Pour one out for Catch 22, man. I tell you what…that was one of my favorite meals out here east of town before it closed down. In its place opened Barrel House, and honestly, the vibes are eerily similar. Hell, even some of the menu items had me thinking, “wait is this still Catch 22?” Nonetheless, it’s a welcome addition to the Mount Juliet dinner rotation. A couple of weekends ago, our resident film critic, Brandon Vick, his wife, my wife, and I were all looking for a place to get an early dinner after a baby shower. Somehow, Barrel House came up, and my wife and I realized that we’d never made the time to eat there ever since it opened up. Brandon’s a picky eater, but upon reviewing the menu, we were sure he’d find something even he’d like there. Lo and behold, he did. I ended up being pretty impressed by Barrel House, and it got rave reviews all around. Let’s get to the photos and ratings. For more on Barrel House, check out their Facebook page.
Pics
Ratings
Food: 7.43/10 – We got started off with six wings and some rotel dip. The wings were tossed in their liquid gold sauce (again…is this actually Catch 22?), which my wife and I were relieved to see stayed on the menu from the Catch 22 days. If only we could get that Cheerwine red pepper sauce back! The rotel dip was rotel dip – hard to get that one wrong, but the fresh jalapenos on top were a nice touch. I had to fish those out to eat them myself. If I could sum up the Italian beef sandwich in a word, it would be ‘hearty.’ Was that a bit of a bold move in the Tennessee heat in June? You bet. I was SWEATIN’ on the way home, but the portion sizes were enough to stuff your gut and stick your ribs, and the sandwich was so good I had absolutely no self control. That sandwich made me eager for the next season of The Bear. Piled high with beef and served on fresh, flaky bread, it was the smooth, creamy provolone and the tang from the fresh giardiniera that made this sandwich pop with flavor. It pretty well instantly became one of my favorite sandwiches in Mount Juliet (shout out to the pork roll, egg, and cheese at Jersey Oven).
Booze: 7.3/10 – The food is good, but man, the spirits menu is another real highlight of this place. For this meal, I kept it pretty simple going with a couple of IPAs that I didn’t write down because I’m the loosest journalist you’ll ever meet, and now I’ve forgotten them. But, I remember being impressed by their selection of beers. What sets Barrel House apart from other area establishments is its exhaustive whiskey list. You won’t find a better selection in Mount Juliet.
Value: 5/10 – For two entrees, an appetizer, two IPAs, and an unsweet tea, we came out spending $70 even, tip included. That is a little higher than your run-of-the-mill date night out here in Mount Juliet. But, if you’re not familiar with my rating system here on SoBros Network, I very much grade this metric on “you get what you pay for.” That may seem like a steep ticket, but I give it the old 5/10 for being as fair as fair can be given the quality of the meal and the depth of that spirits menu.
Atmosphere: 7.7/10 – Tremendous service…comfortable setting….and I must say, I’ve always thought this building has had one of the coolest bars in town.
Overall: 6.86/10 – Barrel House offers up a complete, relaxing, and satisfying dining experience. Our service was fantastic. Our meal left us all needing to unbutton our pants. And, the drinks were as good as ever. You might pay more of a premium, but it’s in rare air out here in Mount Juliet as one of the few places that you can go and have a nice meal with a nice cocktail in an intimate enough setting that you can still hear your friends talking across the table from you. Barrel House is totally worth it.
CURRENT MOUNT JULIET RESTAURANT RANKINGS
- ML Rose (8.19/10)
- Memo’s Mexican Kitchen (8.15/10)
- Hibachi Jr. (7.75/10)
- The Papermill (7.35/10)
- Smiley Thai and Sushi (7.25/10)
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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