Barrel House - Moline

I attended a surprise birthday party at this restaurant and had a great experience. We were seated upstairs, which was very pleasant. Our server did an outstanding job, especially considering how many tables she was managing. The host provided some excellent appetizers to start. For our main courses, I ordered the chicken tenders and my wife had the chicken avocados, both of which were delicious. However, I do wish there was either a chair lift or an elevator to help older guests access the upstairs area more easily.

Firecracker Shrimp Tacos, Craft Beer Fries, and a side of boom boom sauce—order these, and you’ll feel like you’ve found true satisfaction in life.

I really love this restaurant, but I had one issue during my visit. The service was quite slow. We arrived after the dinner rush, yet it took 45 minutes for our appetizer to arrive, and our main courses came out right after that. Although our waiter was friendly, he didn't seem very knowledgeable about cocktails or able to make recommendations. The food is consistently fantastic, but this time the wait felt a little excessive. There was no offer to discount or compensate us for the long wait, and nobody apologized or explained the delay.

Rating: 3.5 stars. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was enjoyable. The place was clean and visually attractive, with a fantastic selection of beers and a variety of menu options. Unfortunately, we ordered three sandwiches, two of which were grilled cheese, and the third also contained cheese. The cheese was not melted, and the toast was burned, which was unacceptable. It was just plain gross. Since we were there for lunch and had a meeting to attend, we couldn't send the food back, so we had to make do with the burnt toast and lukewarm cheese. On a positive note, the fries were amazing!

Overall, this restaurant is a fantastic spot. I wish I had come during Happy Hour or in the evening, as it likely has a more lively atmosphere then, but I was there to study, and it turned out to be a great setting for that. They offered a solid variety of beers, and the burger was quite good (I didn’t take any photos, unfortunately). The service was attentive without being overbearing, and the cleanliness was impressive—tables were spotless with no grime from cleaning cloths, the table settings were nice, and the glasses were clean. The restrooms were tidy as well, and the entire establishment was well-kept. I was tempted to explore the crows nest above, but I didn’t get the chance. I will definitely come back the next time I'm in town.