My first impression was, it's a neat place. Parking was not bad. Walking up I noticed the outdoor seating and decorations were nice. It's a seat yourself place, we sat inside. It was a warmer kinda night and we wanted to stay cool. After about 3 minutes a waitress came over and took our drink order. We also ordered an appetizer, the mac n cheese with prosciutto. The beers and mac were good, but the mac was too salty. I know prosciutto is salty, but it was too salty for my liking.
We then moved onto entrees. I ordered fish tacos. I love Mahi and was really looking forward to eating some delicious Mahi tacos. After my first bite I could tell I should have chosen something else. The Mahi was too fishy, which I have been told (by my brother in law who is a chef) means "old fish". I did not ask the waitress, but am certain it had to of been frozen Mahi. The one time I cooked frozen Mahi, it was fishy tasting, not good. My friend ordered the Taco, Mama. He liked his and ate both with no problem. I did not finish mine due to not enjoying them. Guess I should have ordered differently.
For the last part of my experience, my friend talked me into ordering a dessert to help redeem my opinion of the place...to give them a chance to make up for the bad fish tacos. I ordered the s'mores. The waitress told us it's a favorite at the place. Out came graham crackers, marshmallows, and a Hershey bar on a plate with a little fire in the middle. It looked delicious and it was. I love chocolate. Was it unique, no. The little fire on the plate was cute, but I can make the same s'mores at home.
Vanbarry's...a bar with not so good bar food. A few people who have gone have told me they like it and continue to go back, but I most likely will not return. I look for and enjoy places with great food. It is part of the family of FinnHenry's and Ollie's...just not my types of places or food.
Update: I decided to give it a try again to see if it had changed. I met up with some friends this past Saturday night (May 30, 2015) for dinner and drinks. When first arriving, I noticed it was packed like it usually always is. That's a great thing for a business, especially this location. The multiple places that had been there before have not been able to stay open. So, on the outside Vanbarry's is still doing well. However, I was again disappointed with the food. I ordered the nachos; I love nachos. Their nachos come with cheese, chips, quac, chicken, sour cream, and pico. I am not an onion fan, so I ordered it with tomatoes instead of pico and no guac. I wish restaurants would start offering quac without onions. How were the nachos? Not good, just very plain. The chips were okay, the sour cream was some kind of southwestern flavor, and the chicken was not fresh. Would I order them again, no. I apparently need to try their burger, according to my friend. Maybe one day.
But, I do have to say their Moscow Mules are good. Their bartenders can make a good Mule. They also have homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert. I have to say they are pretty good. The ice cream is homemade. It tasted just like the ice cream I used to make with my grandpa where we had to churn it. It was really good. I would definitely recommend going for dessert and drinks. Bathrooms were also clean (just a side note that I find important). New score: 2 Stars, just because the meals have been disappointing the two times I have been.
Update: I decided to give it a try again to see if it had changed. I met up with some friends this past Saturday night (May 30, 2015) for dinner and drinks. When first arriving, I noticed it was packed like it usually always is. That's a great thing for a business, especially this location. The multiple places that had been there before have not been able to stay open. So, on the outside Vanbarry's is still doing well. However, I was again disappointed with the food. I ordered the nachos; I love nachos. Their nachos come with cheese, chips, quac, chicken, sour cream, and pico. I am not an onion fan, so I ordered it with tomatoes instead of pico and no guac. I wish restaurants would start offering quac without onions. How were the nachos? Not good, just very plain. The chips were okay, the sour cream was some kind of southwestern flavor, and the chicken was not fresh. Would I order them again, no. I apparently need to try their burger, according to my friend. Maybe one day.
But, I do have to say their Moscow Mules are good. Their bartenders can make a good Mule. They also have homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert. I have to say they are pretty good. The ice cream is homemade. It tasted just like the ice cream I used to make with my grandpa where we had to churn it. It was really good. I would definitely recommend going for dessert and drinks. Bathrooms were also clean (just a side note that I find important). New score: 2 Stars, just because the meals have been disappointing the two times I have been.
If you decide to try it for yourself, it is located on Orange Avenue near the Racetrac and across the street from Julie's Waterfront. They also have a Facebook page you can check out for more info.
Mac n Cheese Appetizer and Fish Tacos
Beer and Dessert: Sweetwater 420 and S'mores
