Excellent service, couldn't be even more excited about coming back. The food... Its so good! DELICIOSO!!

BRUNCHHHHH! Definitely a top brunch spot in the area. I was blown away at how good the food was! I ordered the Lobster Club House and the Barley Mac & Cheese. I really tried to keep it simple if you couldn't tell. Although it was like eating a sloppy joe (because of all the juices), the sandwich was mouth watering. It was super flavorful, the lobster was cooked to perfection, and I just love avocados. So naturally, I was sold immediately. As for the mac & cheese, anyone would be crazy not to get it. I also got a mimosa. DO IT. As for the service .... We were originally seated outside, but then it started to pour. Just our luck. Unfortunately, we had to move ourselves inside because no one came to get us. We were seated right by the bathrooms, tucked away in a little corner. We created a home for ourselves. Regardless, we made the best of it, but it seemed like our server failed to see us even when she passed by. It took forever to get our orders in but we waited patiently. Once we got our orders, everything started to flow smoothly. Overall, I'll definitely be back to Barley Mac even though the service wasn't the greatest the first time I went. The food was absolutely delicious and I was not disappointed at all. It is affordable, the location is spacious, and it has a chill feel to it. Definitely check it out for yourself! read more

The squid ink pasta special was unbelievably fresh and filling. Shrimp, scallops, and squid included.

Food was sooo good! Ambience is stellar and the wait staff was attentive. Fried calamari was great - the pizza tasted yummy as well!!

I was in town for the weekend and my friend suggested we do brunch here. I ordered the Nutella pancakes, eggs and hash browns; along with their build your own mimosas. My friends ordered the following the truffle Mac and cheese (which was watery according to my friend who's a frequent visitor this wasn't common), eggs Benedict (which weren't amazing for the price which was what my other friend mentioned) and their house burger (which my third and last friend loved) she also ordered a Bloody Mary and had no complaints. The service was great and friendly my food was good in comparison to two of my friends and for it not being a bottomless brunch we had a great time! I felt also as a vegetarian I had brunch options that weren't just eggs and a hash brown had I choose to order something else. read more

So I went to this place with high hopes because it labels itself a "Whiskey Bar." I was greeted promptly and taken to my seat which was nice. I then began to flip through the whiskey menu, saw some decent bourbons and saw one that looked like it was specific to Barley Mac. My server approached and asked me what I wanted to drink, I pointed to the Barley Mac specific bourbon and asked her if it was more on the wheated side or more towards the rye side. She had a deer in the headlights look about her. I then suggested she go ask the bartender. After 5 minutes or so the waitress returned to tell me it was "traditional" per the bartender, I again asked if that meant more wheated or more rye like, she responded saying there was a third option and that is "traditional." I then asked to speak to the manager as clearly the server and the bartender had no idea what they were talking about. After another ~5 minutes the manager returned with a bottle John J. Bowman with the Barely Mac sticker on it (questioned answered by showing the bottle) when I explained the situation to the manager, his initial excuse was that she was having a tough night. I explained that a tough night is no excuse for a bartender and a server to not know their products and to completely invent a whole new bourbon flavor category. I ended up going with the Bullet 10 year. I had the gnocchi which wasn't bad but wasn't super, serviceable would be the best way to describe it. I also ordered the tres-leche bourbon cake for dessert (and the recommended bourbon pairing), the cake came out super soft on the outside but the center of the cake was just slightly warmer than frozen which led to an awful texture and taste. Thankfully the McKenna Single barrel was rye enough to burn the terrible dessert menu from my mind. Overall a whiskey bar is only as good as the products they serve and the people who serve them. Barley Mac failed on both accounts. I would not recommend this place to anyone and next time, I will cajole my friends into meeting me at Jack Rose or Bourbon like I initially wanted. read more

It was our first and last time at this fairly new arlington spot. 2 stars for alright food. -3 stars for service being terrible. We sat at the bar on a Saturday evening around 6pm. The tall male bartender with tattooed sleeve was either having a terrible day or barley mac promotes this kinda attitude among their people but he literally ignored us for a good 15 min. Bar wasn't busy at all. The female bartender ended up taking our beverage orders. We had to flag her down to place our food order since Mr. Cool2fool was still ignoring us. There are many talented bartenders out there wth genuine care and service ethic to provide. We won't be back. Advice; Just don't sit at the bar. read more

So far this place is one of my favorite brunch places to go to. Staff are super friendly, the atmosphere of the restaurant is light, cozy and refreshing, and the brunch menu is great! You might not find a lot of breakfast type foods but you can find omelettes and eggs Benedict. Try the Brussels sprouts with the breakfast gnocchi, they're terrific together!! read more

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All hail Barley Mac! I have had 3 stellar experiences here all with large parties being waited on by some of the best staff I've encountered. The food is amazing, the service impeccable, and the ambiance is spectacular. Barley Mac just saved my 35 birthday when another bar closed AN HOUR BEFORE OPENING for a private event. We promptly redirected my 30+ friends to Barley Mac where Hector and Milosh (sp?) took AMAZING care of us. Many people drove all the way down from Baltimore and I'm so happy that they went to a place that provided such a good time. Keep up the great work, I will be coming back here REGULARLY! read more

I highly recommend this establishment! The vibe is great for a relaxing time. Food is excellent drinks are strong there isn't anything I would have changed about the experience! Will be back soon! My favorite dish was the lobster ravioli. read more

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Stopped by here after a meeting in a Tuesday with 4 others. We were seated immediately and asked for our drink orders. After looking at the pictures on yelp and of course the name, I knew I wanted the truffle Mac and cheese. I settled on the cubano sandwich with a side of mac. Sooo my food came and I was super excited, I hadn't eaten all day, this was my breakfast and lunch. I took one bite of the Mac and realized it was luke warm. It was dry and didn't have much flavor. I go for the sandwich and it too was not very appetizing. I looked at everyone else's food as well which included the Brussels sprouts, burgers, French dip, and fries and it just all look like it was sitting out for a while before it was brought out to us. It was more like a chain restaurant type of presentation. I was disappointed with my lunch. What saved this place for me was the servers who were extremely nice, the ambience and the ability to substitute pretty easily. read more

This place should rate higher, but it is inconsistent. They have some great food and they make some great cocktails, but sometimes the quality varies. It is still good enough that I come back for more. read more

After a long day traveling in. I looked for somewhere "good" to eat. I ran across Barley Mac and I was not disappointed. We all ordered the bone in ribeye and it surpassed all our expectations. read more

Outstanding food and outstanding service! When they didn't have the menu items we ordered, they promptly took care of us with alternatives and drink compensations without us asking. This was our first time here, and we will be back many times again! read more

4 words: whiskey white wine sangria. I don't even like whiskey, and this evening cocktail was amazing. The food was awesome. Fresh ingredients, recipes were carefully and thoughtfully created. Truffle Mac & cheese, flatbread pizzas (fig & prosciutto!!),brussel sprouts, ahi tuna. Everything was great. Neat, clean, excellent service. read more

The food and service were both good but in an empty restaurant, they sat us directly next to the only other table that had people at it.

Great spot to drop in and have a drink. Foods pretty good and portions are just right. The Burger was massive. Bartender Max was the bomb. He took care of my group and made us feel welcome. Thanks BM. I'll be back. read more

My wife and I were expecting a great experience based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews, but we came away disappointed. The atmosphere is great: warm, spacious, and just the right level of ambient noise. The quality of the food was mixed. The calamari was delicious, though they should drop the zucchini spears - too moist. The pizzas and the spare ribs were good. However, the pork belly and cheddar croquettes were overly cheesy; we couldn't find the pork belly. The confit half chicken was also similarly challenged: it was dry, the sauce tasted burned, and the presentation looked like what you'd get in an elementary school lunch room - everything divided into little piles. The service started off good, but ended up being poor. Once our entrees were served, we didn't see our waitress until well after we were done eating. I suspect the reason for the poor service was the restaurant was understaffed, as our waitress was hustling from table to table on the other side of the restaurant throughout our meal. read more

Color me impressed! Because the owner was so quick to reply to my review, I made sure my daughter (whose college graduation dinner was the purpose of our original visit) and her boyfriend were able to go back for a date night. Both have worked in the restaurant industry and were very sincere in saying both the food and service were spot on this time! read more

Went for a post-race brunch this morning. Great deals on the mimosas and bloody "macs," although beers are a bit pricey, some topping out at $9 a pint. We split the grilled wings as an appetizer. They had a tangy, zesty flavor, while being moist and juicy. Per the usual, at brunch, I opted for the crab cake benedict and I was not let down. Eggs were slightly over poached, The fried potatoes were a good compliment. Hubby chose the nutella pancakes with a side of bacon. The pancakes were flavorful and had a good texture, but were a touch dry. Another friend had a burger which he really seemed to enjoy. He said that it was perfectly cooked to order. While we wouldn't make a special trip, if we're in the neighborhood, we would definitely head back to Barley Mac. read more

We came here for dinner and got the truffle fries and tuna for apps and a pizza and crab cakes for main courses. The food and service were great. The meals are probably slightly on the pricier sides for smallish portions. I would recommend it. read more

Love this place! Great menu, great selection of whiskey, and has a nice outdoor seating area. Only thing holding it back is the wait for food, which is consistently too long. Try the Brussel Sprouts! read more

Cool whiskey bar and restaurant. I had a couple of their signature cocktails and all were delicious. My favorite of the evening was the old fashioned. Aromatic and smooth, I could have had ten! The place is expensive at $10-12 per cocktail but they have good happy hour specials that are half price. Next time for sure! We didn't eat but the friends we met there said the food was very good. Margherita pizza looked very good! read more

This is a special place with helpful, friendly staff, who went out of their way to make sure we were satisfied with all aspects of our visit. The food was delicious, and the menu selections made me wish we still lived in Northern Virginia so we could come back often to try them all. The seafood linguini with the chili tequila sauce was a different and delightful take on the traditional Italian recipe. My wife's prime rib was excellent and cooked perfectly. Sean and Olivia did a great job and succeeded in making our visit memorable. Thanks! read more

They opened their doors for public today at 5pm. Its almost 8pm and this place is packed. The staff is great, and the place is wow!

Excellent food and service!!! This was a first time eating here and was very impressed with the service! The environment is very modern and relaxed!! We will surely visit soon again! read more

Brunch on a Saturday morning with friends. Food was great, especially the mushroom and spinach omlette. Customer service was awesome. Will visit again. read more

It was okay, except the chicken pasta. The short ribs and salmon were tender and cooked great, but my chicken pasta was just not good. I only ate a quarter of it and yet the waitress didn't ask if I liked it. She cleared the table and we moved on. If you need just a decent place for lunch, do it, but I am not aiming to go back. That chicken was pretty disappointing. The tres leches was also just a cake, needed ice cream since it was a bit dry for a tres leches concept so we got gelato with it and it was better. read more

Lived up to the hype and given the owners I had some expectations going into it which it satisfied and then some. Just as everyone else said the staff was great, manager stopped by to see how things were and if we thought any tweaks needed to be made, and the food was incredible. Not sure exactly how to describe the decor other than it just felt very clean and open. Had a brown derby and back road bulleit burboun cocktail, grilled chicken sandwich, and chocolate chip ice cream sundae and highly recommend all of them read more

Everyone enjoyed their food and spirits. The only hiccup was, that we were taken to a table in the back by the kitchen, when we made a reservation and asked for window seating. The hostess happily kept offering us tables till we finally were offered one of the TWO tables at the window. The service was very good overall. read more

Food and drinks were great but a bit pricey. I went on a very busy night but was still able to get seated quickly. This may be weird but I wasn't sure how to properly eat one or two of the dishes (but the waitress was helpful). read more

**disclaimer** this review applicable to bar area only. I went there with a buddy a few days ago for happy hour. It hadn't officially opened, but certainly had a decent crowd. First, It's a nice physical space - the bar area is separate from the restaurant and was unique and upscale. Several TVs above the car were showing games. Solid ratings for the re-model of a former BBQ place (some cool lights as well). I had heard (or read) that it was a Scotch specialty place, so I had a few. I like that they served it in those non-tumbler glasses (forgot what they're called). Scotch and whiskey selection seemed pretty good, but I'm still not totally sure if it's a true Scotch / Whisky specialty place. We ordered calamari and it was definitely taking too long to arrive, so we asked about it. We were told that it was on the house. One of the managers, Scott, came over and introduced himself. We had a nice conversation with him and he gave us some insight into the place. I'm not the easiest person to impress but I have no hesitation saying that this was good customer service - this is how it should be done, in my opinion. The calamari was surprisingly good - I don't mean to say that we expected it to be bad, but I didn't think this was a dish that could have that much variance to it (so it usually tastes the same). BM fries their calamari in the style of tempura, so it has a lighter taste to it. It also came with 2 sauces, the tomato sauce was quite good - I was eating it straight out of the cup (that it came in) after we finished off the calamari! Based on that experience, I would definitely be open to having a full sit down meal here, and of course, I recommend the calamari. read more

Loved the vibe of this place. Has an open layout with plenty of seating both inside and outside. The bar area has a huge sliding door that opens and exposes the outside lounge area. I had the Steak and Frites as well as the Brussels Sprouts for happy hour. The steak was cooked perfectly and tasted what you would expect from a $10 cut of meat. The Brussels sprouts were the highlight for sure! They had pork cooked in with them and were all around delicious! I recommend this place to anyone! read more

This is my new favorite place! The ambience, service, food and cocktails are absolutely superb. The hospitality is the best I've ever had in DC/Virginia area! I definitely rate this a 100! My family and I had a blast. I can't wait to bring my friends. The Wagyu Beef Meatballs were amazing! Also you HAVE to get the Coccoli appetizer! The Roasted Branzino and the Grilled Tomahawk Pork Chop is to die for! Thanks Barley Mac for making a memorable experience for my family, especially on Mother's Day! read more

I like the way they serve the whiskey in the glasses with the big ice cube. Seems to melt slower. Nice atmosphere in the bar with indoor and outdoor seating. Haven't sat in the restaurant. The food choices are limited. A little pricey but a nice addition to the neighborhood. read more

Came back to barley mac last night for a drink after dinner and the place was packed ! Right away we got served at the bar and Milos had our drinks out so quickly and was very helpful in picking out drinks for my friends. On a crowded Saturday night the service was on point! Changing my review to a 5 star !! :) the jalapeño infused vodka drink is a must order! So good read more

We went to Happy Hour on a Tuesday, and had a pleasant time. Their cocktail for this month, bourbon, lemonade and raspberry, was delightfully refreshing, not too heavy on the bourbon. Their old fashioned was great too, but I had a whiskey sour that made my night. Everything was perfectly proportioned. The only quibble is portion size - One old fashioned practically filled the glass, the other barely hit the halfway mark. We also had happy hour snacks, meatballs, which were huge and delicious, and the brightest, lightest calamari and tempura zucchini around, on top of a zippy tomato sauce. I'd go back just for those. Service was great - cheerful front desk, attentive waitstaff. We'll definitely be back. read more

Rosslyn has been in dire need of a place like this for quite a long time! I've been twice now (once for happy hour with a friend, another time for drinks and apps with my boyfriend) and have had a great experience each time. The bartender and servers were efficient and friendly. I've had the waygu beef amazeballs, truffle potato skins (phenomenal, I wanted 15 more), sprouts (a little sweet for my taste, yet still quite tasty), and Mac and cheese (creamy and so good). I'm not a huge specialty cocktail fan but if that's your thing, I'm sure you'd love this place. Again, I'm so glad this place is located in Rosslyn, as opposed to Clarendon or an area just a bit further away. It's very convenient after work and on the weekends. Can't wait to go back! read more

The cocoli is a MUST! I will come back just for that. The atmosphere was great, staff was friendly (shout out to our awesome bartender Kerry!). I'll be back to check out even more of the menu! read more

I usually give restaurants a few weeks/months to work out the kinks, but I was eager to try this new addition to my neighborhood, so my boyfriend and I had dinner here on the second Saturday they were open. It was relatively crowded but not full, and we were seated immediately for our 6:30 reservation. Overall, we were very happy with our experience at here, but I have to say that I'm still a little confused by their concept. Or should I say concepts? As our (extremely friendly and helpful) waitress Stevie explained, Barley Mac is a bourbon and whisky-driven restaurant that serves American comfort food with an Italian twist. Huh? It just seems like they are trying to do too much and the restaurant lacks focus to tie everything together. But I commend them for going outside of the box, and for bringing their fresh ideas and delicious food to the Rosslyn corridor. The atmosphere is very modern/industrial: concrete floors, high ceilings with exposed ducts, and hanging modern light fixtures. I didn't mind a bit of noise in the dining area and we could still carry on our conversation pretty easily, but could tell that the concrete floors and high ceilings could present an issue for those wanting a quieter dining experience. There aren't a lot of two-tops in the dining area, which seemed sort of odd for a restaurant that I'm sure will see its fair share of date nights. Again, the two of us were comfortable at our four-top, but it was a little awkward. Stevie encouraged us to order their signature appetizer: the coccoli, which were basically savory Italian "donut holes" drizzled with truffle honey and served alongside a soft Italian cheese and prosciutto. I'm glad we took her up on that offer, and it seemed like several other tables around us followed suit. It was a delicious mix of sweet and savory, and the truffle honey just made the dish. For my entrée, I had the grilled salmon and my boyfriend ordered the pappardelle with chicken and mushrooms. The salmon was perfectly cooked, but I did think the pesto sauce was a bit heavy-handed and the it could've used a vegetable component to round out the dish. Personal preference though, I guess. BF loved his pasta. Overall, this was a very strong showing for such a new restaurant. We definitely will be back, and maybe I'll have wrapped my head around their concepts (or stopped caring) by then. It's worth it for interesting, well-executed menu and warm service - Stevie was a joy and the manager also checked in with us several times. Can't wait to try the cocktail and dessert menus next time! read more