Foodie Friday DFW: The Barrel

New to Bartonville is The Barrel, a wine and whiskey restaurant owned by Lantana resident, Brandon Bahannan and his business partners. The Barrel is exactly what Bartonville needs. It perfectly combines ambiance, hospitality, a bar selection, and a menu with unique offerings you won’t find anywhere else.

Head Chef Johnathon Pauley may look familiar from when he was head chef at J2 Steakhouse in Lewisville. He has now brought his unique outlook and approaches to food to The Barrel – and there are some incredible dishes on the menu.

Some of those dishes include their Bone Marrow Queso, a Chicken Fried Prime NY Strip, and their Rabbit Arancini. While we were there, Chef Johnathon prepared for us their Tataki appetizer which is thinly sliced 5 oz NY strip served over a Fresno ferment with creme fraiche, a demi glace, and a micro salad.

The Barrel also has an amazing selection of fresh oysters which come served over their unique Habanero Ice giving the oysters an incredibly unique flavor and giving you (as promised) a unique dining experience.

Chef Johnathon also prepared his favorite cut of steak for us – the 14 oz Ribeye which comes topped with an ancho butter and a demi glace.
When The Barrel promises that their food will “awaken your senses,” they absolutely deliver on that promise through all five of your senses. Not only were all of these dishes stunning to look at, but they (not surprisingly) tasted incredible as well.

And we can’t feature a wine and whiskey restaurant and not talk about the bar. The Barrel offers somewhere around 80 different bottles of wine ranging in price from highly affordable to quite exclusive. And they also have an impressive selection of whiskeys, tequilas, beers, and cocktails. Two of their signature cocktails include the Elderflower Sour made with an elderflower liqueur and the Big Barb Marg made with a rhubarb puree and Agave Strawberry.

When you walk inside The Barrel, you’ll immediately be struck by how beautiful the decor is. Their hope is that it becomes a place you’ll come visit multiple times a week for a casual drink or hangout (we hear they have an amazing Happy Hour), but that you’ll also come back to celebrate your special occasions with them as well.