heard of this restaurant before and most likely ever would have had it not been for a friend. It's up in Rancho Bernardo tucked inside "The Plaza". You can choose to sit at the bar as I did or at a table. They also have a couple of nice leather couches if you are just looking to lounge and enjoy a few drinks.
Review Source:OMG I just love this place! Great wines of course and delicious food to accompany them. I love the cheese and baguettes. Â The garlic fries are also really good. Â The place is usually pretty packed so I try to go during off hours. Â My girlfriends and I like to go early to get a seat on their soft couches. Â We sink in and drink up! Sitting at the bar is fun too as all the bartenders are very nice. Â FUN!
Review Source:We usually get good food here but tonight my short rib was burnt on one side and when I mentioned it, the management did not offer to change it! Â Also my wife ordered salmon with sauce on the side but it was brought up with sauce all over it.
It's sad to see this place going down with their quality but I guess it is what it is. We had dinner at 7 pm on Jan. 6th 2013.
It's been over a year since I was last here and the jambalaya is STILL good; just as I remembered!
I shared this plate with yelpers, Jenny C. and Erandathi D. both really like the dish as well.
Us three shared the jambalaya, the lobster ravioli and the chicken risotto. The jambalaya, as i have mentioned was still delicious and mouthful of flavor.
The lobster ravioli was just alright. Nothing special to it. Doesnt seem too homemade.
I enjoyed the chicken from the chicken risotto more than the risotto. The chicken was marinade well and the spices was good. The dish itself wasn't too spicy.
Before we ate our entree we started off w/ jalapeno poppers -- it was on their monthly special menu. For $9, I say don't order it. You can go somewhere else for a cheaper price and taste just the same, if not better.
Don't order food here, the wine is OK, but the food is horrible.
My wife ordered a chicken salad. Â The chicken was the driest I have ever tried. Â She told me it was dry and I laughed, but when I tried it I was tempted to send it back. Â
I ordered the Coq au Vin. Â Holy shit! Â I think they they just use the skinless bonelees chicken breasts from costco. Â Quite possibly the worst thing I have eaten in years, no joke. Â I can't believe any restaurant would serve dishes this bad. Â We will not be back. Â Sucks I had to spend over a hundred bucks to find out....
After a busy day at work, two coworkers & I came here to wine down.
I ordered the Flora Sililoquy sauvignon blanc at $8 a glass. My coworkers ordered pinot gris and a beer. The three of us share the cheeseboard consisting of five 3oz cheeses of our choice. We chose the baked brie, cheddar, parmesan reggiano, fresh mozzarella, and pepperjack.
The baked brie was the best on the board. The other cheeses were okay, not bad, but not the best cheese I've had. The fresh mozzarella wasn't fresh...it was more like shredded mozzarella. The pepperjack was more brittle than other pepperjacks. It fell apart instantly before I could move it to my piece of bread. The bread was slightly toasted, and came with oil & vinegar.
The place is nice. It's an older crowd. I think I was the youngest by at least 10 years. There was only one waiter at the beginning. Overall, a great place for wine and baked brie!
Pretty cool place to go to to have lunch or dinner. I highly recommend the cheese plate. Extensive panini menu which is very nice. My wife and I are not exactly part of the young and "in" crowd therefore I find it here a bit noisy and don't like the casual seating lounge, I preferred a table which was a bit more private rather than sitting with strangers. Though I found it odd when other strangers would even come up to our table, hence I moved outside and we were left alone. Its good if you like to be bothered or to mingle, if your taken and want a romantic dinner I don't really recommend it. Though lunch here is rather nice, quiet and reserved. I find the lunch crowd to be mostly older gents which I prefer.
The garlic fries are amazing! Waiter was nice, wine selection was ok nothing more than the Brig has or Flemings to be honest.
I'd go back, I rated mostly 4/5 since its a nice lunch place. Dinner maybe a 3/5, its also packed on Friday-Sunday nights. By this I mean a 2-3hour wait. No reservations are taken, first come first serve.
Small and quaint. Romantic but, very very loud!!!
The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because its small and noisy. Just don't go here if you're expecting to be able to have a romantic conversation with someone.
Food was amazing. My husband and I stumbled upon this little gem on a trip home from SD. The menu has so many tasty items on it, we never made it past the appetizer menu! Each dish is perfectly prepared and full of flavor.
We dined on the following:
Baked brie (a MUST have) Best we've ever had!
Bruschetta
Cesar salad
Artichoke and Spinach stuffed dumplings
Fried raviolis
We love the Barrel Room!
Garlic fries=yum
Drunken lobster pasta=YUM
Porkchops=Delicious!
It's our go-to spot for our wine fix in RB. Â It's a nice little place in the RB plaza, near the Big 5 store. Â Small bar, but plenty of seating. We have never had to wait more than five min. for a table. Â Even though it always looks packed, there always manages to be few tables left. Â I prefer sitting on the patio, just beause of the fresh air and it gets hard to enough to talk once it gets busy. At peak hours, it sounds like a party! With plenty of delicious wine of course. Â The staff is always so attentive and knowledgable of all on the wine and food menu. Â
I will say, however, that the asiago panini is not good. Â It tastes like they just cooked the meat with no seasoning at all. Â Gross. Â But that's the only thing we haven't liked.
Seems to be hard to find a good restaurant in SD (especially Poway/PQ) area these days. Â We eat at Akai Hana all the time but I'm glad we decided to try some of the other restaurants in the complex. Â Everyone at our table was very satisfied with their meals. Â I got the lamb chops (chipotle/cinnamon/espresso)...very tender and filling with 8 chops. Â Husband got the potato crusted fish...it was like hash browns on top of fish; he and I both thought it was really tasty. Â Friends got jambalaya (a little too spicy for me) and osso buco (really good flavor and the kids all liked it!). Â We got the calamari (a little overfried, but the sauce was really good) and dates/bacon (good, but they good fast) for apps.
Planning to come again with my picky parents for dinner and come at lunch for the sandwiches. Â The menu is also very extensive.
Came here for a girls weekend early evening. Very cozy with great flights! The crowd is quite different from the usual SD crowd and for once I did not feel like the old ass cougar in the spot. The servers are adorable and quick. The first night we ordered the cheese plate which was great. Though honestly our happy buzzed behinds just focused on the cheese in the center of the plate. I have no idea what the hell it was but was yummmyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!! Our second night here we just ordered a glass of wine and shared a piece of cake. OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG it was to die for!!!!! It was pretty chill for a Saturday evening though. Which we did not mind!
We will be back soon!
The first impression of The Barrel Room is one of understated opulence.  Small, cozy and finding the sweet spot between formality, modernity and relaxing, the décor is not what one would expect from a strip mall in Rancho Bernardo, the land of chain restaurants.  It's perfect for lunch or dinner and you can pick between a low lit interior or the outdoor covered patio area.  They seamlessly accommodate groups, couples and solo diners, although it's wise to call ahead if you're expecting a crowd.
Their food offerings satisfy the palate as well as a wide range of budgets. Â The paninis and sandwiches are fantastic. Â Salads, soups and starters are solid and the entrees are across the board yummy. Â While the menu isn't diminutive, The Barrel Room has managed to ensure that every offering is quality. Â For all you winos, the wine pairing suggestions are a nice touch. Â Satisfying price to portion ratios.
While I'd be hard pressed to choose a favorite dish, my personal swoon selections:
-French onion soup
-Apple, pecan and bleu cheese salad
-California Cobb salad
-Garlic fries
-Mama's brie
-Bruschetta caprese
-zesty chicken Panini
-asiago steak sandwich
-capellini pomodoro
Solid 4 stars and a welcome spark of uniqueness in the Rancho Bernardo landscape.
I think this might be where Rancho Bernardo residents come to stay classy...
The inside is small and was crowded on a Monday night, but the patio is great alternative choice. The staff was friendly and attentive.
Just had a glass of the house pinot grigio and the blue cheese, apple, & walnut salad. That's what happens when your on a healthier eating plan but you want to socialize, you stick to a salad.
The salad was average, they were generous with the toppings, which was appreciated. The dressing on a salad usually has the ability to increase its flavor and appeal, but they served it a basic balsamic dressing.
I would try this place out again, there menu had a extensive create you own panini list.
Stopped in on a Friday afternoon around 4:30. This was my first visit. Really nice interior. It's a small place with a cozy feel to it. All the seating is in one room but there are different seating sections/styles; formal dining tables, sofas, high bar style tables by the front windows and then the bar.
Had several wine flights. Wine selection is extensive. Tried the cheese plate. Large portion and good selection. Had the bacon wrapped dates. Great flavor.
Service was very good. Lots of staff which should be expected for a Friday night.
Their Yelp profile states they have a private lot. They do not. They are located in a strip mall and the lot is shared with many businesses so it can be a challenge to find any on a Fri/Sat evening.
***It gets very NOISY when it's filled up. There is something about this small place that people's chatter seems to become amplified to a very uncomfortable level.***
This review is for the food only. Â Out of 3 friends, 2 of us were sick for the rest of the day and night after having lunch here. Â 2 of us had Jambalaya and one had the steak sandwich. Â The Jambalaya was full of big chunks of onions and peppers, 4 small pieces of chicken, 7 pieces of sausages, and 2 shrimps. Â Not the best. Â
Now for the good part...Not both of the Jambalaya eaters got sick. Â The one who ate the steak sandwich and me. Â I had the Jambalaya. Â We both had Iced Tea and I had a couple of my friends' french fries. Â Those are the only common denominators. Â Not a good experience. Â I'm sorry Barrel Room, Â I wanted to like this place. Â I probably will never eat Jambalaya again or be back.
Ok, so my and my girlfriends absolutely love this place. I haven't ordered too much food, but the vibe in this place can't be beat. I usually order a bottle of wine for me and a friend to split and the CHEESE PLATE. OMG you have to get the cheese plate. It's amazing. You get 3 choices of meat and 3 cheeses. You HAVE HAVE HAVE to get the bacon. I know, everyone loves bacon, but this bacon is amazing. We gotten the prosciutto, ham, salmon and turkey..all good but the bacon is a must. We've tried the Brie, chipotle something, muenster, Gouda, cheddar and a few others...we usually get pretty tipsy and all the meats and cheeses are good. :)
You have to sit on the couches right in the front. I've never sat at a table because I just don't think I would give this place a 4 star if I did. The couches are the spot. You meet fun and interesting people. The first time I was there we meet about 6 different people. We all shared our appetizers and mingled. We talked about wine and tasted about 3 different kinds. I'm no wine connoisseur  so it was fun! The second time we went it was the same vibe. We sat on the couches and met a group of fun people and chatted it up all night. This place stays open pretty late, so you can hang out here on a Friday night and spend the evening.
So, now you know this place is great. Great food, great seating. For the service, it's okay. Nothing to rave about. I'm not sure if it's because we always sit at the couches, but they just don't seem to fill your drinks as often and check on you as often. I know they are extremely busy on a Friday night, which is when I like to go, but you'd think it would take less than 20 minutes to actually get your order in. Either way, I like to go and hang out so it's not a big deal to me.
Since it is super packed on a Friday night, they will ask if you'd like a glass of wine while you wait. This is nice and you can catch a buzz while waiting for those couch spots to open up!
Overall, I love Barrel room and would go again and again. I'd give it a 5 star if the servers were on the ball 100% but, hey can't complain when the ambiance and cheese plate are perfect!
Ordered the seared ahi salad and bruschetta. Perfect ahi; fell apart when you picked it up yummmm. The salad was a combo of spicy and salty; the mild peanut sauce was a good touch. Great ambiance with dim lighting, great service. Unpretentious, a local feel.
It was packed on a Tuesday night. I have tried coming here on a Friday before and there were no hopes of getting a table. I'm not sure if they take reservations, but if they do, I suggest making one if you're planning on coming in on a weekend night!
Service was decent; they put dressing on the salad even though we requested to have it on the side. No biggie, though. Lots of room to sit - from high tables, to regular dining tables, to sofas and couches you can lounge on next to a fireplace.
As for wine, I highly recommend the Domaine Chandon. I was recommended this one as well and couldn't have been happier. Came from a winery in Napa, full of body, dry but not cotton-mouth ish like some dry wines tend to do. The best is that the bottle was only $22! Awesome.
Would definitely come again.
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