Take this review with a grain of salt, as it’s my personal thoughts and opinion.The Toasted Barrel,I came here to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday, he wanted to eat here.The place is dark and gives off a “Classy etiquette, expensive” restaurant type of look. The waiter was great, however the seating area is dull and very old looking. Chipped paint and tables, worn down walls, just a weird vibe all together. Food was pretty expensive. 22$ for just 2 crab cakes as an appetizer. Our bill for the appetizer, two meals, and 2 drinks came out to 123$. The food is not good enough to be charging such high prices. Its just “alright food”.I understand things are more expensive now, however the over pricing for meals and appetizers was the biggest turn off for me.The place as a whole was a let down for my fiancé and myself as well.But like I said. Take this with a grain of salt. The placed sucked to me… it might not for you.
Mike B
We had a terrible experience... Don't go there - it's so overpriced for what it is. They're trying to be fancy but they're really not.For one, the service was bad. The place was empty, but it still took forever for our server to get our food order in. By that time the appetizers were here but with those big-a$$ menus there was no place to put the food. The server also didn't know the first thing about the menu. You'd expect more from a wannabe fancy steakhouse.But more importantly, the food was just terrible. The $27 Wagyu burger was super dry and came with a comically large iceberg wedge. The $85 ribeye was not cooked to order and yeah, definitely not worth the money. But my friend had it the worst, as she was served a 1-inch piece of cardboard that somehow passed as a $50 medium-rare filet mignon. It looked like one of those pretend food pieces my toddler plays with. We were seriously wondering if they cut a real filet in half to save some money...Then we overheard the servers gossip that the place might close for good come Saturday... which would explain a lot. And if not true, they should at least consider it
Dan Jenkins
My second visit - this time with a group of 14. The service was still great and my steak was perfectly done and tender! No disappointments for me. My friends with me had never been there and they also liked the food and the service. ??
Rana Codrean
Very good food, but pricey. They have a great wine selection. Their his wine is good and if you sit at the bar you can have a wine tasting. The calamari is good, their filet is cooked great, the lobster is ok. Don't get the fettuccine Alfredo. It's not worth the price.
Dennis Baker
While in town on business entertaining a client, The Toasted Barrel burned my experience.Firstly, the wine was significantly over valued...Secondly, the escargot was prepared using mushroom caps and their flavor completely overpowered the snail.Thirdly, the prime roast was OK, but low on flavor volume. The sour cream with horseradish brought nothing to the party. Perhaps because the horseradish was almost undetectable.Fourthly, the server said they were new and didn't know the menu. I'm patient, but please train your staff to not make excuses. Especially if you want to justify what you're charging the customer.Finally, the bill came and the market price for the 18oz prime was $85 each. I've paid significantly less for significantly better experiences at many chain steakhouses around the world.
Cindy A.
Sorry to everyone who has had great service and good food. I, unfortunately... did not even make it to the end. Upon arrival it's very dark and EMPTY. They sat a family of 4 of us at a small snug booth when there were bigger tables. The waiter made it known to us that we looked uncomfortable and asked us to move to a bigger table. The tables are old and I felt we were sitting inside a dark coffee shop. White linen only on tables that were being used. The rest were exposed so the ambiance was bland. We made a reservation at 7 and it was dead inside. It's so dark you can't read the menu.. no I'm not old, lol. I decided to crack open the blinds to get a better peek at my menu and "the owner" an older man with white hair comes over and tells me if I like the lighting inside. I said I like the dark just not when I'm trying to read the menu. He said "well you messing up the vibe in here so you need to do me a favor and shut it." I laughed because I was shocked at his choice of words. He looked serious and said "I'm serious." My husband looked at him and told him nicely, "we would like our check please." We had ordered out drinks and they show up. But we still paid for them and left. I had a feeling it was going to be bad. If you have been to a good steakhouse you know this isn't it. If you're local, go to Taps. It's nicer and looks inviting. This isn't the place for a dropping $500 for dinner for 2. You're better off at Mastros or Flemings or Morton's or better try CUT in LA. Sorry not sorry. The wine selection is good but they charge you for sampling- no other steakhouse does this. They offer store bought hard crackers and olives as an appetizer- where's the warm butter and bread. I knew this was going bad.. so glad we left before it got worse.
Opal S.
Some people thought the restaurant was closing but it did not. We have been there twice recently and their new chef is better than ever. Nice romantic music on the weekend. We love the Harvest Salad, the Baked Ziti and the pork chops are to die for. I tried the new chicken dish with mushrooms and cream sauce and it was wonderful. The paintings are certainly interesting. Great for a romantic dinner or a nice evening with friends and family. We have been going there before Covid and a lot more after it all opened up again. It is one of our favorites for a special night out.
Alyssa H.
The toasted barrel Shrimp cocktail The shrimp did not taste like shrimp can't really describe but was possibly not fresh Duck & risotto My third or fourth time trying duck, It was good, risotto was decent My friend enjoyed his pork chops but said BJ's was better. Espresso martini tasted like liquid sugar from what I can see it wasn't on the menu, would recommend ordering a cocktail on their list Server was very nice and took the espresso martini off our bill, overall I'm not dissatisfied but I would not return!
Kayla-Elaine C.
Always see this spot from the freeway and never decided to stop until my friends birthday! Ambience was good! Very dark, romantic, intimate vibes. They had a good selection on their menu (including scallops, lamb chop, Wagyu...) Ordered their calamari, which was nothing too crazy or special in my opinion but still good! I got their filet mignon medium rare. They give you a choice of different types of potatoes or rice. I loved every bite! Meat was tender, and cooked to perfection. I was a little upset with the lava cake, there wasn't any lava oozing out :( but the flavor was still there. I do want to say, we were the last people in the restaurant and i appreciate our waitress for still attending to us, answering questions we had, and being overall hospitable.
Mihai V.
First, there are few proper steak houses in the area, so finding this one was for sure a blessing. The place is very nice inside w. booths, ambient lighting and live music, definitely nice for a date. We got seated immediately and our server was Jenny, who always checked up on us and promptly refilled our drinks, even w/o us asking for the refills! Kudos to her! We started our evening w. two appetizers. The bruschetta and the roasted Brussels sprouts. The bruschetta was good and I especially liked that the tomatoes were served on the side (sometimes when they put the tomatoes on top, the bread gets soggy). The Brussels sprouts, were a little overcooked and my girlfriend didn't enjoy them due to this (i like them burnt so for me it was great lol). I also got the tomato soup which was good. For the main course we ordered the Baked Ziti and the Lamb Chops. The ziti was good. However, the Lamb Chops were problematic. First, my girlfriend is pregnant, so we ordered the lamb chops well done and fully cooked. I made sure to double check w Jenny and she confirmed that that's how she put the order in. However, when we got them they were still red on the inside, would say medium rare. I understand that this is how lamb chops are typically served but it was just not what we wanted. On a separate note, these lamb chops really tasted and smelled bad, it was maybe a bad butcher day or not properly washed, but I never had lamb chops to taste like this. We ended up not eating them. I read the reviews and nobody seems to complain about the lamb chops so I am really wondering what happened tonight?! The server came and checked on us (both about the quality of the food and if the meat is well done) but my girlfriend was not feeling good so didn't wanna overcomplicate stuff so we just said everything was fine. From other reviews I understand that the place is comfortable w sending back orders and remaking them, which is good, but we just couldn't do it tonight. It was also almost closing time so we just let it slide. Overall, this is a nice place and we would come again. Just wished my initial experience was little better food wise. Next time I gotta try the steak! And big thumbs up for Jenny for being so caring!
Wife and I came here for dinner a couple of weeks ago for our anniversary and oh boy what a disappointment it was! Food was terrible and service was mediocre, and all for inflated prices. We ordered the Ribeye with mashed potatoes and the Chilean Sea Bass (Chef's special). Both were so bad that we could not stomach even 1/4 of it's all. Steak had no flavor whatsoever (they may have actually forgotten to season it), mashed potatoes were flavorless also, and Sea bass fillet had a couple bones in it (unacceptable). Drinks were also bad, u ordered an Old Fashioned while wife ordered some cucumber drink. Her drink was barely tolerable while my old fashioned tasted exactly what a bad old fashioned would taste like. We really wanted to like this place but unfortunately it was an experience that I don't wish upon anyone. I have told many people NOT to go to this place if your looking for a halfway decent steakhouse. Oh and BTW, our $300 meal for two (plus tip) didnt even include complimentary bread. Nope, you've got to PAY FOR IT!! Never again will I come here
Yen B
Our food was really good. We had wagyu burger, chicken piccata and chicken rigatoni. The sauce was garlicy, creamy and light. Everything was wonderful.
Redautumm
Not open! There is a no Trespassing sign in the window! Why is this on the site if it is not open? :(
Kristine J.
This place is a hidden gem. Went to dinner with my husband and my girlfriend, we were all highly surprised. The food was great. I had a steak and my husband had some sort of pasta. They had a great selection of wine and they were reasonably priced. The service was very good as well. I will be going back again
Bree
I got a kids chicken tender for a baby and it came out raw. They replaced it with a new chicken tender but you could tell they just refried the fries. I Also ordered a sausage with my pasta and it looked pink inside so I asked them to remove it from my check and I ate the pasta. It is $5 extra for the sausage and the kids meal is $7. The right thing to do would have been to comp the two items but they still charged me for both. The server took my card so quick i did not notice they charged me for the sausage. For the price of the food I expect great food and exceptional service but it was a disappointment.
Take this review with a grain of salt, as it’s my personal thoughts and opinion.The Toasted Barrel,I came here to celebrate my fiancé’s birthday, he wanted to eat here.The place is dark and gives off a “Classy etiquette, expensive” restaurant type of look. The waiter was great, however the seating area is dull and very old looking. Chipped paint and tables, worn down walls, just a weird vibe all together. Food was pretty expensive. 22$ for just 2 crab cakes as an appetizer. Our bill for the appetizer, two meals, and 2 drinks came out to 123$. The food is not good enough to be charging such high prices. Its just “alright food”.I understand things are more expensive now, however the over pricing for meals and appetizers was the biggest turn off for me.The place as a whole was a let down for my fiancé and myself as well.But like I said. Take this with a grain of salt. The placed sucked to me… it might not for you.
We had a terrible experience... Don't go there - it's so overpriced for what it is. They're trying to be fancy but they're really not.For one, the service was bad. The place was empty, but it still took forever for our server to get our food order in. By that time the appetizers were here but with those big-a$$ menus there was no place to put the food. The server also didn't know the first thing about the menu. You'd expect more from a wannabe fancy steakhouse.But more importantly, the food was just terrible. The $27 Wagyu burger was super dry and came with a comically large iceberg wedge. The $85 ribeye was not cooked to order and yeah, definitely not worth the money. But my friend had it the worst, as she was served a 1-inch piece of cardboard that somehow passed as a $50 medium-rare filet mignon. It looked like one of those pretend food pieces my toddler plays with. We were seriously wondering if they cut a real filet in half to save some money...Then we overheard the servers gossip that the place might close for good come Saturday... which would explain a lot. And if not true, they should at least consider it
My second visit - this time with a group of 14. The service was still great and my steak was perfectly done and tender! No disappointments for me. My friends with me had never been there and they also liked the food and the service. ??
Very good food, but pricey. They have a great wine selection. Their his wine is good and if you sit at the bar you can have a wine tasting. The calamari is good, their filet is cooked great, the lobster is ok. Don't get the fettuccine Alfredo. It's not worth the price.
While in town on business entertaining a client, The Toasted Barrel burned my experience.Firstly, the wine was significantly over valued...Secondly, the escargot was prepared using mushroom caps and their flavor completely overpowered the snail.Thirdly, the prime roast was OK, but low on flavor volume. The sour cream with horseradish brought nothing to the party. Perhaps because the horseradish was almost undetectable.Fourthly, the server said they were new and didn't know the menu. I'm patient, but please train your staff to not make excuses. Especially if you want to justify what you're charging the customer.Finally, the bill came and the market price for the 18oz prime was $85 each. I've paid significantly less for significantly better experiences at many chain steakhouses around the world.
Sorry to everyone who has had great service and good food. I, unfortunately... did not even make it to the end. Upon arrival it's very dark and EMPTY. They sat a family of 4 of us at a small snug booth when there were bigger tables. The waiter made it known to us that we looked uncomfortable and asked us to move to a bigger table. The tables are old and I felt we were sitting inside a dark coffee shop. White linen only on tables that were being used. The rest were exposed so the ambiance was bland. We made a reservation at 7 and it was dead inside. It's so dark you can't read the menu.. no I'm not old, lol. I decided to crack open the blinds to get a better peek at my menu and "the owner" an older man with white hair comes over and tells me if I like the lighting inside. I said I like the dark just not when I'm trying to read the menu. He said "well you messing up the vibe in here so you need to do me a favor and shut it." I laughed because I was shocked at his choice of words. He looked serious and said "I'm serious." My husband looked at him and told him nicely, "we would like our check please." We had ordered out drinks and they show up. But we still paid for them and left. I had a feeling it was going to be bad. If you have been to a good steakhouse you know this isn't it. If you're local, go to Taps. It's nicer and looks inviting. This isn't the place for a dropping $500 for dinner for 2. You're better off at Mastros or Flemings or Morton's or better try CUT in LA. Sorry not sorry. The wine selection is good but they charge you for sampling- no other steakhouse does this. They offer store bought hard crackers and olives as an appetizer- where's the warm butter and bread. I knew this was going bad.. so glad we left before it got worse.
Some people thought the restaurant was closing but it did not. We have been there twice recently and their new chef is better than ever. Nice romantic music on the weekend. We love the Harvest Salad, the Baked Ziti and the pork chops are to die for. I tried the new chicken dish with mushrooms and cream sauce and it was wonderful. The paintings are certainly interesting. Great for a romantic dinner or a nice evening with friends and family. We have been going there before Covid and a lot more after it all opened up again. It is one of our favorites for a special night out.
The toasted barrel Shrimp cocktail The shrimp did not taste like shrimp can't really describe but was possibly not fresh Duck & risotto My third or fourth time trying duck, It was good, risotto was decent My friend enjoyed his pork chops but said BJ's was better. Espresso martini tasted like liquid sugar from what I can see it wasn't on the menu, would recommend ordering a cocktail on their list Server was very nice and took the espresso martini off our bill, overall I'm not dissatisfied but I would not return!
Always see this spot from the freeway and never decided to stop until my friends birthday! Ambience was good! Very dark, romantic, intimate vibes. They had a good selection on their menu (including scallops, lamb chop, Wagyu...) Ordered their calamari, which was nothing too crazy or special in my opinion but still good! I got their filet mignon medium rare. They give you a choice of different types of potatoes or rice. I loved every bite! Meat was tender, and cooked to perfection. I was a little upset with the lava cake, there wasn't any lava oozing out :( but the flavor was still there. I do want to say, we were the last people in the restaurant and i appreciate our waitress for still attending to us, answering questions we had, and being overall hospitable.
First, there are few proper steak houses in the area, so finding this one was for sure a blessing. The place is very nice inside w. booths, ambient lighting and live music, definitely nice for a date. We got seated immediately and our server was Jenny, who always checked up on us and promptly refilled our drinks, even w/o us asking for the refills! Kudos to her! We started our evening w. two appetizers. The bruschetta and the roasted Brussels sprouts. The bruschetta was good and I especially liked that the tomatoes were served on the side (sometimes when they put the tomatoes on top, the bread gets soggy). The Brussels sprouts, were a little overcooked and my girlfriend didn't enjoy them due to this (i like them burnt so for me it was great lol). I also got the tomato soup which was good. For the main course we ordered the Baked Ziti and the Lamb Chops. The ziti was good. However, the Lamb Chops were problematic. First, my girlfriend is pregnant, so we ordered the lamb chops well done and fully cooked. I made sure to double check w Jenny and she confirmed that that's how she put the order in. However, when we got them they were still red on the inside, would say medium rare. I understand that this is how lamb chops are typically served but it was just not what we wanted. On a separate note, these lamb chops really tasted and smelled bad, it was maybe a bad butcher day or not properly washed, but I never had lamb chops to taste like this. We ended up not eating them. I read the reviews and nobody seems to complain about the lamb chops so I am really wondering what happened tonight?! The server came and checked on us (both about the quality of the food and if the meat is well done) but my girlfriend was not feeling good so didn't wanna overcomplicate stuff so we just said everything was fine. From other reviews I understand that the place is comfortable w sending back orders and remaking them, which is good, but we just couldn't do it tonight. It was also almost closing time so we just let it slide. Overall, this is a nice place and we would come again. Just wished my initial experience was little better food wise. Next time I gotta try the steak! And big thumbs up for Jenny for being so caring!
Restaurantji Recommends
Wife and I came here for dinner a couple of weeks ago for our anniversary and oh boy what a disappointment it was! Food was terrible and service was mediocre, and all for inflated prices. We ordered the Ribeye with mashed potatoes and the Chilean Sea Bass (Chef's special). Both were so bad that we could not stomach even 1/4 of it's all. Steak had no flavor whatsoever (they may have actually forgotten to season it), mashed potatoes were flavorless also, and Sea bass fillet had a couple bones in it (unacceptable). Drinks were also bad, u ordered an Old Fashioned while wife ordered some cucumber drink. Her drink was barely tolerable while my old fashioned tasted exactly what a bad old fashioned would taste like. We really wanted to like this place but unfortunately it was an experience that I don't wish upon anyone. I have told many people NOT to go to this place if your looking for a halfway decent steakhouse. Oh and BTW, our $300 meal for two (plus tip) didnt even include complimentary bread. Nope, you've got to PAY FOR IT!! Never again will I come here
Our food was really good. We had wagyu burger, chicken piccata and chicken rigatoni. The sauce was garlicy, creamy and light. Everything was wonderful.
Not open! There is a no Trespassing sign in the window! Why is this on the site if it is not open? :(
This place is a hidden gem. Went to dinner with my husband and my girlfriend, we were all highly surprised. The food was great. I had a steak and my husband had some sort of pasta. They had a great selection of wine and they were reasonably priced. The service was very good as well. I will be going back again
I got a kids chicken tender for a baby and it came out raw. They replaced it with a new chicken tender but you could tell they just refried the fries. I Also ordered a sausage with my pasta and it looked pink inside so I asked them to remove it from my check and I ate the pasta. It is $5 extra for the sausage and the kids meal is $7. The right thing to do would have been to comp the two items but they still charged me for both. The server took my card so quick i did not notice they charged me for the sausage. For the price of the food I expect great food and exceptional service but it was a disappointment.