Iron Barley

March 10, 2008
Funny thing about this place was that when I first went there it was with a large group of friends. Took forever to get seated... so while waiting we went to the bar to order drinks. I (stupidly) asked the bartender if she had any barley wines... got looked at like I had two heads... What? Huh? OK, I’ll have a New Belgium something-or-other... Beer selection was alright. Food was good. Service was lousy.

February 11, 2008
If you didn’t know what it was, you’d pass right by it (the lines outside on weekend evenings might be a clue that you were missing something). Cozy, small interior with homey furnishings. Menu is small, but everything I’ve had there has been fabulous. Their signature barley risotto is out of this world. They have a separate beer menu with a nice selection of Belgian beers and American micro brews. Usually have O’Fallon 5 day IPA on cask. Live music some nights. It’s my favorite restaurant in St. Louis currently.

November 17, 2007
Went here for the first time the other day and i was quite impressed. First this place is not very big (only about 10 tables in the dining area) so it can be quite busy on a weekend night. Menu is short but they have plenty of specials, the waiter took about 5 minutes to go through all of them and there is no way i would remember all of them. I settled on the chowder and the schnitzel. Both were quite tasty. About six beers on tap and they still have the O’fallon Ipa on cask. Plenty of bottled beer including Ommegang. It a small but nice place offering interesting food with tasty beer.

January 20, 2007
Visited for the first time last night after rave reviews from a few different folks. Bellied up to the bar with a buddy and got to business. Started out with the soup, which I was told will bring a tear to your eye. Clam chowder, and it was delicious as expected. Good selection of tap handles. Good representation of local brews. Had an O’Fallon IPA, which I love followed later on by a NB 1554. Also, great selective beer bottle menu. Good splattering of selection. Not every place can get away with carrying Bamberger Rauchbiers, but this joint can! My pasta was excellent, accompanied by a Monchshof Schwartz. Chatted it up with the two owners, Tom and Jen. Had a good beer talk about their selection and such. Will definitely make it back there. Very welcoming and cozy atmosphere.

January 16, 2007
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 is 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. Food is creative, homey and delicious. 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. Service was excellent. Informative, helpful, and not obtrusive. Well done.