Barrel
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My burger was great! The fries were great! As a mocktail connoisseur, I've never had the pleasure of trying whiskey. I was happy to be able to have this Virgin experience. So a big kudos to barrel and the staff for making this happen. I love the vibes here, it's like a little community that knows where to come for a good time. This is my second time there. The first time we were in a large party in the lower level. That felt like more of an exclusive private event space which was also nice.
I want to start off with saying the service was great and overall it was a solid brunch experience. However, my poached egg for my Benny came out hard and whilst they were kind enough to make me a new poached egg, nothing else was enough for me to give it 5 stars. I think it just lacked character or something about the ambiance and food that just didn't hit the spot for me. Overall, good, just not great. Would be down to try maybe their dinner and see if it's different.
The hamburger was incredibly juicy and packed with flavor, and the sauce really tied everything together easily the highlight of the meal. The French fries were perfectly crispy, and the cocktail drinks were solid and well-made. The croquettes weren't my favorite, but everything else more than made up for it. Service was quick, and our server was attentive, friendly, and on top of everything, which made the experience even better. Great food, great drinks, and great service. Would definitely come back!
Barrel has a relaxed, neighborhood feel that makes you want to settle in and stay awhile. The vibe is great, the whiskey selection is impressive, and the service is always friendly and welcoming. My personal favorites are the nachos and the Brussels sprouts, both super flavorful and perfect for sharing. Whether you're stopping in for a drink, a bite, or a relaxed night out, Barrel is a solid choice.
The vibe is a local bar with excellent music-the Beastie Boys was playing when we walked in. Clearly, at first glance this is a locals spot. It is a short 5 blocks from the Captiol building in the area called East Market. It looks small from the outside but it is long in length when you walk in. The atmosphere was fun and festive when we arrived in Dec 20th. We got there about 830 pm for dinner. Hubby reserved a table online and it was the only table open when we arrived. The tables are really close together like any urban pub. If you want something far away then request the 4 top that sits in the store front window. There are coat trees everywhere for your coat. The bread pudding is the signature dessert for good reason. It was to e best bread pudding we have ever eaten. The top of the pudding had a sugared crust that was divine. The ice cream was super yummy and the chocolate on top really made the dish have a few notes. It was plenty for two to share. It is pricey but well worth it. I ordered the nachos with smoked pulled pork. It was not that exiting. Standard queso on top and average chips. The pork was super chewy like it had been warmed up too much. The dish was no cohesive. It was cheap tasting nacho plate with smoked pork on top. The smoke was very intense in the meat. There needed to be more added to marry the pork to the cheese. Maybe a drizzle of BBQ sauce on top of the pork? I would have kept the pork in broth to keep it moist. As a result you had to hold the meat on the chip with your finger to get it to stay on the chip to get a complete bite. The crab Rangoon was tasty. My hubby had the chicken sliders were delicious. It was like the small chicken biscuits at chick fi la but clearly homemade instead. The biscuits were tender and more roll like than biscuit which was perfect. The added honey was really great as well. The sliders were small and you get 3. My hubby ordered it as an entree. I got the lavender mocktail which was tasty. Hubby had an old fashioned with their house choice since it is was a whiskey bar. It was cool to see bottles of bourbon above us on a shelf worth thousands of dollars. A lot of people around us ordered old fashioned. The service was great from our waitress.
My friend and I decided to catch up over a meal and Barrel was our choice. My friend actually made reservations for the wrong day, but they weren't busy and seated us immediately. The menu was interesting. I ordered a beer, I can't remember the name but it was a light lager and it was good. I ordered the honey biscuit sandwich and the hash! The hash was delicious and very well seasoned! That took me by surprise! The biscuit was delicious and we both thoroughly enjoyed it! The ambiance is surlier chill. No need to be dressed but and it's tells casual. The waiter was cool and also very chill vibes. I think this is a great low key spot to grab good food with great company! Overall, I enjoyed my meal and I would absolutely recommend!
A must stop if you are into whiskey. They have an impressive list of options and a really nice scotch flight. Happy hour drinks very reasonable at about $9. Just had cocktails since we were headed to dinner but the food that came out looked tasty.
We visited because we were looking for a good spot to get cocktails and whiskey. They did not disappoint. I don't know how many whiskeys they have officially, but they have enough of them that they had to list them in their "Bourbon Bible." We tried the Nachos, crab Rangoon, and the Barrell Burger and enjoyed all of them. The nachos were delicious with shredded pork on top. The cocktails were a highlight. I found several great whiskey pours at reasonable prices (understand it's never cheap to drink bourbon out), and my wife and daughter loved their cocktails they ordered. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere is cool and rustic, and the whole vibe makes it a place worth trying. I hope to come back before our trip is over.
Shrimp and grits: 10/10 Bottomless bubbles: 8/10 Side of eggs: 10/10 with hot sauce Service: 10/10 Ambiance: Bar scene
There's a fantastic whiskey bar in Washington, DC that has walls of brown water upstairs as well as a basement bar. No, I'm not talking about that place in Adams Morgan. I'm talking about Barrel on Capitol Hill. You know you are at a quality whiskey bar when there's a book or binder with available bottles. At Barrel it's called the Whiskey Bible and it comes in a leather-bound book. Not only did I enjoy some quality bourbon, but I had some great conversations with the folks behind the bar who enjoyed bourbon as well. A great option for a dram or two when you are South of The Mall.
All Bourbon is Whiskey, but not all Whiskey is Bourbon. The grain mix must be at minimum 51% corn to be considered Bourbon, if the mash bill is of utmost importance to you. Now that you know the difference, I suggest you take your newfound knowledge down to Barrel and see if you can taste the difference because they have every variety of Bourbon from daily drinkers to name brands for the taters and expensive unicorns and dusties if your palate values the juice at more than $100 an Oz. Never will they upend a drain pour for you at Barrel, even off the rail. read more
2 years ago
Really enjoyed dinner here! We decided to do a bunch of their shareable plates and order the salad, street corn, and chicken sliders. The salad was delicious with a really fantastic balsamic glaze that was wonderfully rich. The street corn was also really tasty and fun to each in sections off the cob. The chicken sliders were on a soft, flaky biscuit and the chicken was very crispy. We also ordered cocktails. I thoroughly enjoyed the tis the season to be cherry, which was light and had a subtle but present cherry aroma and flavor. My partner got the Vermont maple oink fashioned, which was good but the one thing that wasn't a favorite since it didn't quite have the maple flavor we were hoping for. Overall though, thoroughly enjoyed! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Barrel is a great place to learn about whiskey. Matt was our instructor for the whiskey tasting and he was very well informed. All the whiskeys were high end and had great quality. The tasting was in the basement, so we weren't thrown off by other guests upstairs. After the tasting, I samples a lot of the food. The biscuits were great, so I recommend those. I also recommend the nachos with the braised short ribs and fat fries. Yummy! I wasn't really a fan of the wings, so yo can pass those by. The mule I had wasn't that strong, so maybe stick to a whiskey based cocktail like an old fashioned. Overall, I had a great experience and would definitely visit again. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Finally got to come here for an after-work Happy Hour! Usually, its really busy and by the time we left all the bar seats were taken. The bartender was very sweet and good at juggling between parties at the bar. I got the Pushing Daisies which was great but not what I was expecting. I don't know if I've ever had daisy but my assumption is that the Pushing Daisies would be extremely sweet. Instead, it was much more sophisticated. There was a mild bitterness that balanced out the sweet ingredients. I would happily order again. We got the brussels sprouts and the portion was way larger than either of us was expecting. You won't get skimped on brussels sprouts; I don't think we ate even a forth of them, but man were they tasty. If I would do it again, I'd see if they could put the sauce on the side because it was a little more than I wanted. However, I always air on a smaller amount of sauce compared to others. My coworker got the Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar later. It really did taste like cookie dough. Much like the Pushing Daisies, the ingredients had me thinking it would taste completely different. The amaretto was the strongest flavor which gave it the almond extract in cookie dough flavor. This drink was certainly sweeter than the Pushing Daisies. read more
5 years ago
Ordered the pork shoulder bbq sandwich with bbq beans and biscuit with bacon jam. Ambience: indoor and outdoor seating. Good dining environment. They were fairly busy! Service: great. I think the best part About the experience was seeing the servers work together (even if it wasn't their "assigned" table, they pitched in and worked like a well oiled team). Food quality: I really, really tried to make this place work. Maybe it's because I'm from the south and have a certain expectation for smoked pork shoulder sandwiches. But the bbq at this place was a hard miss. The pork shoulder was chewy/tough and not flavorful. The sandwich all together wasn't flavorful at all. The biscuits were dry and I didn't attempt the bbq beans. Covid precautions: mask and social distancing Price: reasonable. read more
2 years ago
I was out late in DC alone and wanted to grab a bite and a drink. I rolled into Barrel pretty late and unfortunately their kitchen was closed. So while I didn't get any food, I did have the opportunity to try a couple of really interesting whiskeys. One was a Danish bottle which I thought was terrific. It was recommended by the bartender. I have to say the staff here really know their stuff. I'll have to come back sometime and try the food. If you're looking for a place to grab a bite, a drink, or both... give barrel a shot. I met some really great folks, we had a lot of laughs and I even ended up at a party downstairs. Awesome spot, don't be afraid to say hi to other folks, you just might make new friends. read more
4 years ago
Delicious!!! We got the bottomless mimosas - Amazing. Easily got our money's worth. Our waiter was great! He was helpful with suggestions and kept the bottles coming ! I got the breakfast burrito w/ carnitas, peppers, onion and egg. It was so good! The salsa it's served with wasn't too spicy, but also very good. I might've liked some queso or cheese with it but that's just me. I didn't get a picture of my burrito before I demolished it lol sorry My husband got the chicken and waffles - I snuck some and it was great too. The chicken was so crispy and the waffles were fluffy! Our friends got the chicken biscuits and they were impressed too. I stole some of the homemade potato chips- I wish I stole more. No complaints here. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Sat at the bar for some late(r) night grub and drinks. Environment is dim, southern-rustic and relaxing. A very nice spot if you were out in the hot sun all day, as we were. I had fantastic, juicy and flavorful fried chicken with the classic southern fixins. They have a vast whiskey selection with some rare bottles here and there. A few others at the bar were getting whiskey flights. Whiskey drinkers will love this place. As a whiskey drinker myself, I can attest the cocktails were great and strong. They also have a fantastic old fashioned, in case you were looking for one. Bartender was cool and personable. What more can you ask for? Will certainly visit again when in DC read more
Enjoyed my first trip at Barrel...searched for Bars with Happy Hours on my drive into the city and realized I had this place bookmarked for some time now. The happy hour is until 7pm...we arrived shortly before 6pm so that's ample time to have a few drinks and cruise the lite bite menu. As most have said...the ham and biscuits is a must try and in my opinion goes fairly well with a happy hour old fashion. I'd skip the street corn but I would certainly try the crispy pork belly. Either way you look at it...my drinks were way better than the food and on a happy hour excursion...that's exactly what you want....I'd come back again and I was satisfied with the customer service. Both bartenders worked in tandem to provide our experience. read more
Decided to check this place out because of the amazing reviews and proximity to my hotel. The restaurant was located next to a smoke shop, so you might smell a little "green" when you pass by. The hostess was friendly, but not knowledgeable on the menu and just kept referring me to our waiter when asking for recommendations on their specialties. Our server, male with glasses, was extraordinary and went above and beyond for our table. Since we are on a sponsored trip, we all needed separate checks with 8 different people. Obviously that was going to impact his gratuity, but it was what was required of us to submit our receipts individually to our sponsor. We appreciate him doing that so much!! He had a smile on his face every time he came and left. The food was delicious and the chicken melted in my mouth. The BBQ ribs FELL off the bone and was super delicious. The max and cheese was baked to perfection. The collard greens were not traditional, but didn't expect them to out here. THE HOMEMADE PICKLES a must have! Overall, I'd come back and try it again! read more
We went for dinner here last night, & we had a very good experience. We both had the fried chicken, which was very good. It was a single boneless piece of white meat. It came with sides of baked beans & collard greens plus a tiny biscuit with jam. There's a lively vibe here at Barrel, which has a very large bar. My husband often complains if music is too loud when he's having dinner, but he was OK last night. We were in the minority with regard to having a meal, as most customers were here for drinks. read more
3 years ago
I loved this place! If you're driving, parking isn't the best.. I mean it's Pennsylvania Avenue lol so we took an Uber. We had a reservation for 3 and were seated immediately when we arrived. I have severe arthritis in my knee and I use a cane. We were seated at a high top table but the greater found a table for us and went above and beyond to help!! The food was incredible! We ordered potatoes, eggs, bananas foster French toast and waffles. The French toast was like dessert it was one of the best I've ever had! We were celebrating my birthday and we were given a complimentary shot of whiskey! It's a nice, whisky bar with great fresh food. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Second time visiting and had the chicken and waffles again. It's delicious, very greasy though. Also had bottomless mimosas which did not miss. read more
2 years ago
I came here with friends the other day for brunch. We had never been into Barrel before, although we walk past it all the time. We sat at the bar, since we didn't have a reservation and the upstairs tables were full, and the downstairs bar area was really loud. This worked out well because there were three open seats at the bar, apparently made just for us! I appreciate that they have an a la cartel brunch menu and not just the bottomless option that some restaurants default to on the weekend. I ordered the French toast, and whoo were a few bites of it boozy! The bourbon flavor really jumped out on the bottom pieces of toast that had been soaking in it, and in the bananas (fine by me). The toast was Texas Toast style--like reeeaally thick such that I couldn't finish it, but that's way better than having flimsy toast! One of my friends ordered the croque madame, which she enjoyed. I'd definitely be down to come back here! read more
Barrel has been bookmarked for a while now, so I finally made it here for dinner with my BFF. We were STARVING, but wanted to ensure that we ordered food to appeal to our pallets, not just because we were hangry lol So, we passed on the hand-cut fries (thinking back on it, I am wondering WHY we did! The table next to us ordered them and they looked YUMMY!!) I digress....we ordered Mai Tai's and Brussels Sprouts for starters. The cocktails were tasty and strong! For the main course, I ordered Andouille sausage, red beans and rice, and a biscuit! It was delicious!! My BFF ordered the fried chicken with biscuits and Mac and Cheese. The chicken was yummy too and the Mac and Cheese melted in my mouth. The price tag for the M&C was $14.....hmmmm Only thing was that when asked for straws, our server handed us cocktail straws with his bare fingers. Please use a napkin, Sir! Sigh.... read more
This place didn't live up to the hype. I visited this establishment because my friends would brag about their brunch. I was not that impressed with the food. I ordered the chicken biscuit which was relatively good but could have used some additional flavor, I drizzled some syrup on mine. The Bloody Mary was good, I believe their mix is made in house. They did have ample bar seating and they offer bottomless which is a nice touch. read more
I ordered the steak & eggs (medium and over medium). It was prepared perfectly and very tasty. The chimichurri was ! Potatoes were delicious, too. Bottomless mimosas were the perfect touch. Menu selection seemed a little small, though. They have brunch all day on Sundays. read more
5 years ago
Went to barrel for a brunch, expecting a lot because of all the raving reviews. My expectations weren't met, but I wasn't totally disappointed either. The server forgot a few items that were ordered, though I think he was the only one working, and I understand things happen. The chicken and waffles everyone raves about was good, but I think it could have been more seasoned. The potatoes were great, very seasoned and crunchy, and the portion size was impressive as well. The milk tea...looks pretty, lacked substance. Should be called the IG honey, but I digress. I'd say skip it for sure. The price was a bit high for what I got, but YMMV. In all, Barrel...is a cool place to go for the aesthetic, and maybe the evening meals/drinks are great, but I wouldn't bother going back for breakfast/brunch. Food: 7/10 Drinks: 4/10 Service: 7/10 Aesthetics: 9/10 Value: 8/10 Overall: 35/50 read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
12:45pm reservation- sat at 1:15pm. Second time I've been to Barrel. Not as busy as the first visit, maybe there were some cancellations throughout the morning. We opted in for the bottomless mimosa option (5 people $130). They started us with 1 bottle for the whole table, within 2 minutes the bottle was gone. Same for the second bottle brought to the table. We asked for 2 at a time after the second single bottle. The food came out in a decent time from ordering. I ordered the shrimp and grits cakes with a side of fried boneless chicken thigh (*chefs kiss*) In the 90min allotted bottomless bubbles option, we had a collective 8 bottles, for $6 (retail) bottle of Wycliff I'm sure we could have had more bang for our Buck when it came to "bottomless" . I asked for two more bottles to round out the day but was told our 90min time was approaching. I haven't had the opportunity to dabble in the Whisky portion of the restaurant but will return to do so! read more
Although the food and drinks were delicious. Communication and coordination of reservations was a terrible experience. Booked online, called to confirm because we did not receive a confirmation email. Was told that they send confirmations on Saturday @ 8:30. Still no confirmation. Went to restaurant and told us we didn't have a reservation. We told them what was told to us and they said you were suppose to get a reservation in email. We had to sit at the bar which the service was slow in communication when we were the only 3ppl present. Took the bartender 30mins to take our order and another 45mins for food. read more
Visited Barrel for brunch. Nice atmosphere but I was really anxious to see the "RUM DMV" bar downstairs (which was closed). We were told downstairs has a nice crowd on Thursday & Friday nights. ( I'll be back!) I had the chicken biscuit meal for brunch. It was pretty good! I could've did without the gravy but it wasn't a deal breaker. I gave it 4 stars because it was a pretty basic brunch. Maybe my review will change once I experience the area downstairs....stay tuned read more
3 years ago
The carbonara was... could be better? Its very pretty but the prosciutto on top does not replace the pancetta and/or bacon adequately in terms of flavor. The egg is nice but again, not much flavor added. Just do it the right way. Don't be fancy. read more
3 years ago
Amazing! The best brunch we had while in DC and bottomless mimosas were a steal. Will definitely be back! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
Business owner information
Dara D.
Thank you so much for your kind words, we look forward to hosting you…
1 year ago
More info about Barrel
613 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
Eastern Market, Capitol Hill
Directions
(202) 543-3623
Call Now
Visit Website
http://barreldc.com
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Ask the Community - Barrel
Do you have gluten-free items on the menu?
Yes there are some options that do not contain gluten.
Would love to try this restaurant. Is take out available? Potential Dîner En Blanc dinner
Yes take out is available, but not dinner en blanc style. Very casual bar, so need to dress fancy unless this is your last stop on the way in for the night.
Is it OK to stand at the bar with a group of about 8/10 people? Or is the space not designed for the normal bar mingling crowd?
You do you boo.
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74 reviews that are not currently recommended
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Barrel - newamerican - Updated September 2026
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