The Red Barrel

Generally liked the place. Went there the second time when they were supposed to be open and they are closed. Not sure they are still in business.

Been here twice.
The first time: loved the live music and the other patrons were all super nice. Our server was nice. I tried ordering the Zinfandel but he came back and told me they were out. So I ordered another Zin, again they were out. So I ordered a Tempranillo. Out. I tried another wine. They were out. I was 0 and 4. It was a Saturday night, really no reason to be out of 4 wines that are on the menu. He felt bad so he brought me some samples of reds they did have. I liked one and he brought me a glass. Then he must have finished his shift because the manager finished serving us for the rest of our visit. I tried to order another glass of the same wine and when she asked which one I had I told her. She got all huffy and said something along the lines of «oh, he shouldn’t have given you that one. That was a sample bottle for me to drink. I was looking for it. It costs way more than he charged you.» I was like, «uh, I guess he was trying to make up for you guys being out of every wine I tried to order». No apology from her for that. I ordered a white wine instead since I did not like any of the other reds on the menu. That was super awkward and rude.
We came a second time cause like I said, we liked the atmosphere. Again, out of the Zinfandel. I ordered white wine instead. We enjoyed the music.
We live right down the street and I would have come here more often if not for that first experience. It made me feel very unwelcome.

We really enjoyed our first visit. It was at 3:00 pm on a Wednesday so we basically had the place to ourselves but will definitely come back on one of the previously recommended nights of others.

Great live music, delicious food and fantastic service in a hidden corner of a shopping complex! An above-​average beer selection, too.

I love this place — Nancy and Vanessa are just awesome as are all the staff. The food is so tasty and the fact that they love good music and bring in fun entertainment just pushes this one to 10 stars so read it twice… 8)

Live music, friendly people, or server Michelle knew her stuff, was super polite. Only downside was that they were out of various foods and drinks. But we got the asparagus wrapped in bacon, the mussels and hot Mac and cheese deep fried balls… wow. All hit it out the park. The wine list is small, but still tasty. I’m coming back and will give this place a 5 if they are not out of items ;)

We had high hopes for this restaurant! But alas our hopes were dashed! Enough of the dramatics! I’ll just stick to the facts! We ordered jalapeño poppers as appetizers and waited and waited!!! Then when the sever brought our dinner my husband asked about our appetizer! The server said we are out I must have forgot to tell you! Then our dinner was luke warm!!! We couldn’t figure out how our food was cold and they were out of food when the place was a ghost town!!! It was a disappointing Valentines day dinner!!!

It was pleasantly surprised with the Red Barrel. When we went, they were down two servers and packed with people. Our server Emily was so sweet and awesome! I enjoyed the chilled atmosphere and live music. I’m definitely going back soon.

We had a great first experience here having just moved to the area. The food and drinks were very good, the ambience fun, people were having a good time and the music was great and an added plus. As a vegetarian I appreciate a place where I have a choice of dishes. My husband’s salad with strawberries and grilled chicken breast was excellent as well.
We shall return, hopefully many times.

I have always wanted to try The Red Barrel when I first walked by it last year and I finally did. I must say, I was pretty impressed. I was extremely worried about the service due to the reviews I have read here on Unilocal,but thank goodness I decided to be me and see for myself what the RB has to offer.
First, the service is extremely amazing. Emily, our main server, greeted us with one of the most happiest greetings. If I was having a bad day (which I was not), I could bet that her welcome when my friend and I walked in would have turned that bad day into a good day. What I loved about Emily’s service is her patience, her recommendations, and that she consistently made sure we had a great time, great food, and drinks. Emily also made an effort to get to know us, and made sure that we would be welcomed again when we come back by introducing us to a regular performer they have (sadly, we were unable to hear him play, but we’ll definitely be back again so no worries.
Now let’s talk wine. First off, my friend and I typically like sweet drinks so I asked Emily for the flight of wine and asked her for her recommendations. She suggested the Lost Angels Moscato, the Clifford Bay, New Zealand Blanc, the Angels & Cowboys Rose, and I believe the last one was the Cannonball Chardonnay? I personally liked both the Moscato (for its sweetness) and the Rose (for its lightness and smoothness). The New Zealand one and the Chardonnay had a real kick to it, which was not bad but I just liked the Moscato and Rose better. Due to the ambiance and style of the place, I would recommend infusing their water. It would be a nice touch.
As for their food, can I just say holy crap? Their food may not be the best thing in town to be honest, don’t get me wrong, it was goooood, alright, just not the best. But anyway, their food is filling! We were not expecting to be filled with mac and cheese, flatbread, and mussels. When it was dessert-​time, my friend and I were already pretty full, so when we had that amazing tiramisu, we were ready to knock out onto food coma. Anyway, Lobster mac and cheese was substituted to shrimp mac and cheese, flavor was a bit bland, but definitely rich. Its a good combo with the drunken mussels because the drunken mussels were a bit too salty. The chicken Italian flatbread with pesto tasted exactly like a flatbread would taste. I wish they could have put a bit more pesto into it because that pesto was good. Their tomato sauce was a little to strong to my liking (but if you’re into tomatoes, good for you). Their tiramisu was perfect. It doesn’t look like the typical tiramisu, but it was rich, it was not too sweet nor too strong. It was perfect. That’s all I can say.
That’s all I have to say, I will definitely be back. Service is great, the other staffs that later came in as the night came were as friendly as Emily. Food is a bit pricey, but filling so it’s good. The best way to find out if this place is good is for people to try it themselves. Can’t wait to go back again!

This is my hideaway from the work life.
I don’t check in as often as I come, but I like to come here for a quick drink. Maybe on my break, maybe not. (:
They usually open at about 3pm which is perfect because that is when I am fed up with the long work day and need some feel good juice.
They have a pretty good selection on beer/​wine, and appetizer dishes.
(I have not tried any of their food)
What I enjoy the most and are highlights;
Atmosphere and décor.
I love the dim lighting. I read once that darkness increases freedom from constraints, which in turn promotes creativity. I agree bc this place sorta makes me feel all free and creative. Then again I enjoy the little things in life, like escaping from the loudness of the day, so I may very well be playing it up.
I also come to this location on hrs in which no one is ever here. So it is just me, and my drink.
This is like my coffee shop for alcohol. If that makes sense.
(that cozy place to get coffee, but instead it’s alcohol)
The RB has small intmate tables, or a nice comfortable couch section. I usually take the couch bc I want to melt my body on that soft surface and completely exhale the BS of a hectic day.
Customer service has always been pretty good. My visits are short and sweet.
If you are looking for a place to have a drink… don’t know where to go… you’re near the LB traffic circle-​shopping center stop by and show this little place some love.
Parking is great bc it is in the shopping center.
Pricing– affordable
clean and spacy
GREAT ambiance
It can be an easy miss because of all the stores that surround it, but it’s next to Ross and Baskin Robbins.
XOXO
BonBon O.

Really bad service. My fiancé and I came here for my birthday, not that the waitress would know. We spent 20 minutes waiting for someone to wait on us, but no one ever came to our table. Finally we gave up on trying to get anyone’s attention and left. (Un)fortunately we won’t be coming back.
Their wine list looked interesting. I really wonder what the rosé tastes like. Oh well.

I went here cause my family invited me to watch my sister in an open mic performance. I noticed that this place seems like an ordinary restaurant from the outside, but fancy on the inside. The ambiance is soothing and dim; I felt like in a club of some sort. The servers are very helpful and give suggestions of what to order. I then ordered their watermelon salad which seems delicious, according to the menu description. And it was so good that the description don’t do justice describing it lol.
The ingredients are fresh and I can taste the watermelon in every bite. This salad made me full despite of it’s fancy small portion. It was made of fresh cucumbers, spinach, watermelon cut in small balls, and the vinaigrette taste uniquely different. It taste fruity and not vinegary at all. They serve wines as well.
My parents ordered the flight, which is 4 wine glass samplers. I suggest ordering that if you’re a first timer so you have an idea of how good quality of wine they serve. They host open mics and painting events once in awhile, too. I had a great time with my family and definitely going to introduce my girlfriend in here. Coming back for sure :)

Great service, vibes and a creative menu make the Red Barrel a nice, if a bit over-​priced, spot to relax, grab a drink and/​or grab a meal in the traffic circle area.
I was in Long Beach on business by the airport and this looked like a good diversion from my work trip. Big up to Emily for the great service, they were having open mic night the day I went in. So I was very entertained as I waited for my meal. Décor was deep red with art on the walls, high tables and chairs along with low ones. The open mic was great, high quality and good sound.
While service, décor and the music were highlights, the food not as much. I had the seasonal watermelon salad, but the fruit was kinda mealy from being refrigerated. I also had the cheese plate, which was nice (hard to get Manchego wrong). Bread and crackers were basic but good. Again, the fruit was an issue, with old grapes (you can tell by the brown stems) and not super fresh strawberry. Could have used some crisp apple and nuts. I also had some fries that were OK. I was satisfied with my dinner of snacks though.
Head over to the Red Barrel for some new american food and maybe some entertainment and I bet they have great wine.

Love the atmosphere! Very comfortable and inviting. Started with a specialty drink — tequila, cucumber, lime, jalapeño — nice & light, very refreshing. We shared appetizers which were all really good — especially loved the bacon wrapped asparagus. We was there for a painting class with Brushstrokes and Beverages. This was a perfect venue! They also have music events, which I would like to try next.

I had been meaning to come here since the day they opened and now I’m mad at myself for not making it happen sooner.
I had a hard time making a decision because I had heard many good things about several dishes on the menu. We started with the caprese salad and YUM! My mom had the drunken mussels and I am thankful she didn’t pick up the bowl and drink the sauce that was left, she said it was THAT good. I had the garlic shrimp flatbread and it was amazing. The sriracha aioli was the perfect touch!
I can not for the life of me remember our server’s name but he was great. Emily, who greeted us, sat us and came by to check on things a couple of times was awesome. She was very friendly and very knowledgeable about the menu. Yes, I understand she should be, but I am amazed at how often staff aren’t.
I will definitely be back sooner rather than later.

Came ½ hour before the closing time to order a dessert to go and they were closed playing video games! Will not return.
The manager or employee responded to this review just as I expected. We walked up to the door last night and a few employees were inside maybe watching TV, but yes it looked like they were playing video games on the screen. We were checking the closing time on the window because the closed sign was up, but Unilocal and Google both said they were open. I’ve heard horrible stories about the service here, but we live close by and I assumed getting something to-​go would probably be fine. Both the fact that nobody came out to say anything about the early closing last night, and the response to my bad experience review in Unilocal support what I’ve heard about the service here. I’m skeptical of any of the okay or good reviews for this restaurant.
It was not the fact that they closed early that makes me unwilling to return (I understand that happens sometimes when necessary). It’s that I heard such terrible things about the employees ignoring their customers and/​or getting annoyed with answering questions about the menu. That was confirm as I was watching the employees inside (whatever they were doing) that all completely ignored us, and now again with the terrible customer service in the response.
This town is full of great places with dessert and wine and food. I’m happy to take my business elsewhere.

Strictly stopped in for cheese, charcuterie, and wine– Good selection of wine. Love their cheese and charcuterie plate; you choose the cheese and meats you desire, or have it be their choice. Plenty of seating and different kinds to fit your preference.

A friend of mine and I decided to try this place out for dinner the other night. Their menu is somewhat limited, especially if you’re looking for healthy options (even the salmon is farmed) but then again, most patrons would prefer something heavier to soak up all the alcohol. I get it; no biggie.
The place is tucked away between a pet store and a Ross. Blink twice and you might miss it. The vertical space is impressive, and the red walls create a warm, albeit slightly industrial, feeling. The décor is OK but could be better.
We started off with the «carmelized» brussels sprouts, which showed no signs of carmelization. None. They might has well have been boiled. I pointed this out to our server, expecting a profuse apology, and basically received a shoulder shrug. He did say he’d let the kitchen know. A follow-​up never came. The entrée, chicken and risotto, were good but very heavy, even with the «go light on the cream sauce, please» request. We brought our own wine so I can’t comment on the wine served there.
All in all, not a great experience but not terrible. Good company always seems to make up for restaurant deficiencies. On a final negative note, my silverware was filthy. There were large food particles on my fork (I have a picture to prove it). Again, our server was not the least bit alarmed (are my expectations too high?) and simply provided me with another one. Someone should probably tell him that tips are earned and that simply going through the motions does not bode well for people in the service industry. I mean, feign some emotion if you have to, dude.
If you’re looking for a glass of wine and some cool guitar music, this might be an ok place to hang out for a while. I would not return for dinner, however.

On a recent trip to Radio Shack the hubby and I happened to pass by. Being that anything with wine peeks my interested I peeked inside and made a mental note to try this place.
Well after a not so successful date night (food wise of course) at the Red Leprechaun, the hubby and I decided that The Red Barrel would be the next date night outing. The location is a bit unfitting and I would never expect a restaurant of its kind in this particular shopping center. The locale is more fitting of your typical down and dirty fast food. However, I’m glad they are there and the area could sure use a nice and classy place.
**Side note it’s a small entrance and the sign may not be immediately visible but just look for the Radio Shack next to the Baskin Robin’s next to Ross and voila you’ve found it!
They’ve been open for just about two months now. As, I previously mentioned it looks small from the outside but it’s quite sizable inside. The interior is painted crimson red, very fitting of a wine bar I must say. There is plenty of seating consisting of high tables and couches (for those who want to get close and personal). The hubby and I opted for a table we aren’t the kind of couple that has to sit next to each other in a tight booth while eating and bumping elbows.
We were quickly greeted given menus, brought water and told our server would be with us momentarily.
Our server (Emily– I believe was her name) was fantastic! She didn’t rush us and took the time to make recommendations and just plain talk to us, which I really appreciate since I can be incisive and hate being rushed or at least feel like I’m being rushed.
They have a nice wine list with plenty of selections, I decided on the Chianti and for the hubby, since he has the sweet tooth of a dozen 6year olds, we went with the Framboise (raspberry) beer. I enjoyed my Chianti it was just the right amount of dry yet palatable and not overly tannin; all I needed was the fava beans ;) My husband liked his beer he’s not much a of drinker and he drank every last bit, for him that’s quite a feat, not to mention that the bottle he was had it’s own little cork.
We started off with some cheese and charcuterie, they have 3 different flights to choose from :
1. one meat & two cheeses $ 12.00
2. two meats & three cheeses $ 14.00
or
3. three meats & four cheeses $ 16.00
We went with #2 and selected: Picante Salami & Sorpresatta with Cheddar, Havarti & Gruyère (all flights come with assorted fruits, crackers, and chocolate). At first glance it wasn’t very visually impressive but the taste more than made of for the lack of aesthetics. Initially I wasn’t sure about the cheddar but got it at Emily’s suggestion. And, oh boy it was a good suggestion that cheddar was incredibly smooth, mild and burst of flavor it was nicely complemented by little pickles. I didn’t really get to taste the rest of the cheeses since my husband wolfed them down while I enjoyed every bite of the cheddar… like he says «you snooze you loose» and I lost :(For the meat the spicy salami was the clear winner, so much so that my husband asked for more information so we would buy some for home.
When we were ready for food I decided on the Chicken con Ajo (in a garlic wine cream sauce) and my husband ordered the Beef Au Proivre (in a cognac butter cream sauce). As far the the food goes it was beautifully presented and they are more of the typical European serving size, so don’t expect mounds of food.
My chicken was OMG AMAZING!!! I you love lemon, butter, garlic & more lemon this is your dish. I love love love lemon and general most foods lack lemon (for my taste) and I always end up order extra. Not this time, the chicken was perfectly tangy and sweet with an overall incredible fast of garlic. It came over a bed of asparagus that were nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I seriously would have licked the plate clean if my husband didn’t stop me. It was incredibly delicious!!!
My husband loved his beef as well. Perfectly cooked medium rare. It was beautifully covered with a light coat of sauce which enhanced the taste of the meat and didn’t overwhelm it. His came over a bed of garlic parmesan potatoes which he gave to me (YAY!!!) and their taste was enhanced by the chicken sauce on my plate.
It was an incredible meal with equally incredible service. Date night was a success!!!
NOTE:
If you’re thinking of getting the chicken get with the asparagus but ask for a side of the garlic parmesan potatoes, mix in your dish and enjoy!
Also they have live music, we were told they like to have different groups as not to bore the clients and provide their customers with a nice variety of music. The duo who was there that night did and amazing job with their music.