You seriously HAVE to check this place out. The wine is so unique and so good that I'm still thinking about it weeks later. The food is just as impressive, everything tasted flavorful and high quality. The service was also top notch! We hosted a wine tasting and bites event here for our alumni group and it ended up being one of our favorite events we've done. They set us up on the private patio, turned on the TVs so we could play themed videos, and even changed the string lights to match our school colors. The level of thoughtfulness really stood out. The salad, veggie plate, and french fries were all amazing and they also have gluten free flatbreads that were incredible. Every time food came out, they made sure to call out any dietary notes, which we really appreciated. I've already been telling friends they need to go try it, and I'll definitely be buying a few bottles as gifts this year. It's that good. Perfect spot for date night, happy hour, birthdays, or any kind of get together or event. read more

See all

We live close to this restaurant. The previous restaurant at the location was called the Barrel Room, and it was a good restaurant, great wine, great food, good service. This one doesn't even come close to it. The service personnel obviously lacked training. The tables lacked the basics, not even salt and pepper, although the water sevice was served in cold bottles and glasses, which was a good touch. The menu was limited, best for luch. My wife ordered a salad, which was average. I ordered a chicked pesto sandwich wich was pre-heated, and did not taste fresh at all. It was barely warm. We ordered focacia bread that was served with some garlic cream. The food presentation was amateurish. We did not finish our food and promptly left the restaurant. read more

I didn't get a chance to try Barrel Riot just yet, but I wanted to share our experience. I had heard about them from a very kind woman at the Poway farmers market who mentioned they were new and family-friendly, so we were excited to stop by for dinner with our two little boys. When we arrived, we realized they didn't have high chairs available, which made it tough for us to stay and dine. That said, the staff was incredibly warm, friendly, and genuinely apologetic. They reassured us that high chairs are something they're planning to add soon, which we really appreciated. Even though we didn't get to try the food this time, the kindness of the staff left a great impression. We're looking forward to coming back once they're a bit more set up for families! We called today: 4/2/26 and were informed that they had no intentions of getting highchairs. This is not a family friendly location. This is very disappointing and I feel misled as we were told they would be getting highchairs. I was looking forward to trying this restaurant but will not be patronizing this business. I would like to add the person over the phone was not kind and said "we have no intentions of adding highchairs" the switch up from our first attempt to dine there to this phone call was astounding. I'm very disappointed. Also I would like to say this 1 star review is not because they are creating an adults only space. I fully believe in having adult spaces. It's that I asked if they were family friendly, I was told yes, they were not. Then I was told they would fix the situation. Then I was rudely told they had no intentions of fixing the issue. read more

This was our first time here and wow, we were so happy we finally made it here! We were greeted by owner, Daniel, who was so kind. We chose to sit outside since it was a beautiful day, their patio area is great! There's heaters throughout the patio area and fans overhead. Their menu offers a decent variety and kids choices. We weren't super hungry so just grabbed the truffle fries, but they knocked it out of the park! Easily the best dang truffle fries I've had at any restaurant/bar. For drinks we ordered their Mexican lager and the Pure Project Tropical Bliss. Both beers were absolutely delicious and we ended up ordering a second one. Our waiter was very on top of things and our beer came out, I kid you not, a minute after ordering them. The beers didn't come out at the same time which isn't a big deal at all but the owner apologized and brought the second beer out immediately after. Service was hands down 11/10 and the food + beer was 10/10. We will definitely be back for more! read more

See all

The food was excellent and my husband and I have been there several times now. The service was great and they were very knowledgeable about how to pair wine or whiskey with the food that you are ordering. The ambience is casual. They have a large selection of wines. My favorite has been one that they call the Mom wine. It's a chilled rosé. We also got to meet the owner who is very nice. I highly recommend giving this a try. It will not disappoint. read more

Barrel Riot - Gluten-free flatbread pizza that I highly recommend - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Barrel Riot recently took over the space that used to be The Barrel Room. Just to be clear, the two don't appear to have anything to do with each other, although the interior structure still feels very similar to what was there before. We stopped in for drinks but didn't try any food, so I can't speak to the menu. I ordered both the red and white wine flights and, unfortunately, only really enjoyed two of the wines. The rest just weren't very memorable for me. My husband tried to order a glass of the Zinfandel (only available in a 200 mL pour). He really didn't care for it. The service was attentive, and the girl helping us was very sweet and friendly. She did seem fairly young and wasn't able to offer many helpful suggestions when it came to choosing wines, though she was definitely trying. Overall, it was an okay experience. The space is nice and the service was pleasant, but the wine selection didn't quite hit the mark for us. It might be worth another visit down the line to see how things develop. read more

See all

Cozy wine bar that actually has great food! We have tried the cheese sampler, and just tried the chicken pesto sandwich with fries. I'm not a big bread or fries person, but this was outstanding. Great service too, they aim to please. It's my understanding that they make tallow fries, which use an oil that is far better than seed oil....perfectly seasoned. The focaccia bread that they make for the sandwiches is so fresh and delectable. My husband enjoyed a great light beer selection, and I enjoyed their Malbec reserve wine. Give this new place a try in Rancho Bernardo! read more

Barrel Riot - We split the chicken pesto sandwich and tallow fries. Delicious! - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

So I have really struggled with this and how to rate/review. I'm happy to see another wine bar replace the Barrel Room, on the other hand it's nothing like the Barrel Room. I will definitely go back, but in a way I think positioning it as 'cozy' and a wine source are challenging descriptions that don't come through, for me. What WILL draw me back is the food and service; outstanding! Both the Fig and Goat Cheese Flatbread and the Garlic Edamame were out of this world delicious. All day long I'd eat them both. Based on that I'm looking forward to exploring more of the menu! I was there on a weekday shortly after they opened so they weren't busy but they were attentive and very engaging. Super job. On the not as favorable side, for me, is the self labeled wine. "Barrel Aged" to me, doesn't necessarily improve wine that's was already finished and then put in a barrel to impart an addition flavor. Tried both a white and Merlot and they were enough to know that the style doesn't suit me one bit. They have some local beers and I think a local winery or two and I'd stick to that with the great food. I also struggle a bit to call it cozy .... inside is cool and dark with hard floors and hard seating. Ok, there is a couch but that is far from 'cozy' in my book. Again, in summary, epic food, perhaps you'll enjoy the wine. I'll be back to enjoy the food with anything but the self-labeled wine. read more

Stopped by to try the restaurant under the new management/ownership, but unfortunately the experience was disappointing. The host was unfriendly and somewhat rude, immediately directing us to the very first table despite most of the restaurant being empty. When we politely asked if we could sit elsewhere, we were told all other tables were reserved, which did not seem believable. We were also given the happy hour menu, but when we tried to order from it at 4:45 PM, we were told happy hour was over, even though the menu clearly stated it ended at 5:00 PM. The overall experience made us feel unwelcome, so we decided to leave. Hopefully management becomes more attentive to customer service in the future. read more

We went to Barrel RIot in the early afternoon, just for drinks. It wasn't very busy, probably because it was midweek. We got served immediately and were asked after some time if we wanted to eat something or have another drink. Al though we didn't order anything more (because we had to be somewhere else soon), we were treated very well. We have been there before and had food that was good. The menu is very good and the beer and wine selections are good too. We will come back soon. read more

Excellent food, excellent wine, excellent service! The interior was quite nice. We sat on a comfortable sofa. We had steak fritte with tallow fries, and it was well prepared and delicious. We had a flight of white wines and a flight of red wines. Both were excellent, although we liked the reds more than the whites. We will be back for sure! read more

My daughter and I had lunch here last week. Jesus was wonderful. He was working alone when we arrived about 1245p. Several tables were occupied. He was obviously busy the entire time we were there. He was gracious. He never made us feel rushed. Our food and wine were both excellent. read more

We tried lunch here and had the fig and goat cheese flatbread, and the pier and goat cheese salad, which we shared; it was good. I like their nonalcoholic beers however we're not big wine drinkers anymore as we get older and on meds . took the whole family there for dinner and the service was great. Dan's a wonderful manager and owner. But the food was disappointing. My son and I had the lamb and we would not order it again and my granddaughter barely touched her salad and my grandson took home half of his pizza but I heard the sliders were good if you eat beef and the tall fries were very good. Pricey for what we got-- $23 for four lamb lollipops of which only one had more than a little bite or two on it. read more

Everything was so delicious! Had the spicy riot burger with beef tallow fries, wine flight, Brussels sprouts and cheese board. It was all so good, I joined the wine club! read more

I have now been to Barrel Riot twice in a week. The first time was because I needed a place to meet friends and the location is convenient. The second time was because it was soooo great the first time! Lovely menu (Maple/Siraccha Brussels are a must), and the flatbreads top level...crust is one of the best I have had. And I dare you to have the fries and not be blown away...the Barrel Riot wines are rather good...Dan has a winery where he has various barrels (bourbon, tequila) to create some memorable wines. I will be back to try more for sure. Both waiters were excellent as well... read more

This was a cool place for a group to hang out. It took over the old Barrel Room. Great updated decor. We ordered the truffle flat bread, fig and goat cheese flat bread, truffle fries and these sweet and spicy chicken bites (forgot the name.) We each also ordered a flight of wine tastings. The food was very good. I enjoyed the truffle flat bread and the fries the most. You could really taste the truffle flavor from both. The fries were sliced into different sizes which gave it a nice crispy texture. The cheese board was delicious. The pesto cheese really stood out for me as I've never had pesto cheese. The fig and goat cheese flat bread was sweet from the figs but also savory from the bacon bits. The arugula on top pulled the flavors together which was a great balance. I felt wine flight was generous size. There were 5 tastings and the rose, Cabernet and Merlot were my favorites out of the 5. The owner Daniel was very friendly and apparently they were still in their soft opening phase. I will definitely return. read more

See all

I recently visited Barrel Riot in Rancho Bernardo and was really impressed! Located in the space formerly occupied by The Barrel Room, it's such a beautiful, warm and inviting well-put-together establishment. Founded by a winemaker, their approach to aging wines in bourbon, rum and tequila barrels is quite unique. I arrived at opening time (3:00 pm) and they were most welcoming and friendly. I even got to meet and converse with owner Dan who was as nice as could be. They also feature about 8 local beers on tap. I enjoyed a nice draft Hazy IPA to start. After that I had their bourbon barrel-aged Reserve Malbec which was exquisite. There is a small food menu that continues to expand throughout their soft opening. I was hoping to have the Smoked BBQ Brisket Flat Bread but they didn't have their brisket picked up from Smokin J's quite yet. I opted instead for a pepperoni pizza which was outstanding. Perfectly sized for one with a fairly thin, tasty crust and beautifully presented. I look forward to visiting again very soon! read more

See all

I came in to try the place and their burgers but I ended up waiting 15 minutes for a menu, I eventually had to go ask for one. Then after I got a menu I waited another 15 minutes but no one came to take my order. I eventually left the place disappointed. It wasn't even busy which made the whole thing even more of a disappointment. Table next to me was complaining of the wait time too. First and last visit for me. read more

Must go to place! Excellent service, outstanding food! Dan the owner is very personable and provides great customer service! We had the Pepperoni Pizza and Focaccia bites with the basil dip - great flavor! Also, bought a bottle of great wine. read more

Barrel Riot - Pepperoni pizza, Focaccia bites with basil dip. - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

We tried Barrel Riot for lunch. It was great. We had the small cheese tray, the lamb lollipops with balsamic glaze, a salad and the Parmesan Fries. They were all excellent. They could do gluten free for us, too. I tried a white wine flight, which was fun. Thank you for a wonderful lunch! Isaiah was a great server. The owner/manager even took the time to explain the 5 different white wines I tried. Very nice. We will be back. read more

Barrel Riot - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We stopped in to Barrel Riot yesterday, thinking it was a craft brewery. It was about 30 minutes before open but the owner was kind enough to welcome us in. We were pleasantly surprised to find out the focus is on the wine. We tried both the red and the white flights so we were able to sample 10 of the wines. The owner spent a generous amount of time explaining about each wine and his background. We sat on one of the leather sofas. The vibe of the place is super relaxed and the inside is very nice. read more

Barrel Riot - The red flight - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Currently in a soft launch but OMG!! The attention to service and education about Bourbon, Tequila and Rum barrel aged wine is perfect. The cheeseboards and flatbread were delicious and the location and seating was excellent for a couple or group. Definitely bringing our friends and family for a fun night out. read more

Barrel Riot - Fig, goat cheese and artisan bacon flatbread with a fun cheeseboard - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

Dan and his team delivered an amazing dinner and wine experience! I tried two different Malbecs aged in bourbon barrels and they were both phenomenal! The steak frites was also very good. If you're looking for a cozy new wine bar where all your troubles melt away, this is it! read more

Barrel Riot - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

My wife and I were looking for a quiet date night after a very long week. We decides to check out this place and the were still in their soft opening phase. The place was warm and inviting, vaguely reminding me of an Irish pub. The menu was understandably limited, but the choices were exactly what we were looking for. Right now, the drink selection is mostly beer and wine. I'm not much of a wine person, but wife tried a couple of different she enjoyed. We tried a cheese board, a BBQ brisket flat bread, and another flatbread with fig and goat cheese. Our server was very attentive and friendly. We looking forward to returning soon. read more

Have you been to Barrel Riot yet?! The food is so good it had me seriously considering ordering a second round of fries "for the table"...even though the table was just me. The wine list has tons of options, so you can responsibly pair a glass (or two) with your meal. Plus, the outdoor seating is perfect for soaking up the vibes while pretending you're a classy wine critic. read more

Tried it out last week. Food was good and service was great too! Definitely going back and check out HH.

Went for lunch I had hamburger was very tasty my wife had a chicken salad which she said was delicious I will be back soon

Love this place . Arlette was amazing and very kind, she made me feel very comfortable. She is very knowledgeable and knows so much about wine . I will definitely come by again. read more

Barrel Riot - Potato skins with Mexican Coke - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

Great Wine bar in Rancho Bernardo staff is really friendly the food is good I will go back again might even join their membership. One of my friends is a member there ambience it's nice relaxing and good service. read more

Dope restaurant!! Such cool vibes on the patio! Our server Yager was so funny he cracked hella jokes! Food was amazing the burgers are bomb

Great food, great service, great prices and an awesome beer selection. I'd come back here in a heartbeat!

Casual setting. C+ food. We ordered a salad with chicken and no onions. We got a salad with onions and no chicken. That said, the salad was good. We also ordered the Lamb Pops. They weren't tasty enough to recommend. The table next to us asked the waiter to turn on the overhead electric heater. He said "OK", but never did. The table on the other side of us had an issue with their order that the waiter apologized for profusely. The owner came to the table and spoke to his customers for at least 5 minutes. The service was quite slow, but they've just recently opened, so I'll give them a pass till they get their routine down. read more

Fun local restaurant new to the area. Everything we tried was fantastic, our party tried each of the burgers and couldn't decide which was best. Good craft beer list in addition to the wine list. read more

Good selection of wines. We enjoyed happy hour with our friends on a Friday afternoon read more

Brand new wine tasting room in RB - food and wine were both delicious!!! Will absolutely be back!!

The wine is terrible. Food is ok. Very disappointing I was looking forward to a wine bar in my area.

What amazing dining and drinking experience. Just located in Rancho Bernardo is an adorable winery that makes the most delicious wine and they do it out of these barrels that were whiskey barrels so it gives the wine a really good twist on it. That was amazing and then they offer these beautiful flights. The restaurant is very well decorated. It was busy, which is good, but they have plenty of staff offering anything you may need - Dan is the owner and personally comes the table and explains everything with your wine flight and his concept. Rita was our waitress very informative. She had a lot of great requests. I loved the French onion soup if you like French onion soup and you don't like it too sweet this is the place to get it. I hate when they make it too sweet I really do. I tried the lollipop lamb chops and they come over a bed of arugula greens with cherry tomatoes and red onions and it's in this really nice little sticky soy sauce that was so good. I had to save two to take home. They come in a nice size portion of 4 :) you can never go wrong with potato skins and they make in-house ranch. It was so good there was three to an order, but they're nice size to share. It got real busy when we got there, but they have a beautiful patio with heaters and to accommodate any size party now let's talk about the pizza, my honey loved the pepperoni pizza the crust was perfect perfectly. I love a good thin pizza that you can fold in half and just gobble it up. It was really delicious. I found my favorite wine and on top of it all they have the most beautiful sweetest girl working the hostess desk. Make sure you say hello to Taylor and she'll take good care of you with a smile.... There was plenty other food. I wanted to try, but I was getting too full, but my honey and I will be back. The cost was not bad all for all of the food that we got plus the wine flight so make sure you next time you have a date night or you just wanna go and have a fun popping atmosphere - just go here you will not be disappointed:)) PS I wish I would've taken pictures, but I was really hungry next time but all the pictures on their website so take a look at their website. It's really nicely done. read more

If you looked up hidden gem in the dictionary, pretty sure you'd find Barrel Riot. Wasn't really sure what to expect and had to push past short-lived confusion that quickly turned into surprise and delight once turning the corner into a beautiful courtyard. No photos to encourage all of you to come and pay a visit. Daniel (owner) has mementos big and small to showcase his passion for many crafts (wine, service, hospitality, music, ambience, love for community). Great attention to detail reflected in all aspects of the experience. Feels like visiting old friends. Comfortable and memorable. Discover this and you will be surprised as well. Oh...and delicious and unique high-quality wines infused with nuanced notes of Tequila, Rum, and Bourbon barrels. read more

Barrel Riot - Wineries Near Me - San Diego, California

We went to Barrel Riot for the first time on Friday night. The place was packed and we were seated in the casual couch area, very comfortable. I'll start by saying that all new restaurants need some time to hone in on certain things before they can start humming. Our waitress came by a few minutes after we were sat and took our food and drink order. Our drinks arrived a few minutes later, and our food came about 10-15 minutes after ordering. We got two different flatbreads and the truffle fries. I got the brisket flatbread and my wife got the fig and goat cheese. Both were good. The fries were cut thicker than we like, but overall were good. The staff was friendly and i'm optimistic that Barrel Riot will be a good addition to the area. We'll be back. read more

Unfortunately everyone who was very pleasant was assisting with everything which meant no one was responsible. And that meant that everything fell through the cracks. Confusion over table seating. Promised water which arrived over 5 minutes later and then no glasses for about 10 minutes more. Food did not come out at same time and one entree never came out. Second round of just two beers also was never delivered after 20 minutes so we cancelled the order. One entree never arrived and Brussels sprouts which were promised to have only a drizzle of sauce were drenched and not edible. Oh and it took 10 minutes after getting two burgers to get napkins and utensils that we requested. No ketchup and no ask if anything else was needed. So we gave up, had to ask twice to have someone come to our table with the check. They were gracious to not charge for the Brussels or the entree that never arrived or the beers we cancelled. Served blamed it on the kitchen but servers had issues too. If they get their act together we will be back. Otherwise, after 2 hours and still not what was ordered, we'd rather stay home. read more