I review restaurants ONLY If I would drive an hour to revisit a restaurant. Â This is such a place. Â Their "chicken fingers" which are actually whole breast filets, are the best I've had anywhere. Â
The flavor, born from buttermilk soaking and flavorful, crunchy breading, rivals the fried chicken at The Screen Door in Portland OR. Â These, joined on the menu by creative combinations of fresh, local beef, seafood, and produce; and enhanced in a quiet atmosphere of people-friendly folks and environment-friendly furnishings, combine to make Twig & Barry's a foodie treasure in the Bradley-Bourbonnais area.
My hands-down favorite in the area.
Awesome service. Employees are polite and considerate of their guests. The menu has a variety of veggie-friendly options which we were  pleasantly surprised. The food we ordered was expertly crafted, fresh, and delicious. I look forward to eating there again in the near future. Strongly recommend.
Review Source:Very disappointing, poor customer service.
We came here on a Thursday when it opened at 11:00. Â We came from Chicago after Chicago's Best posted about it. Â Well, at 11:00 the doors were locked and the chairs were still on the tables. Â We sat and watched employees meander about the store and take the chairs down. Â I posted on their facebook page that we were still waiting for them to open.
Sometime around 11:12 we tried the door again and it was still locked. Â We drove across the street to get hot dogs instead when we saw the open sign light up. Â We returned, let ourselves in, and we were told that we could not order yet because they were still working on a catering order. Â Around 11:40-something we asked the person who appeared to be in charge if we could order yet and she said she of course, that she thought we were waiting for someone as we stood at the counter.
We ordered a burger and jambalaya. Â What my wife was going to order was not on their menu, although it was on their website's menu. Â One of the burger patties was rare and the other well done, which was fine. Â It was a good blend of flavor. Â I love all of my beef on the rare side. Â However, in addition to the poor service, the jambalaya had ONE piece of sausage that was slightly smaller than a pinky fingernail, about 5 pieces of bland chicken, and NO SHRIMP at all. Â It was very blandly seasoned, not spicy in any way, shape, or form, and inferior to a box of Zatarains.
They also commented on my facebook post on their page that they WERE open, but didn't turn the light for the sign on. Â I call BS on that.
I hate leaving a 1-star review for an independent establishment. Â Had the service been better, had they actually been open and taken our order before 11:40, Twig & Barry's would've earned two stars for having a decent burger, but bad service and incorrect descriptions of menu items is inexcusable.
I really, really like this place. It is fresh and they have really good food. Their lunches come quick. I also love their specialty dishes at night. The Thai dishes are amazing!! Better than Thai Rickshaw in Homewood... that says alot!
I was a bit surprised by the bad reviews until I saw the dates. The reasons I wasn't that surprised was because they had a different chef back then.
Chef Will is an artist. You can see it, sell it, taste it. The company has made alot of changes in the last year and I wish people did not write it off and would give it another chance. The Marvin burger is so good that I would fly home to eat it some days. The specialty "Barry" sauce is soooo goood. My mother patronizes their chicken strips and fries like they are prize children. Can't deny my jealousy of her love for them...lol.
Very pricey, and we were still hungry when we left. Â The dessert would not be ready for another hour. Â We had $22 filet mignons with vegetables. Â No potato was offered. Â The food was excellent, however, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Â The man seating people, handling menus, describing his establishment, was also making salads without gloves or tongs. Â I doubt he washed his hands because the long sleeves of his sport coat would have gotten wet. Â The waitress who made our salads did wear gloves, but that's no consolation considering the man had put his unsanitary hands in all 6 or 8 salad containers, contaminating all the ingredients. Â Will not be going there again.
Review Source:I grew up in the area, and have been back to visit intermittently over the past 10 years. Â I was SO glad to find a place like this in my hometown. Â I hope the care they place in their food and local sourcing rubs off on the community and that this culture thrives in the area. Â It's definitely a couple steps above the chain restaurants that tend to dominate. Â I will say that I have lived between NYC and LA, so I am probably a bit more used to the slightly higher prices for informal, cafe-style food. Â My five star rating is in relation to other casual dining cafe-types, not formal dining. Â (You order at the counter here). Â But please go and support local independent eating!
Review Source:I really enjoyed eating at this place. I came in for a quick bite and was very surprised at the eclectic menu and great ambiance. I ordered the chicken fingers/mac and cheese/barry's sauce goodness. It was absolutely fantastic. The server was very friendly and the manager (or so it seemed manager) came over and asked if I needed anything. The music was also fantastic. I would definitely go back. I'm a big fan.
Review Source:I've now been to this restaurant twice and have had wonderful food. Â The mac and cheese and the onion rings are particularly outstanding. Â I also had Bob Andy Pie which I had never heard of, but it was quite good. Â The service was efficient, the server pleasant, and one of the owners even came to our table to check on us. Â Only two minor points keep me from giving this 5 stars. Â The music playing during both of our visits was this rather obnoxious punk/acid rock music which is way too loud for guest comfort and not really appropriate for a restaurant. Â The other is the clutter of items on the dining counter. Â There is restaurant equipment and the owner's computer and paperwork scattered about in full view of diners. Â If I was dining there alone, I wouldn't want to sit at the counter because it's not inviting to guests.
Review Source:It's sort of funny reading some of these reviews. Â One person described it as one of the worst experiences of their life. Â They must've had a pretty uneventful life up until now, geez!
The bottom line is this place has some great food. Â I'm a grown man and it feels funny eating chicken strips at this point of my life, but the chicken here is amazing! Â The breading is perfect, and yes the chicken is local. Â Although I can't speak to the level of intimacy they have with the chickens and farmers, but it's good enough for me. Â I am a moderate food snob btw.
I also highly recommend the shrimp dishes they serve. Â The Thaied up shrimp appetizer is a cute but well done nod to Thai cuisine, I liked it a lot and will order again. Â I've also had the shrimp po boy, and it was fantastic.
They do serve a special sauce with their chicken. Â It's very unique and has the perfect kick to it. Â I like it on their fries too which I think are wonderful. Â They've never been soggy for me. Â I think the problem for some people is they expect fast food or even battered style fries all the time. Â The fries here are just thin cut fried potatoes, and I like to taste the potato in fries not just greasy batter.
They also have great Mac n cheese according to my wife, and she's from Wisconsin so I'd believe her.
Check out out this place if you like fresh lovingly made food with a twist. Â I do give them 4 out of 5 because they are still working out the kinks a bit as they are new. Â The prices are very reasonable if you ask me, entrees range from $7-$13.
i don't know how to say this in a nice way, but this was one of the most disappointing experiences that i've had in awhile. i was really stoked for the opening of this restaurant, as i am whenever something slightly hip opens in our town.
we got there for sunday brunch right at 11 (which was also supposed to be my birthday lunch so major sad face that the experience was so bad) and were told they were running behind, so we wouldn't be able to get any food for 15 minutes. no problem - we're patient and more understanding than most people out there. we got our appetizers which were mm mm delish, albeit a little small and they definitely weren't enough to prepare us for the one hour and fifteen minute wait for our lunch. that's not even an exaggeration--that is the absolute truth.
the food didn't make up for the fact that the wait was darn-near excruciating. the only two positives i can think to highlight was the fact that the owner came over to apologize (mad props for good customer service and the only reason i gave 2 stars instead of one) and the dessert was some of the best i've ever had--my hubby had blueberry coffee cake and i had some kind of cinnamon pie. they were both MOUTH WATERING. would i come back? no unless it was for the dessert or unless i had 3 hours to kill.
also, one of the draws to this place was all of the vegetarian reviews on the place. unfortunately, the brunch didn't offer any veg friendly recipes so we both had to say "no meat' which probably was why we weren't that impressed by the food. my suggestion would be to offer at least one veg friendly recipe whenever you have a set menu.
I haven't found an item that I don't like and the same goes for my wife. We're pretty regular customers (sometimes twice a day) and we thoroughly enjoy each and every visit. We haven't had one single bad experience and the owners are always a pleasure, taking time to take in feedback or just sit and chat when they can.
This may sound strange, but their chicken fingers really are the best. You can taste how fresh every ingredient is, from the tomatoes in salads/on sandwiches to the cheeses on various items. Everything is cooked to order, so this does take some time, but you can get a burger that's cooked right and food that hasn't been sitting all day. If I had to recommend one item it would be the Rooster on Fire... a sandwich made from chicken fingers featuring a spicy sauce. Not a fan of spice? Do the chicken finger BLT, which offers "Barry's Sauce"; the best I can do is liken it to a fresh, tangy twist on barbeque sauce.
If you haven't tried Twig & Barry's yet, do yourself a favor and stop in. There are a lot of creative items and the prices are more than fair.
I'm not completely writing this place off based on one visit shortly after the opening. Â Well, maybe I am. Â I will say this: The service was very good and friendly. They were kind enough, but boy, the food needs work. Â Fries? Soggy. Â Sandwiches? Â More bread than meat or veggies. Prices? Surprisingly high. The ugliest thing? They listed the ingredients in the jambalaya on the menu, but failed to say that it ALSO had shrimp in it. Â Had I eaten it they would have had to call 911 when I went into anaphylactic shock from food allergies. Â They advertise as being a locavore type establishment featuring the freshest food. Â But if this is what "fresh" or organic food tastes like, then I want nothing of it.
I might try this place again in six months, assuming it is still around. Don't bet on it.
This place is amazing! I have gone twice so far and plan to return many more times. I'm in love with the sandwiches: the Cali Club, the Chicken Finger BLT, and the Shrimp and- my favorite - Fried Green Tomato Po' Boy.
Everything  is fresh and you can taste the difference. This restaurant offers creative dishes that are not available anywhere else in the area. Plus, it is not expensive! Especially considering the quality of the food. The management is friendly but not phoney.  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it!