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The Barley Mill
Categories: Nightlife Bars Pubs Restaurants Canadian (New) Pubs, Canadian (New) [Edit]
201 Barclay Parade SWCalgary, AB T2P 4R3
(403) 290-1500
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 12 am
Fri-Sat 11 am - 1 am
Sun 11 am - 11 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for The Barley Mill
Review Highlights
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"...location (right beside Eau Claire Market) and it's covered..." In 4 reviews -
"They have a patio around back that fills up quickly." In 11 reviews -
"...patio space is awesome; both upper and lower level options." In 4 reviews
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Sean E.
Calgary, AB
4/23/2012
We were in Prince's Island Park on a Sunday and wanted to find a pub/restaurant with a patio where we could drink a cold beer and eat lunch. I think it was the first day of the year to hit +20 celcius.
We were informed of a 15-20 minute wait for the patio and were served in the bar while we waited. The staff appeared overworked because they had no bartender and the waitresses were left to prepare all the drinks for themselves. Pretty much all the beer that's on tap is domestic beer without much beyond the "fancy" beers from major brewers such as Molson or Rickard's.
Despite this in 15 minutes we had our seat like promised.
I ordered the Black Angus Sirloin Sandwich with yam fries. The food came out promptly which was surprising considering the understaffed situation. The steak was well salted and peppered and extremely tender. It was a great cut without any sinew/grissel. The yam fries were salted with sea salt and it was served with some dill mayonnaise to dip the fries in. The fries were cooked to just the right crispness.
We were disappointed at all with the food. Nothing appeared off from the beer that was on tap. We only wish that the management had been better prepared for the summer weather and the increased traffic it would bring their restaurant.
We arrived with good timing because 15 minutes after we were seated a lineup was forming outside the door to the restaurant. I'm pretty sure that those that arrived during the rush didn't get the prompt service we received. -
Review from Natasha K.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been two more times now and both times had very disappointing service.
Both times are on the popular lunch hours but that doesn't mean we don't deserve attentiveness.
The jalapeno burger was excellent. However, the next time I got the margarita chicken wrap and it was poor. I asked for no onions but told that it's pre-made so they can't do that. I reluctantly kept my order and sure enough the mix inside was dull, flat, boring, all of that... and my yam fries were over cooked.
Once we order the servers have completely forgotten about us, taken forever to come and clean up, or even bring our bill.
A simple lunch has easily turned into a 2.5hour ordeal because of the slow slow slow servers.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/15/2011
If you go, get the crab cakes!
Oh my!! This place has become a new lunch favourite of mine.… Read more »
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Review from Van B.
12/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was starving, it was as if the world was about to end and I still haven't had my 'last meal'. We were headed to The Barley Mill for lunch - about 20 of us which I understand may be a large number for a lunch however restaurants I feel should be prepared that numbers like this will happen and will probably always happen.
The Barley Mill is a restaurant situated inside a cozy small house. Like I've said previously I love places like this, it has that old cottage feel mixed in with an irish pub interior. This restaurant has a main floor as well as an upstairs floor.
The server was kind enough to get us our drinks right away and that's about where the good service stops.
I ordered the Chimchurri Sirloin which is an 8oz certified Angus Sirloin that comes with Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus and Chimchurri sauce.
Everyone placed their order with the waitress and we began our wait....and kept waiting.. a manager came up: "I checked for everyone the food is coming." Another 30 minutes goes by and by now we've been waiting one full hour for our food to come while everyone else in the restaurant seems to be getting served. We continue waiting... and waiting..and finally our food arrives 1.5 hours later.
During the time we were eating another manager comes up and apologizes and says there were problems in the kitchen and they kept sending the food back in. Well... they should have just made it right the first time.
My steak I ordered medium rare and it came out about medium but besides that the steak wasn't bad but I've had a lot better in many other restaurants. The Roasted Potatoes were the worst, dry, hard and felt like they were old. The Asparagus was delicious and you know how I love my greens and finally what made my meal a little better was the delicious Chimchurri sauce.
I don't think I'll be back here unless it's just for a beer. My meal came to $20 but I honestly don't think it was worth it having to wait 1.5 hours for my food to come. -
Review from Genevieve W.
Calgary, AB
5/10/2012
This is a great place to have a beer after work or on the weekends. I would not recommend the calamari however, when I eat there the after was off. The waitress wasn't the best at regularly checking in. We ordered our drinks and she forgot to ask us about food. We waited 15 minutes for her to come back. They have a great beer selection though.
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Review from Ljubica T.
Calgary, AB
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food, great staff, decent prices.... patio was fun, beer was good... I'll be back!
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Review from Rob O.
5/6/2012
Beer = good. Sliders = burnt meat nuggets on cold stale bread. Nice servers. Nice atmosphere.
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Review from Alex B.
Vancouver, BC
12/5/2011
Arrogant staff and slow service. The food was good, but overpriced for a
Humble hamburger and fries. -
Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
8/18/2011
There was a large group of us, about 20+, for an office function. I guess it was the wrong day to sit outside on the patio 'cos it was quite a cool day. So, we asked to have the patio heaters turned on. For some strange reason, only one waitress was assigned to our large group. We had to wait for drinks, then we had to wait to order appetizers, then we had to wait for the waitress to turn on the patio heaters. Meanwhile, the guys in the group got up to help her turn the heaters on. Then we had to wait to place our lunch order. By this time, it's been 1 1/2 hours since we've sat down before we got lunch! Unbelievable!
I ordered the Mussels and a starter Caesar Salad. The mussels weren't bad and it was a fair-sized order. Sauce was pretty good - chilli lime. The Casear Salad - meh, i've had better.
Ladies Washroom - only 2 stalls, one of which does not have a lock.
Don't think I'll be back. -
Review from Wendy P.
8/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
You know what? For awhile, the Barley Mill was sitting at a solid 3.5 stars. The food is alright, the selection of beers is decent, the location and the patio are both wonderful.
I've been by on many an occasion and the service has always been a-ok. I can't complain about the prices either. They're reasonably for the quality and quantity of food you receive. But what pushed this up to a 4 star? Why, the follow up service I received from one of the managers, Kyle, after I thought I had left my debit card there.
I was there on a Monday, and it wasn't until Wednesday that I figured out I had left my card somewhere. Trying to retrace my steps, the last place I remembered using it was at The Barley Mill. I phoned, and the server on the other end took my name and number and promised she'd have somebody get in touch with me. Well, a few hours had passed and I have expected no-one to call me back. I went about my business the rest of the day. Later, when I glanced at my phone, I saw a new voicemail. It was The Barley Mill calling saying they had had a look around, but hadn't come across my card. "We'll keep looking and do everything we can to find it on our end," the message assured me.
The next day, I came across my card on the floor of my car. I must've stuck it in my pocket instead of back in my purse on the way out. So, problem solved! But great follow up from Kyle and his team that day. Thank you guys! -
Review from Nyssa R.
9/14/2011
Nice location and nice layout, unfortunately like a lot of restaurants in this seemingly prime area the staff leaves much to be desired.
I haven't had any horrible experiences or great experiences here, I just feel a general sense of indifference from the staff here every time I go (due to the proximity to my work it's much more often than I'd like). They don't go out of their way to make your experience anything special, lots of the time they seem bored (I've never had an upbeat server here), and they aren't very helpful if you need something outside of the normal order and serve relationship they have with the guests.
The food is generally bland, even though almost every item tries to incorporate in item with a twist (e.g. Asian Sambal in calamari, Guiness in soup, raspberry in shrimp, etc.) and you'd think that the flavours would stand out but from my experience with their menu selection, it doesn't.
The beer selection isn't great and is overpriced. There's a lot of restaurants with similar M.O's in a 3 block radius, so if you don't have to come here for a work function, work meeting, or because someone wants to try it because of the cool water wheel in the front, I'd avoid it. -
Review from Ashley M.
Halifax, NS
5/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was a decent spot for drinks and appetizers. It felt very different from other restaurants in Calgary. They normally feel franchised, bland, etc.
This section of the city (Eau Claire) felt like an actual city with culture. I loved the patio and the atmosphere.
The service wasn't good. Our server was rude but apparently that's highly expected in Calgary.
We ordered nachos that could have fed 5 people. They should advertise that on the menu. They only gave enough salsa, sour cream, etc. for a regular size nachos and we were charged for more.
Overall, I would recommend this place, especially in the summer when you want to sit on a patio and enjoy some drinks. -
Review from Jeffrey M.
12/29/2010
Hiya Yelp Moderator!
My name is Jeffrey. I would like to review Barley Mill.
But I'm a bit confused. Um ... why are there two listings for Barley Mill Eatery and Pub? Let's fix this!
And while we're fixing this, there are some things that we could fix about the Barley Mill Eatery & Pub, too. It's an OK place, as in the food is edible and I wouldn't mind coming back here. But I would be more inclined if somebody else were paying for me. Like, say a company. Or a sugar daddy. Or a sugar mamma. Or an alcohol company.
I ordered the meatloaf, which was actually really good, but the vegetable side dish it came with -- seasonal vegetables, which meant carrots and BOK CHOY (really?! Kinda cool, kinda weird at an Irish bar lol) -- were disappointing, and to me, side dishes can be just as important as the meat. They were unfortunately overcooked and too tasteless.
Dessert is also key to me. My friend and I shared some peach cobbler -- which may have been my fault, because I usually don't go for peach. That being said, it was the right sweetness but a little soggy; it's still OK as a dessert.
Service-wise, I think there were hits and misses. We were 20 some people, and we had a reservation, but they didn't give us a space adequate for that many people. They had to awkwardly coerce people to move as our party started arriving and it became clear that yes, we were actually 20 people! Key word: awkwardly. We had one waitress take care of us -- she wasn't particularly friendly, and was direct almost to the point of rudeness, but she did manage to keep the dinner moving, was very efficient, and also quite patient.
All in all, it was OK, and I wouldn't be opposed to coming back here, but there's definite room for improvement. -
Review from Sans H.
Calgary, AB
8/1/2011
Arrogant host, stand offish waitress, slow service....good food, nice looking place.
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Review from Reginald T.
Calgary, AB
11/30/2010 1 Check-in Here
I love this place! Located by Eau Claire Market and Prince's Island Park, it's one of the best places in the area to grab some food in the late evening. Usually, if I spend a day at the park, I'll end the day here.
The patio space is awesome; both upper and lower level options. This is one of the rare places I've found in the city that will allow you to book patio space during the summer for large groups; one of my friends used it regularly to hold networking meetups every other month.
The food is great and reasonably priced and the atmosphere is very cozy and casual. The service is awesome as well. It's a smallish building and so it can get quite cramped in there if the place is packed, and upper level access is only served by a single stairwell, but it's hardly the only place in Calgary that has that issue, and for the most part, there isn't much to complain about the place.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
12/9/2009
The Barley Mill has the best patio in downtown proper. Because it is right by Eau Claire Market and Princes Island Park, you get a beautiful view of lush green and some interesting architecture, and tons of people watching. Now that it is winter and minus thirty outside, I can't help but imagine being out on the patio after a long day with a cool beer in the hot sun. When I think of the Barley Mill, I immediately think of sun.
That being said, it's a nice place in the winter too. It's one of the only places in Calgary that is genuinely old, and so it has a wonderful old character. The lower level fills up pretty quickly and the booths are fun. Everything is made up of old dark wood, and it is a pleasure to sit and enjoy. Upstairs you can get more privacy - there is even a little room off to the side which is perfect for small meetings and get-togethers.
But I can't go back until I stop wishing for the sun shine (this is a allegorical statement about how the summer = the Barley Mill in my mind and also that Winter is sad. Also, the Barley Mill is not connected to the Plus 15 system so you have to make a run for it on the final block and running in windy -30 weather isn't worth it in the end, not even for after work drinks. Yeah, I'm a fair weather customer at the Barley Mill.) -
Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
8/26/2010
I went here to split a wrap and some fries with my mom, and to have a beer. The restaurant itself is HUGE and yet is always packed.
The service was OK, the food was OK prices are OK.
For me this joint is just OK and it gets so ridiculous busy that it's hard to hear each other speak.
You do get a nice view from their upper deck, but other than that it's really nothing special for me. -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
2/5/2010 5 photos
AAAARRRGGGGGHHH, I hate parking down by the Eau Claire Market on a weekday; it is so grossly overpriced to park there, imagine the friend who had to meet her lawyer then meet us for lunch paid $27 dollars all day parking because it would be more expensive for her to pay for 4 hours.
That out of the way, meeting her for lunch at The Barley Mill was the most convenient lunch spot but looks like it was on everyone's minds today because man was it filled. There wasn't an empty seat in the house and it was uber noisy. The exterior is like a rustic turn of the century home that I have seen in the ghost town of Dawson City, the interior comparable to a Northern Lodge. The fire a blazing and antique ornaments like an old wagon, old tins and grinders hovering overhead. It's pretty cosy if you can ignore the loud music and ambiance.
We were served right away but I was being nudged several times by people and servers passing through as there wasn't much sitting room today.
My friend had a turkey and strawberry sandwich on white with yam fries, my other friend had a soup and salad combo and I had the fish and chips. Everyone was pretty content with their meals but I must admit I was disappointed in having just one fish filet at 13 dollars. The service however was excellent; friendly responsive servers, quick to take orders, mention specials and get you the food.
I think I would rather come on a less busy day and take advantage of the intimate seating and great views on the upper floors. Other than that stupid parking inconvenience and not being able to hear our conversation, I can't really complain. -
Review from Moez T.
Calgary, AB
10/31/2009
The Barley Mill is what I like to call a fun place. Nothing really separates it from other pubs in the city, but every time I've gone it's been a great experience. In fact, each time I've gone has been for pretty different reasons.
I've been for the normal reasons, sure, like to get drunk or grab a quick meal during lunch. But I've also been for work functions, stampede parties, birthdays, and other reasons I can't remember thanks to the large amount of alcohol consumed. Each time was great fun.
The normal experiences always exceeded my expectations. The service was great, the food was above average for a pub-style location, and the people always friendly. I'm not sure what it is, but everyone always seems to be enjoying themselves at Barley Mill.
The group functions is where they really shine though. And really, being downtown, they have to. I imagine they get a lot of business from downtown corporations wanting to hold events there. We recently attended a work function for my fiances employer where they had rented out the entire upper level. The food, while only finger food, was really good and well prepared. The service was, yet again, fantastic.
Barley Mill has lots of options for sitting outside. They have a patio around back that fills up quickly. They also have a narrow patio running along the upper floor that provides nice views and a bit more privacy for smaller groups. I most definitely recommend visiting Barley Mill the next time you're downtown. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
10/26/2009
Over the summer, me, my boyfriend and his aunt all got together on the patio of Barley Mill for some nachos and drinks.
First of all, the patio at Barley Mill is one of my favourite patios to visit during the summer. It's in a prime location (right beside Eau Claire Market) and it's covered in beautiful flowers. It's ALWAYS busy and the crowd is fun and friendly. Plus you're seated facing the Eau Claire Plaza, so there's tonnes of scenery to ingest.
The service we received was wonderful. Our server was efficient, quick and friendly.
I can't comment too thoroughly on the food, but I can say that their starters are great! Their nachos are delish, and their drinks hit the spot!
Plus once you're done eating, you can go for a long walk along the river, or go see an Imax in Eau Claire!
I am a big fan of the Barley Mill and you can be sure to find me on the patio as soon as summer is back! -
Review from David T.
Calgary, AB
11/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice quick service and a good full range of draught beer.
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Review from Hratch P.
Toronto, ON
8/12/2009
I'd give this place a 4 star as a bar, but just don't have the food. Great patio for the summer, good beer, nice atmosphere, and friendly service.
We tried a few of the apps that were recommended by the waitress as standout, and there were, in a bad way. Would really never eat here again but will gladly have a beer. -
Review from Arinn W.
7/4/2010
This place has some real charm. I have been there a couple times and the music is fantastic. There are a couple veg*n options on the menu and a great selection of beers on tap (rickard's white? yes, please!) . I want to go back and check out the patio.
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Review from Jason G.
Calgary, AB
3/26/2010 7 photos
The Barley Mill is one cool place.
Ahem, pardon me - The Bow River Barley Mill Pub Company, that is.
The historical building next to Eau Claire itself is cool - both the inside and outside have been immaculately renovated to have a rustic, old-timey feel with just the right amount of kitsch. The walls inside are covered with wagon wheels, fishing rods, and other knick-knacks, and the bar upstairs is carved wood and polished brass, its shelves stocked with every type of alcohol imaginable.
I think most people know this place from Stampede Week, as this is a hot spot for locals to have a cold one on their three very large patios with abundant seating.
I find the food to be "hit or miss", but the menu is quite varied and offers a little something for everyone. The Bacon Mushroom Burger is a favourite among my guy friends - it is enormous. My lady loves their yam fries with the dill mayo dip, which she substituted instead of regular fries with her sandwich for a small charge.
This trip I tried a few appetizers. The mini Yorkies are little Yorkshire puddings stuffed with roast beef, horseradish sauce, and served with a bowl of au jus. I thought they were just ok, but I appreciate seeing something other than just nachos on an appetizer menu. The dry ribs were pretty good - they are boneless and have a faint taste of soy sauce and ginger which was different. I'm quite the connoisseur of calamari, but I would rate this plate as a B-. The portion size was small, the calamari was a bit rubbery, but the saving grace was the combination of spices that made it interesting.
In general, the Barley Mill has a great menu - a wide variety of items, and all of them reasonably priced between $11-15 on average for lunch.
The wait staff left a little to be desired in terms of friendliness and personality, but in all fairness, it was a pretty busy Friday lunch, and they all worked together to be an efficient little team. Our meals came out fairly quickly and still piping hot, and rarely did anyone have to ask for a beverage refill, so that says something! -
Review from Andrew M.
4/25/2009
For those of us who work on the north end of downtown, this is one of the great places to go for an after work drink. The food is OK, but nothing terribly special. I would say that it is one step above standard bar food. Great patio for those warm summer days!
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Review from Larry M.
Calgary, AB
6/6/2011
Service is poor and they seem to run out of menu items on a regular basis. The food is bland and overpriced. The patios are very nice on a summer day, san the children they now allow. Skip it and head over to anyother patio in the area.
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Review from Yo U.
9/26/2009
Barley Mill is a decent place if you happen to be in the area. The beer selection is pretty good and the pub food is acceptable.
