Barrel and Crow

Meet a close friend here for lunch and just so happened to be restaurant week, SCORE! So of course my inner food had to indulge on their special menu! I ordered their fried mac and cheese and fried Amish chicken and waffles. The fried mac and cheese was absolutely amazing, perfect combination of comfort food with a nice subtle hint of spice in the sauce. The chicken and waffles was good too, it was a lot of food that was served, I only enjoyed one of the chicken wings. I was happy that the chicken wasn’t hard to remove from the bone with a fork and knife. Interesting spot, pricing not too bad for the area.

What a lovely dinner. Delicious food! Appetizer (pork belly & cabbage), rockfish entrée and dessert — all tasty and fantastic. I loved the menu. It’s a goldilocks sweet spot — not offering too much and not too limited. Dinner for four, with an adventurous, finicky, and vegetarian in our group, and we were all very happy with our meals. Service was attentive, many suggestions offered, and we we left alone to linger. Not a huge fan of the décor — it looks like a painted over clam shack — and it seems to be missing a point of view, like unsure if it’s upscale or casual or a foodie destination or neighborhood joint or a bar & grill. So the ambiance is kind of confusing and unfocused. We’ll be back for the very tasty food, and hope it settles in.

Food is great and beer variety is worth coming. Bar tenders are extremely good at help with beer description. I’m not sure his name, but he’s the older bartender. That guy makes it worth your time alone. I’m a beery so I look for new variety and taste. He has a palate to impress.

My fiancée and I really enjoyed happy hour here on a Wednesday night. Select wines and draft beers are $ 5 and $ 3 respectively. When we walked inside the bar area, it was 13 min until the end of HH. However, we were promptly greeted by the bartender, and told him that we wanted to get a drink order in before HH ended. He made it happen quickly and even took our orders for HH food. We had beef tartare, sliders, shrimp grits, and the charcuterie. The shrimp grits were our favorite dish by far. Overall, the food and service was solid. The bartender was really nice in making us feel comfortable and delivering everything we asked for. We will definitely return as we are in this neighborhood often.

Barrel + Crow is a fine dining restaurant that serves an American and seafood fare. The restaurant was dark, gloomy, and loud inside. It’s probably a nice place to grab a beer or glass of wine as they have a wide variety but nothing more. Being a Saturday night, they were fully booked and we were forced to sit at hi tops at the bar. For dinner, I ordered an unsweetened iced tea, which was very strong and required five packs of sugar to taste decent, and a Beet Salad, which consisted of thinly sliced beets and Asian pear, topped with chow chow (a fancy term for pickled carrots and celery, garnished with a few pieces of arugula and a pimento cheese fritter, served in a creamy beet vinaigrette. I felt that the salad dressing was lacking flavor and the chow chow certainly made it taste better but the salad was overpriced for the portion served. The server/​bartender ignored our table after delivering our dishes. He didn’t bother to check up on us, ask if we wanted dessert, or ask if we wanted our check. After waiting 15 minutes, we decided to walk up to the bar and ask for our check, pay and leave.

Terrible! Overpriced and uninspired menu had me wanting to walk out, but stuck around to give it a try. I got the grits and shrimp. Shrimp was burnt and bland. Grits tasted like no other grits I have ever had, and not in a good way. The texture nearly made me gag. Couldn’t finish. My girlfriend got a salad that I thought was a joke when it was delivered. This is food, not art. Fancy presentation does not make up for pathetic portions and tasteless dishes.
To sweeten the deal, very noise and a waiter that was nonexistent, and rude when they did come around. Wouldn’t recommend to anyone

Took a date here for their NYE dinner special. Heard a couple strong recommendations so I chose this over Black’s.
Very impressive. I’ll rattle off a quick list of positives but one thing I want to commend is just the setup and general atmosphere of the dining area. It was very cozy and low key encouraging a private atmosphere among its patrons despite the generally wide open space. Even though our table for two was just a few feet from other tables of two or more, their activities and conversations were mostly just ambient background noise. An excellent job setting up the atmosphere to encourage a low key social scene.
In addition:
Farm-​to-​table food prolly the best dining food I’ve ever had in Bethesda. Not that I get around a lot but I’ve been around for a good while. The duck had me enjoying each bite for like five min ’cause it was SO GOOD! Rockfish was on point.
Our server was cool and very attentive but also on the down low. Excellent recommendations on the beer. Knew his stuff.
Oh — THE BEER! A fair draft selection compliments an impressive if not at least inquisitive full beer list. If you like any type of beer at all, this is a good spot to add one or two new brews to your list.
Convenient location to after party around rest the of Bethesda.
And above all else, my date was very impressed w/​the selection. That alone is worth the fifth star, right? ;-)

Love this place! It has an awesome beer selection. The bartenders and servers are amazing. Highly recommend this place for foodies and regular local folk alike.

Three and a half stars. Patio seating and tons of street/​garage parking in the area. B&C has super reasonable lunch prices on moderately generous portions by Bethesda standards. I think they take a lower calorie approach to Southern food, but that’s smart for the demographic. The two servers were pretty slammed with half a dozen tables and a party; being seated in the back room provided hardly any sound buffer from the large group.
Chicken and waffles hit the spot– a drumstick and forequarter evenly coated in thin but crispy batter and served on a bed of lightly seasoned collards, two airy waffle quarters, and more low-​density syrup than you need. Grilled chicken addition to the fresh fall salad was cooked tender, sliced for ease, and portioned very fairly. I’ll be back to see how they stand up for dinner service, especially since the difference in menu length is quite noticeable. Future hit list: braised pork belly, fried green tomatoes, shrimp & grits, braised rabbit pot pie, Elysian lamb shoulder, pumpkin ravioli; pumpkin flan, ginger cheesecake w/​spiced pecans & yuzu drizzle; Fall of DC, Tart ‘n Sand, Fig Sazerac.

My coworker sent me a Zagat article «6 New Reasons to Dine Out in Bethesda» as we were deciding on a restaurant for our team to have a celebratory dinner. The menu for Barrel and Crow looked the most interesting of the other restaurants so we decided to make a reservation. A few issues with our table not being ready, but we were seated within 5 minutes.
We looked at the wine menu and ordered a bottle of champagne (Louis Roederer Brut Premier Reims) and then ordered an appetizer. After those items were brought out, we ordered our entrees and 3 sides to share. When the food came out, one of our sides was incorrect. They took the sides back and brought out the correct side, but no serving spoons so we had to ask for them. Food was fairly good, but service could have been better. Our waiter was inexperienced.

I had a great experience on my lunch break. Somtimes around lunch time you have to keep in mind that there will only be one bartender or server because having 2 doesn’t make any sense.
Maybe people in the industry will only understand that, idk.
Either way, Maesea (Macey) was a great bartender/​server and my food was great. The selection for any alcoholic beverage is out of this world for such a small place.
It’s really very cozy inside and the décor is on point.
I will definitely be back for happy hour!

Wonderful locally inspired food.
If you are adventurous and can take on pronounced flavors, try their crisped Virginia mackerel. The dish provides a bonanza of taste contrasts to enjoy.

Well, the time came to give this place a second chance. One of the managing directors of the restaurant wrote back to me and assured they were addressing the service issue. Well, looks like this was low on the list of things to do .
Walked into Barrel and Crow for happy hour with a few coworkers. The bar’s seats were all taken, but otherwise not busy. All tables were also open in the bar area. Noone greeted us. In fact, after roughly 15 minutes of standing behind the individuals seated at the bar — the bartender finally acknowledged us and asked ‘I’ll be with you in a minute.’ Five minutes later still nothing. We ended up leaving and going across the street to Brickside.
This is the straw that will keep me from ever returning from Barrel and Crow with myself or or any clients/​coworkers/​professional functions.

Just had a great dining experience, starting with happy hour and carrying over to a group dinner. Their draft beers are quality over quantity and for happy hour they offer a couple choices for only 3 bucks.
Great food – not the healthiest of meals in terms of cholesterol, salt, and carbohydrate content, but, hey, isn’t that what Southern inspired cuisine is all about? The fish, duck, and short ribs were my favorites but the standout best item was the salami wrapped goat cheese – it was very decadent!
Very courteous and professional staff.

I came in for lunch with my friend… Beer selection is very good. We ordered the crab beignets (3 per order). They were light on the inside and fried crispy on the outside.
My friend ordered the chicken and waffles and enjoyed them overall but commented the peach compote reminded him of baby food.
I ordered the the shrimp and grits. They were good, but I wouldn’t say amazing.
Why 4 stars and not 3? The menu is original, the food quality is very good, the place isn’t overly pretentious and I genuinely plan to return.

Barrel and Crow is a great addition to the Bethesda food scene. Let’s start with the setting — an upscale casual décor, very comfortable, with a great bar area that has big picture windows to watch the passers-​by on the street. I dined with some friends from work, and everyone was very, very pleased with the selections from both the bar and the kitchen (with a special shout-​out to the banana bread beer that the beer aficionado at the table thought was quite excellent).
We started with the Maryland crab beignets, served with a nice Old Bay tartar sauce; the chef’s meatballs, accompanied by tasty ricotta dumplings; and my favorite of the night, the fried green tomatoes with a spicy pimiento cheese — probably the best fried green tomatoes I’ve ever had, perfectly nailing the taste and texture.
The entrées scored high marks all-​around: the beautifully plated beer-​braised short ribs, soft-​shell crabs that looked amazing, and my own pappardelle with duck ragu, the pappardelle obviously made in-​house and quite toothsome.
The restaurant puts out some great regional cuisine, and the word is obviously out on how good the kitchen is, since the bar and restaurant were full by 6 pm on a Thursday night. Hop online, make yourself a reservation, and go enjoy one of the best places to eat in Bethesda!

So happy that I finally got to check out this new (ish) restaurant out! Love the feel of this place, though I was actually pretty surprised at how crowded it was on a Monday night. We didn’t make reservations but luckily managed to snag a table. The service was a tad slow, but again, they seemed to be slammed with orders coming in, so we didn’t mind waiting. My table got a variety of things to eat from the different salads (yes to beets!) to the delicious fried green tomato app. I absolutely loved my mom’s pasta dish that she ordered (fresh cut pasta with duck jous and pork belly bits) and my dad’s braised short ribs were to die for (though a tad on the dry side). I myself am now OBSESSED with their take on strawberry shortcake; it was the perfect way to end our dessert, and I truly love the way they had an almond spin on it (rather than your traditional vanilla).
GO when you have the chance!

Tom Sietsema in the Washington Post (⁶⁄₁₇) wrote a snarky rave that, while extolling the virtues of Barrel & Crow, dismissed every other restaurant in Bethesda with a contemptuous wave of the hand. Our experience at B & C differed from his.
I dropped the missus in front of the restaurant to search for parking. When I entered a few minutes later she was nowhere to be seen, so I waited for the hostess to return. When she did, she looked right through me to a gentleman behind me whom she greeted effusively. The evening was not off to a good start. I shrugged my shoulders, ventured solo to the rear of the restaurant, found my wife, and seated myself.
The waiter was professionally cheery and uncommonly prolix in his description of the menu, volunteering more information than necessary, leaving me sparring for an opening to ask a question or two. At the end of the mostly one-​sided exchange we volunteered that we were ready to order, at which point he took off without a word to attend to another table.
He returned shortly and we ordered.
I began with the beet salad. The ingredients were fresh and the goat cheese that accompanied it added a welcome pungency. The highlight of the meal.
Between us, we had the fried chicken with waffles, the fried green tomatoes, and the tempura soft-​shelled crabs. OK, we certainly erred in ordering so much fried and battered food — our sampling was admittedly one-​dimensional. But though the fried green tomatoes were noteworthy, we’d had better versions of the entrées elsewhere. The chicken was well-​prepared and perfectly cooked, but its bland taste belied its appetizing appearance and the crab simply vanished into the tempura.
As Barrel & Crow surprisingly does not serve espresso, we went home for coffee and dessert.
2.5 stars, rounded down for service lapses.

I think I heard about this new restaurant in Bethesda through the Unilocal grapevine so I came with some friends to check it out on a Friday during happy hour. They have a good selection of food and wine for $ 5 and select beers for $ 3. Great prices for Bethesda!
Boyfriend and I ordered all of the food to share, and we liked the shrimp with croquettes and fried green tomatoes the best. We bought thought that the steak tartare was too salty. I loved the fries that came with the beef sliders that I ordered more fries on the side. I also enjoyed the Rubus Sauvignon Blanc (the white wine on the HH menu for $ 5).
The service was impeccable. The waiter (from Wales, great accent!) was super accommodating when we told him that we were expecting 10 people; he helped us push together the bar tables together and got extra bar stools to make sure everyone had a seat. He was attentive throughout the time we were there, and also helped us split the check when 3 of us left earlier than the rest of the group.
I hope that next time they add more wall displays or something (the walls were looking a bit empty) and have a more comprehensive drink menu. They have the wine and beer list, but they still haven’t finalized a cocktail menu. Don’t worry in the meantime: they do have a full bar and the bartender was more than happy to make a drink.

I like it! I live practically next door, so I was excited to see that sad old lobster and clam place close and this place getting ready to open. I made my way there for happy hour the other night, and it was awesome! It’s a beautiful space, and it wasn’t very crowded only because not that many people know about it yet. It was easy to find spots at the bar, and the bartender was attentive and helpful.
Their happy hour menu (meant to take a photo of it – oops) includes food as well as drinks, which rocks (no pun intended.) Drink options were just wine and beer. Food options included sliders, fried green tomatoes, beef tartare, and something with shrimp. We tried the first three aforementioned items. I was a little wary of eating raw beef, but since I’d heard so much about their beef tartare, and it was only $ 5, I wanted to try it, and it was awesome! Tons of flavor – my only complaint is that they give you two little toast pieces, which leaves you with tons of beef to have to eat with your fork. Fried green tomatoes were meh but the sliders were really moist and yummy. The owner was visible and very involved, so it shows that she cares about the customers.
They have outdoor (uncovered) seating, but it was raining when we went. This is definitely a solid happy hour spot in Bethesda.