Iron Barley

mizzoueng

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Atmo - Very neat and has a "Cheers" feel to it. People were walking in and the bartender would know them and their favorite drink. The whole place is decorated in kind of a mish-mash. Old beer bottles are scattered throughout the bar along with random trophies, pictures, glasses, etc. The cabinetry reminded me of an old western saloon, just had a neat aged look to it all.

Quality - Top notch, everything was fresh, along with the beer.

Service - I give it an average only because it did take about 3 hours for us to sit, order, drink and finally eat. I hear service like this is typical, but it was okay as we had plenty of time to sit and talk and take in the beer selection.

Selection - Beer wise I believe there was about 20 on the menu, ranging from Schlafly Pale Ale to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout. There is a beer pump, O'Fallon usually provides 5 Day IPA, which is totally different on cask than out of the bottle. There is a beer on the menu for everyone.

Food - Wow, I had the Delmonaco Oak Smoked Prime Rib with Barley Rissoto. I can't say anything bad about this dish. I've had steak at Annie Gunns (one of the best steakhouses in STL) and this was better (and cheaper). The PB&J blaster pie for dessert is a must, trust me, it will blow your mind!

Value - Beer wise you really can't find anything wrong with the menu, it changes periodically to ensure proper seasonal brews and proper food pairings. Food wise it really wasn't too bad, average dinner was 10-16 per plate (depending of course). I say reasonable as you get what you pay for.

Overall I am going back. The food was great, the beer was great. Our waiter actually knew what everything was and was able to rattle off the ingredients to about every dish, he even offered suggestions of beer pairings. At the end of the night he broke out the bill, for alcohol and food. Apparently alcohol and food have different tax rates and he was kind enough to show us this.

They have glasses for just about all the common breweries, Goose Island, Sclafly, etc, and then one especially for the Floris Apple. Neat!

09-22-2007 21:24:56 | More by mizzoueng

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped by here last time I was in St. Louis after searching Beerfly here for good places to check out. Farily unassuming place off the highway that's easy enough to find if you keep your eyes open. Looks like a classic old time roadhouse restaurant once you enter. Lots of old wood and memorabilia on the walls. Long bar on the right with seating on the left and a window to the kitchen straight ahead. Nice and homey...everyone was very friendly the minute I walked in!

The brew selection wasn't huge but it was a nice variety of locals including Schlafly, O'Fallon Smoked Porter on tap and 5 Day IPA on cask (which was unfortunately out when I went), along with some New Belgium taps as well. Our server was very nice and quick to refill drinks and place our order. My girlfriend attempted to order the crazy Elvis sandwich with bacon, peanut butter, bananas and more...but they were out of something and had to 86 it. She ended up going with a reuben and I went with the veggie reuben.

The Smoked Porter went well with my meal and I enjoyed the food. Good roadside grub that satisfied both of us before our journey back to IL. Overall, I enjoyed this place. There was fun live music as well. If you're in St. Louis it's worth making a stop here and enjoying some good local brew and grub!

07-13-2007 01:38:23 | More by orbitalr0x

Vancer

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -9.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$$

Not a bad place, hit it on a Friday nite around 6pm – plenty of space and the service was exceptional, almost to a fault. Our waitress was very pleasant, and not only did she know the menu, she rattled on for 5 minutes with all the specials. Sheesh, I needed to take notes, no way could I remember everything she said.

As the previous reviewers mentioned, only 7 brews on tap, but good locals. Pretty good bottled beers to back up the taps. 5 Day IPA on cask was excellent.

The roasted ½ chicken was my entrée, and it failed BBQing 101. They left the skin on, so all the smoke and rub was wasted when I peeled the nasty skin off, leaving the plain jane chicken underneath. I’ll give this place another chance down the road, but I’m in no hurry to return.

07-01-2007 18:32:19 | More by Vancer

ryanismean

Missouri

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

I never give fives, but this place is just too good not to. Iron Barley is a small, completely unassuming, non-pretentious little place. You'd never guess that the beer selection would be so excellent or that the food would be so good. Tom and his wife may be the friendliest folks I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Went in for dinner after meeting Tom at the Microfest, and from the moment we stepped in the door they treated us like old friends. The conversation (and beer) flowed effortlessly.

This is, they say, the only place you can get O'Fallon's 5-day IPA on cask, so naturally we had that. Fantastic.

We started off with the mussels in cream sauce, which really set the tone for the night. I've never had mussels that good before, completely fresh and so perfectly cooked, not at all fishy, nor overdone and rubbery. The sauce was so good we ended up drinking it after we ran out of crostinis and crackers to soak up the goodness.

I ordered the oak roasted prime rib, and it was just ridiculous. I've never been served a piece of meat that large; I couldn't even eat half of it. But I wish I could have, because it was the most flawless medium rare all the way through, fork-tender and juicy, completely permeated with smoke flavor. The smashed potatoes on the side were good, but I regret that I mostly ignored them in favor of the massive slab of beef.

My friend had the seafood risotto, which is a barley "risotto" (naturally) made creamy with cream rather than starch. Loaded with sundried tomatoes, squid, giant sea scallops, and various other bits of sea creatures, it was also excellent. Creamy and tangy and perfect, although the squid was (in my opinion) a tiny bit rubbery. My friend disagreed and said it was fine, but then I don't really like squid anyway.

06-11-2007 16:33:56 | More by ryanismean

Jason

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -5.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This bar made me feel at home right from the start. Or was it the prime rib the size of my head that seduced me to think that way? Little road house, a little beer bar and a lot of American bar comes from here. Seven beers on, all craft at the time and they even had some O'Fallons BA Smoked Porter in the bottle ... oh yeah and a cask ale on as well. The staff treated us like family in a way, very casual and friendly. Come here with an appetite and thirsty or don't come at all. Beef and beer, what else do I really need?

06-05-2007 04:56:43 | More by Jason

udubdawg

Kansas

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5 | $$

I am eternally thankful for BeerFly or I'd never have heard of this place.

Visited on Feb 28th. Unfamiliar with the town/streets, so I went early while it was still light out. No trouble finding the place and early in the evening parking on the street was a breeze.

I could wax poetic about how good the food was - my Oak Roasted Pork was cooked to perfection, and one of the most delicious meals I've ever had. Love the side of barley - would you call that a barley risotto I guess?
I could rave about how well the O'Fallon smoked porter went with my meal, and how much I enjoyed their IPA too.
I could show how little I paid for a magnificent meal.
I could talk about the live music, the friendly staff, the homey feel...

...but wouldn't you rather just go try it for yourself?

Among the ONLY disappointments I experienced was that sitting at the bar I got a blast of cold February air every time someone opened the door - obviously if I'd sat elsewhere this wouldn't have been a problem. And unfortunately, whatever beer they had on cask that night was out. Between the lack of cask beer and being too full for dessert, it sounds like I shall have to go back.

03-11-2007 15:31:04 | More by udubdawg

lightbulb

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev -3.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

ATMOSPHERE- bar side entrance, left side dining. Bar area is how I like it- small, cozy, and a picture of "the soup nazi". Cask and drafts at the bar, folk band up front, and a straight shot into the kitchen. The dining area is separated and is plainly seated.
QUALITY- All beers enjoyed were in good condition and the food was excellent. Beers were served at a warmer temp than nearly all other establishments would dare. Regards.
SERVICE- our server knew the menu up and down, including an array of specials. She also knew the beer very well and was very friendly.
SELECTION- A very tight beer list, that is outshined by the food menu. I appreciate the inclusion of cask beer and a couple of local breweries, but considering the great food of the kitchen I would like the chance to pair with a few more beers. Schlafly, OFallon, Griesedieck, New Belgium and some AB products are present.
FOOD- I will go back for the food. The chef and owner at Iron Barley under-promises and over-delivers. The written menu is plain to the point you must ask what particular dishes are, but once informed they sound exciting and the items we selected were all excellent and daring. The menu offers something between Homestyle and fusion and the restaurant smells great. I can recommend the oak smoked chicken.
VALUE- Iron Barley is worth the visit and then some.

08-05-2006 17:18:39 | More by lightbulb

nogoodreason

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

A great place in South St. Louis. Great food, great service and a small but very tight beer list.

Small place, with maybe ten tables and room for maybe 20-25 at the bar. Service is quick and friendly. Probably ten taps and a handpump (Schlafly). The beer is in great condition and pairs nicely with the remarkably good food. They have numerous specials each time I've been, all of them delicious.

It's hard to know what else to say other than that this place gets a big recommendation from me. IMO, one of the hidden gems here in St. Louis.

06-26-2006 19:14:33 | More by nogoodreason

fizzyfred

Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

This place is a classic neighborhood restaurant in South St Louis City. The usually have low-key live music on the weekends and its totally packed. They have maybe 10 tables and a few 2-person tables by the bar. The whole concept of the place is good food with local craft brews.

You can smell the smoke as soon as you walk in the door. The food is amazing. Its not just barbeque, but seafood and salads as well as sandwiches. Our server took about 5 minutes to explain the specials on a busy Saturday night and took care of us. The food is amazing. They had a watermelon salad special that had delicious watermelon on a bed of greens and onions with a honey, red-wine vinaigrette. I've never seen it before, and it was great. I had the oak roasted pork that came in a smokey tomato sauce, as thick as gravy, with barley and mushrooms. It was unbelievable. My wife had the Zarzeula, a seafood pot like cioppino that was also great. For desert we had the original blaster, its like cheescake with habanero pepper strawberry sauce. What can I say.

They have numerous micros on draft. O'Fallon IPA was cool to see as well as Schlafly Pale on Cask. New Belgian 1554 and Blue Paddle, Griesedieck Pilsner, Schlafly Hefe among the ones I can remember.

This place is definitely in my top 5 for St Louis.

05-16-2006 21:57:45 | More by fizzyfred

Realale

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $

Why did it take me so long? With the recent loss of Bastante, I decided it was time to hit some beer-friendly restaurants that I've just not taken the time to visit. Number one on the list was Iron Barley.

The location isn't convenient for my home or office, but honestly, it only took 18 minutes from my office in Clayton. Ditto my house. A bit less coming back. Well worth it.

I've now been for a couple of lunches and a dinner, and this place is firmly in my regular rotation! The space is divided into a restaurant and a bar area, neither of which is large, but both seemed comfy. Let's just say the focus is definitely on what's on the plate and in the glass. Hurray for that, in my book.

The menu was compact, with a selection of salads, sandwiches, and entrees. There were at least four specials each time, all of which sounded delish. The menu was sparse on details, but our waitress was more than happy to fill them in. My sandwiches and entree have been terrific, and the selections made by the others looked damn good, and got excellent reviews.

Beer selection is also compact, but it's quality through and through. Lots of local micro representation in the form of Schlafly, O'Fallon, and Griesedieck pilsner. A couple of New Belgium taps, and a couple more in bottle. A smattering of imports rounds out the interesting selections. Oh, and one of the Schlafly's is CASK!! That's right. True cask beer at a restaurant. Selection today was Schlafly's APA, and it was in fine form. On a steamy St. Louis night, the cask was a little too warm, but I suspect they might have just turned on the A/C. I'll update on a revisit.

Service was excellent. Informative, helpful, and not obtrusive. Well done.

05-01-2006 18:49:36 | More by Realale